Deidre Brown resigns from Chamber, graduates from You Lead program

Deidre Brown, director of the Olney Chamber of Commerce, graduated recently from the intensive You Lead training course for future community leaders and revealed that she will be stepping down from her position at the Chamber.

The You Lead training course, sponsored by the Graham Chamber of Commerce and Texas A&M AgriLife, offered Mrs. Brown the opportunity to connect with other leaders and potential leaders in the community while enhancing her own leadership skills. The program, which required a significant time commitment, spanned nine months and involved full-day sessions held once a month.

During the training, Mrs. Brown and her fellow participants engaged in a variety of activities, including breakfast sponsorships by community organizations, visits to local landmarks like the Young County courthouse and jail, and assignments with non-profit organizations. Mrs. Brown was assigned to Wyatt Dale Water Safety, where she learned about their mission to save children’s lives from drowning and helped raise awareness about their events and fundraising initiatives.

In addition to the training program, Mrs. Brown and her colleagues had the opportunity to visit the Texas Capitol in Austin, where they gained insights into the workings of government and showed support for important local causes at the Legislature’s Young County Day in February.

While Mrs. Brown’s completion of the You Lead training course is a significant accomplishment, it is bittersweet news for the Olney community as she has decided to resign from her position as the Chamber of Commerce director. She expressed her desire to explore new opportunities and focus on event planning. She plans to remain within a two to three-hour radius of Olney.

Mrs. Brown expressed gratitude for the experience and the diverse range of skills she developed during her tenure at the Chamber. “I’m just very blessed to have had this position and get the experience that I have because I’ve done everything from finances to event planning and strengthening my customer service skills, my public speaking [skills],” she said. “It’s been a great thing for me personally, and I hope to take some of those skills and find what I am best at and continue to use that and be successful at whatever I might do.”

Her last day at the Chamber is June 30, following the June 29 Olney in America celebrations.

“I would like to thank the community of Olney for being supportive of me and the Olney Chamber during my time in this position,” she said. “Every positive remark, every compliment - they all meant so much to me, and you all made me feel so welcome. I have no doubt that the Olney Chamber will continue to thrive and will fulfill its mission of making Olney the best place to live, work and do business. May God continue to watch out for this precious city and all of the wonderful people that live here!”