Columbia Falls Chamber of Commerce welcomes new director

Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce has appointed Laura Gadwa as the new executive director. She replaces Stacey Schnebel, a longtime Canyon businesswoman.

Gadwa, 28, moved to the Flathead Valley three years ago with her husband Wes, and the couple has two young daughters. Gadwa is from Deer Park, Washington, and graduated from the Univesity of Idaho in 2010 with bachelor’s degrees in elementary education and special education.

She taught elementary school in Chanute, Kansas for four years. Prior to joining the Columbia Falls Chamber, she worked at the Child Development Center in Kalispell for a year and a half.

Since October 2016, Gadwa has been the Chamber’s member services administrator; her duties included website updates, accounting, and overall business management.

“As I take on this new role, I’m combining that with creating new events and being the face of the Chamber,” Gadwa said last week.

Effective May 1, Gadwa assumed the role of executive director, and is now the Chamber’s only full-time employee.

“What I’m looking for the most is just to continue the development we’ve had in Columbia Falls,” Gadwa noted. “It’s important for me to get to know the members and the businesses and help them as much as I can.”

She applied to the Chamber as a relative newcomer to the Valley after becoming intrigued by all the local events, and wanting to be more involved. As a small-town native, she feels comfortable working with Columbia Falls business owners.

“I grew up in a town about the same size. I grew up on a fourth generation farm, so there’s the agriculture side too. Working with small businesses is enticing to me,” Gadwa said.

The chamber will continue its mission to promote the civic, commercial, industrial, and agricultural interests of Columbia Falls, while retaining the community’s family-oriented character, but there will be one change for the better.

“We typically take summers off, so it’ll be nice to keep doing events,” Gadwa said.