Douglas Marion, the 2023 board chairman for the LKN Chamber of Commerce, grew up in Statesville and been in the region his entire life.

Jan. 9.  Douglas Marion, with Advance Wealth Strategies, assumes the Lake Norman Chamber of Commerce office of chairman of the Board of Directors for 2023.

Marion takes over from outgoing board chairman  David Keith with Artisan Direct.

Several new business leaders join the Board of Directors including April Patterson with HomeTrust Bank, Beth Bledsoe from MSC Direct, Mariano Doble from The Davidson Village Inn, and Rod Beard with Charlotte Payroll.

Also recently appointed to the board are John Alexander, Stop Restoration; Lisa Bass, Legal Shield; Stacie Bright, Northpointe Mortgage; and Jim Combs, Raymond James. 

Marion says he’s excited to lead the chamber.

“I chose ‘Onward and Upward’ as our slogan for the year to advocate for the chamber’s continued growth and success coming out of a tough couple of years for our business community,” he said.

David Keith and his team did an outstanding job of growing the membership base and getting new people on board – particularly young professionals, he said.

Bill Russell, chamber president and CEO, said about 200 members joined last year, bringing membership to about 850. That’s down from the glory years when membership was closer to 1,000.

“This year we need to ensure we get those businesses engaged in our programs and provide them a valuable return on their investment,” Marion said.

Marion is the owner of Advanced Wealth Strategies Inc. in Cornelius and is a partner on a new upcoming family venture, Fruitful Roots Brewing, in downtown Cornelius.

This past year saw local businesses returning to some greater participation in networking events, professional development seminars, and getting involved in local community projects and the local chamber of commerce, Russell said.

After a three-year absence, the Lake Norman Chamber hosted the Annual Business Expo at the Huntersville Recreation Center. The Chamber’s Annual Meeting in 2022 had the largest attendance ever with 250 people attending.