CREEDE — Just as the busy summer season kicks off, the Creede and Mineral County Chamber of Commerce announced that it hired Julie Meiser as its new director.

Meiser has become a staple in the community for the past several years and besides a small break to return home during 2020, has been the senior lunch program director.

“I felt the need to return home for about six months and that was all it took for me to realize that Creede was home for me, so I came back. Besides getting ready for a very busy summer, I am looking forward to working with and getting to know the needs of the business community here in Creede. I have had excellent experiences with the business community and want to help them grow in the way they want,” said Meiser.

Though Meiser is busy preparing for coming events such as the annual Taste of Creede and the Donkey Dash, she still has some goals in mind.

At the top of her list, the interest and desire to continue conversations on the future growth of Creede.

“I find it very interesting and want to continue the conversations that the previous director was involved in about how we are going to adapt to the growth here in Creede," Meiser said. "The brief meeting I have had with our members highlighted their concern about how we may be at the capacity for growth, so once things calm down in the fall and winter, I want to continue those conversations and gain an idea of what growth looks like for our community.”

Meiser is looking forward to the busy summer and hopes to work with local businesses, the City of Creede and Mineral County to ensure that everyone has a good time.

“With the growth, we also have to focus on educating ourselves, the residents and the regular visitors about how we need to adapt to the change happening. It really is a cool place to be and right now is the perfect time to take the reins and shape it into what we want,” she said.

Meiser replaces Kathleen Murphy, who was hired as director in 2018. The details of Murphy’s departure were not made public by the chamber.