DAVENPORT, Iowa — After four years as the leader of the Quad Cities Chamber, President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Rumler will be leaving in mid-March to become CEO of the CCIM Institute in Chicago.
“It has been a privilege to serve the Quad Cities region and work with a talented chamber team to help create a more prosperous regional economy,” Rumler said in the news release announcing his departure.
Under Rumler's leadership, the chamber has seen a number of accomplishments, including:
- Landing an Amazon fulfillment facility in Davenport, the largest economic development project in the region's history.
- Expanding placemaking services to include Rock Island and Bettendorf.
- Helping thousands of local businesses navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Creating talent attraction marking and inclusion initiatives, including Leadership QC.
Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Mike Oberhaus, former superintendent of the Rock Island-Milan School District, will take on the role of interim CEO as a national search is conducted for a new chamber leader, according to the release.
“The Quad Cities Chamber is in a great position to find a passionate and capable professional to lead us into the future,” Chamber board Vice Chair Dr. LaDrina Wilson said in the release. “We’re committed to finding the right person to represent our region and help us reach our audacious goals of growing our region’s (gross domestic product) and economy, as well as engaging more businesses.”
Moline-native and Black Hawk College-graduate Rumler spent the two years prior to his QC Chamber presidency as the Grand Rapids, Michigan, Chamber of Commerce's chief strategy officer.
