Chamber chief honored
Posted: 9/30/2009
By James Mulcahy
Shelley Goodwin almost wasn't the smiling, down-to-earth Chamber chief we all know today. When pondering her future, she wanted, but for a moment, a career as a pro football referee.
"I decided I was much too small and they'd probably kill me," she said.
Instead, she chose to stay closer to home and to reality, and settle for being an armchair football fan.
Now the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce executive director has been named one the region's Forty Under 40 leaders by Louisville's Business First magazine.
"It's exciting," she said.
Goodwin was so humbled by the nomination she almost didn't fill out the forms.
"I was reluctant, thinking there was no chance," she said. "I don't have all the initials behind my name that so many other folks do. I was really surprised when I got the notification about the end of June."
Chamber President Amanda Gajdzik said Goodwin deserves the recognition.
"It is a huge honor for her and for us -- and we consider ourselves lucky to have her," Gajdzik said. "She is a very strong part of the Chamber, that steady stronghold that keeps us moving in the right direction."
Gajdzik said that Goodwin isn't afraid to stand up for the best interest of Chamber members -- even if it's not the most popular stance.
"She's a strong leader, and that helps us to be a strong Chamber," she said. "We're very, very proud of her."
The Forty Under 40 program, designed to identify the Louisville area business community's next generation of leaders, is in its 10th year. Goodwin's name is among the likes of doctors, lawyers and government officials this year, and the complete list includes local honorees like Courtney Roberts, Beth Kovacs and Pat Hargadon. The Business First special edition will be published in September.
After high school, Goodwin attended Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Ky., and came back to finish her associate's degree at a satellite campus.
She has since "done just about everything under the sun, which has been good. It gets me a feel for everything."
Goodwin has worked in banking, and for the community college (she was administrative assistant to Charlie Kramer, who is now Shelby County's Tourism director and works in the same office). She managed her grandparents' motel, and was chair of the local tourism commission. She also worked for a design and marketing firm, and for Henry County Schools as careers coordinator.
"All those experiences worked together to lead me here," she said. "It's good that I've dabbled in so many areas because I can look at the businesses and say, 'I know what you're talking about.' "
Chamber duties take up a large portion of Goodwin's time, but it doesn't always top her priority list.
"Kids, church and work -- that's where I spend my time," she said.
She and her husband, Major Danny Goodwin (Shelbyville Police Department's assistant chief), have two children: Connor, a sixth-grader; and Rachel, who is in the fourth grade.
"They keep us busy with school and after-school activities," she said. "That's where I spend my free time."
As a family, the Goodwins enjoy bicycling, canoeing and traveling. And someday, Shelley hopes to get back on the golf course.
"These past two years have been difficult just because of the economy," she said. "At the same time we've also had a number of new members."
And that new blood gets special treatment.
"When we get new members, I tell them that what we do best is relationship building. We have marketing opportunities, we have events, we have different programs, but what we're really about is building relationships. In a close-knit community like Shelby County, that's where your business is done."
Although the Chamber's focus is on the county as a whole, Goodwin likes Shelbyville's vibrant downtown.
"We still have a really strong, thriving downtown, and we're really fortunate to have that," she said. "We still see a lot of new businesses coming downtown, and certainly the new judicial center will help maintain that."
She remains noncommittal, however, on how the community will be affected by the by-pass, which is under construction.
"We're a pretty compact community," she said. "It'll be interesting to see over the next 20 years how the bypass changes that. I guess it depends on what opportunities (development) are allowed out there. It will certainly help relieve traffic downtown. I'm thinking 20 years down the road it's going to really (have an impact)."
One of Goodwin's biggest challenges is keeping Shelby County dollars in Shelby County. Sometimes the local businesses don't get a fair shake.
"Everybody always wants more restaurants, but so many people travel out of the county to go out to dinner," she said. "Take the movie theater; how many local still go to Tinseltown or Stoneybrook to see a movie? Or go to a different restaurant or store? It's a struggle trying to get people to shop in their own back yard."
Development is another issue.
"We have to be careful and not develop too quickly," she said. "People come because they love the country atmosphere and the convenience of the town. We have to be smart about how we grow and develop so we don't jeopardize that."
According to Goodwin, smart growth is key to setting Shelby County apart.
"We've been fortunate that we have a good mix of agriculture, residential, commercial and industrial and we've had people in the past 50 or 75 years who have been deliberate about how this has been developed, I think that's why we stand out from the other communities that surround Jefferson County. That's why we're not a bedroom community like some of the others are."
Goodwin said the nature of her job keeps her on her toes.
"No two days are alike, and I don't know how any day is going to turn out until I start that day," she said. "I am a list person; I really like my organization. I can start out my day with a to-do list ... but a phone call at 8:30 in the morning could completely turn that upside-down and I'll spend the day doing something completely different. That keeps it exciting, but it's also challenging when it can change at a moment's notice."
Goodwin is also excited -- but very hush-hush -- about a new concept for the Chamber.
"We're working on a new program that we hope to unveil at our annual meeting in October. It will be a member benefit with expanded opportunities," she said.
"It's my retirement dream," she said, then paused and added: "Maybe when I don't have to take kids with me anymore."
"I decided I was much too small and they'd probably kill me," she said.
Instead, she chose to stay closer to home and to reality, and settle for being an armchair football fan.
