Marissa Chastain is the vice president of operations for the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, a position she moved into in 2021. Chastain spent eight years as a chamber member prior to taking her current position. She served as an ambassador and small business committee leader during that time, which prepared her to step into her current role.
As a graduate of the University of Georgia, Chastain has used her bachelor’s in fine arts to connect with local business owners and the surrounding community. Her creative background has led to her serving on the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission to support and recognize local artists.
Chastain discussed her perspective on Athens’ retail and restaurant industry in an interview on Sept. 9.
Q: How do you think, through this role, you’ve seen the retail and restaurant industry change over the years?
A: We have the opportunity at the chamber to do ribbon cuttings. It’s not a requirement when you open a business, but a lot of people like it because it’s a celebration of something exciting. So thus far this year, we’ve done about 30 ribbon cuttings. In my first year in this role, we did around 80 during the year. We get to see trends that way because we’re noticing, ‘Oh, we’ve helped open a lot of restaurants,’ or we’ve seen a lot of one type of industry looking for ribbon cuttings. We also keep an eye on business occupation tax listings. That’s basically anybody who files to have a business tax and legally operate a business in Athens-Clarke County, and those are public records. So we just scan through those every month and see what’s new coming to town so that we can reach out and make that first contact.
Q: I saw that you earned an undergraduate degree in fine arts here at the University of Georgia, so you have an artistic and more creative background. How has that influenced how you operate on a day-to-day basis as vice president of operations, which is a change from what you studied?
A: What I found is I thought a career in the arts meant I had to be an art teacher when I was graduating high school, so that’s what I got my degree in. But what I have learned throughout my career is that, especially in a creative town like Athens, there are always ways to thread that creativity through everything that I do. I have been part of local committees that help bridge the gap between what people think of as more traditional business and our working artists here in Athens. We are bridging that gap and recognizing artists as business owners because that’s what they are, just like any other business in Athens. Being a part of Create Athens, I serve on a committee that focuses on making sure that artists in Athens are getting opportunities and getting paid. I’ve also served on the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission, which oversees public art projects here in Athens. Through the Chamber, I stay in touch with the creative community and make sure that I can serve as a bridge between the business and creative communities.
Q: You say you’re passionate to see local businesses thrive in Athens. As the vice president of operations of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, how do you ensure this happens?
A: One thing I tell people all the time is that Athens is a relationship town. I think what’s really special about our community is that people really like to work with people they know. They want to trust the people they work with. My biggest piece of advice for thriving as a business is to make relationships. Get to know people. It’s a lot like planting a seed. You have to show up, and you have to be consistent, and you have to earn that trust. The other great thing about our community is that people are super loyal. Seeing relationships that form through the Chamber and then continue to last and thrive years after, and turn from business relationships into friendships, is a really rewarding part of my job, and I think that has a lot to do with business success here.
Comments edited for length and clarity.
