ADDIS — Annie Claire Bass says she's been on both sides of the West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, and that's exactly why she wants the job.

The newly named executive director is a small business owner, a former board member, and someone who was one of the founding members of the WBR Small Business Council. Now she's running the chamber, and her top priority is making sure the businesses that keep West Baton Rouge thriving know they have someone at the Chamber who truly understands their challenges.

"We are all better together," Bass said in an interview with WBR Independent. "We all win if we are collaboratively working together."

Bass, who owns SoSis Boutique and Annie Claire Designs, was selected by the Chamber's board following the resignation of former Executive Director Anna Johnson in December 2025. Board Chair Desiree Lemoine announced the selection on April 28.

The Chamber currently has about 350 members. Bass said she wants to push that number to 400 or so within the next year, in part by showing members tangible value through workshops on topics like artificial intelligence, social media advertising, and other areas where small business owners often have to figure things out on their own.

"Most small business owners run their own payroll, do their own marketing, customer service, human resources and all the things," Bass said. "We don't have departments for that."

Bass said her top initiative for 2026 is an expanded push around Small Business Saturday and the broader fourth quarter, when small retailers are fighting to meet their goals. "They're trying to beat them, they're trying to meet them, and just survive," she said.

Working with parish government

The Chamber lists Government Relations as one of its four core pillars, and Bass said she views her relationship with Parish President Jason Manola's office as positive. When asked how she would handle bringing economic development proposals forward, she said she would go to the parish president first.

"I think I would go to the parish president first and then go from there," Bass said.

Asked whether she plans to engage a parish council that hasn't always been proactive on economic development, Bass said she's still building those relationships.

"Working with those parish council members and the parish government is super important," she said. "And just building that relationship and making sure that we're kind of all on the same page or at least understand each other's perspectives."

On carbon capture, a topic that has drawn significant attention in West Baton Rouge given the parish's industrial base, Bass said she doesn't yet have a position.

"I personally don't know a whole lot about carbon capture, so I can't say that I have a stance on that," she said.

Tax incentives and attracting new business

Bass said she would be open to exploring incentives to attract new businesses to the parish, though she acknowledged she wasn't aware of what tools currently exist beyond the Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) for larger commercial operations.

"I would love to explore some incentives there to attract new business here," Bass said. "I think if it's the right type of business that fits into our community, something that's a need that fills a void, that's super important. I don't see why we shouldn't try to help them get here."

When asked about a question she said residents frequently raise, whether West Baton Rouge can attract larger retailers, Bass drew on her own experience as a brick-and-mortar business owner. She noted that much of the parish's daytime traffic consists of workers commuting through rather than potential customers stopping to shop.

"A lot of the traffic, I feel like, is just out of town workers and they're going home," she said. "It's not necessarily loyal customers."

Open to all, not just members

Bass said the Chamber plans to make its events accessible to non-members as well, with separate pricing tiers for those who want to test the waters before committing to membership.

"If you're not a member yet and you just want to see what it's all about and kind of learn or network, you can absolutely join in for a non-member price," she said.

The Chamber communicates primarily through email newsletters and social media. Bass said she plans to increase the organization's social media presence to reach residents and business owners beyond the membership rolls.

Networking luncheons are planned, with the first expected in September, along with additional events Bass said she's not ready to announce yet.

A familiar face in a new seat

Bass served on the Chamber's board for two to three years and was a member throughout the time she operated her storefront. She and her sister were a part of the founding committee for the WBR Small Business Council, an events-driven initiative under the Chamber umbrella focused on small business promotion and Small Business Saturday programming.

"Now that I'm the executive director, I think that all of that kind of just ties all in with the Chamber, and we'll hopefully benefit," she said.

When asked how she would handle potential conflicts of interest between her role as executive director and her own businesses, Bass said she was still learning how the Chamber's advocacy efforts intersect with public policy and business interests.

"Obviously, my priority is working on behalf of our businesses and for the betterment of our community," she said. "That's why I'm here."

The West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce is located at 7520 Highway 1 South in Addis. More information is available at wbrchamber.org, or by contacting Bass at annie-claire@wbrchamber.org.