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Madison Berryman has been selected as the next executive director of the Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce.

The announcement was made Friday, Nov. 8, by Chamber President Will Holt.

Berryman will succeed Teresa B. Beale, who has served in the role since 2004 and will be retiring at the end of December.

Berryman is an area native, having been born at Southampton Memorial Hospital and raised in Courtland, where she has lived her entire life.

The chamber’s Nov. 8 email newsletter stated that Berryman graduated from Southampton Academy, earned a degree in business administration from St. Andrews University and is the business manager of Edwards Hardware in Courtland.

“Her experience in small business operations, marketing and customer engagement will benefit the chamber and its membership,” chamber officials stated in the newsletter.

The newsletter also noted that she is married to Will Berryman, and they are raising two young boys, 5-year-old Braxton and 2 1/2-year-old Liam.

Madison indicated that her path to the chamber’s executive director position began when her husband told her to reach out to the chamber to see if the role had been filled after it had become known that Beale would be retiring.

“I’ve been working with my dad at the hardware store for my entire adult career, and I think taking a step back, doing something new and paving my own path was important,” Madison said. “And this is bigger than my wildest dreams, so I’m grateful.”

She noted that upon learning that she was the chamber’s selection, she was surprised, thankful and happy.

Her chamber tenure will begin with symmetry in reference to Beale, who began with the chamber in 1987 as the office manager.

“She started (working for the chamber) when she was 31,” Berryman said, “and here I am starting at 31, so we’re on a good path — a good legacy path.”

Berryman has managed the office of Edwards Hardware for nearly 10 years.

“That’s kind of where I jumped in after college,” she said. “As soon as I graduated, I came home and jumped right in that position.”

In addition to this experience, Berryman expects her lifelong familiarity with the businesses and people of Southampton County and Franklin to serve her well in her new role with the chamber.

“Everybody here has watched me grow up into the woman I am today, and I feel like that’s crucial to a kind of role like this,” she said, while also highlighting her knowledge of the community and knowledge of what people need and want. “Growing up with these people, alongside of them, I think is just absolutely, incredibly important.”

Through the end of the year, she will be performing work in both her role with Edwards Hardware and her new role with the chamber before completing the transition to the chamber to start the new year.

She expressed gratitude for all of her colleagues’ adaptability during this time.
“They’ve been really wonderful to help me with the flexibility to kind of help where I’m needed and do both, so I can get Dad through the transition, as well as the employees,” she said. “I think it was important for me to start (at the chamber) quickly so I could absorb the knowledge from Teresa and (Office Manager) Melissa (Rose) while they’re here.”

Berryman’s preliminary goals as executive director involve learning the role, figuring out what works best and eventually possibly incorporating some new ideas.

“But I think for now I’m going to just do the best I can to absorb the knowledge that (Teresa) has and get everything I can from her,” Berryman said. “And then just helping the community, helping small businesses — I have a real passion for that, so just seeing what I can do to best help and benefit all of the small businesses in the area I think is going to be so fun.”