New Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tracey Harmon will bring management experience in nonprofits to the job as the chamber looks to connect with its membership.
Harmon, who worked as the executive manager of Chilkat Valley Preschool, said she would like to meet and poll members to hear more about what support they need.
“I’d like (the chamber) to have a bigger impact on the community, including nonprofits and small businesses,” Harmon said. She said she would like to work toward expanding the chamber’s membership.
Board president John Hagen said the chamber is moving in new directions with this hire.
“We’re excited to have the chamber be more of an advocate organization and looking to go in new directions,” Hagen said. “What I would like to see happen more is research and keeping a pulse on the business community.”
In a business survey the chamber conducted earlier this year, local businesses said they needed more bookkeeping, accounting, social media marketing and trainings.
Hagen said the chamber is looking at hosting more classes and workshops for those skills and wants to work at being more responsive to the membership. He said the chamber plans to make its Friday luncheons more relevant to local businesses and strengthen outreach efforts.
Six people applied for the executive director position previously held by Haines Borough Manager Debra Schnabel. She left the position in June. Schnabel was with the chamber for two and a half years.
“I have huge shoes to fill,” Harmon said. She brings bookkeeping and administrative experience from past jobs with the preschool, a construction accounting firm in Hawaii, a nonprofit needle-exchange program and as a member of the U.S. Army Reserve.
“I come from a business family,” Harmon said. Her mother was the board president of the chamber of commerce in a community of more 25,000 people.
Harmon has lived in Haines for three years with partner Gabe Thomas and has two young children. She is set to start work on Monday, Aug. 7 at the chamber of commerce office on Main Street.