ATLANTA - The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce has promoted Terry Chastain to vice president of government affairs. Chastain assumed his new title on July 17.

"Terry knows how to build consensus so people want to work with him," said John Yates, a partner with the law firm Morris, Manning & Martin LLP and chair of the Chamber's political action committee, known as MAC PAC. "That's critical because the kinds of issues the region is dealing with now require a lot of partners to work together."

Chastain joined the Chamber in 2004 as executive director of the Southeastern Economic Alliance, a coalition of 16 major chambers of commerce across six states advocating for high-speed rail in the Southeast. In this role, Chastain has helped secure cooperation from Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina for a regional rail plan between Macon, Atlanta and Charlotte.

As vice president of government affairs, Chastain will take on a formal leadership role in many activities he already has been managing for the Chamber, including: representing the Chamber during sessions of the Georgia General Assembly, managing the Chamber's political action committee, serving on the board of the Committee for A Better Atlanta and continuing his work with the Southeastern Economic Alliance.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Chastain held posts as a senior staff member to former Georgia Congressman Mac Collins in Washington, D.C., and former government affairs adviser for the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association. He is scheduled to earn a law degree next May from Georgia State University's College of Law.

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