A Fond Farewell to The Chamber Personality
Liz Leighton, 1951-2025
A little-known fact, known only to a few of the people who have worked for the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, is there is a qualification in each of our staff job descriptions: Must have a chamber personality. It is my assumption that each of us would have a slightly different answer if asked for the definition. It could include customer service, empathy, curiosity, relationship driven … you could probably add a few more.
After seven years of employment with us, Liz Leighton was the embodiment of that definition. Our community has truly lost a gem of a human. Over the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of serving as an ear for many chamber and community members as each person gave their condolences and shared their grief. Common themes were “I’ll miss those hugs” and “she made me feel so welcome.” She was often that same ear for many. While she wasn’t necessarily the “face of the organization,” she was often the first face or voice that anyone would engage with, whether that person was a prospective member or new resident. More than an ear or the face, she was the heart of our organization.
With more than 40 years of experience in the community, she would chat with new residents and old-timers alike, often giving directions using business names or landmarks that were gone before my time here (and I’ve been here for 20 years). During her time in Bellingham, she worked for several local employers and thus created an amazing network of professional friendships along the way. It makes me smile to think that her final job as a chamber employee was the culmination of so many years and a wide collection of past employment. It made her a better community representative.
She was my birthday buddy. It was fun to have someone to celebrate with during the past few years when the pandemic separated so many. For a bit of time during the pandemic, she and I were the only employees. Sharing a work environment with someone for this long seems like a unique experience anymore, and I assume that being on such a small team changes that dynamic even more. As someone who never had children, she would take the occasional opportunity to “mom me.” And I’m sure some of you received the same.
In a few weeks, her family and friends will be celebrating her life adjacent to one of her other beloved communities, her church community. And in a perfect way to honor her, they will be having a potluck. She embodied that art of fellowship everywhere she went, chamber, church, or her theatre guild group. The potluck is such a fitting way for us to say thank you for sharing your life and light with us all. She loved coordinating her church’s potluck dinners, and for those of us that got to spend time with her, we know how much she we loved food, including the things we weren’t supposed to eat.
In keeping with that meal theme, perhaps in closing I’ll offer a toast to my friend …
“Ladies and gentlemen. Whether you are drinking whisky, water, or wine, please raise your glasses to the person who was the Heart of our organization and the heart to many in our community. Liz Leighton, your light will continue to shine through our works, our words, and more importantly our listening ears and open hearts. Thank you for sharing yours.”
Guy Occhiogrosso
President/CEO