Maggie Goodell has been hired as the new administrator for the Mancos Valley Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center after Marie Chiarizia announced her retirement from the position.

Goodell started work on July 20 and has been undergoing training from Chiarizia. The longtime Mancos resident is comanager of Brad Goodell Fine Art and has a long career in property management and office administration.

Goodell: I’ve been living in Mancos for about 15 years. My husband and I run our own business. He’s the muralist who did (“Harvest Time, McElmo Canyon Peaches”) in Cortez, and the new mural on the side of the Mancos Common Press building. I saw the ad that they were looking for someone to fill in the position, and ... it goes in line with a lot of the things I’ve done for my own business. I have a little more free time – my oldest is in college, and my youngest is a senior in high school – so I thought I had some time and I could take on a new challenge.

Goodell: I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for me to learn things about Mancos that I didn’t know. I’ve been here for 15 years, and I’ve already discovered there’s much more to the town that I hadn’t experienced yet. I like learning new things, and I like a challenge, and this is going to be both of those.

Goodell: The thing I’ve noticed the most is how impressed I am with what a good job Marie has done. That’s really refreshing. I can only hope I can do as well as she has in this position. The one thing I find the most challenging is ... I’ve been hiking, I’ve been camping, I’ve been coming up here since 1990, and then we’ve been living here for 15 years. I thought I knew the area, and I’m learning so much about places I hadn’t even thought about going yet. Someone comes in and says, ‘How’s the such-and-such at this campground?’ and I’m going, ‘There’s a campground there?’

Goodell: I just plan to expand on some of the things Marie has started. Marie has a great website set up, and I plan to continue to expand on that. One thing that we don’t have is (a place) where you can pay on the website for your Chamber membership. I’m hoping to add that. ... It’s such a new thing for me. I don’t have any plans until I can actually get in and see what’s needed.

Goodell: Yes. I met with Rocky (Moss of the two chambers) ... yesterday and had a very nice conversation with her. She’s really enthusiastic about doing more things jointly, and I think it’s a great idea.

Goodell: Sand Canyon. I love hiking Sand Canyon. And I just like Mancos. This town is so diverse, and people really get along well. Mancos is a nice place to live. It’s a great place to raise kids, too.

Chiarizia’s last day on the job will be Thursday. She has held the Chamber administrator position for about 2½ years, but she said she felt it was time to “go back into retirement.”

Note: Goodell will continue to co-manage the art business while working for the Chamber.