Revelstoke hires new chamber executive director, Judy Goodman

Judy Goodman, Revelstoke's new chamber executive director.

With a background in marketing, sales, tourism and travel, Judy Goodman appears to be the ideal choice as the chamber of commerce’s new executive director.

She’s had tough assignments in the past so stepping into this important leadership post should be a challenge well within her capabilities.

“My experience is managing people, sales and marketing,” she told the Revelstoke Current. “Being an advocate and building positive relationships will be a major part of my role.”

A native of Sundre, Alberta, she opened up the Eastern Canadian market for West Jet and headed the airline’s corporate sales team there.

She and her husband, Jamie, had been going to Beaton for their holidays over the last 15 years and began building a cottage there four years ago. That wasn’t enough, apparently, and so they decided to purchase a home in Revelstoke and live here full time. Moving here after years of living in Calgary and Toronto as not a great a challenge as one might expect.

“Growing up we went to Mara Lake,” she said in an interview. “So I was familiar with the area.”

Goodman joins the chamber at a critical time. It is facing a number of different issues, including what to do about the long-discussed visitor information centre, high business taxes, the perennial out-of-town shopping issue and more.

The chamber has been drifting a bit since Adelheid Bender left late last year. Bender had been brought in this past fall to temporarily stabilize things after the departure of John Devitt in August. However, she left abruptly in January.

Goodman has a learning curve ahead of her. She’ll spend the next while learning about local issues, meeting all the local players in business and politics and carving out a place for herself.  Mutual acquaintances told me she is an intelligent, organized and knowledgeable woman. Those descriptors certainly seem to fit.

Besides outdoor activities—“Jamie’s an avid sledder and skier,” Judy said of her husband—both Goodmans enjoy painting and the arts and plan on contributing to, and enjoying, Revelstoke’s cultural scene.

Judy Goodman started her new job as executive director of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commere on April 16.