Ronnberg Leaves Dayton Chamber

DAYTON - Lisa Ronn­berg, executive director of the Dayton Chamber of Com­merce

for the past three and a half years, has announced she will leave her position there to become the business manager for the Columbia County Public Works De­partment.

"It's an exciting opportu­Director

for me," Ronnberg said about her new job under public works director Drew Wood. "I'm looking forward to it." The change is effective the first of the year. Ronnberg's assistant, Amber Phinney, who joined the Chamber's staff in September, will man­age

the organization's officeduring the transition.

The executive commit­tee of the Chamber's board, headed by Bette Lou Croth­ers, was scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss its strat­egy for recruiting Ronnberg's replacement. "I was happy for her," Crothers said. "We'll still have her here in the com­munity. We'll come up with a game plan." She said she has already received several calls from people who are interested in the position. Because of its many constituents, being the Chamber's director is not an easy job and Ronnberg's shoes will "not be easy to fill," Crothers said. "She's been there and done a good job." Ronnberg, who first joined the Chamber as the assistant manager four and a half years ago, said that her time representing the Dayton business community "has been fabulous," but she wel­comes

a position with better benefits and looks forward to expand her horizons to other players in the county. She leaves the Chamber in sound financial health and in­creased membership. There were 160 members when she started. Now that num­ber hovers around 200. On her clock, Dayton's events, including All Wheels, Christ­mas Kickoff and the Cham­ber's annual spring fundrais­er, have grown in size.

Ronnberg has also helped several new businesses, such as Dayton Wine Works and Mace Meadworks, set up on Main Street, plus spent many of her hours trying to retain Ski Bluewood and several smaller businesses as part of the Chamber's mission to keep Dayton's economy healthy.

She will stay on the board of the Touchet Valley Arts Council, but plans to resign from the boards of Inland Northwest Partners, the Wal­la Walla Community Council and Resource Conservation and Development Council. Phinney, a 1995 graduate of Dayton High School, was a mail carrier for the Dayton Post Office for two years before joining the Chamber and a stay-at-home mom before that. Prospective applicants for the position of Chamber director, can call Crothers at 509-382-4444.