A Heart for the City

Moore Chamber president Kathy Gillette retires after years of service to local businesses

BY:Chelsey Kraft

Kathy Gillette is a hugger, so much so that there’s a joke she’d hug a wall if she thought it was going to hug her back. For those who work with Gillette through the Moore Chamber of Commerce, it’s clear she feels the same way about the city, too.

“That’s why we are where we are in the chamber is because of that mentality of, ‘I’d hug a wall if the wall would hug me back,’” said Kim Brown, director of development and relations for the chamber.

At the end of 2020, Gillette retired from the Moore Chamber, an organization she joined in October 2006 as the membership director before moving into her role as president and CEO in 2014.

For Gillette, a focus on fellowship and networking has been key to her leadership approach. When she started working at the chamber, the organization had a membership of about 200. Now, that number is over 700 because of Gillette’s due diligence, Brown said, adding that the chamber has remained solid despite the pandemic because of her stewardship.

Gillette entered the chamber industry from a publishing company, where she created directories for chambers in various territories. One city she worked with was Moore, and as someone who was born in Oklahoma City, Gillette was drawn to working in the area. Gillette also has deep roots in southeast Oklahoma, specifically Eagletown where she has several family members. Even though she was still living in Oklahoma, her publishing job required frequent travel, and Gillette was looking for a career that would allow her to be more settled in her home state.

During her years at the chamber, Gillette has also seen the City of Moore itself grow, both in terms of population and number of businesses. She mentioned she often hears business owners saying how easy it is to work with the City of Moore, and that relationship is also strong between the city and the chamber.

“We built so many different and new places that now people want to come to Moore, they want to eat in Moore, they want to shop in Moore,” Gillette explained. “We as a chamber work great with our city. We work very hard to make things compatible so people will want to be here.”

Gillette’s efforts earned her recognition as recipient of the 2013 Outstanding Chamber Leader from the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives and the 2016 Sheila Lee Executive of the Year. She also completed the Institute of Organization Management, a four-year program through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, attending the Winter Institute in Tucson, Arizona.

As president and CEO, Gillette oversaw a close-knit chamber team that includes Brown; Carole Motley, director of membership sales; and Cheryl Patterson, administrative assistant. Brown, who is in her sixth year with the chamber but has known Gillette for 15 years, said that what you see is what you get with Gillette.

“You can’t find a board member that has served under her leadership that does not respect what she has done for our chamber. In the chamber industry as a whole, fellow chamber executives and presidents feel the same way about her,” Brown said. “She is an impactful person who leaves a lasting impression on everybody that she meets. She really does.”

John Ireland and Dee Ann Gay are two such members of the Moore Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors who have worked closely with Gillette throughout the years.

Ireland, of John M. Ireland Funeral Home and Chapel, said the group has been fortunate to work with Gillette and called her dedicated and one of a kind.

“I said this at one of the board meetings that Kathy is all over the map, and it’s all about chamber,” Ireland stated. “Without any question, she wants everybody to succeed. She would do anything for you within her power to help your business succeed.”

Gay, senior vice president at First United Bank, said Gillette is best described as passionate about both local businesses and the community, adding that she will “forever cherish” her friendship with Gillette.

“Kathy’s focus has been right on what we need, and her drive is really to help everyone grow and to be successful,” Gay explained. “Kathy’s also easy to like. She has a magic effect that makes people really like her, whether it’s the twinkle in her eye or the smile on her face, you always want a hug from Kathy. She’s also a very transparent person and creates a culture of empowerment to her office and to the community and to the board. Even in our ups and downs, she always projects this support and is always behind the businesses, the local government, the schools and the individuals who make up our community.”

In retirement, Gillette plans to spend time with her husband of 40 years, Gerry, and their blended family that includes six children, 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She also hopes to serve the chamber as an ambassador soon.

“I would love for my ambassador job to be going to visit so many people,” Gillette said. “That’s what I am hoping to do, to come back and see all the people that I love and care for.

“I tell people that I have loved every single day that I come to work, the good and the bad days,” she continued. “We have some days where we work long and hard. Most people think that, ‘I’d love to work for the chamber, that’s easy. It’s fun. Look at all that they’re doing,’ not knowing the behind the scenes of all the things that there are to do. But I’ve never one day said I didn’t want to be here.” -19SM