Katie McCloud was named Seaside’s new Chamber of Commerce CEO on Oct. 7. She started Oct. 10.

“I’m ecstatic,” McCloud said. “I am very excited to serve the chamber and the community, and get to work and make it my own.”

Brandon Kraft, chairman of the Seaside Chamber’s executive committee, said the committee was confident with the decision.

“We believe that Katie will embrace the challenge,” Kraft said, adding that McCloud had “risen to the challenge” of handling events during the last summer. ”We’re working with her to make sure that she has all the resources that she needs, that she grows and learns and that she’ll do great things.”

McCloud previously worked for The Dalles Chamber of Commerce, and joined the Seaside Chamber of Commerce as communications and marketing director in 2020.

When Seaside Chamber CEO Brian Owen announced his new position as executive director of the Seaside Civic and Convention Center in June, McCloud was named interim CEO, a role she has served in since.

On Sept. 28, three finalists for the CEO position came to the Bob Chisholm Community Center to meet community leaders and chamber members. McCloud was chosen among finalists Lance Clark and Matt Gerber and more than 30 applicants overall.

Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District Executive Director Skyler Archibald led the hiring process, with a search committee that included Seaside’s director of tourism marketing, Joshua Heineman; David Reed, executive director of the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce; and former Seaside Chamber board member Andrew Stein.

The search committee and board were “thoroughly impressed” by McCloud’s ability to fulfill the interim CEO duties over the last few months, Archibald said.

“There have been some significant challenges that were in front of the organization and it was Katie’s leadership, perseverance and commitment that was crucial to the success of the chamber during that time,” he added.

Throughout the application process, McCloud demonstrated a vision for the chamber that aligns with the board for growth, commitment to the business community of Seaside, relationship building and successful events, Archibald said.

McCloud said that for now, she plans “just to keep her head above water.”

“I’m not going to make any initial changes,” she said. “We’re going to see how the first six months go, and then go from there.”

McCloud also offered praise to the Seaside community. “They were the ones that pushed me to apply,” she said. “The people in the community really believed in me from the very beginning.”