PORT ANGELES — A retired Air Force lieutenant colonel has been named executive director of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The hiring of Marc Abshire, a Port Townsend High School graduate, was announced at the Port Angeles chamber luncheon Monday. His tentative start date is Feb. 1.
He succeeds Russ Veenema, who retired Dec. 30.
Abshire has been the Greater Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce executive director since October 2014.
Abshire has been a business, government and nonprofit-organization consultant and coached and written hundreds of speeches for corporate and government leaders, including the president of the United States, according to the Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce website at www.poulsbochamber.com.
He has a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master’s degree from the University of Colorado.
Upon his hiring in Poulsbo, Jessie Nino, the 2014 chamber president, said the board was “thrilled to have found a candidate who has his breadth of experience in business, marketing, communications and team operations.”
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.