Who We Are
The Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce is governed by an 18-member Board of Directors.
2024 Executive Committee
Emilee Collins
Chairman
Pickett Sprouse Commercial Real Estate
Rodney Clapp
Vice Chairman
Fidelity Bank
Kelly Davis
Treasurer
Herring & Bickers Insurance
Jaclyn Krohn
Secretary
Durham Tech
Community College
Raul Herrera
Immediate Past President
2024 Board Members
Stephanie Bohling
UNC Health
Matt Dietz
NC Farm Bureau
Michael Howard
Redeye Worldwide
Carl Johnson
Carl Johnson Real Estate
Jessica Nilles
First National Bank
Tom Struckmeyer
Edward Jones
Jennifer Warren
Warren-Hay Mechanical
2024 Ex Officio Board Members
Mark Bell
Mayor
Town of Hillsborough
Steve Brantley
Director
Orange County Economic Development
Shannan Campbell
Planning and Economic Development Manager
Town of Hillsborough
Scott Czechlewski
Chief Executive Officer
Hillsborough/Orange County
Chamber of Commerce
Kevin Jones
Chief Deputy
Orange County Sheriff's Department
Laurie Paolicelli
Executive Director
Chapel Hill/Orange County
Visitors Bureau
Chamber Staff
Chief Executive Officer
Scott Czechlewski
scott@hillsboroughchamber.com
A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Scott’s career began in Atlanta, where he worked as a book editor, followed by a stint in Manhattan at Simon & Schuster (Pocket Books). After returning to the Tarheel State, he worked in the City of Wilmington Mayor’s Office for three administrations, handling communications for the Mayor and Council. In addition, he served as managing editor and a writer for two magazines: Spirit of the Carolinas and Behind the Scenes (NC film industry).
As communications director for the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce for 16 years, Scott developed all marketing and communications. He worked with Richard Florida’s creative action team, Catalytix, on the launch of the Cape Fear Future knowledge sector workforce development initiative and managed the publication of three Regional Economic Scorecards comparing Wilmington to other cities viewed as competition for jobs, talent and start-ups. His “Your Advocate” branding campaign for the Wilmington Chamber won the 2018 Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Excellence Award.
As director of the Leadership Wilmington program, Scott provided management of the class project: the annual Work On Wilmington community service event that brought together 1,000+ volunteers to complete 30+ projects at area schools and non-profits. His collaborative community projects included the marketing team for the USS NC SSN 777 submarine commissioning and the three-county Choose Cape Fear regional branding initiative. As chairman of the Wilmington Sister City Commission, he helped establish a twinning with San Pedro, Belize. Currently, he is a member of the Hillsborough Tourism Board and the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough.
Finance Director
Kat Kirschner finance@hillsboroughchamber.com Growing up in coastal North Carolina, Kat relocated to the Triangle to attend UNC-Chapel Hill, where she earned her undergraduate degree. After many successful years in financial management and private banking, she made a shift to the non-profit sector. Kat is responsible for Chamber bookkeeping, financial matters, and general office administration. We happily share her with local historic site The Burwell School, where she serves as their finance director. She lives with her family in Orange County. |
Member Success Coordinator
Erika Isley
membership@hillsboroughchamber.com
Erika moved to the United States from her native Hungary 25 years ago. Her nine years of retail experience are the foundation of her desire to offer her services to assist local business owners in reaching and exceeding their goals through Chamber membership. As Member Success Coordinator, she is responsible for overseeing new member onboarding, recruiting new members, providing callers and visitors with area information, business referrals to our members, and most importantly, positive, friendly interactions. Erika has a degree in Social Services from the Theological Academy of Budapest and, of course, is fluent in Hungarian!
Communications Coordinator
Bella Tesoro communications@hillsboroughchamber.com A native of Hillsborough, Bella is very familiar with the businesses and citizens in the area. After years of attending Chamber events and experiencing the opportunities firsthand, Bella now shares her insight and important information via content writing. She is responsible for creating the weekly Hillsborough Happenings email newsletter and managing the Chamber's social media platforms. She is committed to helping the Chamber's member businesses achieve their visibility goals. |
Ambassadors
In addition to our Board of Directors, member volunteers serve as Chamber Ambassadors and serve as additional liaisons between Chamber leadership and our members. Ambassadors serve as representatives of the Chamber both in the community and directly with member businesses, maintaining personal contact with members, receiving feedback and encouraging participation in Chamber events and programs.
2024 Chamber Ambassadors
Carl Johnson (Carl Johnston Real Estate)
Cheryl Serdar (CKS Ventures)
Kelly Davis (Herring & Bickers Insurance Agency)
Patricia Sullivan (Editor+Writer+Book Coach)
Ryan Layton (The Law Office of Ryan Layton)
Tori Nojd (A Child's Creative Curiosity)