Greater Hall Chamber Chair Perry Barnett, CPA, is a partner at Rushton, one of the region’s largest accounting firms serving clients locally, statewide and overseas. Perry, who has worked with Rushton since 2002 and has over 25 years of experience in his field, oversees the firm’s Business Services Division. He also works with clients in manufacturing, distribution, construction and other industries while specializing in international business, tax and estate planning, business formation and succession planning. Perry has been involved with the Chamber for many years and is chair of the Greater Hall Workforce Development Task Force that works closely with area employers, educators and leaders to create and market programs to enhance the area’s labor pool. He has served on the Chamber’s Finance & Audit Committee as well as the Citizens for Better Education 2015 Committee that led a local sales tax campaign initiative. Perry is a member of the Business Advisory Council at the University of North Georgia’s Mike Cottrell School of Business. He has coached youth soccer and basketball and served locally on the boards of North House, Hall County Boys & Girls Clubs, and the Lanier Soccer Association. He is a former president of the Jaycees.
Carol Burrell, Chamber Chair-Elect, is the president and CEO of Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS). She has been a part of the senior management team at NGHS for almost two decades, serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer before being named president and CEO in 2011. Under Carol’s leadership, Northeast Georgia Medical Center continues to rank tops in the state and nation. Carol lead the System’s construction of Georgia’s first net-new hospital in almost 20 years, NGMC Braselton, and the system recently acquired Barrow Regional Medical Center. Carol’s achievements have been recognized statewide; Georgia Trend magazine consistently places her on their list of the 100 Most Influential Georgians and in 2017, named her Georgia’s Most Respected Business Leader. The Greater Hall Chamber presented her with the 2017 Distinguished Citizen Award. Carol is active in Gainesville Rotary and United Way of Hall County, and she is Past Board Chair for the Northeast Georgia Chapter of the American Red Cross. She also serves on the board of the Georgia Hospital Association and the University of North Georgia Foundation and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Voluntary Hospitals of America.
Kit Dunlap, President & CEO of the Greater Hall Chamber since 1998, has spearheaded several multi-million dollar initiatives such as the HALLmark initiative, that have funded successful economic development, education and community programs as well as VISION 2030. Kit’s leadership has guided the Chamber to solid ground with a membership base of 2,500 individuals and a staff of 12 people. A Brenau College graduate, Kit served on the Board of the Georgia Department of Economic Development for 10 years and as chairman for two years. She is a founding member of the Gainesville-Hall County Economic Development Council and served as the council’s first chairman in 1992. She is currently serving on the board of the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District and is a past chair of the organization.