Lucy Ivins Advertisement

Lucy Ivins was named the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce executive director, by the chamber board of directors Tuesday.

Ivins, a Pahrump resident, has worked for Star Leadership Associates, a Las Vegas company, as a corporate trainer and business consultant working with the construction industry in Southern Nevada for the past nine years.

A Pennsylvania native, Ivins was chief executive officer and president of the Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce in Collegeville, Pa. from 1992 to 1999 before moving to southern Nevada.

Ivins replaces Kari Frilot, who left May 30 after serving as chamber chief executive officer since December 2002. Frilot left to take a position in charge of grant programs with the Nevada Commission on Tourism.

Ivins attended Ursinus College in Blue Bell, Pa. She also worked at the Unisys Corporation headquarters in worldwide marketing and later corporate human resources.

In Pahrump, Ivins was chairwoman of the sign committee for the Pahrump Valley Community Action Team a few years back, which pushed through an ordinance requiring a conditional use permit for any future billboards.

She wrote a series of columns for the Pahrump Valley Times up to last year, with business advice entitled, "Follow the Leader."

"I am really excited. I see the potential of Pahrump and to be given this opportunity to explore how we can be the Pahrump that many people envisioned, I consider a privilege," Ivins said, while attending a press conference for the Pahrump Nugget movie theater addition Wednesday morning.

"I look forward to working with our membership. I've always been a small business proponent because it is the backbone of America's economy, but I also understand the corporate challenges bigger businesses go through on a daily basis. It's the best of both worlds to me," Ivins said.

Chamber President Dan Rodriguez told attendees at a chamber mixer Wednesday night, the seven member chamber board of directors had roughly 35 applicants for the position to start with, a list that was whittled down to seven, then four and finally one.

"Pahrump has incredible talent. There's no reasons for a business to look elsewhere," he said.

Rodriguez said he asked Ivins when she wanted to start work at the chamber and expected to hear a date in July or August. He was surprised when Ivins offered to begin work at 8 a.m. the next day. Wednesday was her first day on the job.

"She's already played the role of executive director," Rodriguez said. "So I think we're in for a real, real treat."

Incoming chamber president Mark Forry said, "she's going to do it all."

"We look forward to a lot of great things happening and a lot of positives with this. She's very popular around town and everyone seems to like her," Forry said.

The Pahrump Valley Chamber membership doubled to about 600 members during Frilot's five and a half years. Frilot also was chairwoman of the Pioneer Territory, which represents this area on the Nevada Commission of Tourism and was a member of the Pahrump tourism advisory board.