The Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce announced a new head of house Aug. 12, after staff turnover peaked at the beginning of summer.
Lindsay Clothier Browning, former CEO and high-level marketing consultant, will step into the role of executive director starting Sept. 3. Browning has held multiple leadership roles around BI and Kitsap County, serving most recently as business director at BI Rowing, during which she oversaw the new venue-rental program at the shellhouse and the construction of the new waterfront facility.
“The chamber’s mission resonates powerfully with me on many levels,” Browning said.
Interim executive director Erika Borg will continue to lead the chamber until Browning steps in. Board chair Matt Grady praised Browning for her local leadership track record.
“[Erika] has steered the organization through a complex transition period and effectively set Lindsay and the chamber up for significant success moving forward,” he said. “Lindsay’s well-rounded experience and passion for the job really stood out to us. Ultimately, it was her data-driven approach and her vision for enhancing the business environment in a community-centric way that led to her appointment.”
Browning’s appointment follows the departure of former executive director Stefan Goldby due to family reasons, which BICC announced in April. Since he left, two of the four full-time positions at the chamber have been vacated, including an office manager position and the vice president of member services position, the latter of which will not be replaced. That’s not a reflection of any shake-ups at the chamber, Borg said.
“It’s natural — there are shifts that occur in any course of business. There’s been opportunity on the island, and I think that hiring is competitive on the island,” she said.
Changes at the leadership level may be less visible on the front lines of chamber business — the chamber-run information kiosks continue to be fully staffed — but without backup in the main office, certain chamber functions must be put on hold. Outside of advocating for local businesses and expanding the BI economy, the chamber also provides government services that are otherwise unavailable on the island: vehicle and vessel registration, disabled parking permits and placards, fishing and hunting licenses, and Discover Passes.
The only employee who is certified to provide those services is licensing manager Kris Rothert. When Rothert took a vacation at the end of July, the services he oversees came to a halt — which means a backlog of requests upon his return. That’s why the final position that the chamber needs is an office manager who will be cross-trained in some of Rothert’s expertise, Borg said.
The search has not been easy. Rothert’s role requires a six-month training module to become authorized to issue permits, which has led the chamber to some dead ends.
“To be honest, that’s been the hardest position to fill. We have to find someone who wants to have the kind of relationship-building that Kris has been able to do for so many years,” she added. “It’s just a level of personal service that the island’s really lucky to have.”
