Kerry Hall

Kerry Hall serves as the interim President and CEO of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Kerry has 35 years of experience in banking in Austin and recently joined the board of directors of Susser Bank. She has also been involved in economic development throughout her career.

Hall is currently a board member for Opportunity Austin, the regional economic development initiative. She was previously Chair of the Opportunity Austin board and served on the Board of the Austin Chamber of Commerce from 2015-2020. She has also been on the board of directors for the Austin Chamber two different times during her career.

Hall has been active in civic organizations across Central Texas. She has served as the chair of the Austin Chapter of the American Heart Association and on Caritas and Visit Austin boards. In 2005, Governor Rick Perry appointed her to Texas One, the Texas Economic Development Corporation Board, where she served as a board member until 2011. Hall also served on the advisory board of Big Brothers Big Sisters and E3 Alliance.

Hall graduated from the University of Texas with a BBA in finance.

Jeremy Martin

Jeremy Martin serves as Interim Chief Operating Officer to the Austin Chamber of Commerce. He has represented Central Texas businesses at all levels of government from the White House Business Council to local community groups with one purpose in mind: strengthening the Central Texas regional economy to create job opportunities across the economic spectrum.Prior to his current role, Jeremy served as Senior Vice President at the Chamber for thirteen years. As Senior Vice President of Strategy, he was involved in strategic planning efforts at the Chamber such as the regional Opportunity Austin initiative and the Chamber's annual InterCity Visit.

As Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Jeremy oversaw advocacy efforts at the Chamber focusing on priorities such as economic development policy, transportation, infrastructure, education/workforce development, and regulatory climate. Whether it appeared on the ballot or a city council agenda, he knew how policy items affected Chamber members. Jeremy serves on the Board of Directors of the Austin Economic Development Corporation and is a member of the strategic planning committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Community Advancement Network having been Board Chair in 2016.

Jeremy earned a Bachelor of Arts in mathematical economic analysis from Rice University and a Master of City Planning with a concentration in community and economic development from the University of Pennsylvania.

Charisse Bodisch

As a 30+ year veteran in economic development, Charisse has worked in every aspect of the industry. As the SVP of Economic Development with the Austin Chamber and through the regional economic development initiative Opportunity Austin, she leads the team dedicated to the recruitment of new corporate citizens and the expansion of the local industry base for the five-county Greater Austin, Texas Region. Since Opportunity Austin’s formation in 2004, the organization has contributed to the overall prosperity of the Austin Region that has benefited from 777 corporate relocations, about 1,370 expansion announcements, and over 549,500 new direct/indirect jobs created.

Prior to coming to the Austin Chamber in 2006, she served as CEO/Executive Director of the Allen, TX Economic Development Corporation (AEDC). Under her leadership, the AEDC owned and developed industrial and office parks and facilitated new development projects including industrial, office, urban retail mixed-use and specialty facilities.

Charisse and her husband Robert are active in a variety of other organizations and enjoy traveling in their spare time. Charisse treasures time spent with her seven grandchildren and is most proud of the accomplishments of her four stepsons.

Bethany Leffingwell

Bethany joined the Chamber staff in 2021 and serves as Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications & Programming. She spearheads marketing and strategic communications to enhance organizational brand value and reputation and is responsible for elevating the customer experience through exceptional programming. Bethany leads the Chamber’s event production team, the PR/marketing/communications team, and the Austin Gives program which encourages social impact through corporate philanthropy.

Prior to joining the Chamber team, Bethany served in executive leadership roles for several not-for-profit organizations including Director of Major Gifts for Ascension Seton. She has also applied her talents in communications, strategy, relationship management, and business development in the legal industry and local politics. A purpose-driven leader with over 25 years of experience leading teams and solving problems, Bethany is an effective community builder with a passion for structuring and leveraging effective partnerships for positive social impact.

Bethany earned a BA in Communications from Southwestern University and a Master’s in Public Service & Administration from Texas A&M University. She and her husband, Frank, have two adult children, Blake and Claire. Bethany enjoys traveling, the arts, attending Aggie football games, and Austin’s exceptional foodie scene.

Roland Peña

Roland Peña is the SVP of Global Technology and Innovation with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and Opportunity Austin – a five-county regional economic development initiative. His responsibilities include strategic outreach and program development of international and domestic initiatives and collaborations, that support the continued growth and success of innovation in the Austin Region.

Most recently, Roland served as the Vice President of Economic Development leading recruitment efforts for high-value prospects in specific industry sectors that include defense/space innovation, software/IT, financial services, corporate headquarters, and international development. Roland’s 30+ year track in economic development is replete with success and the development of ongoing project pipelines that have achieved YOY growth. Roland has led relationship development initiatives and successfully guided businesses through the design and launch of new products, services, and investment opportunities. Demonstrating his ability to not only build winning project roadmaps but develop high-performance teams.

Roland holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Management and a Master of Business Administration Degree in International Trade, both from Sul Ross State University.