Stokes to head Queenstown Chamber of Commerce

Ruth Stokes. Photo: supplied
Ruth Stokes. Photo: supplied
Ruth Stokes has been appointed the new Queenstown Chamber of Commerce chief executive.

Ms Stokes was Queenstown Lakes District Council's operations general manager from 2013 to 2015 before she moved to the Dunedin City Council where she was the infrastructure and networks general manager until 2018.

She is presently a director of ZQN.7 Ltd, a consultancy firm which has been engaged by QLDC.

In a statement, Chamber of Commerce chairman Craig Douglas said Ms Stokes had extensive senior executive experience, holding successive senior and chief executive roles across finance, infrastructure and government sectors for more than 20 years and had lived in Queenstown for almost nine years.

Mr Douglas said Ms Stokes would be an "outstanding leader" of the chamber and a "great advocate for the Queenstown business community".

"We are thrilled to have attracted someone from our community with such talent.

"Ruth has a broad range of experience in many of the issues our business community faces and can take the Chamber to the next level."

Ms Stokes said she was delighted to take on the role and considered it a "privilege'' to be working for the resort's business community, "particularly during these challenging times".

She will begin the new role on February 1.