Shelly Schlumpf is leaving her position as executive director of the Sumner Downtown Association after five years of shaping the downtown shopping district.

“I feel like it was time to do something different and maybe stretch and grow a little bit,” she said.

While her voice will no longer be broadcast from City Council chambers during meetings, it wouldn’t be unlikely to hear her on the airwaves again soon.

“I enjoy the public speaking,” she said.

She plans to continue her education in communications and one day host a radio show.

Reflecting on her time at the downtown association, she fondly recalls many of the regular events Sumner is known for, including the Mystery Wine Walk, the Classy Chassis Car Show and music events. She said these activities would not be possible without the help of community members and local businesses who volunteer time.

Organizations who’ve helped include the Lions and the marching band.

“There are so many it’s hard to name them all,” Schlumpf said.

Not all of Sumner’s events are Downtown Association events and the partnerships formed are important to the strength of the community and social scene, she said. Sumner has many volunteers who help make the events possible and they sacrifice personal time and energy to contribute to Sumner’s success, she said.

“These are committed and loyal citizens that want sumner to be a better place to live and they’re willing to step up and put in the time and the effort and the resources to make that happen,” Schlumpf said.Throughout this, she has cultivated a strong relationship with Sumner.

“My favorite is the one with the city,” she said.

She formed strong working relationships with Communications Director Carmen Palmer and former City Administrator John Doan, who both have the type of work ethic which leads them to work diligently on city matters, including during personal time.

Palmer and Schlumpf sometimes travel on their own dime to learn new skills and strategies to put to use in their roles. Not everyone is enthusiastic about the prospect of paying out of pocket for extra work, but for these two it’s not an issue.

“We both think work is fun,” she said.

Schlumpf is deeply rooted in Sumner and her professional experience in the workplace provided her with the necessary skills to succeed at the SDA.

She has 30 years of paralegal experience and began this legal career at 17. She later partnered with her late husband David in a construction company.

Even with the business experience she accumulated, getting started proved daunting.

“One of the challenges when I started was a unified movement towards supporting the downtown corps.”

At first she found it difficult to gather a consensus between enough people to get the movement going, but it eventually came together.

“Once the energy started and people saw that coming downtown was not only supporting the economy here, it was also the heart of a place where they could be a part of it, then it sort of turned around.”

She leaves an indelible impression on the downtown corps and the enthusiasm toward community events like the annual bridge lighting, which now draws thousands.

“I’m looking forward to seeing where Sumner takes what we’ve accomplished in the last four or five years,” she said.

Schlumpf ends her reign later this month and plans to take a breather in June before embarking on her journey toward radio.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time here. I’m looking forward to my future challenges,” Schlumpf said.