Chamber appoints interim president

The Austin Chamber of Commerce has named Kerry Hall as its interim president and CEO, following the recent announcement that Laura Huffman is stepping down as the organization’s top executive at the end of the year. Hall, a board member of Susser Bank and Opportunity Austin, and a longtime player in local economic development matters, will begin her term Jan. 3. The chamber plans to conduct a national search for a permanent president and CEO. Huffman, who took over the group’s leadership in 2020 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, hasn’t announced her next business pursuit, but she was recently named as a board member for Water Finance Exchange. WFX is a nonprofit group that advocates with national and regional political and business leaders to bring better water infrastructure to communities facing water issues across the U.S.