Chamber's Executive Director Leaving Job

Tracey McCallum says a desire to spend more time with her family is the reason she is resigning as executive director of the Enumclaw chamber.

“It’s time to focus on the family and find a better quality of life for myself,” she said.

Chamber president Tim Pierick said McCallum did a lot of great things for the chamber.

“She was just what we needed. She created some excitement downtown,” he said, adding a going away party is being planned the week of Sept. 15, her final day.

Under McCallum, who has only been at the post for a year and a half, the chamber has grown by 70 members and increased the number of events it has sponsored to bring people to town to stimulate the local economy.

But she says she has been working 60 hours a week.

“Life is too short,” she said.

McCallum said she has been thinking about resigning for a few months, wondering if her family can afford it in a down economy. Luckily, she said, her husband gets a pension from the state patrol and is working security at St. Elizabeth Hospital.

“So we have more than most,” she said, adding now she can spend more time with her daughters, ages 17 and 13.

“There must be something else out there I can do, even if it’s bagging groceries,” she said with her ever-present humor and laugh.

McCallum said a lack of funding has hurt the chamber. A few years ago the chamber received $30,000 in funding from the city. The year she took over it was cut to $12,000. And now the chamber receives no city funding.

“If we had $12,000 right now we’d be in a much better situation,” but I would still resign, she said. “I’m not a politics girl. That part I will not miss.”

Pierick said all governmental bodies have had to deal with less money.

“The city’s not crucial to our funding,” he said, adding fund-raisers should bring in money and tourists to town.