By KALEY LYON

klyon@dailynews.net

It sounded like a party at the Hays Welcome Center on Wednesday afternoon as business leaders and community members congregated for a friendly farewell.

In the middle of the crowd stood Gina Riedel, executive director of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce, shaking hands, giving hugs and preparing for today -- her last official day on the job.

Riedel announced her resignation last month, which is effective Friday.

"I absolutely loved every minute of it," Riedel said. "Honestly, just being a part of the community and trying to move things forward, that's just been very rewarding. I'll miss it."

However, she won't be out the door quite yet. Until someone is hired to serve as executive director, Riedel has agreed to stay and help out.

Riedel has served as director for more than eight years and is excited about the opportunity to spend more time with her husband and four children at their Walker home.

She'll be working part-time with the Copper Agency but hopes to free her schedule to provide time to be with family and do other things on her list, she said.

"The one thing I've never done that is on my to-do list is to grow a garden," Riedel said with a laugh. "Next spring, I'm growing a garden."

She also plans to stay involved in community activities and will continue to help out with various projects and serve on different boards, she said.

While Riedel is well-known for her community leadership, not many know the story of how she came to Hays, she said.

An Illinois native, she came to Fort Hays State University as a student after receiving a rodeo scholarship for her barrel racing and goat tying, she said.

Her husband, Terry, is an Ellis County native, and they know they're here to stay.

"My love is the farm," Riedel said. "We hope to be living on a farm where I can spend more time with my horses."

Riedel's shoes, however, won't be easy to fill, said Deron O'Connor, senior vice president of Commerce Bank.

"I think over the past eight years, she's done a fantastic job at getting the chamber to the next level," O'Connor said.

During her tenure, Riedel also helped implement various leadership programs, such as Hays Area Young Professionals, he said.

O'Connor also will serve as chair-elect of the chamber board next year, and is on the committee that has been conducting interviews and searching for a prospective job candidate.

He said more than 30 individuals applied for the job, and the candidates have been narrowed to five potential hires following initial interviews.

While details still are pending, the board hopes to announce the new hire in about a week, he said.

"She'll be a difficult individual to replace," he said. "We're not trying to replace her or have somebody follow in her footsteps, but have somebody develop their own leadership style and carry forth their thought and vision."