Chamber finds leader who loves planning, Belgium

Mary Kate Essad found a part-time job doing something she’s passionate about in a place she loves, and the Belgium Area Chamber of Commerce found its new executive director.

Essad, who lives in Germantown and is the childcare director at St. Francis Borgia Catholic School in Cedarburg, saw the posting for the Chamber job and figured she’d give it a shot.

“You know what, why not apply? I have a lot of the qualifications,” she said. “I love planning things, setting up events and working with different companies and people, and bringing the community together.”

At St. Francis Borgia, Essad plans multiple school events and has worked in event planning as a volunteer from high school to college.

“The big thing applying for this role is making sure that Belgium is seen and heard and get more people to come to different events,” she said.

Essad is from Wadsworth, Ill., a 10-minute drive from Kenosha. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from St. Norbert College in De Pere.

She has worked as a preschool teacher and for a medical supply company.

Essad’s husband works for Delta Defense in West Bend. They have three children, ages 4, 2 and 9 months.

“Never a dull moment in our house,” she said.

She became familiar with Belgium is through her family’s interests.

“We like to travel, explore new parks, see what other towns have to offer,” Essad said. “That’s how we fell in love with Belgium, just kind of tooling around and checking out new places.”

She and her family already like going to Harrington Beach State Park and the Luxembourg Cafe, she said.

The kids, she said, also love going to Cedar Valley Cheese because it sells ice cream.

Essad will lead the Chamber’s efforts to support local businesses, strengthen community partnerships and advance initiatives that promote economic growth and member engagement throughout the community, according to the Chamber.

“Her leadership, passion for community development and commitment to serving our members make her an excellent choice to guide our organization into the future,” Chamber Board President Chanel Schmidt said.

Essad ‘s first job is to lead the planning of the Chamber’s second annual Oktoberfest and Beer Run on Saturday, Sept. 26.