Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce names new director

Melinda Hester introduced at annual holiday banquet

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
December 6, 2023

Melinda Hester, former Edisto Chamber of Commerce director and administrator for the Edisto Island Open Land Trust, is introduced, Dec. 5, as the new executive director of the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce. Photo by Fred McCormick

Local business owners gathered in the Monte Vista Hotel, Dec. 5, as the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual holiday banquet.

The evening culminated with the announcement that Melinda Hester, former executive director for the Edisto (S.C.) Chamber of Commerce and most recently the administrator of the Edisto Island Open Land Trust, will lead the local nonprofit organization.

Hester will step into the position and succeed interim director Tim Helms, Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, filling a vacancy created last August by the departure of Sharon Tabor, who served in the role for four years.

Chamber of commerce board of directors president Jason Burk and chamber hiring committee chairperson Tom McMurtry introduced the new director to dozens of supporters who attended the banquet.

“I’m very serious about the commitment I’ve made to you, as chamber members, and to this chamber of commerce,” Hester said. “I’m really excited about the prospect of bringing this chamber forward and helping individual members.”

Balancing the needs of a vital tourism industry and local business owners will be a priority, she continued.

“We do want to focus on the Visitor Center, because tourism is an industry,” Hester said. “But, we need to focus on the chamber members, too. I have some ideas and things that have worked for me in the past that I hope will benefit all of our members.”

The chamber will emphasize an “open-door” policy with its members, and the surrounding community, she added.

“I want everyone, and particularly our members, to feel they can come to my office or call me about anything at any time,” Hester said. “Open communication is important to me, and that’s something I want people to know from the beginning. I want to jump in and learn to be a part of the town as soon as I can.”

A resident of Edisto for 33 years, Hester has noticed similarities between her longtime home and the mountain town.

“The more time I spend in Black Mountain, I notice close parallels between here and Edisto,” she said. “They’re both small towns, driven by tourism, and they’re places where you can walk down the street and know everybody.”

While visitors are a vital component of the town’s economy, Hester will also focus on strengthening the chamber’s relationship with local business owners.

“I want to do things that help the members help themselves,” she said. “My goal is to enhance what the chamber already has, and bring new businesses into Black Mountain and Swannanoa. Anything we can do to improve the quality of life in this community.”

As the president of the board reflected on 2023, which marked the 100th anniversary of the chamber, he called it “a big year” for the organization.

President of the Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Jason Burk, left, recognizes interim director Tim Helms, Dec. 5, at the nonprofit organization’s annual holiday banquet. Photo by Fred McCormick

“That’s a long time for a chamber to operate in a town this small, and we’re proud of that,” Burk said. “This year, the Sourwood Festival was completely sold out this year, and it was a really successful event. We’ve also welcomed many new businesses in town and new chamber partners, so we’re optimistic about the future of this community and organization.”

Burk recognized Helms for being a “shelter in the middle of a storm” in his role as interim director.

“He was the perfect fit and leader for us in a time of need,” the board president said of Helms. “He brought a lot of chamber experience and is an example of another one of these amazingly talented people hanging out here in the Valley.”

Helms, the current mayor of Montreat and former director of the Gaston County Chamber of Commerce, was a resource for the board as they searched for a new director, according to Burk.

“We began our search a few weeks into Tim’s tenure because we really wanted him involved in that process,” Burk said in an interview following the banquet. “He has such great chamber experience and we were fortunate to have his guidance throughout the search.”

While there was significant interest in the director position, according to the president, Hester emerged as the hiring committee’s top candidate.

“We realized we really wanted to focus on serving and providing value to all of our partners,” Burk said. “Our Visitor Center is great, and tourism is great, but Melinda has a proven track record of working to add real value for chamber members.”

Hester is eager to begin her “dream job,” she said, and excited to get to know the local community.

“I love the mountains, and I have interest in theater, crafts, art and all the culture that Black Mountain has to offer,” she said. “I’m looking forward to helping this chamber become an even bigger asset to this community, but I also want us to have fun in the process. We can make this fun.”