Beth Quartarolo will leave her position as president and chief executive officer of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Aug. 15.
After 10 years in chamber leadership in Vancouver, Quartarolo will take over as communications director of the Oregon Primary Care Association, a Portland-based nonprofit health care advocacy organization for low-income and at-risk children and adults.
"Health care access is something I've had some personal experience with, particularly this last year," she said. "When I realized what (OPCA) was doing and that it was trying to build a communications function, it felt like a good fit."
Quartarolo has worked in communications and corporate relations for more than 20 years at the chamber, Hewlett-Packard and Intel, all in the Vancouver-Portland metropolitan area.
She first took leadership with the chamber as a member of its board of directors in 1998 was later an executive board member and board chair and became president and CEO in 2006.
Public affairs efforts that partnered businesses with the community stand out most to Quartarolo as she looks back on her work with the chamber.
"The advocacy and partnerships were really satisfying," she said. "I'll never forget going before the city council with neighborhood associations and businesses together. That doesn't always happen."
Quartarolo said she will continue to live and volunteer in the Vancouver community.
"I am incredibly grateful to the members of the chamber and our partners in the business community for all the support they have given me in this role and other roles," she said. "The caring of the community has been enormous."
The chamber's board of directors is creating a plan to manage the leadership transition, according to Quartarolo. A board representative was not immediately available for comment Wednesday afternoon.
