A Seymour native is returning home to lead the city’s chamber of commerce.

Dan Robison, 47, a 1990 Seymour High School graduate, has been selected president of the Seymour Chamber of Commerce, the organization’s board of directors announced in a news release Monday.

His hiring is effective March 2. He succeeds Tricia Bechman, who resigned in November 2019 after serving the chamber for five and a half years.

Robison currently lives in Clearwater, Florida, but said he and his family plan to move to Seymour later this month.

Growing up in a small town, he said some of his peers couldn’t wait to leave Seymour and “get out and see the world.”

While he started a family and has lived in Florida since August 2001, Robison said he is excited to get back to his hometown.

“I’ve always loved the fact that I was from Seymour, loved the community, had great pastors, teachers and neighbors that looking back invested a lot into my life,” Robison said. “It just happens that life did take me away from Seymour, so to have the opportunity to come back now is just awesome for me. I love Seymour, and I want to do everything I can to grow the community and make it a great place to work and live.”

Founded in 1931, the Seymour Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization focused on connecting, building and growing its members, businesses, partners and community. The organization’s vision is to be an engaged chamber, ensuring Seymour cultivates a thriving and prosperous business environment.

The chamber has a membership of 370 business and individual members, and Robison will become the ninth president in the chamber’s history, according to the news release.

“We conducted a very broad and exhaustive search for our new president, engaging the help of the Indiana Chamber Executives Association to ensure our visibility among individuals with chamber experience,” said Jay Fischer, board treasurer and chairman of the search committee. “Dan’s skill set, community and business experience checked all of the boxes that we were looking for to lead our organization forward.”

Denise Connell, chairwoman of the chamber board, agreed with board’s selection.

“We couldn’t be happier with Dan becoming our chamber president,” she said. “He is passionate about the chamber and community service and has led several collaborative initiatives with city and county government and the downtown merchants association (in Dunedin, Florida).”

Robison said he has worked for Walmart for 16 years. Eight and a half years ago, he started a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Dunedin, Florida, and became the store manager.

“One of the first contacts I made in town was with the chamber of commerce,” Robison said. “I just got really involved with them pretty quickly and thought they were a great organization. They do a lot of great things in the community. They do a lot of partnerships with other organizations in the community just to move things forward.”

He served on the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce board of directors for more than five years, including two years as board chairman. He was recognized with a Spirit of Chamber Award, was recognized as outstanding director and was named to the business hall of fame.

Still following news in his hometown, Robison said he learned about the Seymour Chamber of Commerce seeking a president and decided to apply.

“I saw they posted notifications about the previous president was leaving. They were accepting applications, and I thought, ‘What a great opportunity,’” he said.

“Seymour was a great town to grown up in, and the deep values that were instilled in me there have served as the code by which I have lived my life since then,” he said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to come back to Jackson County and give back to the community that has given me so much.”

Robison said his first mission will be to listen and learn.

“What’s working great? What relationships have already been built in the community that we can just continue and build upon?” he said. “Then looking for what are some new opportunities for the chamber and for the community to pioneer together. I look forward to working in collaboration with chamber members, other organizations and local government to help build on Seymour’s great successes.”

Robison said his father lives in North Vernon, and he has an aunt and uncle in Seymour and multiple cousins in the area.

He will be moving here with his wife, Tassenda, and youngest son, Nolan. Their other two sons, Chandler and Owen, are grown.

Connell encourages people to attend the chamber’s annual dinner March 5 at Pewter Hall in Brownstown to meet Robison and help welcome him back to the community.

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Name: Dan Robison

Age: 47

Hometown: Seymour

Residence: Clearwater, Florida, but he’s planning on moving back to Seymour later this month

Education: Seymour High School (1990)

Occupation: Recently hired as president of the Seymour Chamber of Commerce

Family: Wife, Tassenda Robison; sons, Chandler Robison, Owen Robison and Nolan Robison

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