President of Longley Supply Company, Emily Longley, is one of a handful of local businesswomen to lead the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. The board of directors on Friday elected her as chairman of the board for 2012. She succeeds New Hanover Regional Medical Center CEO Jack Barto, who led the board last year.

“Under the leadership of Jack Barto, the 2011 Chamber Board of Directors emphasized the Chamber’s mission of being the voice of the business community and the community building arm of the economic development organizations in the area,” said Connie Majure-Rhett, Wilmington Chamber president and CEO in a press release.

Barto will remain on the board as immediate past chairman.

“We look forward to the guidance of our new leadership team as we leverage the work of our flagship program Cape Fear Future—and the relationships we’ve created through its implementation—to achieve these goals,” Majure-Rhett said.

Over the past 28 years, four women have served as board chairmen for the Wilmington Chamber, according to Scott Czechlewski, director of communications for the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. Louise McColl led in 2008, Elizabeth Bland led in 1993, Fran Young led in 1988 and Estell Lee led in 1983.

Since 2006, Longley has been president of Longley Supply Company, a plumbing, electrical and HVAC supply business founded in Wilmington 106 years ago. She is the third generation to lead the company, which her grandfather Henry E. Longley, Senior founded. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and serves on various local community organization boards, including the UNCW Foundation board and the Wilmington-Cape Fear Homebuilders Association board.

She has served on the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce board of directors since 2007 and has held such roles as treasurer, first vice chairman, Cape Fear Future Foundation Board member and Chamber Education Foundation Board member.

Joining Longley on this year’s chamber leadership team is first vice chairman Hal Kitchin, a partner with McGuireWoods LLP, second vice chairman Bill Sharbaugh, PPD’s chief operating officer and treasurer Dallas Romanowski, founder of Cornerstone Advisory Partners.

New members elected and appointed to the board of directors for 2012 include: Chris Boney (LS3P Associates, Ltd.), Francis McComas (MCO Transport), Hank Miller (Cape Fear Commercial LLC), Jason Wheeler (Pathfinder Wealth Consulting), Christopher White (GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy), Rob Wilkinson (BB&T) and Alan Zimmer (Reeds Jewelers).