Change is in the air, and our local chamber of commerce is proof of that. Not only has our local chamber brought on new board members, but it has also upgraded its staff. We always knew The South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce to be a quaint and resourceful membership-based organization, but with our growing economy, the demand for more assistance was imminent.
With new Leadership came new ideas, and The chamber board decided to bring on an additional staff member to work side by side with Jak Massey, the sole employee of The South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce. The chamber’s goal is to better serve our members and they recognize they need a bigger team to meet the demands of their growing organization.
Ashalynn Bowers was hired to be the chamber’s new “Director of Communications” in April of 2024. Ashalynn said that landing this position is “a blessing and something she manifested.”
Ashalynn was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. From a young age, Ashalynn showed signs of being a natural born entrepreneur. It wasn’t until her teenage years when that side of her really came to light when she started her modeling career at 16 years old. Ashalynn came from a divorced family and landed success on her own in the midst of her childhood chaos. She went on to model for 12 years and landed the covers of many reputable magazines and made a name for herself. In the midst of her modeling career she also went to school to study photography and even attended beauty school which led her to owning her own nail studio!
Being in the limelight was everything Ashalynn dreamed of, but something was missing. She decided to move to Oregon on a whim in the summer of 2011 to reconnect with her father and start a new life. Being young, wild and free she moved to an unknown place and started fresh!
Oregon was a big change coming from Los Angeles. Being away from her family back home and starting fresh was a challenge. She went through some dark times being a young adult and navigating life. As she likes to describe her success is “I started from the bottom and now I’m here!”
“No one is perfect, and I’m proof that anyone can turn their life around and do better,” Ashalynn said. “I am someone who gets motivated by my past instead of letting it keep me down.”
Ashalynn is now a single mother of two young and amazing children and she owns three businesses on top of her new position as “Director of Communications” at the chamber! She has owned five businesses total in her 38 years of life. When Ashalynn is not passionate about her community work with the chamber, she operates her social media management business called “That Business Bestie,” where she helps other local businesses manage their social media pages; she designs websites and helps businesses find work and advertise! Aside from that, Ashalynn formally owned a local boutique called “Sage & Salvage Boutique,” which she recently decided to close after 4 years in business. She also owns “The Painting Momma,” where she refinishes antique and beaten-up furniture and gives it new life!
With her background in social media and being a highly motivated creative, The Board had to have her join the team and we can now see why! Her work and statistics are truly impressive and they are excited for what the future of the chamber holds with the new staff lineup!
The chamber is growing and they have a lot of new and fun ideas being implemented. With more staff they are able toserve their members better and will be bringing on more benefits and resources to their memberships.
Ashalynn’s goal is to scale this already successful small town organization into a more updated and resourceful organization and to make the chamber more beneficial for their members.
“With the growing memberships we need better branding and it’s time to really make some changes. Small businesses in our community have been through a lot over the past five years and I am passionate about helping other entrepreneurs scale their businesses and I want to use all my skills I’ve acquired over the years to better serve our community and grow our economy to keep this an amazing place for our children and family to live,” Ashalynn said.
Ashalynn has already helped a handful of locals brand and promote their businesses and now she’s with the chamber!
“We encourage all business owners to join the chamber. Even if you’re a pro at what you do it never hurts to be a part of a community that is the same as you,” Ashalynn said. “I found my people with the chamber community. After everything I’ve been through in my life I finally found a place with people who are just like me and have the same dreams and goals and are the sweetest and kindest people I’ve ever been around.”
Next time you see Ashalynn out and about stop and say, “Hello!” She is full of facts and laughs!
Email Ashalynn at: communicationsdirector@sccchamber.org
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