NATCHEZ &8212; The Chamber of Commerce hopes to have director applications to review by the middle of December.

A formal job listing will be advertised in local newspapers and on economic development Web sites soon, Chamber Chairman Stephen Caruthers said.

Depending on how the search goes, Caruthers hopes to have a new director sometime within the next six months.

Laura Godfrey resigned from the position in October to pursue other options and worked her last day on Oct. 31.

The chamber&8217;s executive board is leading the search, Caruthers said.

The group is asking for applicants with a bachelor&8217;s degree, but qualifications from there vary.

&8220;Someone I think who is going to be a good person to come in is someone that&8217;s community-minded,&8221; Caruthers said. &8220;They are going to need to have the skills to work with a diverse group of big and small business owners.&8221;

Caruthers said he hoped to find someone who could communicate politically with local business owners, offering them information about how governmental changes will or could affect them.

And the key to a good chamber, he said, is finding a way the group can better benefit its members.

&8220;We need someone that&8217;s willing to try and strengthen and pull together different organizations in Natchez,&8221; Caruthers said.

It&8217;s a personal goal for Caruthers to have the position filled during his one-year term as chairman, and to get the chamber headed in the right direction. Caruthers took over the chairman role on Oct. 1.

For now though, it&8217;s all hands on deck for the executive board, full-time employee Shannon Gatlin and one part-time worker.

&8220;The lights did not blink,&8221; Caruthers said. &8220;It&8217;s going to be bumpy for a little while, but we&8217;ll keep the ship on path.

&8220;I&8217;m looking forward to getting an energetic person in there that wants to watch Natchez grow and be a better place.&8221;