New leader at Russian River Chamber of Commerce

<p>A Santa Rosa man with experience in marketing and fund-raising for nonprofit agencies has been hired as the executive director of the Russian River Chamber of Commerce.</p><p>Wayne Mitchell, 45, who is taking over a post that has been vacant for five years, said he has a life-long fondness for the region.</p><p>“I have been involved with the Russian River my whole life,” Mitchell said. “Although I grew up in Southern California, Venice Beach, my grandparents lived in Healdsburg and I came up here all the time. It is where I took my first hike, it is the first river I swam in.”</p><p>Mitchell has lived in Sonoma County for the past seven years, working in marketing and fund-raising for the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation and the Assistance Dog Institute.</p><p>He has an undergraduate degree in art history from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's of business administration in marketing from St. Mary's College in Moraga.</p><p>The Russian River Chamber has been struggling to remain fiscally sound since 2004 when its then-executive director committed suicide after being accused of embezzling $38,000, leaving the chamber $60,000 in debt.</p><p>There have been two interim executive directors over the past five years, with day-to-day operations handled by chamber President Margaret Kennett, other chamber officers, office manager Opal Pullaro and a part-time bookkeeper.</p><p>Mitchell, who started two weeks ago, will be the executive director as well as taking over the office management duties of Pullaro, who is retiring.</p><p>The chamber has 250 members and a $163,000 budget for this fiscal year.</p><p>“What we are trying to do is build a community around business and the different kinds of strengths the region has, bring people together and work toward common goals,” Mitchell said. “In that sense it is like non-profit work.”</p><p>Mitchell declined to disclose his salary.</p><p>“I'm taking the position with the understanding that the organization cannot pay a professional salary,” Mitchell said. “It is less about what I would like to earn and more about what the organization can support.”</p>