Christie Pruitt to take over as Lockhart Chamber of Commerce president

Christie Pruitt

By Miles Smith
Editor/POST-REGISTER

The Lockhart Chamber of Commerce will have new leadership on Jan. 22, when Christie Pruitt will take the helm as the organization’s new president/CEO.
Pruitt has been employed since 2014 as membership director with the Portland Chamber of Commerce. Portland, a suburb of Corpus Christi, is sized similarly to Lockhart.
The chamber has been without a president/CEO since mid-November. Angela Rawlinson previously held the post.
“I’m really looking forward to creating a presence that will help Lockhart thrive,” Pruitt said. “My focus when I get here will be helping the community’s businesses improve, whether they want to expand or stay the same size.
“I want to create a cohesive relationship between Lockhart businesses and create relationships so that we can all work toward our future goal. We want to support the businesses we have here and create a better quality of life.”
Pruitt’s leadership at the Portland chamber includes overseeing the Leadership Portland program, the A-Team Portland ambassadors program and membership recruitment and retention. She was directly responsible for program development, implementation and coordination, and fundraising.
“I was able to bring in help for small businesses,” Pruitt said.
Prior to her employment with the Portland Chamber, Pruitt was with the Aransas Pass Chamber of Commerce as an administrative assistant and later transitioned to the board of directors while working as a Realtor. She holds a BBA in marketing from the University of Houston.
“We’re very excited to have her coming on board,” said Rebecca Pulliam, Past Chairman of the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce board. “She has a lot of experience, and we’re looking forward to seeing what she brings to Lockhart in 2018.”
Pruitt’s husband, Samuel Pruitt, and her daughter, Anna Mae Pruitt, will be making the move with her.
Pruitt is one of two new staffers who will be joining the chamber this month. Kristi Summers will be starting with the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce as membership/program director on Jan. 10.
Summers, a fifth-generation Caldwell County resident, moved to Lockhart in 2014. Summers is a member of the chamber, Lockhart Kiwanis Club, Caldwell County A&M Club, and serves on the Light Up Lockhart Committee.