Kristin Steele hired as executive director of Rangely’s chamber

RANGELY I Kristin Steele wanted to return to her hometown of Rangely after earning her bachelor of arts degree in mass communication at Colorado Mesa University in December, but she had no idea how it would happen.
“I always knew this was the place I wanted to be, but honestly, I was surprised to find a job here in my degree,” Steele said. “It was crazy, but exciting.”
In early February, Steele interviewed for and was offered the position of executive director of the Rangely Area Chamber of Commerce.
The previously part-time directorship had been vacant since July, when former director Brooke Lohse moved into teaching and an initial search for a replacement failed to yield the right candidate, chamber board secretary Lisa Piering said.
Not long after that, the chamber board, the Town of Rangely and Rio Blanco County began discussions to fund a full-time director position. The director would not only help promote Rangely businesses and increase tourism, but also collaborate with the Meeker chamber and be a voice in Rio Blanco County economic development plans.
From July until Steele came on board as administrative assistant in January to help with mounting chamber of commerce duties, chamber board members filled the roles of board and director, keeping up on bookwork and trying to stay in touch with chamber members about what was next.
But without a director to oversee the day-to-day operations of the chamber and the organization’s annual Crab Crack fundraiser event looming in early February, the board needed help and hired Steele to help fill the gaps. She had just completed a month-long internship at the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce where, she said, she didn’t get a lot of hands-on experience but came to better understand a chamber’s role in promoting and supporting local business.
Following interviews for the director position, Piering said Steele had other traits that fit the chamber’s needs.
“Kristin was born and raised here and is very familiar with the dynamics of Rangely,” Piering said. “She has a lot of contacts in the schools and in the community and … has experience in running things even though she’s very young and still learning.
“She also puts herself out there, so she’s not the type of person who is shy,” she said. “She already has ideas about trying to add value to what the chamber has to offer.”
For one, Steele sees a need to organize more community events, whether chamber-driven or in cooperation with other entities like the park and recreation district.
She’s also looking forward to collaborating with the Meeker Chamber of Commerce and its executive director, Stephanie Kobald.
“We’ve always been divided communities and we should be working together,” Steele said. “I don’t think everything has to be separate. I’m looking forward to working with Stephanie (Kobald) more.”
New Rio Blanco County Economic Development Director Katelin Cook said that partnering with both chambers will be essential to the success of the county’s development measures.
Steele’s and Kobald’s membership on the newly formed economic development advisory board will also allow Cook and the Rio Blanco County commissioners to “Keep the voice of business in a government-run program.”
“A lot of what we have going on is hinging on collaborative relationships with those two ladies,” Cook said. “I think Kristin is going to be a great fit for Rangely. She has so much energy and has some really cool ideas.”
Steele also hopes to improve the chamber’s communication with local businesses and the community by soliciting feedback about their needs and offering training workshops on topics chamber members request.
In coming months, she and the board plan to revamp the current chamber membership system, an idea Piering said the board has been open to for some time but hasn’t had the staff to create or implement.
Right now, the annual fee a business owner pays depends on the number of employees the business supports. Steele believes a tiered membership plan similar to Grand Junction’s, in which gold, silver and bronze-level members receive benefits associated with each level, makes more sense.
“Every chamber on the Western Slope functions like that,” Steele said. “I’ve never seen a system like it’s done here. We’re building a committee to develop a strong tier system over the next few months.”
Benefits associated with each tier could range from basic to upgraded online advertisement options to more training opportunities depending on the tier members purchase, Steele said.
Now, with a new director on board, Piering hopes the time is right to reconnect with local businesses about how best to support them.
Giving chamber members what they’re paying for is also high on Steele’s priority list.
“We haven’t had a director in this position for six months, and I think people are questioning, ‘Why am I a chamber member?’” Steele said. “We want to show them that there are benefits.”