The Albany Area Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors announced that President & CEO Bárbara Rivera Holmes will step down from her position effective March 28, 2025. Holmes has served the Chamber and the Albany Area community with distinction for nearly a decade.

Since 2015, Holmes has led the Chamber’s efforts to foster a prosperous economy by investing in programs that support businesses in connecting, building, influencing and leading. In addition to her role at the Chamber, Holmes has served as CEO of the Albany Area Chamber Foundation, which spearheads talent, economic, entrepreneurial and innovation initiatives that extend beyond the business community’s usual reach. She has guided the organizations’ strategies to build community and shape Albany’s future by addressing businesses’ biggest challenges, collaborating with decision-makers to inform smart policy, and partnering with employers and educators to develop a modern and adaptive workforce.

"We are deeply grateful for Bárbara’s visionary leadership and unwavering dedication to the Albany Area Chamber and the community," said Smith Wilson, 2025 chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors and a partner at Gardner Willis Plaire & Wilson. "Her contributions have been instrumental in shaping the future of the Chamber and Albany. We are confident she will continue to make an impact and wish her all the best in her future endeavors."

During her tenure, Holmes led the Chamber through significant transformation and growth.

Under her leadership, the Chamber achieved numerous milestones and served in uniquely substantial ways, including:

• Organizational Excellence: Transformed the 115-year-old organization into a future-focused Chamber, earning Five-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber in 2024.

• Advocacy and Policy: Successfully led referendum campaigns, maintained Albany’s MSA status, and executed impactful programs such as Albany-Dougherty Day and the Washington, DC, Fly-In. Holmes also spearheaded the development of the Albany Area Political Leadership Institute and the Georgia Hub Chamber Council, elevating the Chamber’s reach and influence throughout the region and state.

• Albany Area Chamber Foundation: Redesigned the Foundation to focus on innovation, talent and entrepreneurial initiatives, launching programs including Propel+, Thrive, FLEX ABY and the Albany-Dougherty Talent Strategy 2.0.

• Digital Transformation: Implemented digital tools and strategies to enhance the Chamber's online presence, including a new website and social media engagement, and digitized processes for improved efficiency and service.

• Disaster Recovery: Provided critical support and resources during hurricanes, tornadoes and the COVID-19 pandemic, representing the business community in recovery task forces and serving as a leading advocate for resources.

• Member and Community Engagement: Led efforts to connect, convene and collaborate, transforming community engagement and strategic partnerships.

• Military Community of Excellence: Elevated Albany as an ideal community for national defense, active duty personnel, veterans and military families through the Chamber’s Military Affairs Committee.

• Programming: Focused on value, need and impact, providing members and the community with recognition, access and information.

• Workforce Development: Collaborated with strategic partners and employers to build a modern, adaptive and competitive workforce aligned with the region’s needs.

"Serving the Albany Area Chamber, our members and our community has been an incredible honor and responsibility. I am grateful for the trust the board has placed in me to deliver results that advance our mission and build a stronger Albany," Holmes said. "The Albany Area Chamber is in a strong and respected position and will continue to thrive under the leadership of its dedicated staff and board members."

Holmes’ work and impact have extended beyond the Albany Area. In 2018, Holmes was appointed by then Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to serve on the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, which oversees Georgia’s 26 public colleges and universities, the Georgia Archives, and the Georgia Public Library System. In 2020, she was appointed by then Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan as a co-chair of the Georgia Innovates Task Force to help design the state’s innovation blueprint. In 2023, Holmes received a Congressional Commendation from U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff for her tireless service to the community and the state of Georgia. Most recently, in 2025, Gov. Brian Kemp appointed her to the Georgia Rural Development Council.

The Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has thrice named Holmes one of Georgia’s “50 Most Influential Latinos,” and she has been recognized by Georgia Trend as a “Notable Georgian” five times and as a “500 Most Influential” three times. Holmes is a 2014 graduate of Leadership Georgia and served on its Board of Trustees; a 2022 graduate of the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Business Leads Fellowship Program; and a 2023 graduate of the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Institute for Organization Management. She also serves on the boards of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Albany’s Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy.

The Chamber’s Board of Directors is evaluating next steps.