Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Audra Shaneman speaks at her final Hot Topic event as the New Ulm Area Chamber President.

NEW ULM — It was bittersweet news Friday for the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce that Chamber President Audra Shaneman will be taking over the director position for the City Center Partnership, a business unit of Greater Mankato Growth.

Shaneman has served as the New Ulm Chamber president since 2011. Her last day is Thursday, April 18. She will start working for the City Center Partnership after Easter.

Shaneman said the City Center Partnership is a relatively new organization. Much of her work will involve promoting Mankato’s downtown initiative.

“I’ve admired how Greater Mankato Growth is approaching growth for that community and appreciate their regional mindset,” Shaneman said. “Taking the experience I’ve had here over there will be really interesting. I’ve always seen New Ulm as its own community but part of a greater region.”

Shaneman feels both New Ulm and Mankato have benefited from one another. Both communities work together to promote the region.

Shaneman lamented she would not have a chance to work with former Greater Mankato Growth leader, Jonathan Zierdt, who passed away this week.

Asked about her best memories of working with the New Ulm Chamber, Shaneman said the Community Visioning in 2016 was a great experience.

She also loved the Chamber team and forming relationships with the Chamber team. When she started the team included Jenny Eckstein and Terry Sveine and has grown to include Sarah Warmka and Cara Knauf and many others.

She also enjoyed learning about all the area businesses and their stories.

Chamber staff is happy Shaneman new position, but sad to see her go.

“She is a great boss and a great mentor,” Warmka said. “Ive grown professionally under her tutelage and we made a great team.”

Eckstein said she was sad to see Shaneman leave because she has done great work in New Ulm, but knows she will do good work for Mankato.

“New Ulm is a great community and needs to be treated that way,” Shaneman said. “I am very proud of how New Ulm has been portrayed and my help in that over the last eight years.”

Shaneman said she and her family do not plan to move out of New Ulm at this time.

In the weeks ahead, the Chamber Board and personnel committee will seek a replacement for Shaneman. Shaneman said this was an opportunity for them to decide what is next for the Chamber and what their goals are for the future.

Management of the Chamber will fall to the board and staff until a new president is named.