Portland Chamber selects its first woman CEO

Courtesy / Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce Quincy Hentzel, interim CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, is the chamber's new CEO. She's the first woman in the chamber's history to assume that position.

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By Staff

The Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce has selected interim CEO Quincy Hentzel as its next full-time CEO, the first woman to lead the Chamber in a permanent capacity.

While the move was expected, the Chamber said Wednesday that it had selected Hentzel from more than 70 applicants after concluding she was the best person for the job.

“Quincy Hentzel brings a terrific set of skills to the role of Chamber CEO,” James Erwin, the Chamber’s board chair, said in the announcement. “In her brief tenure as interim CEO, Quincy has already demonstrated that she understands the Chamber’s unique role in meeting those needs.”

He added that the board “is confident that under her leadership the Chamber will deliver the value that our members are looking for and the advocacy that they need, both in our communities and in our state.”

Hentzel, who stepped in as interim CEO in February, has committed to making the Chamber more representative of its communities by adding new initiatives, events and programming.

In June she launched a new women’s networking forum she hopes to make quarterly, with the next event scheduled for Sept. 18 at a venue to be determined.

Hentzel’s prior experience includes working at public relations and advertising firm Industrium, and 11 years as director of governmental affairs for the Maine Credit Union League.

“I am thrilled by this opportunity to lead the Chamber into our next phase. We need to change with the times and listen to what it is our members want and need,” Hentzel said in Wednesday’s release.” We are being more inclusive — launching new events and focusing efforts on small business, immigrant-owned businesses and women in the business community.”