Bruce Wynn has done a variety of things in his professional life. He has been a high school English and drama teacher, done public relations and marketing work for PBS and the Port of Seattle and owns his own business Wynn For You management.

And it is all of those experiences that gives him unique perspective as the new Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.

“I’ve been enjoying Kirkland for 25 years,” said Wynn, who is 55. “When all my friends want to go out on the Eastside we always go to Kirkland. It is hard to find a city that is so beautiful.”

Wynn comes to Kirkland as the former executive director of the Interbay Neighborhood Association (INA), where he lives on the west side of Queen Anne Hill.

Wynn said he spent a lot of time luring new tenants to Interbay and getting the city to make changes to zoning regulations. Changing Interbay’s zoning was tough because many at Seattle City Hall wanted to keep Interbay an industrial-only neighborhood. The INA wanted to grow and diversify while still maintaining a light industrial identity.

“There were a lot of meetings at city hall,” said Wynn, who started with the INA in 2008 and created partnerships with Boeing and Microsoft. “It took a lot of time but we finally realized our goals.”

One of the duties of the INA, which Wynn says he will bring to Kirkland, is maintaining the curb-side appeal for businesses.

“It is the cheapest form of advertising,” said Wynn. “We need to constantly be working on street beautification.”

Wynn said he will be an advocate for all Kirkland businesses.

“When you open a small business you feel like everyone is nickel and diming you,” said Wynn, who used to own a small bookstore and cafe on Ballard Ave. “Being a part of (the Chamber) gives you a voice. The hardest part of opening a new business is deciding how to spend your money. How to get the word out.”

He said that he has a unique perspective being a former small-business owner.

“I definitely have empathy. I totally get the joy and pain of owning a business,” said Wynn, who plans to meet with every business in the city. “When you open you have this big bang. But how do you keep in the forefront of people’s mind? Some businesses have good word-of-mouth. I want to know how I can help with that.”

One way that Wynn says the Chamber can help is through social media. Wynn is an avid user of Twitter and other social networking tools. His background in public relations is a big benefit and he says that Kirkland businesses need to play on their strengths.

Wynn sees the tolls on 520 as a good benefit to Kirkland businesses by keeping entertainment dollars on this side of the lake.

“People need to support the businesses in Kirkland because they don’t come with tolls,” said Wynn.

Coming from Seattle he also understands the parking issues in downtown Kirkland.

“Parking has been a disaster in Seattle,” said Wynn. “It has a huge impact when you start charging for parking. You have to find the breaking point for people and not cross it.”

But Wynn also wants a balance for the Chamber.

“We are not focused solely on downtown,” said Wynn. “Creating linkages is a big focus, like bike paths, walking routes, advertising … There are a lot of businesses outside of downtown.”

As Executive Director, he knows his job is to grow membership in the Chamber.

“One-third of people work out of their homes,” said Wynn. “How do you market and sell intellectual properties?”

He said he plans to get some speakers on the subject for Chamber events.

There are a lot of similarities between the Totem Lake Neighborhood of Kirkland and Interbay, said Wynn.

“I hope to play some role in the rezoning with Totem Lake,” said Wynn. “That train track holds a great opportunity … We need to make it easy for people to get to these businesses.”

Part of that linkage, and being able to bridge the slow winter season, is creating more community events, said Wynn: “It creates a sense of community. When you get businesses to sponsor those events it gets them exposure.”

He would also like to get a music and film festival for Kirkland. One of his more creative ideas is to put on a “Dancing with the Stars” type of event.

“We have to find new ways to tell the Kirkland story,” said Wynn. “We can do that with new and exciting events.”

To contact the Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce, visit www.kirklandchamber.org or call 425-822-7066. Email Bruce Wynn at brucew@kirklandchamber.org