PORT TOWNSEND — Teresa Verraes, a Port Townsend businesswoman who had moved to Oregon, will return as the new executive director of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.
Verraes replaces Jennifer Wells MacGillonie — now reverted to her maiden name of Wells — who will begin work next week leading the Camarillo, Calif., chamber of commerce.
“I really love this area,” Verraes, 39, said from Portland, Ore., where she works for a jeweler, after the announcement was made Thursday.
“This community really thrives, and we are going to implement a lot of great ideas for local businesses.”
Her salary has not been disclosed.
Kris Nelson, who just finished a term as chamber president, said Verraes was chosen from 28 applicants.
Nelson described Verraes as “an ideal candidate who has a lot of great ideas about how to help local business.”
Verraes’ last Port Townsend venture was Artisans on Taylor, which she sold to Anna Nasset and Chase Glenn in 2009.
She was one of the founders of the Boiler Room in 1993.
Verraes said she was running her own business prior to her 1990 graduation from Port Townsend High School.
She said she couldn’t stay away from Port Townsend for very long and still carries a cell phone with a local exchange.
Verraes will arrive in Port Townsend next week and work part-time until taking full charge sometime in February.
Nelson said she expected Verraes to attend the chamber retreat Jan. 22 but was not certain when she would meet the public for the first time.
Verraes is not expected to attend Monday’s regular chamber meeting.
Nelson said applicants were winnowed down to three highly qualified finalists — all women.
The seven-member hiring committee decided to make the selection in private and not hold community meetings out of consideration for the candidates, all of whom are currently employed.
“We were able to learn a lot more about the candidates this way than if we had them make public presentations,” Nelson said.
“With a large hiring committee, there was a lot of opportunity for give-and-take, and we had the ability to ask some in-depth questions of all the candidates and got a better idea of who they were.”
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
