Jan Vance Out at Edmonds Chamber of Commerce as Position Eliminated

The Edmonds Chamber of Commerce board of directors has decided to eliminate its top position, which mean Jan Vance, who served as executive director of the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce for five years, is no longer with the organization.

The chamber is now represented by two equal co-managers, who will report directly to the Chamber of Commerce executive committee for day-to-day operations.

The board says it made the changes after a lengthy review to determine how best to restructure the Edmonds Chamber to achieve lower costs and retain efficiency.

“Jan’s dedication to the businesses in Edmonds and to the greater community has been greatly appreciated and all will miss her,” said Ron Clyborne, president of the chamber’s board of directors. 

Ailsa Kellam was named business and communications manager, and Valerie Claypool is now the chamber’s membership and events manager. Their new jobs being Friday.

"Speaking on behalf of the board, we welcome Valerie Claypool and Ailsa Kellam to the Chamber staff," said Clyborne. "They are highly qualified, both having previous Chamber of Commerce work experience and a passion for serving the Edmonds business community.”

Claypool will be in charge of membership, sponsorships, tourism and facility operations, with special attention paid to membership recruitment/retention and events. Claypool brings 30 years of experience as a small business owner to her new post.

Kellam will serve as the primary contact for all communications, marketing and oversee business functions. Prior to joining the Edmonds Chamber, Kellam worked at Terwedo Financial Services, LLC. She has more than 20 years of experience, including having served as membership development manager for the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce.

Kellam replaces , who was public relations and marketing manager before accepting a job as Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling’s executive assistant in December.

The Edmonds Chamber of Commerce was chartered in 1907 and is a membership organization which serves more than 350 business and professional leaders in Edmonds and South Snohomish County.