February 22, 2019
For Immediate Release: Cooperstown Chamber Executive Director Search Successful
Following a rigorous and carefully structured search, Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce is very pleased to announce the appointment of Tara Burke of Elmira, New York, as its next Executive Director.
Tara is an Upstate New York native who grew up just west of Albany in Guilderland. She was a 2005 graduate of Elmira College, where she earned a B.A. in English, and she went on to earn a M.A. in English from the University of South Dakota. She was a Copy Editor at The Daily Star in Oneonta for two years, and has worked for the Chemung County Chamber of Commerce in Elmira for the past eight years.
In her role as the Chemung Chamber’s Director of Communications and Program Development, Tara gained a wealth of experience and completed successful initiatives in the realms of workforce, leadership and entrepreneurial development, tourism promotion, member engagement and marketing, event planning, educational curriculum design, and public affairs advocacy. She will be moving to the area with her husband, Jake, and daughter, Zoey.
“I’m very excited about and honored by this opportunity to work with the Cooperstown business community,” said Burke. “I have always loved the area, and of course I sincerely believe in the mission of the Chamber and its ability to have a multi-faceted positive impact on the community as a whole. I’m looking forward to getting to know the business community members, and working to meet their needs to help them continue to grow and succeed.”
The Chamber received an exceptional number of strong applications. Incredibly, one person emerged as the clear and compelling choice – the Chamber’s Search Committee was unanimous in its decision. “Tara impressed us deeply, not just with her experience, skills, and ideas, but also with her passion, drive, and demeanor,” commented Danielle Henrici, President of the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Henrici added, “Her family will be a wonderful new addition to our community!”
The Chamber wishes to express its sincere gratitude and appreciation to all those who applied – it was thrilling to see so many brilliant applicants from such diverse backgrounds. We also thank our own Matt Hazzard, outgoing Executive Director, for five years of visionary leadership. Good luck to him and his family as they embark on new adventures!
The Chamber’s Annual Members’ Meeting will be held on March 28th, hosted by Brewery Ommegang. Happily, Tara Burke will attend, allowing her to begin building relationships with local business owners immediately. Tara will assume leadership of the Chamber on April 8th.
Please direct questions and inquiries for interviews to Danielle Henrici, Board President, at daniellehenrici@gmail.com.
