by MOSES LEOS III
In a span of less than 24 hours, both Executive Directors of the Kyle Area Chamber of Commerce and Buda Area Chamber of Commerce submitted their letters of resignation, shocking many in their respective communities.
Perhaps the more shocking of the two was Buda Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cindy Swink, who submitted her resignation via e-mail to BACC President Lisa Sauceda.
The Kyle Chamber announced April 1 that its long-time Executive Director Ray Hernandez had taken another job.
The Buda Chamber, though, plans to move forward, despite Swink’s abrupt resignation.
“We are all very surprised to receive her resignation,” said Sauceda, who talked about the recent success of the Buda After Hours Chamber Mixer last week. Sauceda said there were no actions on Swink’s part to indicate her departure. saying, “It is a surprise to us, and to myself,” Sauceda said.
According to Sauceda, Swink made her resignation effective in her April 1 e-mail.
“I wish her the best,” said Sauceda, who said Swink had done a lot for the BACC. “I want people to know that she worked hard, and that she did some great things with the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce.”
Swink had held the position of executive director for a mere seven months. Sauceda and the BACC said they were adamant on moving forward with their agenda and future events. “As chairman of the board, I am happy that I have a great and dedicated staff,” Sauceda said. “After the announcement of the resignation, everyone replied, ‘what can I do to help?’”
“Everything will be business as usual,” said BACC consultant J.R. Gonzales, who hinted at new programs that are on the horizon for the Chamber.
Currently, BACC “has not made a decision on how to move forward” regarding the search for the next executive director, Sauceda said. “We want to get the right person in there.”
April 1 was the date that the Kyle Chamber announced that Hernandez had accepted the president position at the Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce, which is located in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
“The Kyle Area Chamer of Commerce is truly grateful for Ray’s six years of service,” said Chamber President Cale Baese in a press release. “During Ray’s time, the Chamber has grown from a small organization to one that is a valuable tool for the business community. His leadership will be missed, but we know this is an exciting next step in his career.”
During Hernandez’ six-year tenure, he played a key role in promoting the $207 million dollar Texas Department of Transportation bond for road safety and improvements. He also played a leadership role with the North Hays Austin Community College Steering Committee, which assisted in bringing ACC to Kyle.
Additionally, Hernandez helped KACC membership increase from 150 members to over 400, as well as help institute the “Simply Charming” tourism campaign for the City of Kyle, along with board member Angie Mendez and member Pam Schmidt. The campaign won numerous awards from the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives organization.
“We are confident Ray will continue to be successful and wish him well in his new position,” Baese said.
Baese said the KACC Board of Directors will bring in a search firm to find a replacement executive director.
