Former office manager Minna Rudd is the new executive director of the Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Rudd received the job Tuesday, Aug. 18, by a unanimous vote of the chamber’s board of directors. She is a resident of North Bend and has been employed by the Chamber since May of 2005.
As office manager, she worked in tandem with the two most recent executive directors — Lisa Schaffer, who held the position from 2005 to 2007, and Karen Granger, who held the job from 2007 to 2009. Rudd helped to grow chamber membership from just under 200 members to nearly 300 today.
Her promotion comes at the end of a local and regional search to fill the position, vacant since Granger’s resignation in May.
“We are delighted to have Minna as our champion,” said Steve Rackets, chamber president. “Her unanimous approval by our board is a validation of her impressive professional growth, work ethic, and tireless dedication in serving our membership year after year.”
As the new leader of the chamber, Rudd seeks to building upon the success she has helped shape with the board of directors and as a part of the tight-knit, two-person professional staff.
“I find serving my community very rewarding,” said Rudd. “Our continued vision will focus on working with business and community leaders to develop a robust business environment throughout the Snoqualmie Valley.”
According to Rackets, the Chamber set out with an ambitious list of preferred attributes that a top candidate would possess.
“Minna’s demonstrated skill, knowledge and success working with our community businesses was the exact skill set we were seeking,” he said. “She is driven to succeed, has a head for business and a heart for her community.”
In addition to promoting commerce in the Valley, Rudd’s other passion centers around her family. Rudd and her husband Robb, enjoy their role as parents to an extremely active set of children — daughter Cassidy, a 10-year-old at North Bend Elementary, son Emmitt, a 14-year-old at Twin Falls Middle School and oldest daughter, Alex, a 17-year-old senior at Mount Si High School. “Building a better community for my family is a very important aspect of this new challenge,” she said. “But I love the idea that because of this opportunity, my family will have a role in helping build a better community in return.”
