In an effort to provide stability to its leadership and its operations, the board of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce has taken the unusual step of voting in its leaders for the next two years.

The move is expected to help the group develop consistency in its approach to business, which some say has too often changed direction.

"There's been a too-frequent shift in strategy and approach in moving the chamber forward," said Paul Skalny, who was chosen to lead the organization for 2004.

"It's important we as a board find an effective strategy and execute that through a succession plan at the top, so we're not reinventing the wheel," he said.

Under the plan, Chairwoman Donna Richardson will be succeeded in June by Linda Burton, president of a consulting firm, DRW Inc. Burton, who served as chairwoman in 1999, will serve as vice chairwoman to Richardson until then.

Also in June, Skalny will rise to vice chairman.

Both newly elected leaders benefit from having a long-standing relationship with the chamber. Burton has been a member since 1997, and Skalny, whose law firm was named the chamber's Small Business of the Year, has been a board member for eight years.

The announcement of the chamber's succession plan was made about six months later than usual, and it projects its leadership for a longer term than has been customary.

This year's board has been grappling with major issues at the chamber, such as finding a new president and budget shortfalls. The board also has placed a focus on internal evaluation, from staffing needs to programming.

Richardson did not return calls for comment, but in a statement issued by the chamber, she said she is pleased with the board's decision.

"Linda and Paul bring a wealth of expertise to the Chamber and will provide the continuity we've striven to achieve as we take the Chamber to the next level," she said.

Chamber President Kara Calder agreed.

"It's a very positive step for the organization to secure the commitment from Linda and Paul that takes us into 2004. It is a great opportunity for Donna to work together with Linda and Paul to strategically position the organization to not just survive but to thrive," she said.

"What's important for our membership is that we have leaders that can clearly articulate a vision and navigate change."

Richardson's term has been marked by heavy evaluation, in part, perhaps, because of the difficult situation the chamber has been in this year.

Former President and Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Williams resigned abruptly in February, leaving the chamber to grapple with a tremendous budget deficit that threatened to move the chamber's offices out of Town Center.

While finding a way to pare the budget and recoup losses - partially through job cuts - the board seemingly struggled over a decision to name Calder, a former vice president, to lead the business group.

Calder was not offered a contract until four months after Williams left, when Richardson took office.

While membership dues, which make up about 60 percent of the budget, were down, the board also had to deal with a lack of staff.

Although the group balanced its budget and will keep its offices in Town Center, the board decided during its annual retreat in June that it needed a business plan and more structure.

The new plan calls for more concrete ways to measure its performance and relevance to members.

That's what Burton's transition team is focusing on, she said.

"We're looking at how the organization measures its performance, how the members measure our performance, how they measure their return," Burton said.

"Part of the transition team is to put in to place some [performance] measures that don't exist today," she said.

Burton said that as chairwoman she will continue to focus on creating more structure for the group, and one of her goals will be to make a leadership succession plan that will keep the organization three years ahead of the curve.