Vineyard small business owner and entrepreneur Carolina Cooney of West Tisbury has been named the new executive director of The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce.
The former programming coordinator for the Oak Bluffs Library, Cooney developed a number of popular community events while creating a successful retail website, SilverSahara.com
“As a small business owner and entrepreneur, Carolina impressed the Chamber board with her keen insights, business savvy and outstanding leadership abilities,” said chamber President Greg Orcutt. “Carolina brings to the chamber impressive marketing and communication skills coupled with energy, enthusiasm and a year-rounder’s knowledge and understanding of our singular island.”
As a community leader Cooney brought her considerable organizational and leadership skills to the Martha’s Vineyard COVID-19 Community Corps and assisted with on-island volunteer efforts to combat the pandemic. In addition, Cooney bring to the chamber a number of “vital” skills including developing business plans, grant writing, social media and public relations savvy, copywriting and graphic design, Orcutt added.
“It is an honor and privilege to serve business members Island-wide and lead the Chamber into an exciting new chapter,” said Cooney. “Our diverse community presents a wealth of opportunity and it’s thrilling to be a part of making Martha’s Vineyard an even better place to work, visit, and live. As a year-round resident of Martha’s Vineyard and one of its 4,000 sole proprietors, I know firsthand how challenging it can be to run a business on a destination island. By working together with the chamber staff, our members and state and local leaders to address our unique needs, we can strengthen our economic outlook and weather any storm that comes our way.”
