A Note from Board Chair Katie Doran
I have some bittersweet news to share with you: After nearly six years in the role, Chamber President Kate Manley is stepping down from her position in order to concentrate more fully on her young family. As many of you know, she and her husband, attorney Ryan Manley, have two young children, Charlotte, who is nearly four years old, and Joshua, who is just seven months old.
Although I and my fellow board members are sad to lose Kate, we are very supportive of her decision and understand that she is doing what she knows is right for her family. In her time as president, she has led this organization very capably and will leave us in a position of strength. She has proven herself to be an innovative and creative leader and has shown that she understands the complexity of serving a diverse membership.
With Kate at the helm, the chamber has been remarkably stable, both in terms of membership numbers and financial position, despite the challenges resulting from the pandemic. In addition to achieving the 2020 Business Council of New York State Chamber of the Year Award, we have continued to grow our membership, which has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and have sufficient resources to continue our unique programs and provide value to members.
Chamber Chair-Elect Brian Williams said, “I commend Kate for putting her family first and recognizing what is best at this point in her life. She has tirelessly served our members and our community very well, has been a Chamber champion for workforce and economic development, and now it’s time for her to focus more on the personal side. I wish her much happiness!”
Kate began her tenure with the chamber in 2009. Prior to serving as president, she was our director of member engagement and business development. She will continue as president until October 14 and during that time will help ensure a smooth transition to a new chamber president.
The chamber’s board is in the process of forming a confidential search committee that will identify qualified candidates and select the organization’s next president. We have an exemplary staff and board of directors, and I am confident that our membership will continue to be served well during this transition period and into the future.
"Serving as chamber president has been a remarkable honor and a wonderful experience, but as anyone who has ever worked for a chamber of commerce can attest, the job is extremely demanding and time consuming,” Kate shared. “I believe it’s really important to devote more time to my children. They will only be little for a short while, and I want to share as much of that time with them as I can.”
Please join me in sending Kate your best wishes for much happiness!
Katie Doran
2022 Board Chair