It is a good year for Albert Lea lawyer Matt Benda to be president of the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce&8217;s board of directors. We know he is the right person to guide the search for a new chamber director.

We also thank Susie Petersen for her hard work &8212; she was always dedicated, wasn&8217;t she? &8212; so she deserves hearty applause.

We&8217;d like to add that local businessman Randy Kehr is the perfect person to serve as interim chamber director.

All that said, we have a few comments to make: The job is a difficult one in any town. Pretty much everyone who is a boss in town is your boss. They all know best and let you know about it.

You don&8217;t get the thanks you deserve, but you spend a lot of time thanking others.

What we need is someone who can chart a solid course, build consensus and steer the business community in the right direction.

Downtown needs to be the cultural heart of this city in order to thrive. The chamber office needs to move to the vicinity of Exit 11 on Interstate 35 to court visitors. The Blazing Star Landing and the freeway development opportunities together offer top-notch growth opportunities. We must have the assured tenacity and communitywide attributes to capture their potential. Those communitywide attributes include being inclusive, understanding, welcoming, pro-education, pro-recreation, pro-health care, pro-dialogue and, most importantly, proud.

We trust Matt Benda as someone who sees these community needs, among many others not listed here. He is savvy enough with community affairs to build bridges, understands economic viability and possesses endless amounts of community spirit. That background will serve him well in seeking the right person.