NATCHEZ &8212; Laura Godfrey has resigned as president and chief executive officer of the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce.

She will continue in the position until Oct. 31, said Stephen Caruthers, chairman of the chamber board.

&8220;Under her leadership, the chamber became a vital entity and voice in the community,&8221; Caruthers said. &8220;We certainly want the best for her as she leaves to pursue other interests and opportunities.&8221;

Godfrey has been chamber president for five years, and said Thursday that the timing was right to leave the position.

&8220;If I was going to jump, I needed to jump now,&8221; she said. &8220;I feel real good. This is (the start of) our fiscal year. We&8217;ve got our new budget passed, and we have a great group of new officers.&8221;

While she was president, the chamber created a tourism council, strengthened the Community Alliance and made it its own entity and established a scholarship that is handed out every year, among other things.

Godfrey said she was proud of the growth in the number of chamber members during her time as leader.

Fred Middleton, a former chamber board chairman, said he &8220;led the effort to hire Laura. We were looking for a new executive director to take the chamber to a new level.&8221;

Godfrey had the &8220;enthusiasm, knowledge of the city and a tourism background,&8221; Middleton said. &8220;She was such a well-rounded individual. We&8217;ve been fortunate to have her for this time.&8221;

Middleton recalled the work done during his term on establishing the Community Alliance. &8220;We worked real hard on that, and it has had a tremendous impact on the community.&8221;

Caruthers began his term as board chairman Oct. 1 and has brought new members onto the board, he said.

&8220;I see us looking long term to see how we can improve the chamber, how we can do our part to help improve the city and county,&8221; Caruthers said.

&8220;We want to look in the mirror and see where we are. I&8217;m excited,&8221; he said.

Natchez is on the verge of big changes, Caruthers said.

&8220;Lots of things are going on that not everyone knows about, a lot of positive things,&8221; he said.

&8220;I don&8217;t think Natchez has bloomed yet.&8221;

Godfrey said she would pursue other employment options, but wasn&8217;t ready to divulge them yet.