When Joe Unterreiner became the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer in 1996, he thought he’d only be there for a few years.
But 24 years later, he’s finally decided to transition into retirement starting this October.
“It’s been a really great run … I really enjoyed the work, obviously, or I wouldn’t have stayed this long,” Unterreiner said. “It’s been a special environment to be able to work in.”
Originally from Pasadena, California, Unterreiner has spent his career around the world. After stints that included interning at the Executive Office of the President in the Reagan Administration in Washington D.C. and working at the American Embassy in Athens, Greece in the 1980s, he and his wife settled in the Flathead Valley in the 1990s, where he’s been the chamber’s president and CEO ever since.