The Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce is looking for a new membership director.
The Chamber and Rebeca Herrera have parted ways, effective this past Wednesday. Herrera had led the membership operations since 2022. She says she resigned “given the shift in internal dynamics” and as a way to “stay aligned with personal and professional values.”
Before joining Chamber staff, Herrera was the Emporia Granada Theatre’s director from 2019-2022.
Interim Chamber Director Christian Keisler says he cannot comment on the departure due to personnel matters, but he says the agency is moving ahead with efforts to enhance both communication and membership services. He also says there will be specific Chamber membership initiatives to be announced soon.
Operations inside the Trusler Business Center, including the Chamber, Regional Development Association of East Central Kansas and Visit Emporia, have been in flux for months with all three entities having interim directors at this time — Keisler for the Chamber, Matt Fowler for Visit Emporia and Lyle Butler for the RDA. Keisler and Fowler were appointed after the departures of Jeanine McKenna and LeLan Dains, respectively, and have been in their positions the last several months. Butler has been leading the RDA since mid-February with the permanent president position open since February 2024.
