Business & Tech
Is Laura Simpson a Shoo-In To Head Brandon Chamber?
The interim president and CEO gets high praise as officials say they will "decide by the fall whether an outside search would be appropriate."
It looks like Laura Simpson, the acting president and chief executive officer of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, has a good shot at permanently filling the job left vacant by 24-year-veteran Tammy Bracewell.
According to a "transition plan update" released by the chamber today, July 3, officials are taking a "patient and thoughtful approach to the selection process" and "will decide by the fall whether an outside search would be appropriate."
So far, the internal reviews for Simpson are stellar.
"We have a very large membership and our goal was to make sure that we did not miss a step in providing value to every one of our members," said this year's chamber chairman, Darren Denington, in the release. "We are lucky to have someone of Laura’s caliber and experience in the building to keep us on track.”
Immediate past chairman and executive committee member Bob Bivins said, "just like we would for our own business, we need to be methodical [through] this transition and not act precipitously."
"At the end of the day, we want to have absolute confidence that we have the right person in place to take the organization forward," he said in the report. "As we work toward that ultimate goal, we have great confidence in Laura’s stewardship and are extremely fortunate to have her at the helm as we navigate through these waters."
Bracewell stepped down as president and chief executive officer in June, to instead fill a newly created special projects position with the chamber, which will allow her more flexibility in her schedule and time, with work she can do as well at home.
In her stead, the chamber's executive committee and board of directors, citing Simpson's "management and leadership skills, dedication to the chamber and its members and 13 years of experience with the organization," voted unanimously June 7 to temporarily replace Bracewell with Simpson, who had been the vice president of engagement and programming.
Executive committee members further reported in the July 3 chamber release that they are taking a "patient and thoughtful approach to the selection process" to "make sure it has the right person in place for the future."
As noted, the executive committee "has decided not to initiate an outside search at this time, but instead to monitor the transition closely, use the time to address the long-term goals for the organization, and decide by the fall whether an outside search would be appropriate."
Chamber officials added they are "working closely" with Denington and Simpson on "transition oversight" and that "its members were extremely pleased with the transition to date and with the steps Simpson and the staff had implemented thus far."
Quoted is Tony Del Castillo, who as chair-elect said: “We have an incredible team of employees at the chamber and [the executive committee is] excited about how it is engaging our members and working cohesively [through] this transition."
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