Chamber hires new executive director

Kellie (Brennan) Masters, who grew up in Cathlamet and returned after obtaining a degree in Recreation Management from Central Washington University, is replacing Richard Erickson as executive director of the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce.

In early June, the Wahkiakum County board of commissioners named the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce the county's associate development organization.

The board signed a contract with the state Department of Commerce that will make the Chamber eligible for a variety of state economic development programs to be conducted in the area.

Masters will work part-time from the office in the Julia Butler Hansen House. She also works as a mental health case manager at Wahkiakum Health and Human Services.

Masters said, “part of any Chamber of Commerce is making a community stand out as a welcoming, livable, and overall aesthetic place to visit, live, and work… So far duties have been learning the ropes and hitting the ground running with Bald Eagle Day's posters.”

Her responsibilities will include “supported event coordination and logistics,” Masters said.

Manager Lynda Gerlach coordinates events and Masters says she will help. She will work on business retention, advertising and marketing.

Masters has worked for several Eastern Washington cities in aquatic and recreation programs, including Ellensburg, Prosser and Sunnyside as well as the Central Washington University Recreation Center. She worked for the Chamber of Commerce City of Grandview.

Masters said her goal is to “portray Cathlamet as a wonderful and amazing place that we all know because we live here and making sure people see and recognize everything it has to offer from friendly, giving people to an abundance of natural beauty and outdoor recreation, to local attractions and events.”