Lester Cooper – President
Lester was born in England and immigrated to Canada in January of 1965. He and his wife Carol moved to Seattle February 1971. Lester’s work experience includes 21 years of service with PACCAR followed by a number of years working for News International and as an independent consultant in various process industries. Lester retired from General Electric as Director for International Business Development and Manufacturing Execution Systems. Lester and Carol bought their first home in Lake Chelan in 1992 and as he says gave up all “dark side rights” in April of 2005. Lester is a past President for the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce. He is also Past President for the Chelan Rotary Club and former board member for the Lake Chelan Health and Wellness Foundation. He is also a Trustee for the Community Foundation of North Central Washington.
Brun Garfoot-Vice President
Discover Lake Chelan & Lake Chelan Boat Company
Brun is from Stehekin and attended high school in Manson. Brun has over 15 years of experience in operations, finance, executive leadership, outsource manufacturing, business optimization and team development. Brun has worked with several well-known companies including, Coinstar/Redbox, Pacifica Engineering, MTORRES America, Boeing and Airbus. In 2019 Brun and his business partner Reed Courtney formed Discover Lake Chelan and purchased a local icon in the Lake Chelan Boat Company. Brun believes that running a technical company and a tourist-based company is a great blend for being able to provide a balanced perspective going forward.
Chad Steiner-Secretary/Treasurer
Chelan Valley Farms & Lagrioth Winery
Chad is owner, farmer, CEO, CFO and agriculturalist at the farm. While participating in FFA in high school he found a passion for farming and wanted to work in agriculture. He went on to study agricultural economics at Washington State University and took a year break to work for Chateau. St. Michele as a vineyard tech where he fell in love with wine. After finishing his Master in Crop Science, Chad had a corporate career working for Syngenta Crop Protection learning with world leaders in agriculture and sampling amazing wine from around the world. With Syngenta, Chad and Jeana had the opportunity to move to North Carolina, Tennessee and California. While in California, Chad managed Pro Tree Nursery where he traveled the world learning about apple varieties. In summer of 2018, Chad and Jeana took a leap of faith, quit their jobs and moved to raise their 3 young boys in Lake Chelan and build their dream – Chelan Valley Farms. When not working on the farm – you will find Chad in the mountains or kitchen making homemade pizza, pasta or bread, listening to Frank Sinatra, reading and enjoying a glass of wine.
Jodi Cowell
Jo Cowell was raised in Hood River, Oregon, and has spent most of her life in small communities. After a 20-year career in banking, she joined her husband’s construction company, leading them to Chelan in 2005. In 2012, Jo and her husband, Greg, opened One Wines Inc, a winery that has since grown to include One Brewing. Jo has also contributed to her community by serving on several boards, including those focused on economic development.
Lacey Lybecker
Cairdeas Winery & Diffraction Wines
Lacey Lybecker, along with husband Charlie, own and operate Cairdeas Winery and Diffraction Wines on the north shore of beautiful Lake Chelan. Specializing in Rhône Inspired Wines, the couple produces 8,000-10,000 cases of wine annually. Previously, Lacey held marketing management roles in the fields of nonprofit, events and hospitality. She currently serves on the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is the former Vice Chair of the Washington State Wine Commission’s Board of Directors. She lives in Manson, WA with her husband and two sons.
Luke Wall
Luke is a third-generation business owner in Chelan and fifth generation to live in North Central Washington. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Master’s in Business. After working in the corporate world, Luke transitioned to working with non-profit organizations. He now has over a decade of non-profit experience, specializing in strategic planning and business development. He is now the Executive Director for Only7Seconds, a non-profit dedicated to ending loneliness. After growing up in the Chelan area and now raising three children here, Luke is passionate about seeing Chelan’s community flourish and prosper.
Mistaya Johnston
Mistaya Johnston was raised in Stehekin where she cultivated a love for hospitality. After attending Central Washington University she has served as a Paramedic for 15 years at Lake Chelan Health. She and her husband, Jake, own and operate Stehekin Valley Ranch with the help of their two young sons. Mistaya values the ties she has with both the community of Stehekin and Chelan.
Pete Luchini
Manson Bay Market and Tamarack Tax & Consulting, LLC
Prior to her career in public accounting, Ms. Luchini worked in both academia and industry. She began her accounting career in Montana in 2004 and then worked at length for two accounting firms (one in Yakima and one in Wenatchee) until she opened her own tax practice and consulting firm in Wenatchee in 2018. She specializes in all things tax, IRS representation, litigation support, and financial advising. She is Accredited in Business Valuation by the AIPCA. Ms. Luchini also runs the Manson Bay Market grocery store with her husband. She enjoys all of this as well as all the activities generated by her and her husband’s six kids at home.
Stacy Willoughby
Chelan Valley Hope & Cashmere Valley Bank
Stacy is the Branch Manager at the Lake Chelan branch of Cashmere Valley Bank and Chelan Valley Hope Board President. She was raised in a military family and has lived all over the world from Italy to Japan. Stacy has worked in different roles in finance since 2001 in banking and as a financial advisor and mentor. Financial literacy, economic development, and sustainability are areas of interest. She and her husband, Rick, live on the south shore of Lake Chelan.
Visit the Chamber
Visitor Center location & hours:
216 East Woodin Ave, Chelan, WA 98816
(509) 682-3503
1.800.4CHELAN
Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am-4pm
Get The Guides!
Amazing experiences and great deals inside! Click on the guides below to download. These exclusive guides will help you get the most out of your visit to Lake Chelan.
