PARIS – The new director of the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce says he has already hit the sidewalks to visit local businesses.

“The main thing in the first 30 days is to get out and listen to chamber members,” said Executive Director Steven Wallace, who started the job Monday. “I’ve got to find out what the members want. That’s my first priority.”

Wallace, 42, who is a native of Michigan and now lives in Auburn, said he has 21 years of experience in the U.S. Marine Corps and has done a variety of jobs in the military and civilian sector. During his time in the military, he served as a helicopter crew chief, senior analyst, director of operations, human resources director, and commanding officer of 135 Marines, sailors and civilians. He also served in the Persian Gulf War and the war in Iraq.

Wallace said he began to transition over to business work when he was chosen as a representative to help guide and revamp the human resources process of the Marine Corps.

He also served on the Governor’s Advisory Council and Job Retraining and Education Subcommittee during his work in the economic redevelopment of the Brunswick Naval Air Station, which is scheduled to close in 2011.

He was also named Maine’s 2007 Veterans Champion by the Small Business Association.

“I would say the last 23 years have been preparing me just for this job here,” Wallace said.

Michael Newsom, chairman of the chamber’s Board of Directors, did not recall how many applications were sent in for the position after Kelsey Jewell announced that she would leave to attend graduate school.

Newsom said the chamber was seeking someone with widespread experience in areas such as organizing events and facilitating the development of businesses.

“He’s very energetic, very enthusiastic. He clearly gives 110 percent to anything he gets involved in,” Newsom said of Wallace.

“He is a really great listener, and he’s already been going around and talking to members about their business and how the chamber can help them.”

Newsom also cited Wallace’s prior experience with other chambers. Wallace said he was an active volunteer at the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber of Commerce and also worked with the chambers in Portland and Androscoggin County.

Wallace said he was a strong advocate of a leadership institute at the Southern Midcoast Chamber and hopes to establish a similar model at the Oxford Hills chamber.

“Leadership in the community cannot be underestimated,” he said.

Wallace grew up in Michigan and has been to 18 countries and every state except North Dakota. He was sent to Maine for rehabilitation after surviving a helicopter crash during the Persian Gulf War.

“I kind of fell in love with the place,” he said.

Wallace lives in Auburn with Richelle, his wife of 13 years, who is the vice president of Human Resources at Norway Savings Bank.