Now the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce executive director has been named one the region's Forty Under 40 leaders by Louisville's Business First magazine.
"It's exciting," she said.
Goodwin was so humbled by the nomination she almost didn't fill out the forms.
"I was reluctant, thinking there was no chance," she said. "I don't have all the initials behind my name that so many other folks do. I was really surprised when I got the notification about the end of June."
Chamber President Amanda Gajdzik said Goodwin deserves the recognition.
"It is a huge honor for her and for us -- and we consider ourselves lucky to have her," Gajdzik said. "She is a very strong part of the Chamber, that steady stronghold that keeps us moving in the right direction."
Gajdzik said that Goodwin isn't afraid to stand up for the best interest of Chamber members -- even if it's not the most popular stance.
"She's a strong leader, and that helps us to be a strong Chamber," she said. "We're very, very proud of her."
The Forty Under 40 program, designed to identify the Louisville area business community's next generation of leaders, is in its 10th year. Goodwin's name is among the likes of doctors, lawyers and government officials this year, and the complete list includes local honorees like Courtney Roberts, Beth Kovacs and Pat Hargadon. The Business First special edition will be published in September.
The director
Goodwin was only 5 when her family moved to Shelby County from Louisville. Her parents, Larry and Karen Crouch, still live in Shelbyville. Her brother, Michael, resides in Louisville, and her sister, Leslie Easley, is in Jackson, Miss.After high school, Goodwin attended Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Ky., and came back to finish her associate's degree at a satellite campus.
She has since "done just about everything under the sun, which has been good. It gets me a feel for everything."
Goodwin has worked in banking, and for the community college (she was administrative assistant to Charlie Kramer, who is now Shelby County's Tourism director and works in the same office). She managed her grandparents' motel, and was chair of the local tourism commission. She also worked for a design and marketing firm, and for Henry County Schools as careers coordinator.
"All those experiences worked together to lead me here," she said. "It's good that I've dabbled in so many areas because I can look at the businesses and say, 'I know what you're talking about.' "
Chamber duties take up a large portion of Goodwin's time, but it doesn't always top her priority list.
"Kids, church and work -- that's where I spend my time," she said.
She and her husband, Major Danny Goodwin (Shelbyville Police Department's assistant chief), have two children: Connor, a sixth-grader; and Rachel, who is in the fourth grade.
"They keep us busy with school and after-school activities," she said. "That's where I spend my free time."
As a family, the Goodwins enjoy bicycling, canoeing and traveling. And someday, Shelley hopes to get back on the golf course.
The Chamber
Since she began in 2002, the Chamber, Goodwin said, has grown some -- but not as much as she's like to see."These past two years have been difficult just because of the economy," she said. "At the same time we've also had a number of new members."
And that new blood gets special treatment.
"When we get new members, I tell them that what we do best is relationship building. We have marketing opportunities, we have events, we have different programs, but what we're really about is building relationships. In a close-knit community like Shelby County, that's where your business is done."
Although the Chamber's focus is on the county as a whole, Goodwin likes Shelbyville's vibrant downtown.
"We still have a really strong, thriving downtown, and we're really fortunate to have that," she said. "We still see a lot of new businesses coming downtown, and certainly the new judicial center will help maintain that."
She remains noncommittal, however, on how the community will be affected by the by-pass, which is under construction.
"We're a pretty compact community," she said. "It'll be interesting to see over the next 20 years how the bypass changes that. I guess it depends on what opportunities (development) are allowed out there. It will certainly help relieve traffic downtown. I'm thinking 20 years down the road it's going to really (have an impact)."
One of Goodwin's biggest challenges is keeping Shelby County dollars in Shelby County. Sometimes the local businesses don't get a fair shake.
"Everybody always wants more restaurants, but so many people travel out of the county to go out to dinner," she said. "Take the movie theater; how many local still go to Tinseltown or Stoneybrook to see a movie? Or go to a different restaurant or store? It's a struggle trying to get people to shop in their own back yard."
Development is another issue.
"We have to be careful and not develop too quickly," she said. "People come because they love the country atmosphere and the convenience of the town. We have to be smart about how we grow and develop so we don't jeopardize that."
According to Goodwin, smart growth is key to setting Shelby County apart.
"We've been fortunate that we have a good mix of agriculture, residential, commercial and industrial and we've had people in the past 50 or 75 years who have been deliberate about how this has been developed, I think that's why we stand out from the other communities that surround Jefferson County. That's why we're not a bedroom community like some of the others are."
Goodwin said the nature of her job keeps her on her toes.
"No two days are alike, and I don't know how any day is going to turn out until I start that day," she said. "I am a list person; I really like my organization. I can start out my day with a to-do list ... but a phone call at 8:30 in the morning could completely turn that upside-down and I'll spend the day doing something completely different. That keeps it exciting, but it's also challenging when it can change at a moment's notice."
Goodwin is also excited -- but very hush-hush -- about a new concept for the Chamber.
"We're working on a new program that we hope to unveil at our annual meeting in October. It will be a member benefit with expanded opportunities," she said.
A quick look ahead
On Goodwin's desk, near her notepad and calendar, sits a tiny cherry red Corvette -- a 1963 split-window like her father owned -- that helps keep her focused."It's my retirement dream," she said, then paused and added: "Maybe when I don't have to take kids with me anymore."
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