NORTH MANCHESTER -ÊNorth Manchester Chamber of Commerce filled its executive director position last week with a "hometown girl."

Kimberly Shumaker, 23, North Manchester, grew up in North Manchester and graduated from Taylor University, Upland Campus, in May with a communications and public relations degree.

Shumaker applied for the executive director position after hearing about the job through a family friend. The board called her last week about the job.

She is currently interning at Northeast Indiana Public Radio WBNI 89.1 in Fort Wayne. She started the internship in late November and is planning Jazz Fest in Fort Wayne, which happens Friday.

"That has been my baby. I am kind of in a critical point with them," Shumaker said.

While at Taylor, Shumaker worked for two years in University Relations as an event planner and editor of a newsletter. In 2000, she interned at Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics in Siloam Springs, Ark. She worked as an event planner and business consultant.

In her new position, Shumaker said she is in a transition period but knows she has a strong chamber board behind her.

"We aren't hurting. Jeffery Garrett has done a great job. He was super organized," she said, after looking through his computer files.

"What drew me to (the job) was my growing up in North Manchester" and having local people and business owners support her, she said. The job was a way she "could give back" to the community.

Shumaker worked her first day as executive director Tuesday. [[In-content Ad]]