PORT TOWNSEND – The Chamber of Commerce has come to a verbal agreement with Roderick Davis to be their new executive director.
Davis, 61 of Moses Lake, has worked for 15 years for chambers of commerce in Putnam County, W.Va.; Chula Vista, Calif.; and Hermiston, Ore. He is now a business consultant in Moses Lake., after leaving Hermiston for personal reasons.
Davis also served in the Navy for 20 years and retired as a commander in 1989.
Chamber Vice President Kris Nelson said she reached a verbal agreement with Davis on Thursday evening.
“We have come up with a verbal agreement on a contract,” Nelson said.
“We are currently running everything by attorneys.”
Nelson said the chamber was hoping for Davis to begin by Oct. 1.
Davis said he expects to see a written contract within 10 days for him to sign.
“It is beginning to look like I will be [in Port Townsend],” Davis said.
“But until I have a signed agreement I don’t want to give a full interview.”
If Davis signs that contract he will succeed Tim Caldwell, who resigned after 16 years on the job to accept a Port Townsend office manager position with Puget Sound Energy.
During interviews with the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Davis identified himself as “a tech guy” touting his accomplishment of bringing wireless Internet to the entire city of Hermiston, more than 650 square miles.
He said he would like to do the same in Port Townsend.
He also called the existing chamber Web site “disorganized,” and said it was difficult to find.
Davis said he was most excited by the idea of helping others set up new businesses.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
