Northbrook Chamber names new executive director

Chances are good Northbrook residents have seen Kathi Quinn at the ribbon cutting of a new business.

Or at all of them.

Constantly on the move, already in service to the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce & Industry as well as for the Rotary Club of Northbrook, Quinn has been named the chamber's executive director, effective June 30.

She will succeed Tensley Garris, who earlier this year announced her retirement from the chamber after 20 years.

Quinn, the Northbrook Chamber's membership director since 2016, will become the institution's sixth executive director.

"I'm really excited, not only for the opportunity to provide continuity to the membership during a still-challenging time, but for where we can take the organization going forward," she said.

As director of membership for the Northbrook Chamber's 600 businesses and organizations, Quinn leads member recruitment and engagement. She also leads the chamber's Ambassadors, who work closely with the business community on connecting and growing their networks through First Friday breakfasts and Business After Hours events.

"I look at it as being a team with our membership," Quinn stated as her philosophy within the chamber. "Every member has a different reason for being a part of the chamber. Part of serving them is listening to them to see how we can help them succeed in Northbrook."

She also stresses the importance of collaboration between the business community and municipal actors, such as the Village of Northbrook, the park district and the public library.

"We're working as a team," she said. "Collaboration is my superpower."

Quinn is on the board of the Rotary Club, serving in "Public Image." In 2019, she earned election as an alderman on the Prospect Heights City Council and serves on the board for her homeowners association.

Owning many passions, Quinn is a co-founder of Tree Guardians, creates illustrations with Kathi Quinn!nk, and is a former appointee to Chicago's Irish-American Commission.

She has an educational background in photography, retail buying, communications, and public relations, and has owned small businesses. She is married with two adult children.

"We are delighted to have Kathi leading our chamber as it enters its next chapter," Northbrook Chamber board chair Julie Lerman said in a news release.

"She brings invaluable experience, energy, and enthusiasm to this role. We have complete confidence in her deep knowledge of the chamber and her dedication to its members."