Guthier named interim president/CEO of Owatonna chamber
OWATONNA — For the third time in her nearly 15-year career with the Owatonna Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, Rhonda Guthier has been tapped to lead the organization as its president and CEO — at least on an interim basis.
On Thursday, the chamber announced that Guthier, the current director of operations for the chamber, has been appointed by the board of directors to be the chamber’s interim president/CEO while the organization seeks to find a replacement for Jennifer Libby, who announced her resignation last month.
Libby’s last day is Friday, three years to the day that she began with the chamber. Guthier will step into the interim leadership role on Monday.
“This was a pretty easy decision for the board to make,” Guthier said. “The board wanted to make sure that the membership was aware that someone was in the lead, that someone was there to keep things running smoothly.”
And, in fact, Guthier demonstrated that things would continue to run smoothly shortly after the chamber issued a statement Thursday morning announcing her interim appointment. A phone call made to the chamber office was answered by Guthier herself.
Chamber board chair Matt Ketelsen said Thursday that the decision to appoint Guthier to the interim position was a “fairly easy decision” for the board.
“She has experience doing this before, and she’s a great employee,” he said.
Guthier, who will celebrate 15 years with the chamber in September, has been in the interim position twice before.
The first time came in 2003 when then Chamber President/CEO Lisa Purvis resigned to take a position with the Owatonna Hospital. The chair of the chamber board at the time was Jennifer Noeldner, now Libby, who was then working as the director of human resources at Cybex.
Guthier remained in the interim position until the chamber hired Brad Meier, who started in January 2004.
Meier served as president/CEO of the Owatonna chamber until February 2013, when he accepted a similar position as president of the Twin West Chamber of Commerce, a 10-city organization based in the west metro area of the Twin Cities. When Meier left, Guthier once again stepped into the interim leadership role.
She continued as interim president/CEO until Libby took over in July 2013.
Although she will be in her third stint leading the Owatonna chamber, Guthier said she has no plans to seek the position on a permanent basis and has decided not to apply.
“I enjoy the position that I have, and I believe I do it well,” Guthier said of her work as director of operations. “I think I can be an asset [to the new president/CEO] in that role.”
Guthier did not know how long she would be in the interim position this time around, but noted that after Meier announced his resignation, it took the board six months before Libby was hired.
She also noted that the board will be forming a search committee to find the next president/CEO. The committee is scheduled to begin its work on July 19, Guthier said. Guthier will be on the committee and Ketelsen will chair it.
“Last time it took six months,” Guthier said. “Hopefully, this time it will take less.”
Ketelsen noted that even though the chamber has not posted the job yet, it already has been receiving resumes from interested candidates — something that did not come as a complete shock to him.
“We’re a highly respected chamber,” he said.
He also said there is no target date to have someone in that position on a permanent basis. In the meantime, he wanted to reassure the membership that the chamber will continue to operate strongly under Guthier’s interim leadership.
“We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of employees whose tenure, knowledge and proven ability to get results will keep the operations of the chamber running as business as usual while the search process is taking place,” he said.
Reported by: Southernminn.comn
On Thursday, the chamber announced that Guthier, the current director of operations for the chamber, has been appointed by the board of directors to be the chamber’s interim president/CEO while the organization seeks to find a replacement for Jennifer Libby, who announced her resignation last month.
Libby’s last day is Friday, three years to the day that she began with the chamber. Guthier will step into the interim leadership role on Monday.
“This was a pretty easy decision for the board to make,” Guthier said. “The board wanted to make sure that the membership was aware that someone was in the lead, that someone was there to keep things running smoothly.”
And, in fact, Guthier demonstrated that things would continue to run smoothly shortly after the chamber issued a statement Thursday morning announcing her interim appointment. A phone call made to the chamber office was answered by Guthier herself.
Chamber board chair Matt Ketelsen said Thursday that the decision to appoint Guthier to the interim position was a “fairly easy decision” for the board.
“She has experience doing this before, and she’s a great employee,” he said.
Guthier, who will celebrate 15 years with the chamber in September, has been in the interim position twice before.
The first time came in 2003 when then Chamber President/CEO Lisa Purvis resigned to take a position with the Owatonna Hospital. The chair of the chamber board at the time was Jennifer Noeldner, now Libby, who was then working as the director of human resources at Cybex.
Guthier remained in the interim position until the chamber hired Brad Meier, who started in January 2004.
Meier served as president/CEO of the Owatonna chamber until February 2013, when he accepted a similar position as president of the Twin West Chamber of Commerce, a 10-city organization based in the west metro area of the Twin Cities. When Meier left, Guthier once again stepped into the interim leadership role.
She continued as interim president/CEO until Libby took over in July 2013.
Although she will be in her third stint leading the Owatonna chamber, Guthier said she has no plans to seek the position on a permanent basis and has decided not to apply.
“I enjoy the position that I have, and I believe I do it well,” Guthier said of her work as director of operations. “I think I can be an asset [to the new president/CEO] in that role.”
Guthier did not know how long she would be in the interim position this time around, but noted that after Meier announced his resignation, it took the board six months before Libby was hired.
She also noted that the board will be forming a search committee to find the next president/CEO. The committee is scheduled to begin its work on July 19, Guthier said. Guthier will be on the committee and Ketelsen will chair it.
“Last time it took six months,” Guthier said. “Hopefully, this time it will take less.”
Ketelsen noted that even though the chamber has not posted the job yet, it already has been receiving resumes from interested candidates — something that did not come as a complete shock to him.
“We’re a highly respected chamber,” he said.
He also said there is no target date to have someone in that position on a permanent basis. In the meantime, he wanted to reassure the membership that the chamber will continue to operate strongly under Guthier’s interim leadership.
“We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of employees whose tenure, knowledge and proven ability to get results will keep the operations of the chamber running as business as usual while the search process is taking place,” he said.
Reported by: Southernminn.comn
