Membership director and Snoqualmie Valley resident Lizzy Billington is stepping up as new CEO of the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce, days after Nate Perea announced his departure for a new role.

Perea, who has led the chamber for 16 months, gave notice Thursday, August 28. He is now director of membership experience for the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties. Perea came to the Snoqualmie Valley chamber April 1, 2013, after serving as the director of membership development for the Issaquah chamber.

“It is with very mixed emotions that I made this career transition,” Perea said in a statement. “I have truly loved working for all of the people in the Snoqualmie Valley. It’s a spectacular place full of wonderful and caring individuals and organizations.”

Perea’s tenure saw a revamp of the Chamber’s website, increase membership, a new effort to recruit a new age group through the Valley Young Professionals, and the hiring of the chamber’s first-ever director of membership, Billington, who has now been tapped to take her old boss’s role.

The chamber board of directors voted unanimously to hire Billington as the new CEO .

“Lizzy is a natural fit as the CEO of the chamber,” board President Tom Watson, said in a statement. “She has done a great job as director of membership, and we are confident that she’ll serve our members and our community well as CEO.”

Regarding Perea, Watson said, “We are sad to see Nate leave. He is a wonderful guy, and he has done a great job. We’ll miss him. Thankfully, Nate put together a wonderful staff to continue the work we’ve started.”

Learn more about the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce at http://www.snovalley.org/