Chris Hembrough has been the President and CEO of The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce since July 1, 2014. Prior to joining the Chamber’s leadership team, Chris was the Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Illinois Capital Region (BBBS) for over seven years. Under his leadership BBBS served more at-risk children than any time in the organization’s history.
Along with his experience as a small business owner, Chris has years of experience in leadership, organizational development, team building, and fundraising in the not-for-profit arena, having lead the team that started Atlee Community Church in the Richmond, Virginia area. The church, which started in 1995, grew from 15 people to over 2,000 people in seven years. Chris lead two capital campaigns allowing the church to purchase over 23 acres of property and build a multi-million-dollar facility.
Chris grew up in Springfield, Illinois and graduated from Griffin High School. He received his BBA from the University of Miami, where he attended on a football scholarship and played on the 1983 National Championship team. Chris received his Masters degree from Union Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, and graduated from the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute in 2017.