Fort Worth Chamber
Brandom Gengelbach
Brandom Gengelbach, executive vice president of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, has been promoted to the organization’s top post, succeeding the retiring CEO Bill Thornton as president, the chamber’s board said Thursday.
Thornton, who is celebrating his 30th year with the Chamber, recently announced he would retire effective July 7 next year. He has been CEO and president since 2000, after serving in the economic development post since 1989. The chamber hired Gengelbach as executive vice president of economic development in November 2016. Gengelbach led the chamber’s formation of its new 2018-2021 Fortify strategic plan.
“His 18 years of experience with numerous chambers and the strong community relationships he has forged in the Fort Worth region have prepared him to take on this role,” said Lonnie Nicholson, chairman of the chamber board and CEO of EECU.
“I am excited to have the opportunity to lead the Chamber and work alongside Fort Worth business leaders and the Fort Worth community,” Gengelbach said. “Last year, Fort Worth was one of the top three fastest growing cities in the US. I look forward to continuing that momentum and Fortifying Fort Worth.”
Before coming to Fort Worth, Gengelbach served as president of the public-private Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance in Columbia, Tenn. He doubled membership while leading a three-year effort in which 2,300 jobs and $158 million in capital investment came to the county, and unemployment dropped to less than 8 percent from 14 percent.
Gengelbach worked previously in organizational development and corporate partnerships for the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, and economic development for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. He also worked for Brisbane Marketing, marketing authority for the Greater Brisbane, Australia, region after taking a sabbatical to Central and South America to learn Spanish.
Gengelbach grew up in Houston and the Plano-Addison area. He holds an MBA from the University of Southampton, England, and received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.