VIDALIA — New Vidalia Chamber of Commerce Director Jamie Burley just wants to spread her wings and fly.

She’s currently the executive assistant for the Concordia Economic and Industrial Development District, but the chamber has appointed Burley to take over as director July 1.

Burley said she decided to apply for the chamber job because she felt she had achieved her maximum potential at the CEIDD.

“I love my job here (at the CEIDD), and I love what we do, but I am at a stopping point,” Burley said. “If I take this position at the chamber, I can spread my wings and hopefully change the community.”

Along with her work at the CEIDD since January 2008, Burley has worked as the manager for the Live Oak Nursery in Vidalia, served on the Vidalia Chamber board for a year and has six years experience working with attorneys.

Burley resigned from her seat on the chamber board to apply for the position, but the time she spent on the board provided her with grant-writing experience.

“I have written a grant for the chamber, and I got a grant for the Jim Bowie festival,” she said.

That grant-writing experience was one of the things that grabbed the attention of the chamber, Chamber Board President Sam Jones said.

“She has a lot of management skills and she is very, very outgoing,” Jones said. “She is not afraid to talk to anybody, and the one thing we really need now, with the prospects of going more regional and involving more businesses, is to get out there and see those businesses, existing members as well as potential members, and she is super eager to do that.”

Through her work with the CEIDD, Burley has already developed relationships with members of the business community, and she said her plans include working to bring in more chamber membership, expanding chamber services for existing members and having more grand openings for new companies that come into the area.

In the meantime, Burley said she’ll finish her last week at the CEIDD writing down instructions for her replacement and finishing a list of Vidalia properties available for development.

“I am trying to wrap those up so they are ready before I leave,” she said.

Along with her husband Phillip and their four children, Burley has lived in Vidalia for more than 10 years.