Discover Kalispell is now under new leadership following the retirement in June of longtime executive director Diane Medler. 

Kalispell Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lorraine Clarno will lead the bureau, along with Managing Director Marissa Mikonis at Discover Kalispell.  

Clarno will continue leading the organization overall, including budget oversight, strategic planning, public relations and board operations. Mikonis will manage day-to-day operations and vendor relations, according to a release from Discover Kalispell.  

The Tourism Business Improvement District Board and chamber searched for six months to find someone to fill Medler’s position before deciding to restructure. Finding someone with experience in destination marketing for the position proved difficult, Clarno said, as they ultimately couldn’t afford to pay the salary that would have required someone to relocate to the Flathead Valley.   

However, Clarno said the restructuring has been a positive change at both organizations.  

“It’s really reinvigorating the team. It's given some of our staff members an opportunity to grow and step up, as I've had to look at my job description and remove things from my plate in order to give me time to lead Discover Kalispell,” Clarno said.  

Mikonis previously worked at Discover Kalispell and continued to be part of the tourism industry in recent years. Clarno said they are excited to have her back on the team, as she understands who they are as a destination marketing organization.  

In addition to Mikonis, Chris O’Boyle has been hired as the group sales manager, who will sell sporting and meeting/conference opportunities. The team also includes Meche Ek, the long-time visitor services manager who has been with the organization for nearly 15 years.  

Clarno said it’s going to take a couple of months to make sure “the foundation and basics” are on solid footing before looking at new opportunities for the organization.  

She said the goal is to find new and different ways to promote Kalispell as a community.  

“We’re really trying to dig in a little bit on the innovation side, like doing some things differently with our ski package, for example. Just having new eyes and new lenses on what we already do well is going to help us take that next step,” Clarno said.  

Since the chamber and Discover Kalispell already worked so closely before this recent development, Clarno said joining together in this way is a win for both organizations’ goals.  

“We want to be good stewards of the funds, both on our membership side as well as our business improvement district side. There's a lot more synergy that's going to take place and efficiencies that are going to come from this as well,” Clarno said.  

Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4440 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.