After serving for the past five years as executive director of the Gloucester County Chamber of Commerce, Gloria Williams is stepping down from that post to accept a position with Gloucester County.

Williams is in the process of transitioning to her new position as the county’s Community Engagement and Public Information Manager. This is a new position created by dividing the many responsibilities that were previously held by Christi Lewis. Lewis retired this summer as director of the Department of Community Engagement.

The change for Williams is one that is both exciting and bittersweet. Over the last five years, Williams has developed numerous relationships within the community, especially with local businesses. “No business is small when it’s yours,” she said.

While the Gloucester Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit organization with only two people on staff, it has a very active board of directors, as well as hundreds of volunteers.

Nonprofits rarely slow down in their work, and often are planning the next several projects while one is wrapping up. Being able to see first-hand how the Chamber of Commerce impacted the community made all the hectic work worth it for Williams.

She said while it is hard for her to pick one highlight from her time with the Chamber of Commerce, she is particularly proud that they were able to bring back the Gloucester County Community Awards, which are voted on by the people of Gloucester. The whole experience of having people talk about business, and the people who run them, really allowed Williams to see how strong this community really is.

All the strides that the Chamber of Commerce has made have been possible because of all the staff, volunteers, and board members that have worked hard to help Gloucester prosper, she said. That has helped Gloucester County become a great place for small business and an attractive destination for tourists, Williams added.

In her new position, she said she looks forward to serving as a conduit in the community, to bridge any gaps between the public, schools, and businesses. According to Williams, she is “absolutely excited for the new challenges.”

Working as executive director of the Chamber of Commerce has given her a unique vantage point to view the needs of Gloucester that she plans to apply to her new position, she said.

In her county post, Williams will work alongside Quinton Sheppard, the county’s new Public Information and Marketing Coordinator. A reporter at the Gazette-Journal for the past 16 years, Sheppard recently left the newspaper to accept his role with the county on Dec. 1.