Louisville Chamber of Commerce leader resigns

LOUISVILLE — Less than a year after taking the job as the Louisville Chamber of Commerce executive director, Amber Thiel has stepped down, the organization said this week in an email to its members.

Thiel was hired last September to succeed Shelley Angell, who retired in 2021 after a quarter-century at the Louisville Chamber.

“Although my time working with the Louisville Chamber has come to a close sooner than I planned, I am confident we have worked to keep this organization in a wonderful place despite the recent challenges we have faced.” Thiel said in the chamber’s email to members. “I am looking forward to seeing what the chamber staff and board of directors accomplishes next.”

It’s unclear why Thiel left the organization. Neither she nor Louisville Chamber staff and board members responded to requests for comment. 

Thiel’s LinkedIn profile shows her tenure at the Louisville Chamber ending this month but does not list any new jobs. 

During her job with the chamber, Thiel also worked part time with startup leadership academy Girls With Impact, according to her profile. 

Louisville Chamber marketing and events coordinator Amanda Tollberg will lead the organization on an interim basis during the search for a new executive director.

“While still battling the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Marshall Fire, Amber’s leadership helped guide operations, provide mentorship, and supported members of the chamber through an uncertain period,” the email said. 

Thiel joined the Louisville Chamber after stints with similar organizations in Wisconsin, where she attended college at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, her Linked In profile shows.

“My family and I recently relocated to Colorado from Wisconsin,” Thiel told the Colorado Hometown Weekly in 2021. “The city of Louisville in particular was very appealing because I came from a city of the same size and it truly has the same feel. It is a welcoming environment and I cannot wait to get to know it a bit better.”

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