Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. V I I A P R I L 6 , 2 0 2 6 12 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E A Legacy Built for Generations. B I Z M O N E Y New CEO of L/A Chamber knows how to 'accelerate' business B y R e n e e C o r d e s S usan Ruhlin, a business mentor-turned-entrepre- neur who formerly led the Dirigo Labs startup accelerator in Waterville, has taken the helm of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Ruhlin started in the role on March 23, succeed- ing Shanna Cox as the organization's president and CEO. Cox announced her resignation last July to run for political office. Cox, who led the chamber for nearly six years, is running for election to the Maine State Senate to represent District 21 as a Democrat, according to Ballotpedia. Ruhlin was honored as a Mainebiz Woman to Watch in 2023. Workforce top of mind At the chamber, Ruhlin said her top priorities include ensuring the chamber delivers "measurable results" to its members; boosting collaboration across 16 com- munities; and workforce development and retention. "Like many regions in Maine, we face demographic pressures and workforce constraints," she told Mainebiz. "Supporting employers while also ensur- ing this is a region where people want to live, work and build careers is critical to our competitiveness." While taking on the new role, Ruhlin will continue to run her own startup called JoynaTable, a dinner-party platform for vetted hosts to organize small gatherings for verified guests. "JoynaTable is up and running and ready to book upcoming events," said Ruhlin, who co-founded the platform with Mufaddal Ali, a project management specialist at Dirigo Labs. Ruhlin said the business "reflects my longstand- ing commitment to fostering meaningful connection and community, and I'm proud of the work we've built together and the momentum ahead." As a resident of the Franklin County town of Industry, Ruhlin brings a wide geographical perspec- tive to her role at the chamber. The chamber's 23 employees include staff mem- bers of Garden to Grow, a nonprofit community group whose work includes a grocery-style food pantry, com- munity gardens and youth and school programs. 'Real momentum here' Asked about the biggest challenges for the Lewiston- Auburn region, Ruhlin cited workforce constraints, housing availability pressures and the need to balance growth with affordability. "At the same time, there is real momentum here," she noted. "The opportunity lies in coordinating growth thoughtfully, investing in infrastructure and housing and ensuring that economic development benefits the entire region." With the region's strong assets in health care, manufacturing, education and a growing entrepreneur- ial base, "the focus now is aligning those strengths in ways that support long-term sustainability and com- petitiveness," Ruhlin said. Susan Ruhlin, who previously led Dirigo Labs, took over as CEO of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce in March. F I L E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY

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