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Stan Lockhart, interim president and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, poses for a portrait at the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce in Provo on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

Isaac Hale Daily Herald

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Stan Lockhart, interim president and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, poses for a portrait at the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce in Provo on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

Isaac Hale Daily Herald

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Stan Lockhart, interim president and CEO of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, poses for a portrait in front of a photograph of Mount Timpanogos at the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce in Provo on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. The photograph, which also features Silver Lake in American Fork Canyon, was taken by Park City photographer Willie Holdman. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

Isaac Hale Daily Herald

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After Rona Rahlf announced she was stepping down as the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, the board of directors evaluated its value in aiding Utah County residents and business owners as they navigate the coronavirus pandemic and economic recession.

Over one month ago, the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce issued a statement to members, announcing that the organization would be canceling its events for the remainder of the year and suspending operations until further notice.

In the same statement, the board of directors disclosed the departure of president and CEO Rahlf, director of public policy and business development Nic Dunn, and office manager and event coordinator Katie Christensen.

Rahlf posted her own farewell statement to the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce Facebook page on June 29.

“This has been a difficult decision that I have made with my family to pursue other interests and to find new opportunities for Rona,” she said. “I don’t know what they are yet. It’s been over 30 years since I’ve had a summer off to go and play, and that’s what I intend to do.”

Rahlf served as the chamber’s president and CEO for over six years and worked on the organization’s board of directors for almost seven years before coming into the position. Her last day was June 30.

The Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors used the time of change to evaluate its value proposition and explore new opportunities that would help enhance its service to the local business community. Additionally, the board of directors is looking to provide leadership to the Valley Visioning initiative and public policy efforts.

“Rona has done an exceptional job in managing the chamber over the past six years,” said Arthur Newell, senior vice president of Bank of Utah. Newell is also the former Chamber Board of Directors chair. “She has brought focus to the Chamber and taken events and policy advocacy to new levels of excellence.”

Now, the chamber has begun its journey to find a new president and CEO, and the board of directors expects the search to continue through September. In the meantime, the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has appointed Stan Lockhart as the interim president and CEO.

Lockhart is a full-time lobbyist and business consultant with over 30 years of experience in the technology industry.

In 1980, Lockhart moved to Provo from a small town in Washington before enrolling at Brigham Young University and earning a bachelor of science in business management and Spanish, graduating in 1987.

“I have always felt the strength of the chamber of commerce,” he said. “It’s the united voice of business throughout the valley with the ability to promote a pro-business environment and a healthy economy. We have so many wonderful companies in this valley and a growing economy and a growing number of businesses. It’s a very special place to be if you’re a business.”

His first important goal, Lockhart said, is to develop a way for the business community to make human connections during the coronavirus pandemic, which has especially isolated people from the very beginning through quarantine measures and social-distancing efforts.

Like several businesses in Utah County, Lockhart said the chamber was also adversely impacted by the quarantine implemented in the middle of March, which forced several small businesses to close.

In fact, in the statement detailing the chamber’s cancellation of events and suspension of operations, the organization cited the months-long coronavirus pandemic as a major contributor to its decision.

Ticket holders and sponsors were offered a refund when the cancellations were announced if they emailed a request to the chamber before June 26. They were, however, encouraged to donate the money spent on tickets to the organization.

According to the statement released in early June, the donated funds associated with tickets will be used to cover the nonrefundable costs accrued while planning 2020 events, including the reservation of various venues, caterers and entertainment companies.

While several other operations were suspended, the board of directors clarified that the chamber would still be working to support the valley’s business community.

The purpose of the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce is to support businesses and help them succeed no matter the circumstances, he said. These efforts do not cease during a pandemic and economic recession.

Instead, the chamber is working with Utah Valley businesses to help them pivot and meet the needs of consumers in the new normal. During that pivot, Lockhart said, it is the duty of the chamber to be there to offer timely concepts and show business leaders the way so they don’t feel like they’re alone.

Lockhart said the best thing residents can do is ensure businesses are allowed to stay open through the remainder of the pandemic, and this starts by following recommendations from state and local health officials.

“A lot is at stake as we look to implement best practices,” Lockhart said. “The price of freedom and liberty is personal responsibility and being accountable for our actions.”

The Utah Department of Health issued a COVID-19 Business Manual with a step-by-step plan to protect businesses and their employees. The chamber also created a list of 10 protocols for businesses to follow, including enforcing social distancing, wearing a mask when social distancing is not possible, cleaning and disinfecting dirty or high-touch surfaces, and more.

Additionally, the chamber is urging all high-risk Utah residents to stay at home as much as possible and announced its support for the Stay Safe to Stay Open and MaskUpUtah campaigns.

During his two-month position as interim president and CEO, Lockhart is volunteering his time to make sure the chamber is fully functioning and continues to provide support to Utah County residents.

After September, however, Lockhart said he still plans to remain involved in the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m going to make a significant financial contribution that will allow me to remain heavily involved moving forward,” he said. “Just because I won’t be the CEO after September, I will still be an active member participating in the success of the chamber.”

The Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is looking for suggestions on how the chamber can best support business needs, and nominations for individuals business leaders think can best fulfill the position of president and CEO. Suggestions and nominations can be sent to info@thechamber.org.