Kris Yetter has had a big year. Leading the SLO Chamber through a historic move, guiding the advocacy efforts in economic development and land use and circulation, attending ten 7 a.m. board meetings, all while fulfilling her day job as the president of Promega Biosciences.
Kris sat down with us, talked about people she admired, what she’s passionate about and agreed, 2013 has been an epic year at the Chamber, so…anyway.
How do you feel you’ve grown over the past year while leading the SLO Chamber Board of Directors?
“This year has been tremendously rewarding. Working with the incredibly dedicated and passionate board and staff is such an honor. I must say that being on the board from the beginning has been a growth opportunity. Each meeting I am challenged to make sure everyone has a chance to be heard, yet still manage to keep the meeting moving. So far this year we have ended the meetings on time, but it’s usually down to seconds.”
Which living person do you most admire?
“Gosh, this is a hard one because I have so many people I admire in many aspects of my life. Right now, I would have to say the person(s) I admire most are my husband and his siblings. For the last 7 years they have taken turns caring for their mother every weekend. She lived in the Bay Area and each of the five siblings live in various parts of California. It was really amazing to see a family come together and work together to care for their mom. I hope when it’s my turn, my siblings and I will be as selfless.”
Which personal quality do you like most?
“Passion. I am passionate about my family, my friends, my business and my community. I am also a problem solver and feel that I am very open-minded and always willing to look at both sides of a problem or issue. In general, I think that we are all at our best when working with and valuing others.”
Which personal quality are you working on?
“A bunch of them… I like to learn and hopefully through insight, continually improve on who I am and who I am meant to become. Right now I need to focus on balance and taking time for myself. I tend to overcommit myself, but at the same time I love being involved and busy. I am a true extrovert in that I get energy from being with others. These days though I need to make sure to make time for myself and exercise.”
What do you most admire in others?
“A really great sense of humor and dry wit. I believe that laughter is really important to make sure we don’t take ourselves too seriously and enjoy each day we are given.”
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“I asked my husband and he said I overuse “So…anyway…” I had no idea, now I have to change that! I would have thought that the phrase I overuse is “I have just one more question.” So… anyway…”
You will soon be stepping down as Chair of the Chamber Board, what are you most proud to have accomplished?
“I am most proud of what the Chamber has accomplished this year and I credit that not to my leadership but to the amazing staff and board. I can go on and on, but the Chamber’s biggest accomplishment this year was a successful move into a new home while keeping the mission of the Chamber moving forward. It was a huge challenge for staff with tremendous support from the board and community overall. Well done by all!”