The Executive Director of the Lake City Chamber of Commerce, Ed Hoffman, announced his intent to step aside, effective December 1st, 2022.
“It has been an incredible honor to serve as the Lake City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. I’ve grown to love Lake City and the people I get to work with on a regular basis, and I am so proud of the work that our office has accomplished. From ushering the organization through the financial uncertainty that COVID brought, to reviving and growing Lake City’s festivals, to taking Lake City’s destination marketing to new levels, to modernizing and organizing the office and operations, we have worked tirelessly for the betterment of the organization and the community. I can say with confidence that the Chamber is on more solid financial footing than it has been in a decade, and that the groundwork we’ve laid will assist in the organization’s advancement for years to come.” Hoffman said in a statement. “After a long deliberation, I came to the conclusion that this was a good moment for both myself and the organization for me to step back. The board and I are discussing ways that I can continue assisting the organization into the future, with more details to follow soon.”
Hoffman started at the Chamber early 2021 as Minnesota was dealing with the uncertainty of the pandemic and restrictions on events and gatherings. He led both Tour de Pepin and Water Ski Days to triumphant returns with minimal time to prepare in the immediate months after his hire. In the year and a half that followed, he assembled a team of engaged stakeholders to form a new tourism committee, successfully wrote multiple grants, launched new visitlakecity.org and lakecity.org websites, brought back in-person Chamber networking events, and collaborated with numerous local groups on existing and new event projects including Fall Fest, The Y-Knot Tri, and Kernza Fest. In 2022, he helped put the name Lake City in front of millions of eyes around the world as our community celebrated 100 years as the Birthplace of Water Skiing, 50 years of Water Ski Days, the city’s sesquicentennial, and the national televised airing of the Master Walleye Circuit’s World Championship from Lake Pepin.
Chamber operations will continue as normal while the board of directors launches a search for a new executive director. Hoffman has made it clear to the board that he will be available to assist in the transition, as well as in the training of a new director, for as long as necessary.
“We are all immensely grateful for all the contributions that Ed has made during his time as the Executive Director,” Chamber board president Carolyn Ellingson said, “We look forward to finding a place for him in the new structure and being able to continue to tap into his experience and expertise.”
Anyone interested in applying for the executive director position can find more details about the job and prospective candidate requirements at www.lakecity.org/careers.
