MARIETTA - Rob Garcia of Marietta will formally take the helm of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce tonight when Chairwoman Dr. Lisa Rossbacher, president of Southern Polytechnic State University, turns over leadership at the Chamber's 68th annual dinner at the Cobb Galleria Centre.

Garcia, who is executive vice president at Bank of North Georgia, acknowledges that he will be leading the Chamber during one of the most difficult periods in its history. Like the rest of the nation, Cobb's economy continues to suffer. The county's unemployment rate has hovered around 9 percent in recent months.

Garcia said his primary role will be to champion the county as a great place to do business. He will work to ensure that existing companies continue calling Cobb home, he said. Chamber membership includes 2,500 local businesses and organizations.

"It's a great time for us to really take our Chamber, refocus ourselves and really get back to basics," Garcia said.

Garcia, 48, said he plans to direct the chamber in economic development over the next year. Because tourism is important to economic development, Garcia said he wants to work closely with the Cobb Convention and Visitors Bureau and Cobb-Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority to promote the county. However, he said job growth will play a central part in economic development plans.

"This is about highlighting every advantage that our county has in the competitive economic development world, to win as many of those relocations and moving businesses to Cobb. But, moving businesses is just one part of it," Garcia said. "We've got to make sure that the existing businesses that are here, continue to see the benefit of being in Cobb and continue to be able to take advantage of being in Cobb."

When pitching Cobb to companies that are considering relocating, Garcia said he will highlight the county's solid fiscal management, low taxes and education system.

"Sam Olens laid out the state of the county," Garcia said. "When we saw our tax base, the fiscal responsibility and tremendous fiscal discipline that our county has had - and consequently the tremendous successes in managing our budget - you see a well-oiled machine, from a county-government and city-government perspective."

The county's low taxes, compared to other metro Atlanta counties, have always been a source of pride for the community, Garcia noted. Cobb also has some of the best public and private schools around. In addition, colleges like SPSU, Kennesaw State University and Chattahoochee Technical College, are big draws to companies from a workforce development aspect, he said.

Garcia has been involved with the chamber for more than 20 years. He officially became the new chairman on Jan. 1. He said he as already been busy with finding a new chief executive officer for the chamber, while Chief Operating Officer Don Beaver serves as acting CEO this year.

When he isn't busy overseeing the chamber, Garcia will continue his job at the Bank of North Georgia, directing its commercial real estate sector. An Alabama native and Auburn University graduate, Garcia is married to Teena Garcia and has two children. He has lived in Cobb since 1990.

"I'm very honored that the community would see confidence in me and our organization to ask me to chair the chamber," Garcia said. "It's a responsibility that I take very seriously and with great respect."