Changes in the Chamber

Deb Marshall takes on a new position with the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce.

Mickey Thompson, president and CEO of the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce, has announced that Deb Marshall will join him at the chamber as the new vice president of business support and public affairs. Marshall is currently the president of the Bixby Chamber of Commerce.

Marshall will continue working at the Bixby Chamber until mid-June when she will take a break before starting at the Broken Arrow Chamber on July 1. “In Deb’s five-year tenure here, she has helped transform the chamber into one of the state’s leading chamber organizations, received numerous awards and recognitions, and this is certainly Bixby’s loss and Broken Arrow’s gain,” mentions Russ Smith, board chairman of the Bixby Chamber of Commerce.

“The years spent in Bixby as the chamber president have been absolutely the best years, and I will greatly miss that involvement,” Marshall says. “I am proud of the accomplishments that we have made in the past years at the Bixby Chamber. Bixby is an amazing community with visionary leaders and phenomenal growth. I have truly loved every moment of being part of the leadership team in Bixby.”

Lisa Navrkal, current vice president of the Bixby Chamber, will serve as interim president as the board of directors prepares to plan for Marshall’s succession. “Lisa has been a dynamite chamber team member for several years,” Marshall says. “She is a powerhouse of information, energy and enthusiasm and is well-respected in the Bixby community. She is a definite asset to the Bixby Chamber and to the community.”

“I am proud that Deb will be joining our effort here in Broken Arrow,” Thompson mentions. “She has a wonderful background in working with businesses. She has worked in a corporate environment, she has owned a couple of small businesses, and Bixby Chamber members adore her and praise her work there. We will all benefit from her skills, experience, personality, creativity and her work ethic.”

Marshall, a recent graduate of the Institute of Organization Management, is known for her marketing abilities, public presentations, event promotion and organization management. “I am very thrilled and excited about my new opportunity in Broken Arrow,” she says. “A community is empowered when the city, chamber and schools, along with the business community, are pulling together. And that is not as easy as one would think! It is evident that this collaboration is happening in Broken Arrow when the progress and growth are witnessed. I am truly looking forward to immersing myself in the community and getting to know the many business owners of Broken Arrow.”

Marshall says she loves the analytical and creative aspects of learning about businesses and discovering how she can help them grow and succeed. Responsibilities of her new, recently-formed position include implementing Broken Arrow’s Strategic Plan for Economic Development and bringing to scale the newly-implemented business visitation program. Marshall will coordinate the activities of the Broken Arrow Assistant Team and will be involved in the development and management of the Broken Arrow Business Resource Center. A variety of other responsibilities will also be included in the position.