Breckenridge Texan

The Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce has introduced Carrie Holson as its new executive director. She started to work here this week.

Holson moved to Albany a little more than a year ago and says it took her a while to get adjusted to living in the Big Country after having lived her whole life in the East Texas town of Colmesneil. But, she’s getting used to fewer trees, and she now knows that, around here, “tank” refers to a stock tank, not a large container.

She moved west with her husband, Brian Holson, who is from Albany. Combined, they have four children, Colt Edwards, 18, who attends Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches; Kydie Edwards, 16, a junior at Albany High School; Caitlyn Holson, 16, a junior at AHS; and Ashlyn Holson, 12, a seventh grader at Albany Junior High.

For the past year, Holson has been working part-time for the City of Albany as a grant writer and emergency management coordinator.

Before moving to Albany, Holson retired after 21 years with the City of Colmesneil, where she served in the city’s administration as City Secretary.

“I loved being involved with the community, and I’m looking forward to getting to know Breckenridge businesses and finding ways to help them,” she said.

Holson is a certified Professional Community and Economic Developer, as well as a certified Business Retention and Expansion Coordinator.

In addition to working for the City of Colmesneil, she also served as the president of the Tyler County Chamber of Commerce from 2014-2017. During that time, among her other duties, she hosted a monthly Business Builders Breakfast, a program she would like to introduce in Breckenridge after the first of the year. The breakfasts would provide networking opportunities to local business owners.

One of Holson’s first goals is to meet Breckenridge business owners and learn about their business needs so that she can help address those needs through the Chamber. She said she wants Breckenridge business owners to feel comfortable going to the chamber with their problems and to know that any problems they relay will be kept confidential.

“I want businesses to know what kind of assistance the Chamber can provide, and I want them to feel free to ask us for help,” she said.

One of the things Holson did for the City of Colmesneil, as well as for Albany, was grant writing, and she plans to bring that experience to Breckenridge. “I am proactive in researching grants and looking for ways to tie in availabilities to meet the community’s needs,” she said. “I hope to be able to tap into things and to get some help for the community.”

The Breckenridge community will have an opportunity to get to know Holson a little better at a meet-and-greet event planned for Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce, 100 E. Elm St.

“I have already been impressed by the involvement of the Chamber Board and staff,” Holson said in an email. “They are working hard to promote businesses. They are active and I am excited to be part of a great team. Together we are ‘Chamber Strong.’”

Story by Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

Top photo courtesy of the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce

Editor’s note: This story was updated on Nov. 19 to update information.