Mike Coston will be the next president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce.
Coston, who was the president of the Kilgore Chamber of Commerce for 12 years, will take over his new duties Aug. 1, according to Chamber Chairman Ashley McKee. He will be replacing Mark Rathe, who resigned in March for family reasons.
“We had more than 10 applicants and in our first round of interviews we were all equally impressed and excited about Mike’s experience and passion for chamber business,” said McKee. “The committee met with Mike on multiple occasions to discuss his vision and goals for Athens. He is very experienced in economic development and plans to work closely with our city, county and business leaders to help Athens reach its highest potential.”
According to a biography distributed by the chamber, Coston has a wealth of experience, including:
- Board Member, National Chamber Ambassadors
- Board Member, Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives
- President, Texas Leadership Programs
- Trustee, Kilgore ISD Board of Education
- Board Member, Texas Travel Industry Association
- President, North Texas Tourism Council.
- Board Member, Governor Rick Perry’s Tourism Advisory Council
During his time as president of the Kilgore Chamber of Commerce, Coston helped produce a 30-minute travel telelvision show about Kilgore that airs several times a year nationally; lobbied Austin to have Kilgore officially named “The City of Stars” by the Legislature; led the way for Kilgore to join the Holdiay Trail of Lights.
Since leaving the Kilgore chamber a little more than a year ago, Coston has been the CEO of the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America.
And although he said he has enjoyed his time with the Longhorn Association, he said he missed East Texas and chamber work.
“I see a lot of potential in the Athens business community,” Coston said. “For me it is a lot of fun to work with businesses to help them prosper and grow. Hopefully, I can be a small part of helping Athens grow.”
That enthusiasm is part of the reason the chamber is bringing him to Athens.
“Mike has a love for East Texas and he and his wife are excited to be part of Athens and everything our great city has to offer,” said McKee.