Sudden loss of chamber leader brings heartbreak — but also opportunity

When John Ryan, leader of the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce for two decades, died suddenly in August 2017 of a heart attack, Kathy Lehner was among the Venice area businesspeople shaken by the community’s major loss.

After the shock wore off and it was time to choose his successor, she knew it would be important to find the right fit. “I was thinking in my head, they better be careful with who they pick,” says Lehner, 55. “All I could think was, please don’t go getting someone from up north who’s going to tell us how they’re going to do it here. Venice is a unique little town.”