In the video above, McKenna Dickey talks with Ed Brown, the new president of the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce. Brown succeeds Shane Etzwiler in the role.
“Being at the chamber and helping small businesses, helping local businesses, helping Great Falls in general, with whatever we can do to help, I mean that's the goal, right? And I think it kind of fired something up inside of me,” Brown said explaining his excitement to step into the job.
Brown has gone down a variety of paths throughout his career, including a remote position for the last few years, but he is excited to begin this new role and get to know the community of Great Falls.
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“This is a new world for me. I know what a Chamber is, and I know what it's supposed to do to help support Great Falls. For me, I got the business side down, I got the social side down, I just don't know all the details about Chamber world, so it's going to be learning,” Brown said. “I've reached out to a couple different Chambers and different folks that I know that work at Chambers in Boise and Billings and throughout the state, and my goal is to learn as much as I can in the first, you know, 30 to 60 days about the Chamber life.”
Brown said the Chamber already has great partners such as the Great Falls Development Alliance and others, which allows them to better serve their members and the community.
“I think the community involvement and the community care is important because it helps drive Great Falls to the next level. People really care; people don't leave Great Falls a lot, they stay here. They want to raise their kids here, they like the recreation in Great Falls, they love the museums, they love the history that Great Falls has, and so it's just something they just are ingrained in,” added Brown.
Brown takes the reins from Shane Etzwiler, who has taken a job with NorthWestern Energy.
The Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will soon be moving from their current space (100 First Avenue North) to the D.A. Davidson building at 8 Third Street North.
