Russell Springs businessman Stephen Branscum has been elected to the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce's board of directors, according to chamber officials.

Branscum, the president and CEO of Branscum Construction Company in Russell Springs, will serve on the 60-member board, which represents a cross-section of key business and industry leaders from across Kentucky.

"I'm certainly very honored to serve with such a distinguished group of business leaders representing the entire state," Branscum said. "I certainly will participate and work to be a voice for our geographical area and be a voice for the construction industry."

"As a member of the board for the Kentucky chamber it will entail board meetings and there are five very active councils on behalf of the chamber and I will be serving on one of those as well," Branscum said.

Branscum will serve on the Kentucky Competitiveness Council which promotes state business recruitments, retention and expansion and will be actively engaged in policy initiatives aimed at modernizing the economy by creating jobs and supporting state incomes.

He said the chamber is an advocate for the businesses of Kentucky to improve the economic climate for the Commonwealth, especially in today's economic downturn.

"One of their biggest focuses is their concerns and input through the legislative process to ensure that our new laws are pro-business, which means you're always promoting good business policy but also working to fend bad business policy," he said of the chamber.

Branscum said the chamber is made up of a diverse group of professionals throughout the state.

"You've got people in the eastern part of the state that are more interested in coal where on the western end people are going to be more interested in agriculture," he said. "Obviously, I'm going to have a focus on what's good for businesses because we all share so many common issues."

He said the board meets quarterly in Frankfort and other statewide locations but council meetings occur year-round, when warranted by strategic planning.

"As a representative from this geographical part of the state I will make sure our concerns are on the table," he said. "I hope to be a voice from our area on the chamber."

Branscum was nominated for the board of directors position earlier this summer before being approved at the chamber's August meeting. His term began on October 1.

"We are delighted that Stephen is joining the board of Kentucky's leading business organization," said Chamber President and CEO Dave Adkisson. "The Kentucky Chamber is in the business of uniting business and advancing Kentucky. Stephen will help us to do that."

Branscum incorporated the Russell Springs-based construction company in 1977 and serves as the company's top executive, and also serves as developer, owner and president of Key Village Shopping Center in Russell Springs.

In addition to serving on the Kentucky Chamber's board, Branscum is also vice chairman of the University of Kentucky Trustee Board for which he's been a member for six years, an 18-plus year Cambellsville University trustee, past president and fair manager of the Russell County Jaycees, a Kentucky Jaycee Thoroughbred, a member and past-chairman of the Russell County Industrial Development Authority, on the board of the Associated General Contractors of Kentucky and a national director of the Associated General Contractors of America.

For a complete list of Kentucky Chamber board members, visit www.kychamber.com/2010board.