Leaves Beaumont job, citing health issues; now works in San Angelo
Steve Ahlenius left his job as McAllen Chamber president three years ago (Oct. 19) after being on the job for 24 years, which took the board, the community by surprise.
No explanations, no drawn-out goodbyes, no retirement dinner. One day he was here, the next day he was turning in his formal letter of resignation to the chamber board, and the next day, he was packed up and leaving town, with a for-sale sign planted in front of his home.
Ahlenius also left behind a legal threat of sorts — the chamber board could face legal exposure because accepting a senior executive’s resignation so quickly could, in the eyes of the law, be deemed the equivalent to terminating that person from an organization.
In the end, he got two weeks’ severance and didn’t pop up again on anyone’s news feed until July 2022, when The Advance reported that Ahlenius had landed a new job as the president/ CEO of the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce.
“I’m excited to come to Beaumont because of the unprecedented growth and opportunities for the city and region,” Ahlenius wrote in a news release.
Approximately three months ago, Aug. 30, Ahlenius tendered his resignation to the Beaumont Chamber board, effective Sept. 30, citing health concerns:
“I have a serious health situation that I need to deal with over the next several months and need to focus on getting better. Running a Chamber requires full-time focus, and I am not able to do both at this time.” (Source: BeaumontEnterprise.com.)
Employee Arrested
On Sept. 13, news broke that the director of finance and administration for the Beaumont Chamber had been arrested and charged with stealing money worth more than $83,000 of merchandise and services. (Source: 12newsnow.com.)
According to the same source, the finance director, Sidnee Lewis, allegedly used the Greater Beaumont Chamber’s credit card to pay her personal bills and debts, which also included paying her speeding ticket with the City of Beaumont.
By the time this all came to light, Ahlenius had already left town, or at least the timing was to his benefit, as he left behind other chamber officials forced to fend off news reporters who were asking about the missing funds.
This month, Nov. 7, the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, courtesy of its board chairman, announced that apparently, Ahlenius’s health had improved because he had moved west and was already back at work:
“Steve brings a wealth of experience, a strong track record of leadership, and a forward-thinking vision that aligns perfectly with our Chamber’s goals. His dedication to fostering partnerships and his innovative approach make him an outstanding fit for this role. We are confident that Steve will lead us into an exciting new chapter of growth and opportunity, and we look forward to supporting his initiatives and seeing his impact on our business community.”
Back in Beaumont, the local Fox affiliate (KFDM) reported two months ago that the former finance director who had allegedly used the chamber credit card for personal benefits started using the card only one month after she was hired in December 2022.
How Ahlenius, as chamber CEO, could have overlooked the misappropriations (alleged) of not only chamber funds but funds meant for the chamber’s foundation remains a question, according to several Beaumont-based news reports.
The accused thief, Sidnee Lewis, began allegedly abusing the chamber’s credit card(s) in December 2022 and didn’t quit breaking bad until she was fired in May 2024 after the Beaumont Chamber identified the alleged bogus credit card charges.