Carla Howell, Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce’s executive director for the last seven years, has announced her retirement plans.
That is triggering a recruitment effort to bring new leadership to the local business advocacy organization that partners with the city government, local businesses and community groups on town promotions, events and economic development issues.
Besides her recent tenure at the chamber, Howell is a former mayor and city councilmember and also owned a children’s clothing store on the plaza for 28 years.
At age 70, Howell said it is time to spend more quality minutes with her grandchildren and change her vantage point of her Healdsburg community.
“I’m ready to do something different and I really think it’s time for someone else to take the reins and brings some different energy and new set of skills to this job,” Howell told The Tribune this week.
She said plans with the chamber board of directors are just getting started about setting criteria for her replacement. She commended the present board and said the completion of a new strategic plan with the chamber and the Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District (HTID) offered good timing for her departure.
Howell plans to step down at the beginning of June.
“I’m really excited about the partnership with HTID (local lodging establishments) and I think more can be realized. My replacement should be well-versed in the new technology but I also think we have to get a better handle on where we want Healdsburg to fit in with the rest of Sonoma County and the region. We definitely need someone who is forward thinking and looking back to the past.”
Howell’s planned retirement was announced in a press release from Alan Baker, current chairperson of the chamber board.
“Carla has given so much to this community — and, really, to all of Sonoma County —with her work on behalf of our business community and the city of Healdsburg,” said Baker, owner of Healdsburg’s Cartograph Wines.
The Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce has over 500 members and also operates the city’s Visitor Center, open seven days a week. Besides member dues and fundraising, the chamber receives administrative fees from HTID and the city for visitor center services and staffing support.
Howell moved to Healdsburg in 1977 from San Francisco. While raising a young family, she opened her Cubbyhouse store on Plaza Street on the Plaza.
After a term on the city’s planning commission, she was elected to multiple terms on the city council and served three terms as mayor. After leading chambers of commerce in Rohnert Park and Cloverdale she took over her current job in 2012.
“I think our chamber has a strong mission but needs to have a more outspoken voice for our business members, especially our smaller businesses,” she said.
Howell declined to dwell on any misgivings, instead listing the many accomplishments of past community leaders and chamber boards over the past three decades.
These included early business zoning decisions to strengthen and preserve the downtown character, preservation of surrounding farm lands and encouragement for the local wine and hospitality business sector.
“We tried to be guided by decisions to keep Healdsburg a town for families with local jobs and local businesses,” she said. “You have to plan ahead but also know that the future will usually unfold in ways you don’t always expect.”
Right now, Howell is planning for a future that has a lot more to do with being a grandmother and not about trying to keep up with fast changes in social media and tech-based business strategies.
