We held off on writing this until all hope was lost.
In the back of our minds, we thought maybe she would have a change of heart and rescind her resignation.
Well, perhaps it was less of a thought and more of a hope.
Kate Daniels really is that important to this community.
By the way, she will hate that we wrote this.
You wouldn’t know it by watching the now-former Chamber of Commerce president command the spotlight for all these years, but she would really rather someone else get the attention.
And that is just one of the many reasons she is so loved.
It has been nearly a decade since a younger Kate Daniels took control of an organization that has its hand in nearly every pot that matters to Wayne County’s way of life.
You see, the Chamber rallies advocates of the military, agriculture and education communities, local government and small businesses — just to name a few — and the staff inside that facility on William Street are cheerleaders of men and women working in every sector.
They help mold our youth into future leaders and fight for the “little guy” to ensure those young people have a community worth leading one day.
No, it isn’t all ribbon cuttings with oversized golden scissors.
The programming, alone, offered by the Chamber is enough to make your head spin.
And here is something else you would only know if you really know Kate Daniels: the personal sacrifices she has made for this community are tremendous.
The hours she kept were insane. Like, medical school student insane.
Had you walked into her office on a random weekday at the end of business, it wouldn’t have been unusual to catch her with a cell phone in one hand while she was eating lunch with the other ahead of a meeting or event.
And this is a young woman with a family of her own.
But she was driven by a desire to ensure OUR families came first.
We often wondered where that commitment to service came from — and hoped her husband and children understood just how much their wife and mother means to Wayne County.
We have said many times that we are blessed to live in a community full of seemingly irreplaceable people who put others’ interests ahead of their own.
Kate is one of them.
She and her team have made thousands of lives better.
And she represented us — all of us — with a smile on her face.
Ask yourself if you ever saw Kate and assumed, because of her posture or tone, that she was having a bad day.
In the many years we have known her, we’re not sure we could pinpoint a moment like that.
She was, in other words, always “on” — as if she felt a pressure to never let us down.
Imagine how exhausting that must be.
So, it makes sense that after all this time with her foot on the gas, Kate decided to pass the torch — to give her own family the undivided attention she has given all of ours since her first day at the Chamber.
And she was right when she said that her staff is more than capable of ensuring a smooth transition. Lara, Linda, Janet and McKayla really are an “A” team.
But there is only one Kate Daniels.
And this community is going to miss her.
It will miss her charm and knowledge.
It will miss her warm greetings and well-wishes.
But most importantly, it will miss her leadership and steady hand — her resolve to be a part of Wayne County becoming the very best version of itself.
Our hope is that a few months from now, with batteries recharged, she will find another way to serve. We are certain that at some point, she will do just that.
A woman like Kate Daniels will always find a way to contribute to the future of Wayne County.
So, until that day comes, we will just say thank you, for everything, with the knowledge that there would be no way to properly articulate what a champion she has been for all of us who are lucky enough to call this place home.
And we will look forward to the Chamber’s next chapter — and meeting whoever steps in to fill the giant, probably hot pink, shoes that are waiting under the president’s desk.
