Chandler Grooms Named New Pike Tourism Development Director

Presented By Atomic Speedway

(Pike County, Ohio) – Tourism in Pike County is under new leadership. The Pike County Chamber of Commerce is serving as the official tourism and community marketing organization for the county. 

Shirley Bandy, Executive Director of the Chamber, is looking forward to this new opportunity for Pike County. “We really believe tourism can play an important role in the economics of our area, says Bandy. We want to promote the local attractions, area music, arts and history and showcase the beauty and natural surroundings of Southern Ohio, and in turn, bring more visitors to Pike County. It’s our goal to create new headlines with good stories to share!”

Appalachian Ohio and surrounding counties have continued to see a rise in tourism investment. Statistics show that Pike County is in a prime spot to capture more visitors than ever before. With more people getting outdoors following the pandemic, and the increase in travel costs with recent inflation, Pike County has a great chance of drawing in families and travelers from across Ohio and the tri-state region. 

To help facilitate this new initiative, the Chamber of Commerce has hired Chandler Grooms to lead the tourism efforts for Pike County.  He has served in positions in southern Ohio, West Virginia, and most recently served as the Workforce Development Manager with the Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership.  According to Chamber Board President Chris Ervin, “The search committee was impressed by Chandler’s previous leadership roles and experience with program development. Combined with his insight on the tourism industry and his knowledge and passion for Pike County – It was clear to us; he had the energy and vision we were looking for to lead the tourism initiative.” 

Chandler received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Shawnee State University in 2017. Grooms stated, “I’m honored to have been selected as the new Tourism Development Director for Pike County Chamber of Commerce. I’m deeply committed to their mission and look forward to using my passion for tourism and community revitalization on a county-wide level.”  

“It is such an exciting time for Pike County to move forward, and it’s exciting to be a part of it,” says Brya Long, of Long’s Retreat Family Resort. “For someone like Chandler, a western Pike County native, to lead the charge is definitely a step in the right direction. He’s energetic, ambitious, and eager, and that’s going to be a driving force as we paint our area in the positive light it deserves.”

For more information, visitors and residents can follow the Visit Pike County Facebook page and stay up to date on upcoming events and attractions at www.visitpike.com.