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Community official pulls double duty

• An Albany official is being asked to wear two very large hats as he pulls double duty with the Albany Chamber of Commerce and Albany State University.

Carlton Fletcher

ALBANY — If Clifford Porter gets new business cards printed, he’d better go with the deluxe model ... something big enough to hold a whole lot of text.

With his decision to lend a hand at his alma mater in a time of emergency, Porter’s updated card would read Director of Governmental Affairs, Albany Area Chamber of Commerce/Interim Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Albany State University. Such double duty might seem daunting to those who have trouble enough managing one job, but by all accounts Porter is doing quite well, thank you.

“I look at (doing both jobs) as a temporary sacrifice,” Porter said during a recent conversation. “I’ve always been a community-minded person, so I wanted to do what I could to help.”

Not that he had a whole lot of choice in the matter.

“By the time (ASU President) Dr. (Everette) Freeman talked with me about taking the position at Albany State, he and (former Chamber president/CEO) Tim (Martin) had already worked out the details for an executive loan program,” Porter laughed. “He basically talked with me on Thursday and said, ‘Be here Monday.’

“I didn’t have a lot of say in the matter; those two worked out the details.”

Being thrown into the mix at ASU hasn’t been a huge stretch for Porter. He served at the university in the capacity he now holds from 2002 to 2004 before leaving to work in the private sector as a consultant. That previous experience may be what has allowed him to jump into the fray during a hectic time at ASU.

“It’s been like trying to catch a moving train,” the Westover High School and ASU graduate said. “When I came on board (March 15), this office was in the middle of planning for Founder’s Day, for the Tom Joyner (radio) partnership, for a Tom Joyner school tour and for commencement. It’s one of our busiest times.”

The chamber, meanwhile, is in the midst of planning a post-session program with the region’s Legislative delegation, and Porter has been instrumental in that project.

“Cliff has a great deal of experience in governmental affairs, so his work (on the Legislature project) is very important,” interim Chamber President Wendy Martin said. “I certainly see no reason why he can’t continue to be beneficial to both the chamber and to Albany State.

“I wasn’t really involved in the details of this executive loan, but I certainly feel that the chamber should do all it can to work with our education partners like Albany State.”

After receiving a business administration degree from ASU, Porter earned a law degree at Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He worked for five years as managing field representative for U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, before taking a position as assistant vice president for institutional advancement at Albany State in 2001. He later was promoted to vice president of institutional advancement and served as special adviser to then-President Portia Shields.

Porter became director of government affairs for the chamber in 2006.

“Clifford brings a huge amount of institutional and alumni memory to his role as interim vice president for institutional advancement,” Freeman said. “He is an extraordinarily engaging and committed ASU alumnus who knows well from firsthand experience the challenges and rewards of fundraising and ‘friendraising.’

“I am delighted he is with us.”

While Porter says he plans to work with Albany State through “its rough spot,” he says he’s not sure about his future beyond that.

“I haven’t given it a lot of thought,” he says of future plans. “I’ve been told that I would be welcome to apply for the ASU position as a permanent appointment, and I’ve been told that my job at the Chamber would be held for me while I was at Albany State. I’ll probably weigh my options and look at what’s best for me once things slow down a bit.”

But right now, Porter has communications, alumni and fundraising issues to deal with at ASU. And there’s that Chamber post-session Legislative project and the ongoing push to bring Interstate 185 through Southwest Georgia that he helped initiate. Never mind the fact that he’s on the boards of Crime Stoppers, the Albany Civil Rights Institute and the Golden Retreat Senior Center.

“There are some priorities at both offices that need to be taken care of,” he says. “The enormity of getting those done is what I’m concerned with right now. It’s a pretty good feeling to be asked to help out in a community that you love. It sure beats being asked to leave.”

Given the current demand for his services, that’s one thing Porter hasn’t had to spend time worrying about.

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