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At its chairman’s gala event, the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce announced its new chairman, John Westmoreland.

Westmoreland, a University of West Georgia and Central Alabama Community College alumni, has resided in LaGrange since he was one year old. He has contributed to the LaGrange community for over 23 years, working as a certified public accountant for J. K. Boatwright & Co, P.C.

In 2020, Westmoreland took on the position of treasurer after being asked to join the chamber by  Speer Burdette, the former president of the Callaway Foundation. 

Westmoreland credits his position in the chamber as one of the main reasons for his taking the time to explore opportunities beyond the office. 

“It’s been great, Westmoreland said. “I’m stuck in the office a lot, so it’s forced me to get out, and I’ve also met a whole group of people that I wouldn’t have been able to meet in the office. I’ve fostered a lot of new relationships. and I’ve really learned a lot about our community, so it’s been exciting.”

Westmoreland said he hopes to help the chamber continue its growth. One of his focuses for the future includes expanding the Minority Business Accelerator (MBA) program, which is in its second year. The program allows minority business owners to learn ways to improve their companies by providing quarterly instructional events throughout the year.

As of now, the program is full, but Westmoreland said those who are interested will be able to sign up for the program near the end of the year. Ayneone interested in the program should also be aware that it is currently limited to 12 slots per year.

“This is something we’re really excited about,” Westmoreland said. “The first year went really well, and it was a learning experience, so we’ve got to tweak it and make it better until it continues to grow.”

Westmoreland said that he will be working with the chamber on several more projects to improve the community of business owners. 

In response to his new role, the chamber along with other members of the community have welcomed Westmoreland with open arms.

“It’s only been a few weeks, so it hadn’t been that long, but I’ve received a lot of congratulations from people out in the community, so it’s been great so far.”