PEABODY — City Treasurer Julie Daigle is the new executive director of the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce.
Michael Murray, chairman of the chamber’s board of directors, and president of Peabody Wealth Advisors, said the panel conducted an exhaustive search, reviewed 40 résumés and narrowed the number to five candidates.
“Julie was the clear, natural fit for the chamber going forward,” he said. “We are tremendously excited to have her. She’s a member of our board, a lifetime resident of Peabody and worked as a business liaison for the city.”
Daigle, 36, said the new job is way to help make people and businesses make connections.
“I love being out in the community and being able to help,” she said. “Peabody has a great sense of community, businesses are very supportive of each other and it’s exciting to be a part of it.”
Mayor Edward Bettencourt Jr., who hired her to be the city’s first business development officer in 2013, said she will be missed.
“We really needed someone to bring businesses to the city, help existing businesses expand and assist with the permitting process,” he said. “She did a great job.”
Two years ago, the mayor tapped her to become treasurer.
“She’s a wonderful employee, performed a number of roles in the city, she’s very bright, has a wonderful way with people and cares for the city deeply,” he said. “It’s a difficult loss, but we work very closely with the chamber and she will still be involved.”
Daigle has been a city employee for more than two decades. She began working at City Hall as an intern in 1998. She joined the Treasurer’s Office in 2006 as an account clerk. The following year she moved to the Community Development office as a grants officer and was promoted in 2013 to the newly-created position of business liaison. She was appointed to the $76,485 a year city treasurer post in 2017.
She follows Jenna Coccimiglio, who left the chamber a few months ago after serving for a year.
The Revere resident was the former executive director of the Malden Chamber of Commerce before taking the job in Peabody a year ago. But her departure earlier this year came as a surprise and without explanation.
Murray said he did not know why she left.
“Jenna found another position and left for a better opportunity,” he said.
Daigle starts on June 1.
