Fresno Chamber of Commerce hires replacement for retiring CEO

Nathan Ahle, the government relations manager for the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, has been hired by the Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce to serve as its new president/CEO.

Ahle will join the Fresno chamber on Feb. 22. He replaces Al Smith, who last fall announced his retirement after 10 years leading the business organization.

Ahle was selected in a process that originally started with 35 candidates and eventually was narrowed down through interviews with a search committee.

Ahle has been with the Bakersfield chamber since 2014. Before that, he was the president of the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce for four years. He began his professional career at the Daily Independent newspaper in Ridgecrest, first as a reporter and eventually becoming the managing editor.

He has a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Phoenix, and completed the Western Association of Chamber Executives Academy program. The chamber said Ahle is expected to graduate this year from the United States Chamber of Commerce’s Institute of Organizational Management.

This story was originally published February 2, 2016 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Fresno Chamber of Commerce hires replacement for retiring CEO."