Sault Area Chamber of Commerce names Kisner new director

The Sault Area Chamber of Commerce hopes to get back to the original goals of the organization with the recent selection of Stephanie Kisner, of Grand Rapids, as their new director.

The first order of business for the eight-member board of directors will be assuring the membership that this new director will be a keeper. Kisner replaces James Parr, who only held the position for a few weeks, and Allan Case, who held the job for a little over a year before he accepted a position at Lake Superior State University.    

"Stephanie has the complete confidence of the board," says board chairman Bill Goldenbogen. "She has already stepped in and is taking the reins and is doing a good job. She definitely proved herself in the interview; it was a unanimous vote from the board."

Kisner, who has only been in the position for less than two months, has already laid out an agenda for the chamber.

"Our big focus is our membership," says Kisner. "We want people to see the value in being a chamber member."  

She says one of those benefits is the credibility that membership brings to a business. There are several other perks to being a SACC member including preferred insurance rates, discounted natural gas, legislative advocacy and advertising opportunities, according to the chamber's website.

"Being a part of the chamber as a business gives you a trusted title," explains Kisner. "You're seen as a reliable business."

The new director says another benefit of being a member is the marketing and networking potential the chamber offers and simply being able to stay abreast of the many changes that occur in business in general and specifically in the community.

"We do a lot of marketing to visitors," says Kisner. "Visitors ask for more than motels and restaurants. They also ask for things like banks and phone services."

Kisner, who graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2011, says she looks forward to the fast pace of the job and says she's at her best when juggling a lot of responsibilities.

"My event experience has really helped prepare me for this position," says Kisner, whose degree is in psychology. "The fast pace is something I excel in."

The SACC hosts a number of events each year that will keep Kisner hopping, including the International Bridge Walk, the Chamber Chase, Chamber Challenge Golf Tournament and ribbon cuttings for new businesses to the area.

The job at hand, however, is to rebuild the membership base, according to Kisner and Goldenbogen. Kisner hopes to do this by giving members a "better product" and reaching out to area members and businesses.

"We're going to be making some changes," she says, and adds it can be difficult for people to see the eventual benefit of the changes. She says she'd like the chamber to be more progressive while regaining the feeling of community among chamber members.

"We've got an open door policy, we want to be here for our members," says Kisner.

The Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce, now in its 124th year, is solely supported by membership dues from its members, plus any money collected from fundraisers.

Neil Moran is a copywriter living in Sault Ste. Marie.