Woodford County Chamber of Commerce Hires President / CEO
Woodford County, KY — The Woodford County Chamber of Commerce hires new President/CEO, Emily Downey. Downey comes to the Chamber position with extensive marketing, business development, membership activation, economic development and merger and acquisition experience. In addition, Emily brings a chamber background having been a member of and worked in conjunction with multiple chambers across the region, the Commonwealth and the nation. “We are thrilled to have someone of the caliber of Emily in both her leadership skills and qualifications to revitalize our Chamber and drive the upmost value for our members. Emily will undoubtedly take our Chamber to new heights and we are excited to have had the opportunity to hire such local talent,” Julie Goodpaster, Chairperson of WC Chamber Board of Directors 2020. Downey serves Woodford well as the Woodford County Tourism Executive Director as a part-time contractor and will continue in that role alongside working with the WC Chamber of Commerce. “Emily has shown proven excellence in her work in developing and building a Tourism market, brand, product and fan base for Woodford County. She is a tremendous asset to the community, our stakeholders and the board. We are delighted for this additional opportunity for Emily to continue to use her skillset to put the business community on the map like she’s done with the Tourism community. There are so many great opportunities for a community our size to collaborate and partner. Emily will definitely be the perfect fit to help optimize our resources and provide the most value to both audiences who in many ways, share so many similarities,” said Maria Bohanan, Chairperson of the Woodford County Tourist Commission. Downey holds an MBA from the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville Executive MBA program, has completed MBA training at the University College of Dublin in Ireland and received a bachelor’s from Western Kentucky University. Downey currently serves on the Bluegrass Community Hospital Board, the Woodford County D.A.R.E. board, served as Commerce Lexington’s EMERGE 2020 Chairperson, and is on the Advisory Council for Girls on the Run. “It is an absolute privilege to get to serve my hometown professionally bringing skills that I acquired first from my educators in the Woodford County school system to my professional career that has taken me on projects around the world. As I work in the community, I see many opportunities daily to support the business and industry who contribute to our economic vitality in Woodford County. A thriving business community is good for tourism and tourism is great for the business community,” commented Emily Downey. Downey is set to begin the role at the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce on April 27, 2020. ### For more information, please contact: Julie Goodpaster WC Chamber Board Chairperson 2020 Direct- 859-846-3902 Julie.Goodpaster@ccc1884.org For more information on the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce, please visit: www.WoodfordCountyInfo.com