HARTFORD — Leadership transition in any organization whether private, public or a nonprofit can be a bumpy road for a number of reasons — including a sudden resignation or dismissal, management disputes or a decision to take the organization in a different direction.

Conversely, transitions can be smooth — almost seamless — when there is an overlap of new and outgoing leaders who share a vision for the organization backed by a board. Another plus is when they have worked together in the past.

Not only did Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce’s outgoing Executive Director PJ Skehan work with his successor, Havah Armstrong Walther, for a few weeks before officially retiring Dec. 1, but the two already had a working relationship.

“Part of the draw to the chamber for me is I have loved overlapping and working with PJ over the years,” said Armstrong Walther, who owns a small business, Occom Properties, with her husband and has lived in Hartford for 23 years. “He has made it easy to access information as a small business owner and connect with other people when I needed networking help.”

In announcing Armstrong Walther, the chamber’s board of directors said she will bring “her strategic insights and collaborative approach to enhance the Chamber’s impact and strengthen its position as a driving force for economic and community development in the Hartford area.”

Skehan, who ran the chamber for 10 years, spent three weeks helping Armstrong Walther in her new role.

“We went through all the financials and the budget process. Those are the most important parts,” Skehan said. “On a regular basis she and I touch base and I give her feedback and will continue to for some time. Havah has experience working with nonprofits and has the advantage of working for the chamber.”

About eight years ago, the chamber was between administrative assistants and Armstrong Walther, who had summers off as the outreach coordinator for the Hartford Area Career and Technology Center (HACTC), worked about eight weeks under Skehan. She later co-founded a nonprofit consulting group, Start Change, where she served as its lead consultant, working with area nonprofits on managing capital campaigns, development plans, strategic reports and executive mentorship. Before joining the chamber, Armstrong Walther was interim director at Spark Community Center in Lebanon.

Havah said Skehan has given her some very helpful advice about the chamber and its future.

“PJ has done an amazing job laying out his ideas and insights about the direction the chamber could be going and exploring in the next few years,” Armstrong Walther said. “The business community has seen a lot of change post-COVID and there are things affecting chamber members that are worth finding out about.

“PJ and I have talked about outreach to members and the local business community and town, the direction of the Quechee Gorge visitors’ center and focusing on the annual balloon festival in Quechee.

“So he has had a lot of insightful advice and direction that he has shared with me,” Armstrong Walther said.

Skehan said the chamber, which has an annual budget of around $380,000, has continued to evolve and change to meet the needs and expectations of the members.

“You join an organization because you want to get value for your membership,” he said.

When he started, Skehan said the chamber could offer medical insurance and that was a big advantage. But that benefit went away when the Affordable Care Act became law and Skehan said many chambers of commerce in Vermont lost about 25% of their memberships with that change.

That led to the need to not rely solely on membership dues but instead look to raise money with more events such as the Quechee Balloon Festival — which has around 10,000 attendees each year.

“That is probably the biggest change,” Skehan said, adding that vision and dental health insurance is still available, but they do not attract as many members as before when they offered medical insurance.

The Hartford chamber is open to any business — not just those in the Upper Valley. Some members, who live as far away as Burlington, join for networking purposes.

“That is one of the nice things about a chamber is that it should be giving you networking access to the business community where it is based,” Armstrong Walther said.

Looking ahead, Armstrong Walther is eager to learn and build on Skehan’s successes in the years ahead.

“In my opinion, when you have a big changeover in leadership such as the process we are in, your first year is about maintaining stability in the organization, that members are happy, events are going well. So now it is about continuing what PJ has built. Then the next year is about maybe changing some things,” Armstrong Walther said. “The third year is when you begin to make it your own.”

Regardless of any changes years down the road, Armstrong Walther and Skehan agree that the chamber has to maintain its role as a valuable resource for the area’s small businesses.

“A lot of our members are small businesses, mom and pop operations, and we are here to help them because they usually don’t have the capital,” Skehan said.

“We have done a good job listening to the members. We get feedback but most importantly we are a resource for businesses, financial and otherwise.”

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.