After 21 years at the helm, Reynoldsburg Area Chamber of Commerce president Jan Hills is stepping down from her post, effective Feb. 17.

Hills said her decision to resign breaks her heart but said the time is right to look forward to the future and other career opportunities.

“I hate to see it come to a close, but at the same time, there are less tears to shed every day … it’s hard to let go. It was a very comfortable place to work,” Hills said. “I felt very rewarded for what I was doing, but there comes a time to step back and take a look a yourself and say, 'are you really giving yourself an opportunity to grow?' And I wasn’t. I was becoming stagnant,” she said.

Hills, 55, has lived in Reynoldsburg since 1979 with her husband, former city council president Bill Hills. They raised two daughters, Katie and Julie, both graduates of Reynoldsburg High School.

Since taking on the job as chamber president in 1990, Hills said she has had the unique experience of meeting and working with hundreds of people who are passionate about supporting a healthy business climate and building a strong community.

She said membership has gone up and down over the years, leveling out to about 225 members today.

“When I started, there were 70 members and it grew to about 385 in 2000. Then we had 100 businesses go out of business in a year and a half that were chamber members — and that killed me,” Hills said.

Hills said she was so passionate about the operations of the chamber and doing the right thing for its membership that she sometimes worked 60 hours per week and took work home on the weekend.

“But you step back and think, ‘whoa, there is another life out there and you’re so wrapped up in this one thing that you’re not giving anything else an opportunity to even come forward.'”

Hills said she's been talking to various people but isn't really sure what she will do next. Future opportunities could include association management, public relations or event planning, Hills said.

As for a replacement, Hills is not sure what the chamber's executive board will do.

For more on this story, check back with ThisWeekNews.com and see the Feb. 16 edition of ThisWeek Reynoldsburg.