Steven Wilkinson is the Executive Director of the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce. Before named the Executive Director in March 2022, Steve was the Executive Director of the Chelan Valley Housing Trust and was responsible for the development of new residential housing attainable to local wage earners in Chelan Valley. Steve worked with a committed Board of Directors and dedicated team members to develop agile operational processes and sound business practices to better manage existing and respond to new attainable housing development opportunities.

Prior to joining Chelan Valley Housing Trust, Steve was Executive Director of the South-Central Kansas Economic Development District (SCKEDD) and was responsible for leading the organization’s strategic objectives to deliver effective economic development programs and services for businesses and communities in fourteen counties. Steve shared he is proud of his leadership at SCKEDD establishing a team-based organization, which fostered an employee culture that was empowering and inspiring and encouraged diversity of thought to effect greater creativity and innovation. Steve’s commercial banking background was instrumental in the successful development of new innovative loan programs to finance startups and entrepreneurial companies throughout the state of Kansas. Working with an experienced leadership team, recruiting new outstanding managers, and hiring superb employees, SCKEDD successfully expanded its weatherization assistance program to forty counties across south Kansas, created a new housing rehabilitation program, enriched its community development grants writing and administration services, and became a premiere Small Business Administration lender in south central Kansas.

Steve enjoys business leadership and earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Western Governors University. Aspiring to characterize servant leadership, Steve has a deep commitment to listening intently to distinct views, multiple perspectives, and insightful experiences to gain informed understanding. Steve seeks to identify and empathize with others for the purpose of creating a culture of trust and building consensus. Steve values diversity of thought, empowering individuals to seek and enrich their skills and knowledge, implicitly developing transformational relationships, and fostering community.

Steve shared, “I am proud to lead the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce; a respected and trusted organization invested in developing a prosperous business community, a robust economy, and a healthy community through collaborative leadership and sound business advocacy.”