In the statement, the chamber said Paul Bendel, senior vice president of programs and events, and Doug McDonald, managing director at the office of innovation and placemaking initiatives for the city, will also take on leadership roles on an interim basis.
“We are very excited about the leadership and strengths that Kim brings to the chamber,” Manasseh Durkin, chairman of the Richardson Chamber board, said in a statement. “She is a proven and respected steward around North Texas and will provide outstanding interim direction.”
Quirk said the appointment is expected to be temporary. A search committee will be creating a timeline for hiring new leadership by the summer, according to chamber officials.
Quirk serves as the executive director of Leadership Richardson for the chamber and previously spent nine years on the Richardson ISD board of trustees, including five years as board president.
She is taking over from former President and CEO Bill Sproull, who resigned from the chamber Feb. 4. Sproull also resigned from his position as president and CEO of Tech Titans and the Richardson Economic Development Partnership.
Bendel will assume the role of executive director of Tech Titans, a local nonprofit technology trade organization that promotes the North Texas technology ecosystem, according to its website. Bendel has been with the organization since 2003 and currently leads its event and program planning.
McDonald will serve as interim executive director for the Richardson Economic Development Partnership. The partnership’s website stated it is a joint initiative of the city of Richardson and the Richardson Chamber of Commerce to market the area and existing employers and recruit new companies.
“The city of Richardson is pleased with the interim strategy the executive committee of the Richardson chamber of commerce has adopted,” Deputy City Manager Don Magner said in a statement.
