DAYTON-Molly Weatherill-Tate has been a busy person since she started work as Dayton's new Chamber of Commerce Manager on October 7.

"I'm trying to learn QuickBooks, and all kinds of things," she said. "I've jumped into the Awards Banquet and Christmas Kickoff with all the little parts that go along with that. I've hit all downtown in the last week, or so, handing out Halloween trick or treat banners."

"My next step is to reach out to all the Chamber members," she said. "I'm getting myself up to speed and learning all that I can about all the different members and their needs and wants, and just trying to understand everything I need to do."

Weatherill-Tate said in addition to working with the Port of Columbia staff and city staff on economic development issues, she is also responsible for running the Chamber Office and managing the Vistor's Center.

"All of those things are part of the responsibility of the manager," she said. "Those are definitely things that are keeping me busy."

Weatherill-Tate said she enjoyed a long career with Coffey Communications in Walla Walla, a national company in health care marketing, where she had been employed as an editor, account manager, project manager and, most recently, as the Director of Client Experience.

She said she won't miss the commute to Walla Walla, which she has done since moving to Dayton in 1997.

"I've really gotten to know Dayton more in the last six months since looking for a job," she said.

"I just like how beautiful and quiet it is," she said. "Everybody seems to pitch in to help each other," she noted.

"I'm seeing that with the Chamber, too, because in a community this size you really need to be able to have that kind of volunteer effort to pull off all the events that we do," she said.

Will there be any new events in addition to the seven or so already established?

"Right now I can't anticipate seeing any new events, but once I get everything underneath my feet, and I know how everything is running, I might have some other ideas," she said.

But with the Chamber Awards Banquet on November 7, Christmas Kickoff on November 29, and Ladies Night Out on December 2, Weatherill-Tate will be plenty busy.

Weatherill-Tate said she and her husband, Willie Tate, have a blended family, with three of their children now living in the Seattle area, and a daughter living and working in Dayton.

While the family has enjoyed many outdoor activities, especially boating on the Snake River, Weatherill-Tate said she hopes the children visit their home town of Dayton more often now that she is so intimately involved with Dayton Chamber of Commerce.