Iowa City Area Chamber CEO retiring

The Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors will be soliciting comments from its economic development partners before it begins the search for a new president and CEO in coming months.

Nancy Quellhorst, who has directed the organization for the past decade, on Friday announced plans to retire.

Jeff Disterhoft, chairman of the Iowa City Area Chamber board of directors, said Quellhorst will remain in her position until May. He said Quellhorst has been asked to reach out to the Iowa City Area Development Group, the Iowa City-Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Iowa City Downtown District.

'We need to sit down and evaluate what needs exist in the community and how the chamber can best serve those needs,” he said. 'Once those groups have had some dialogue, Nancy's intent is to crystallize that in a document that the chamber board can review later this month at a previously scheduled strategic planning meeting.”

Disterhoft, president and CEO of the University of Iowa Community Credit Union, praised Quellhorst's leadership.

'We've been very blessed to have Nancy's services for 10 years,” Disterhoft said, 'She has been an invaluable leader not only within the chamber itself, but throughout the Corridor and state of Iowa.

'I am certainly sad to see her move on, but I also understand and respect her decision to continue her professional development in the years ahead.”

During her tenure, Quellhorst led the successful Blue Zones application process and represented Iowa on the national Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives board of directors.

'I have learned from our talented staff and dedicated volunteers,” Quellhorst said in a news release. 'Leading the Chamber has been the opportunity of a lifetime,”

Before joining the chamber in February 2006, Quellhorst was vice president and director of operations for The Environmental Project, a group that proposed a $180 million indoor rain forest.