Kate Manley to step down as Rensselaer County chamber president
TROY, N.Y. » After serving as president of the Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce for nearly six years, Kate Manley is stepping down from the role in order to concentrate more on her young family.
“Serving as chamber president has been a remarkable honor and a wonderful experience,” Manley said, “but as anyone who has ever worked for a chamber of commerce can attest, the job is extremely demanding and time consuming. 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.”
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.
With Manley 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, the chamber has continued to grow its membership, which has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and has sufficient resources to continue its unique programs and provide value to its members.
Chamber Board Chair Katie Doran said, “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.”
Manley began her tenure with the chamber in 2009. Prior to serving as president, she was the chamber’s director of member engagement and business development. She will continue as president until Oct. 14 and during that time will help ensure a smooth transition to a new chamber president.
According to Doran, 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.
“The Chamber has 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,” said Doran.
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!”