Growing up in West Tennessee, Mark Herbison visited Memphis often for the entertainment, shopping and dining options you can find only in a large city.

Now, as the new senior vice president of economic development with the Memphis Regional Chamber, Herbison will have a hand in developing the economic investment needed to sustain those big city amenities.

Most recently the ED point main for Rutherford County, Herbison is a standout in his field and was named the economic development professional of the year by his peers in the Tennessee Industrial Development Council in 2004.

Also, he oversaw an explosion in job creation in the Middle Tennessee county over the last three years. The county experienced the second highest job growth of any in the country from 2003 to 2004.

Some of the major investments during Herbison’s tenure include the expansion of Nissan’s Maxima and Pathfinder assembly operations, the opening of Verizon’s 1,200-employee call center and the growth of State Farm’s claims processing center in Murfreesboro.

Herbison says the key for much of the growth was the “Destination Rutherford” program started shortly before he took the helm. The initiative secured $3.1 million for economic development efforts.

“It gave us the tools to market the county like it never had been before,” Herbison says.

It’s his experience in marketing and selling communities, as well as his reputation among state officials, that made Herbison the top candidate for the Memphis post, says Memphis Chamber CEO Marc Jordan.

Marketing dollars in Memphis have slacked off in recent years and a big challenge for Herbison will be securing the community support needed to grow Memphis’ marketing efforts, Jordan says.

“If you have a plan, the businesses will support that,” Jordan says. “It’s been several years since we’ve had a big marketing push, and the timing is right.

In the last eight years, Memphis has seen more than $1 billion a year in capital investment, and the city was recently ranked in an ED magazine as one of the best places to locate a business.

But Memphis’ image among site consultants— the professionals who help companies secure the proper community in which to locate—must be constantly maintained, Jordan says.

“Mark has great relationships with site consultants, and getting in front of these folks is important,” Jordan says.

Before entering the development field, Herbison spent 10 years working for the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office in various communications and administrative posts before jumping to ED work in his native Henry County. From there, he worked at the Nashville Chamber and then with the state’s economic and community development office before taking the Rutherford job. Herbison is a graduate of Carroll County’s Bethel College and of the Economic Development Institute of the University of Oklahoma.

Rutherford Chamber CEO Steve Benefield says he’s glad Herbison’s career path brought him to Rutherford County.

“We’re losing a good one,” Benefield says. “He helped us get our house in shape in terms of tracking information and developing an exceptional marketing plan. We’re getting considered for projects we never have before.”

Another challenge Herbison faces in Memphis is leading a team of Chamber employees that have been without a senior ED person for more than a year. Jim Apple, the former economic development director, was fired by Jordan in February of 2004.

“I want to make sure we have the best team possible to make sure everyone in the community has all the information they need,” Herbison says.

Recruiting industry to a community is done through teamwork—not just one person, Herbison says. He wants to develop volunteers and other community leaders to help in the Chamber’s efforts and to be ready to sell Memphis to anyone, anywhere.

“You never know when you will have a chance to sell the city,” Herbison says.