Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce Director Max Mitchell has resigned to take up a new post as manager of the Woodbound Inn in Rindge.
“Working for the Jaffrey Chamber has been a high point in my career. The incredible amount of support and loyalty by our staff, members and board of directors has been amazing and I am eternally grateful,” Mitchell said in an email to Chamber members announcing his departure.
Mitchell said in an interview Thursday the strong base of volunteers and members will kept the Chamber in good shape while they seek a new executive director.
Chamber Board President Matt McCarthy said the board will have to discuss its next steps following Mitchell’s resignation, but has yet to do so.
“He will always be a member of the Jaffrey chamber community. We wish him well on his new endeavor,” McCarthy said. “He will still be a vital part of the Chamber moving forward, and we’ll be looking to fill the big shoes he has left.”
Mitchell’s last day was Friday. He will be taking up a managerial position at the Woodbound Inn in Rindge. He has a background in hospitality. Mitchell previously owned and operated the Monadnock Inn in Jaffrey, which he sold in 2014.
“I’m not going far,” he said.
Though he has only held the directorship since 2018, Mitchell has been involved with the Chamber of Commerce for more than 14 years, having previously served on the board, including as its president.
Mitchell said he expects to continue to maintain a relationship with the chamber.
“I’ve described being a past president as being like a tattoo – it’s with you forever,” Mitchell joked. “I’ll always have a connection with the Chamber.”
The Jaffrey Chamber organizes several events throughout the year, including a town-wide yard sale, a Maple Madness pancake breakfast, a golf tournament and a motorcycle poker run.
Mitchell said the Chamber is in a good place for a new director to step in, adding that it currently has a strong board of directors. He said he’s offered to be available during the transition to a new directorship to assist with the hand-over.
Mitchell was the first executive director for the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce, which was previously run by a full-time executive assistant. Mitchell said the board had considered bringing on an additional employee to be the “face” of the chamber for several years prior to that point.
“We had reached a point where our growth had reached a ceiling,” Mitchell said. “If we were going to continue to grow, we needed to expand. They wanted someone to be the figurehead of the organization and be able to go out and foster and grow the relationships with our members and attract new members.”
Mitchell said it’s been a successful model for the chamber.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.