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Naperville chamber president stepping down this fall

She's been a writer, a business owner in the fitness and consulting industries, and the leader of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, and now Nicki Anderson is preparing to move on to a new chapter.

Anderson, a 57-year-old Naperville native, plans to step down this fall from her position as president and CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber, a role she has held since February 2014.

In a letter she emailed to chamber members Tuesday, Anderson said her departure comes after a positive five years in which she has helped the chamber focus on legislative issues, update technology, enhance programs and engage younger businesspeople to become leaders.

"It is not easy to leave, which says a lot about how positive my time here has been," Anderson wrote in the letter. "This organization is truly set up for a bright future."

Under Anderson's leadership, the chamber of 1,200 member organizations raised $250,000 in two years to improve technology to adapt to changing communication preferences.

"You have to be looking at what's next, which is something I always tried to do," she said by phone Tuesday. "I never really followed what chambers were doing, I followed what business was doing. I think that's really important."

When chamber leaders hired Anderson, they said they chose her for her passion and purpose-driven leadership approach. She also was tapped to bring stability to an organization that had gone through four top executives during a five-year span.

Anderson said the chamber board now has convened a selection committee that will begin to meet Wednesday to pick the next leader. Applications will be accepted beginning July 5. Anderson said she anticipates the switch to the next president and CEO will take place in November.

A grandmother of two, Anderson said she is not yet sure of her next step, so she will allow time for opportunities to develop.

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