By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor

NORTH SHORE — May 23 saw the latest iteration of the annual Northside North Shore Chamber of Commerce luncheon, this year taking place at Acrisure Stadium. However, the usual celebration took on a bittersweet tone this year, as Chamber Executive Director Gina Grone offered her farewells from the organization.

Grone, who became the chamber’s leader in May 2018, will be leaving at the end of June. Since joining the leadership team, Grone has been an important part of the chamber’s expansion, going from a little under 100 members when she joined to just shy of 400 currently. She also guided the business organization through the difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m 80% excited and 20% terrified,” Grone joked to the audience about leaving her position.

She does not have a set new position quite yet. Grone told The Chronicle she is in discussion with a couple of opportunities. But in the meanwhile, she is helping out the chamber in the search for a new executive director.

As for why she’s leaving, Grone said she felt like the chamber was in an “excellent place to enter into its next chapter, and so am I.”

Check out the June edition of The Northside Chronicle for the full story.