Rexburg Chamber’s new CEO focused on growth, enhancing human connection
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REXBURG – Taking the reins as the Rexburg Chamber’s new CEO has been an eye-opening experience for Diane Bruce.
The 54-year-old Rexburg woman took over the role from Janalyn Holt, who stepped down in December to tend to some family issues.
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Bruce was hired in her place on Jan. 6.
In the last two months, Bruce tells EastIdahoNews.com she’s realized the importance of human connection among Chamber members and local business owners.
“We’ve become such a digital, behind the screen society. The need for networking and human connection is huge. We’re trying to create opportunities for our Chamber members to get to know each other and (show) how business owners can support each other,” Bruce says.
Connecting business leaders with like-minded people is the fundamental role of the Chamber. Right now, Bruce says it only represents a fraction of the businesses in town and she wants that to change.
“I would like to see more trades represented, I would like to see our farmers better represented. They (farmers) are successful businessmen and I think they bring a lot of value to the community,” says Bruce. “When one of us succeeds, all of us succeed. There’s room for all of us to thrive.”
Bruce says increasing the Chamber’s size will enhance the value it offers the community.
Bruce recently stepped away from a full-time career with Bellus Academy, a beauty school based in California. For years, she and her family lived in Manhattan, Kansas, where the company owns a campus location. Bruce worked as the salon and spa business lead.
In this role, she oversaw business training for students. Simultaneously, she was also involved with the local Chamber of Commerce hosting events. Bruce says her involvement with the Chamber had a positive impact on the business.
Before that, she was the director of a beauty school and was a manager in the retail industry for several years.
Bruce grew up in eastern Idaho. In 2021, she and her husband felt impressed to move back to eastern Idaho, where she continued working remotely for a time.
She jumped at the chance to apply for president of the Rexburg Chamber.
“When I saw this opportunity with the Chamber of Commerce, I was like, ‘I totally could do that,'” Bruce says. “I had a good grasp on how (it) represents businesses in the community and submitted my resume.”
She’s grateful the board selected her for the job.
Bruce has since resigned her position with Bellus Academy so she can give her full attention to the Rexburg Chamber.
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She encourages people to attend the Chamber’s monthly lunch forums and other events.
“It’s a huge wealth of knowledge when we all come together,” says Bruce. “If we can help spread that around and build relationships — we need human relationships and that’s exactly what we do at the Chamber.”
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