Brittany Quick-Warner Honored as an Emerging Industry Leader

Eugene Chamber staff and many businesses throughout the community have had the pleasure of working with Brittany Quick-Warner, President & CEO of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. Brittany’s reach goes far beyond the Eugene-Springfield area and she has quickly become a leader in the Chamber industry.

Seven months after moving to Eugene, Brittany began working part-time at our chamber of commerce and quickly not only learned the ropes but began making meaningful changes. If you’ve heard of or been to the annual Eugene Young Professionals Summit, you have a glimpse into how Brittany transformed a monthly networking group into a spectacular professional and community development event and a completely refreshed program.

The Eugene Young Professionals Program has been shared at regional and national conferences where other chambers have taken our model and replicated it across the country. This is merely one of the first areas Brittany really showcased her leadership abilities and innovative spirit.

Brittany is now asked to present at nearly every Chamber conference in both the Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.) as well as the national Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). She represents our chamber and our region as she serves on both association boards of directors as well. It’s no surprise to see her named one of the ACCE’s 40 under 40, a program that recognizes the top emerging leaders in the chamber of commerce industry who have demonstrated success in their careers and made significant contributions to the communities they represent. Being one of the thousands of Chamber executives across the country and well over 100 nominees, it’s truly an honor to be selected.

Nominated by her staff and board, Chamber Board Chair Cale Bruckner, President, Concentric Sky says:

“It has been my privilege to work closely with Brittany and observe firsthand her leadership skills, amplified by her ingenuity, entrepreneurial spirit, fearlessness and work ethic. She rose to the challenge in unimaginably difficult times marked by COVID-19, devastating wildfires, social unrest and an epidemic of homelessness. She maintained and grew our membership, launched Onward Eugene to promote economic development and tap new funding sources, implemented a new membership model, helped businesses access COVID relief funds, stepped out in support of racial justice, increased chamber efforts to diversify its leadership and program participants and issued a seminal report on homelessness calling for a radically new approach to the problem.”

It’s true that Brittany has done nothing but rise to challenges. After longtime Eugene Chamber CEO Dave Hauser fell ill in 2018, Brittany stepped up to fill in while he began cancer treatments. Though they talked frequently while he was sick, he essentially left work one day and he was never able to return. What began as a temporary role, without a transition plan, led to Brittany being prompted to apply for the permanent CEO position by current board members.

Brittany took everything she learned from Dave, her mentor, as she unexpectedly had to fill the shoes of a beloved community leader but did so while walking in her own shoes; representing the legacy of a 25-year predecessor while also being true to her own voice and leadership style.

When applying for the position as Eugene Chamber CEO, she never could have imagined where this journey would take her – with the many challenges of COVID and our community battling a truly unfathomable level of homelessness, Brittany continues to not only show up–she brings her all and motivates those around her to come together for the greater good. Her deep caring for this community is contagious.

Chris Romer, President & CEO, Vail Valley Partnership and board chair, WACE, jumped at the chance to share his perspective from working alongside Brittany:

“I have had the pleasure of working with Brittany on the Western Association of Chamber Executives (WACE) board of directors. Brittany is a leader amongst leaders, has been a thoughtful and engaged chamber leader, and approaches her work in Eugene in meaningful ways to allow the Chamber to be a catalyst to get things done. Eugene is fortunate to have a leader like Brittany and it’s great to see her gain this national recognition.”

Learn more about Brittany and her journey as she recently was interviewed on KLCC’s Oregon Rainmakers podcast:
https://www.klcc.org/economy-business/2021-09-15/klccs-oregon-rainmakers-brittany-quick-warner-eugene-area-chamber-of-commerce