Staff
Chris Berleth - President
Chris joined the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce in 2022 as Vice President before being named President in April 2023. Born and raised in Rhode Island, he is an Eagle Scout with a B.A. in Political Science and French from Gettysburg College. At Gettysburg, Chris fell in love with Pennsylvania, relocating to Columbia County when a prank by his sister resulted in an introduction to his (future) wife Kali. Chris is a 2015 graduate of Leadership Susquehanna Valley. While an executive with the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber, he was part of the team named Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals (PACP) "2019 Chamber of the Year". In 2021, he was named to Pennsylvania Business Central's "Foremost Under Forty", and in 2024, Leadership Susquehanna Valley honored him with the Guy Temple Distinguished Alumnus Award. Chris loves volunteering with his church, The Christian Gospel Fellowship, and serves as an assistant coach for Millville Little League. For Chamber-related inquiries, he can be reached at cberleth@columbiamontourchamber.com.
Taryn Crayton - Director of Member Engagement
Taryn joined the Chamber in April 2023. In her role, she provides leadership in delivering a high return on investment to members by driving member connections and executing and enhancing the organization’s events, communications, and programs. Taryn began her career at the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation and has worked for several small businesses. She holds a B.A. in Communications from Eastern University and is a 2022 graduate of Leadership Central Penn. Before joining the Chamber team, she worked for five years as an Advertising and Printing Sales representative with the Press Enterprise. Passionate about dance, Taryn is the owner/director of Remade by Dance in Barnesville and is a dance teacher with Danceworks by Amber in Bloomsburg. Taryn and her husband Derek live in Berwick with their dog Millie. She can be reached at tcrayton@columbiamontourchamber.com.
Brenda Flanagan - Administrative Assistant
Brenda began at the Chamber in April 2019. She serves as the office receptionist, handles inquiries about the area, and performs many of the day-to-day duties in the front office. Brenda is the person to contact if you want to sign up for an event or need information about Columbia or Montour County. You can contact her at bflanagan@columbiamontourchamber.com.
Deb Sokol – Finance Assistant
At the Chamber, we're especially grateful for Deb Sokol, who wears many hats in our community, including as Office Manager at Sokol, Inc., and as a bookkeeper at several non-profits. A graduate of Bloomsburg University, she holds both a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a focus on Accounting and Finance and a Master's degree in Business Administration. Deb may be reached at finance@columbiamontourchamber.com.
Amber Hughes - Intern of Communications and Marketing
Amber is a Freshman at Commonwealth University – Bloomsburg, studying communications, leadership, and public advocacy. Amber has graduated from 3 different Foundation programs, including her favorite, a program which began as an LCP community service project - the Academy of Young Entrepreneurs. This eight-month entrepreneurial and business training program kick-started her interest in marketing. Amber’s passions include youth empowerment, community aid, and volunteer work. She looks forward to expanding her knowledge in these areas as she continues to serve her community as a young leader. With a background in nonprofit leadership at For The Cause Teen Center and The Community Giving Foundation, she is excited to join the Chamber Team as our Communications and Marketing Intern. Amber may be reached at intern@columbiamontourchamber.com