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A life-long love of Flathead Lake took Rebekah King from one of Bigfork’s most well-known business managers to her new position as the Executive Director of the Bigfork Chamber of Commerce.

Though currently a resident of Lakeside, King became infatuated with the town of Bigfork years ago and has worked to contribute to the community ever since.

“I think there’s such a value to the community. I think there’s a value in what Bigfork is,” King said. “It really is a village, and everyone works together and supports each other.”

Her love for Bigfork grew over the last five years as she took over the management of Marina Cay, working with its owners to revamp and revive the business’s reputation in the community.

When her work was done and the time came for her to leave Marina Cay, King said she struggled to say goodbye to Bigfork.

About a month later, the position with the Chamber became available, and King said she was drawn to it.

“I realized I wanted Bigfork. I didn’t want to leave it,” King said. “I love Lakeside too, but it’s not the village. It’s a different community.”

King accepted the position Dec. 5.

King takes on her new role with an extensive background in both ownership and management, having exhibited a knack for business from an early age.

She started college at Flathead Valley Community College at the age of 16 before transferring to the University of Montana.

Though she said she always enjoyed school, King could never pin down what she wanted to do with it.

At 18, King bought her first coffee shop and began taking college classes part time.

Three months after purchasing her first shop, she bought a second one and went on to own four before moving on to other exploits.

Over the next several years, King sold her shops and managed three other businesses, including Dell’s Bar in Somers.

However, she said she found her match when she took the job at Marina Cay, and it was through her work restoring the business to a place of prominence in the community that she made the connections and the reputation that earned her what she calls a dream job with the Chamber.

“The great thing about the Chamber of Commerce job is so much of it is stuff I’d already be doing anyway,” King said. “I would be coming to the Festival of the Arts. I would be coming to the Fourth of July parade. My daughter would be coming over this weekend regardless to make ornaments at the theater.”

A Flathead Valley native, King grew up on the waters of Flathead Lake and in the communities surrounding it.

Familiar with both the triumphs and struggles of Bigfork businesses, King said she plans to use her new position to begin making improvements in three key areas — community involvement from younger residents, availability of affordable housing and building business during the shoulder seasons.

“My goal with my position with the Chamber is just to promote the businesses that are here and do what I can to create new opportunity,” King said.

But new opportunities require new ideas and new people to offer them. King said it’s time for the younger generations to step up and help make that happen.

“There are people in this community who have been here forever and who have done an amazing job,” she said. “I keep circling back to how do I get my friends to become these leaders and role models that Bigfork’s been so fortunate to have all this time.”

Part of the way Bigfork can do that, she added, was to make an effort to offer a quality of life that would attract younger demographics.

Recognizing that affordable housing problems plague the Flathead as a whole, King said Bigfork faces an uphill battle in working to create an affordable market in a community with such high property values.

However, she said, housing remains one of the biggest necessities for community growth and needs to be addressed.

By attracting a younger demographic, King hopes to bring in more new businesses, more year round residents and more revenue for the largely tourist-reliant town.

Summer brings in so much to this community, but King said she sees a lot of potential to ramp up and make the winter season just as successful and profitable.

“It’s bringing awareness that Bigfork is more than just the Fourth of July parade and the Christmas Village. You can really live here and grow your business,” she added.

Building Bigfork’s reputation as more than just a summer and Christmas destination will take consistency, according to King, and she plans to work with the Chamber to flood social media with reminders of different events throughout the year.

“I think there’s an opportunity to really do something fantastic here,” King said. “There’s already stuff pulling people into the area, it’s just making them aware that there is other stuff.”

After two weeks on the job, the new Bigfork Chamber executive director said she was impressed by how the different organizations like the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork and the Bigfork Business Professionals work together for the good of a community without an official government.

“Everyone’s just here because they love it and they want to share it with others,” she said.“It’s a cool town.”

Her hope is to use her position to unite individuals and businesses to continue promoting growth.

“I’m here to help the businesses however I can. That’s my goal,” she said. “Their input, regardless of their status as Chamber members, is important to the future success of Bigfork.”

For more information on the Bigfork Chamber of Commerce, visit www.bigfork.org/contents/view/bigfork-montana-chamber.