Northfield Chamber names executive director; CVB tourism manager also hired
When Brent Burns and his wife made out a wish list of where they would like to live and work, Northfield quickly moved to the top.
They wanted a college town. Check.
They wanted a small community with a population around 20,000 people. Check.
They wanted to be within about 30 minutes of a metro area. Check.
That list set the stage for Burns' interest in becoming the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce's next executive director.
The Chamber board of directors announced on Wednesday that Burns was hired as executive director of the organization following a national search.
While Burns officially begins his new role in July, he took the opportunity to meet members during the Chamber's annual Golfapalooza event on Thursday at Willinger's Golf Club.
"Northfield is absolutely everything we wanted in a community," Burns said on Thursday. "There is so much potential in this community. With more than 1,700 firms and 200 members, there is a lot of work to do."
Burns said the Chamber needs to do a better job of giving value to its members and to be inclusive, and that would be his main focus as he embarks on the next chapter of his career.
"Everybody should be invited to the table," he said. "Inclusive chambers thrive. My vision is to provide so much value to the Chamber membership so there is no question they will renew."
According to Chamber president Beth Ayotte Naumann, the selection committee was impressed with the breadth of Burns’ experience, which included serving as the managing partner of Sylvan Learning Centers in Northwest Iowa, being a branch manager in the mortgage industry and managing sales for a Chevrolet, Nissan and Mercedes Benz dealer, in addition to significant experience in the Chamber of Commerce environment. Most recently, he served in a leadership role with the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce in Spencer, Iowa.
"I am a natural networker and I understand the ‘big picture.’ I love to build and nurture teams that are focused and moving towards a common goal," Burns said.
The Chamber also announced that it has hired Lisa Havelka as the Northfield Convention & Visitors Bureau tourism manager. Havelka joins the Northfield CVB after a highly successful five-year stint with the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism.
Havelka has more than a decade of experience in the tourism and economic development field, including six years as the MainStreet Director in Owatonna.
"Lisa will take the CVB to the next level," Naumann said. "Her experience in Owatonna will bring a lot to this city."
The appointments of Burns and Havelka come in the midst of discussions between the Chamber and the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) to determine the efficacy of joining forces.
Naumann said that all candidates were informed of the possible merger and both Burns and Havelka demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm for making the merger work.
"We had an amazing pool of applicants and it was a very tough decision," said Naumann, who noted that the hiring committee consisted of members from the Chamber, NDDC and CVB. "We wanted to make sure we put the right person in place in each of the positions as we move toward the merger."
Reported by: southernminn.com
They wanted a college town. Check.
They wanted a small community with a population around 20,000 people. Check.
They wanted to be within about 30 minutes of a metro area. Check.
That list set the stage for Burns' interest in becoming the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce's next executive director.
The Chamber board of directors announced on Wednesday that Burns was hired as executive director of the organization following a national search.
While Burns officially begins his new role in July, he took the opportunity to meet members during the Chamber's annual Golfapalooza event on Thursday at Willinger's Golf Club.
"Northfield is absolutely everything we wanted in a community," Burns said on Thursday. "There is so much potential in this community. With more than 1,700 firms and 200 members, there is a lot of work to do."
Burns said the Chamber needs to do a better job of giving value to its members and to be inclusive, and that would be his main focus as he embarks on the next chapter of his career.
"Everybody should be invited to the table," he said. "Inclusive chambers thrive. My vision is to provide so much value to the Chamber membership so there is no question they will renew."
According to Chamber president Beth Ayotte Naumann, the selection committee was impressed with the breadth of Burns’ experience, which included serving as the managing partner of Sylvan Learning Centers in Northwest Iowa, being a branch manager in the mortgage industry and managing sales for a Chevrolet, Nissan and Mercedes Benz dealer, in addition to significant experience in the Chamber of Commerce environment. Most recently, he served in a leadership role with the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce in Spencer, Iowa.
"I am a natural networker and I understand the ‘big picture.’ I love to build and nurture teams that are focused and moving towards a common goal," Burns said.
The Chamber also announced that it has hired Lisa Havelka as the Northfield Convention & Visitors Bureau tourism manager. Havelka joins the Northfield CVB after a highly successful five-year stint with the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism.
Havelka has more than a decade of experience in the tourism and economic development field, including six years as the MainStreet Director in Owatonna.
"Lisa will take the CVB to the next level," Naumann said. "Her experience in Owatonna will bring a lot to this city."
The appointments of Burns and Havelka come in the midst of discussions between the Chamber and the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) to determine the efficacy of joining forces.
Naumann said that all candidates were informed of the possible merger and both Burns and Havelka demonstrated tremendous enthusiasm for making the merger work.
"We had an amazing pool of applicants and it was a very tough decision," said Naumann, who noted that the hiring committee consisted of members from the Chamber, NDDC and CVB. "We wanted to make sure we put the right person in place in each of the positions as we move toward the merger."
Reported by: southernminn.com
