BUCHANAN — Amid the hustle and bustle of a Thursday lunch-time rush at Union Coffee House in downtown Buchanan, city resident Carol Carroll relaxes for a moment as she stirs her coffee.

The 20 minutes she spends in the coffee shop will be one of the few moments she has to herself all day, as she jumps from meeting to meeting due to the responsibilities that come with her new title as executive director of the Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce.

Carroll, 69, was recently named the new executive director after former Buchanan Area Chamber executive director Randy Hendrixson recently stepped down from his position in order to focus more on his two businesses. For the next few weeks, Hendrixson will be training Carroll about the duties and routine of the chamber director.

While the board was still interviewing people for the position, Hendrixson said he trusted the board to choose the right person for the job. Carroll believes she is that person.

“I’m excited to get started and help business grow in Buchanan,” she said. “I know it’s going to be big shoes to fill with Randy. He’s done so much for Buchanan. He’s really dedicated to the city and watching it grow. It’ll be a big shoe to fill.”

Having moved to Buchanan from Chicago after retirement a few years ago, Carroll worked in the food and hospitality business for the majority of her career. Feeling that she was qualified for the executive director position with the chamber of commerce due to her work history, Carroll said that she threw her hat into the ring after learning Hendrixson was stepping down.

“I don’t want to say I’m not like the typical retiree, because there’s no typical retiree, but I’m not typical. I wanted to keep working,” Carroll said. “I asked Randy if he thought I would be a good fit [for chamber director], and he told me to apply. I think it surprised him, and everyone, that I was interested.”

Because she has lived in both one of the largest cities in the United States and the smaller city of Buchanan, Carroll believes that she can bring the duality of her experiences to the executive director position.

“I moved here because I appreciate the hometown, small town values. I appreciate all that,” Carroll said. “But I also have a vision. I come from a different perspective. I come from both [small town and big city]. I know people want to grow Buchanan, while also keeping it with the roots of a small town. I respect that and want to do that.”

In the years since she has moved to the area, Carroll said that she has fallen in love with the city of Buchanan. Because of this, she said she plans to put her all into her new position to help Buchanan grow.

“I want to make sure that all the members [of the chamber of commerce] work together to make this a better place to live,” Carroll said. “There are a lot of things happening in Buchanan, a lot of events coming up. I want to make sure that we pull all that off successfully. … I want us to show our best to everyone who visits. I want to make sure that the chamber is part of what makes Buchanan great.”

Though she has big plans for Buchanan as the new executive director of the chamber, which includes continuing much of the work Hendrixson put in place during his reign, Carroll said that right now, she is just focused on learning the ins and outs of the position and getting acquainted with all the businesses in town.

“We have so many members and getting to know all of them will be challenge, but it is one I am up for,” Carroll said. “I’m excited to work on all the chamber events and show [Buchanan] the importance and value of the chamber. It’s a big responsibility. It will be a busy time. … I’m ready.”