Chamber posts takes on a new Kurle

PULLMAN — Kristi Kurle, 27, has been selected as the new executive director of the Pullman Chamber of Commerce.

Eighteen people applied for the job, from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California, said Ken Casavant, chamber president. Kurle was chosen from among four finalists, including Kathie Bonner, marketing and public relations officer with United Coatings at Spokane; Dolly Blankenship, director of the Ritzville Economic Development Council, and Paul Nosbisch, owner of a public relations and marketing firm at Spokane.

Casavant praised Kurle for her knowledge of the chamber, her creative ideas and her ability to work well with other people.

“She works well with people at the intellectual level or just getting things done,’’ Casavant said.

Kurle has been director of the chamber’s visitor and convention bureau since January 1988. She was a secretary for the chamber from September 1986 to the end of 1987.

Kurle originally comes from South Dakota. She has a bachelor of arts degree in mass communication from South Dakota State University.

The salary range for the executive director position was advertised as being from $23,000 to $25,000.

Kurle, who has been acting director of the chamber since Rosalie Rosenbach resigned in December, said her main focus now is preparing for the chamber’s major fund-raising event, “Cabaret.’’

She said she wants to maintain the membership and continue the programs developed under Rosenbach, yet “do things that I feel are important and use my style of programming,’’ she said.

This story was published in the Feb. 4, 1990, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.