Longtime community leader and St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce member Debbie Gurley has been named the interim executive director of the St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce.

Gurley, who has served on the Chamber’s board of directors since 2017, brings more than 35 years of experience to the table. She has been a managing broker and Realtor for Miscella Real Estate for nearly 14 years, serving before that as a vice president of leasing for Fortune 500 electronic manufacturing and financial companies, where she worked for two decades.

“We are excited to have Debbie in this interim leadership role,” said Laura Shaw, Chamber board chairman and publisher of the Kane County Chronicle, in a news release from the St. Charles Chamber. “Her vision, ideas and experience are a great fit to move our chamber forward as we conduct a search for our next executive director.”

Shaw, who had been vice chair under Gurley, was promoted to chairman to fill her absence. Local attorney and board member Josh Feagans was voted the new vice chair.

Gurley’s enthusiasm for the St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce and its members has not gone unnoticed. She was the recipient of the 2014 L.E.A.P. award, which recognizes leadership, excellence, achievement and professionalism. Just four years later, she won the Chairman’s Award, which recognizes a board member’s above and beyond efforts.

“I’m honored to lead the Chamber,” Gurley said in the release. “My goal is to lead our organization from transactional to transformational. The St. Charles Area Chamber is close to my heart and I’m excited to help our members and community organizations.”

A graduate of Eastern Illinois University, Gurley is a certified negotiation specialist and is certified in interior design and home staging. She also has been designated as a senior real estate specialist.

Prior to her service as board chairman, Gurley served as a marketing chair in 2019 and on the Women’s Business Council, including serving as president.