Lindahl Resigns As Chamber Director

ORLEANS – The Orleans Chamber of Commerce is under new leadership after the resignation of its executive director last month.

 Judy Lindahl informed chamber members Sept. 24 of her decision to step down from her post as executive director at the end of September. Her resignation was effective the following day.

 “It has been a busy few years, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done to support our members, strengthen the chamber, and continue bringing businesses and the community together,” she wrote in her email. “The chamber has a lot to look forward to, with great members, volunteers, events, and programs already in place. I know that work will continue, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.”

 Lindahl was hired by the chamber in April 2023 after previously serving as president of its board of directors. During her tenure as director, she worked to grow the chamber’s visibility and introduced a number of new initiatives. Those have included First Fridays, where local businesses keep later hours for shoppers on the first Friday of each month, and events such as the Outermost Friday in the Park and the Cherry Blossom Festival.

 Kerrin LaFrance, president of the chamber’s board of directors, credited Lindahl with bringing a sense of fun and creativity back to the chamber.

 “I definitely think we’ve reached that goal to connect the town with the chamber,” she said. “Connecting people that live here and people that come to visit. Judy was such a great part of breathing new and exciting life into the chamber, and as a consequence of the town.”

 LaFrance said Lindahl had expressed her plans to “transition” out of her role as executive director, and agreed to stay on until an interim director was in place.

 “We had just talked about what’s next for the chamber, and it looked like she had kind of served her time,” she said.

 Courtney Wittenstein started last week as the chamber’s interim director, a post she is expected to hold for the next 60 to 90 days while the chamber’s board of directors leads a search for Lindahl’s full time replacement.

 “I think we can all agree that Judy did a lot of really great things for the town, and I’m so appreciative of some of the initiatives that she set up,” Wittenstein said. “I’m excited to see the future of the chamber, and how it can change and evolve. Because that’s what everything is doing right now.”

 Wittenstein, who served on the chamber board for two years, also worked with the chamber as co-founder of Tidal Marketing. She also previously worked for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and for The Cape Cod Chronicle.

 “I’ve had a relationship working with the chamber for the past several years,’ she said. “They knew I had some open time right now, and we kind of agreed I would be a good fit where I know the ins and outs.”

 “I think that Courtney is just going to take what we have built and just make it that much better with her marketing background and her ideas,” LaFrance said.

 Looking forward, LaFrance said the board will be looking for a new director who can continue to build relationships in town and bring new ideas to the chamber. 

 Wittenstein will be involved in the process of helping the chamber hire a new director. As to whether she would entertain taking the job on a permanent basis herself, she said right now she’s focused on her interim role, especially with the busy holiday season fast approaching.

 “I just kind of want to see how it goes,” she said. “I think there’s some reinventing that needs to happen and some creative thinking. I have some great ideas, but right now it’s just kind of business as usual.”