Who We Are
The Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce is governed by an 18-member Board of Directors.
2026 Executive Committee
Carl Johnson
Chairperson
Carl Johnson Real Estate
@ Coldwell Banker HPW
Kelly Davis
Vice Chair
Herring & Bickers Insurance
Jessica Nilles
Treasurer
First National Bank
Jaclyn Krohn
Secretary
Durham Tech
Community College
Rodney Clapp
Immediate Past Chairman
Fidelity Bank
2026 Board Members
Cynda Beauchamp
Edward Jones Investments
Catherine Capp
UNC Health
Matt Dietz
NC Farm Bureau
Jada Jarillo
Chapel Hill Media Group
Leslie Sellers
VIETRI
Shanell Smaw
Habitat for Humanity
Jennifer Warren
Warren-Hay Mechanical
Clay Wrisley
Triangle Media Partners
2026 Ex Officio Board Members
Mark Bell
Mayor
Town of Hillsborough
Steve Brantley
Director
Orange County Economic Development
Shannan Campbell
Planning and Economic Development Manager
Town of Hillsborough
Scott Czechlewski
Chief Executive Officer
Hillsborough/Orange County
Chamber of Commerce
Laurie Paolicelli
Executive Director
Chapel Hill/Orange County
Visitors Bureau
Chamber Staff
Chief Executive Officer
Scott Czechlewski
scott@hillsboroughchamber.com
A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Scott’s career began in Atlanta, where he worked as a book editor, followed by a stint in Manhattan at Simon & Schuster (Pocket Books). After returning to the Tarheel State, he worked in the City of Wilmington Mayor’s Office handling communications for the Mayor and Council. He also served as a writer for two magazines: Spirit of the Carolinas and Behind the Scenes (NC film industry).
As communications director for the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce for 16 years, Scott developed all marketing and communications. He worked with Richard Florida’s team, Catalytix, on the launch of the Cape Fear Future knowledge sector workforce development initiative and managed the publication of Regional Economic Scorecards comparing Wilmington to other cities viewed as competition for jobs, talent and start-ups. His “Your Advocate” branding campaign for the Wilmington Chamber won the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives Excellence Award.
As co-director of Leadership Wilmington, Scott provided management of the class project: the annual Work On Wilmington community service event that brought together 1,000+ volunteers to complete 30+ projects at area schools and non-profits. His collaborative community projects included the marketing team for the USS NC SSN 777 submarine commissioning and the three-county Choose Cape Fear regional branding initiative. As chairman of the Wilmington Sister City Commission, he helped establish a twinning with San Pedro, Belize. Currently, he is a member of the Hillsborough Tourism Board and the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough.
Finance DirectorKat Kirschner Growing up in coastal North Carolina, Kat relocated to the Triangle to attend UNC-Chapel Hill, where she earned her undergraduate degree. After many successful years in financial management and private banking, she made a shift to the non-profit sector. Kat is responsible for Chamber bookkeeping, financial matters, and general office administration. We happily share her with local historic site The Burwell School, where she serves as their finance director. She lives with her family in Orange County. |
Partnership Development Director
Whitney Corn
whitney@hillsboroughchamber.com
Whitney is a Hillsborough native and is excited to be returning to the Chamber in a new role as the Partnership Development Director. As the daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of local business owners, she has a unique perspective on what it takes for businesses to succeed in the area and has a special interest in establishing relationships between local businesses and the Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce. She thrives in interacting with people and desires to see everyone succeed in business and in life. In her spare time she enjoys baking, crocheting and being involved with her church.
Member Success Coordinator
Erika Isley
membership@hillsboroughchamber.com
Erika moved to the United States from her native Hungary 25 years ago. Her nine years of retail experience are the foundation of her desire to offer her services to assist local business owners in reaching and exceeding their goals through Chamber membership. As Member Success Coordinator, she is responsible for overseeing new member onboarding, recruiting new members, providing callers and visitors with area information, business referrals to our members, and most importantly, positive, friendly interactions. Erika has a degree in Social Services from the Theological Academy of Budapest and, of course, is fluent in Hungarian!
Communications CoordinatorBella Tesoro A native of Hillsborough, Bella is very familiar with the businesses and citizens in the area. After years of attending Chamber events and experiencing the opportunities firsthand, Bella now shares her insight and important information via content writing. She is responsible for creating the weekly Hillsborough Happenings email newsletter and managing the Chamber's social media platforms. She is committed to helping the Chamber's member businesses achieve their visibility goals. |
Ambassadors
In addition to our Board of Directors, member volunteers serve as Chamber Ambassadors and serve as additional liaisons between Chamber leadership and our members. Ambassadors serve as representatives of the Chamber both in the community and directly with member businesses, maintaining personal contact with members, receiving feedback and encouraging participation in Chamber events and programs.
Chamber Ambassadors
Carl Johnson (Carl Johnston Real Estate)
Kelly Davis (Herring & Bickers Insurance)
Patricia Sullivan (Editor+Writer+Book Coach)
Ryan Layton (The Law Office of Ryan Layton)
Tori Nojd (A Child's Creative Curiosity)
Jada Jarillo (Chapel Hill Media Group)
Chuck Gibson (Edward Jones Investments)