New Chamber executive hard at work

The Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce has a new director. Tanja Winebrenner took over for Jennifer Johnson who resigned last fall to take a position in Wilsonville, Oregon.

One of the many things Winebrenner hopes to accomplish is the promotion of Wahkiakum County as a tourist destination.

“I want to help facilitate growth in the county through the retention and promotion of our members while increasing tourism,” she said.

“The Lower Columbia region is one of the nicest places not only to visit but to live,” she said, pointing out that tourism is very important to small areas. “We’re working on a loop brochure which will encompass the area from the ferry to Astoria and come through Pacific County back to our county.”

Born in Greece and raised in Longview, Winebrenner has experience in promoting an area’s richness and vitality. Having worked for the wine industry in the Columbia Gorge region, she saw the amount of wineries grow from three to 25. But she said she would rather focus on our county than what she has done in the past.

Winebrenner says that her door is always open. She wants people to feel free to come to her office and talk. She wants to know what people want out of their town.

“I like to hear what people have to say,” she said.

Winebrenner said the chamber recently sent out surveys to chamber members and is hoping people will respond.

“We want people to be objective and tell us what they want the chamber to do for them. Right now, we are on the cusp of change. I want to know where everybody wants to go.”

Winebrenner wants to emphasize that this is a great place to be.

“We have everything here,” she said, speaking of the resources, the beauty and the quality of life. “But the people are what make it really nice.”