The Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce has adopted a work program for 2012 entitled “A New Beginning” that includes a plan of action to rebuild the community.

This year, the Chamber is slated to hire a new CEO to replace Eddie Baysden, who recently retired after a decade on the job.

The 2012 work program includes broad-ranging goals, everything from lobbying for a new interchange at Interstate 95 and Sunset Avenue to spearheading an effort to bring a gubernatorial debate to the Twin Counties.

The Chamber also is promoting the area to new residents and businesses through a nine-part video series.

It’s a collaborative effort of the Chamber, the Carolinas Gateway Partnership, Cummins Rocky Mount Engine plant, Lewis Advertising, Strategy Performance and city and county officials.

Cummins Rocky Mount Engine plant manager Ken Anderson said the videos could help recruit talent.

“I’ve talked to people personally who have said they’d love to come work for our company, but they are not so sure about the community,” Anderson said. “I think what I’ve discovered personally is that there a whole lot more to Rocky Mount than what you see in just a visit, so we wanted to have some tools that would help really highlight those positive aspects.”

The video series will highlight housing, lifestyle, education, cultural activities, health care, retirees and the “surprising Tar River Region.”

The videos initially are being posted on the Chamber website but eventually will be on their own website that any business can link to, said Morris Wilder, a management transition consultant who has been hired by the Chamber.

“(That is being done) so that we don’t have different stories out there about the region,” Wilder said. “It will be a consistent story.”

The Chamber’s new plan focuses on community development, education and public policy.

Under community involvement, the Chamber’s plan calls for promoting downtown development efforts; engaging with city efforts to establish a citywide branding initiative; promoting beautification projects; and leading an effort to secure a new Interstate 95 Sunset Avenue interchange.

That interchange could be a huge boost for the local economy, Chamber executives said.

Jeffrey Batts, the Chamber’s immediate past chairman, said there are 200 acres of land at the interchange that could be consolidated to pave the way for some type of a major commercial development.

“We’ve been talking to owners about marketing it as a large block of property, so there are some foundational efforts that have been made,” he said.

Chamber Chairman Lige Daughtridge said a new interchange at Sunset Avenue will happen, but the Chamber will promote that work being done in the first phase of the Interstate 95 widening project.

“We need to support it as a community,” he said.

Under education, the Chamber plan calls for reviving the Community Development Foundation of Rocky Mount; creating a list of business needs for education; promoting and supporting a Twin Counties strategic education plan on work force preparedness; and supporting programs that educate students about local employment opportunities.

Under public policy, the Chamber plan calls for advocating public policy positions; strengthening its relationship with the N.C. Chamber of Commerce; participating with the N.C. Eastern Region’s economic and legislative efforts; and playing an active advocacy role with local, state and nationally elected and appointed officials.

Chamber executives also have been trying to convince its board members to serve on committees to implement the plan, and the participation has been impressive, Daughtridge said.

“We’ve got all our board members signed up for a particular committee,” he said.