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Plans for future: Abby Krimotat
Chamber board looks inward to find an executive director
By Steve Enders
After weeks of searching for a replacement to fill the executive director's seat inside the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, it turns out the board didn't even need to look any farther than its own front office.
On May 17, former Chamber executive assistant Abby Krimotat stepped up the ladder and took over as the new executive director, replacing her former boss of eight months, Sheila Arthur.
The board, sorting through more than 100 résumés and interviewing more than 10 "A List" candidates, chose Krimotat because of her background and experience with the Chamber, according to board president Pearl Medeiros.
Krimotat had essentially been filling in for Arthur since she left her position in March. And as Arthur's assistant for almost a year, Krimotat had firsthand training for the position.
After Arthur's resignation, part-time employees, including Carmel Scott, took over for Krimotat, and the two quickly began updating everything inside the Chamber office.
At a May 11 City Council meeting, Krimotat and Medeiros presented each council member with a heavy packet of recently updated information. New maps, brochures and pamphlets that hadn't been touched in some time finally received makeovers.
"She was my selection right from the beginning," Medeiros said. "She's had eight months of training, and everyone was crazy about her because she was a breath of fresh air."
But it was the entire board's duty to choose an applicant, only one of which had previous Chamber background but came with less than stellar references. Medeiros also said some of the applications came from high school graduates.
And that made Krimotat stand out even more. Her education--including a background as a biologist in maternity management--set her apart.
Krimotat, who describes herself as a shy person, said she was just looking for something different when she first took the job at the Chamber. She also wanted to be more involved in the community.
"I learned so much from Sheila. The more involved I get, the more I'm in awe of how she ran it. She had some excellent ideas, and she kept great records," she said. "I'm just hoping to bring it to another level."
The Chamber staff has already begun updating its materials, and that's the first in a long list of things to do, Krimotat said.
Besides Krimotat, the office is being filled with more fresh blood. They've brought on a new publicity director for Celebrate Saratoga! and other new volunteers, many of whom are longtime friends of Krimotat.
In coming months, the organization will launch a new, entirely redesigned website as well. It's getting all the work and server space for free, thanks to a Campbell entrepreneur who's going to revamp the whole site. Also, Chamber members will be given space to have their own sites.
Krimotat also said she hopes to get local schools involved in the Chamber's activities.
Besides the usual goals of any Chamber to bump up membership and increase community awareness, Krimotat said she hopes to get corporate heads involved with the Saratoga Chamber, especially since many of the valley's movers and shakers live in town. "I want 3Com, Hewlett-Packard, Sun," she said. "These people are part of the community, and I want to get the residents involved."
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Saratoga, California Since 1975
