Now, I don’t mean this as a putdown of the personal style of Cindi, Leesa, Lauren, Lynn, Ann and Amber at the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce, but the chamber office has just lost its biggest accessory.

For more than four years, Connie Albright-Manteris has been my fashion idol. I’ve never seen her look bad, even in jeans and a baseball hat. She can do more with a scarf than Warren Buffet can do with a $1.

On Thursday, her last day to reign as the chamber's queen of events and sponsorships, she went for an understated black and white look, though she had on enough pearls to adorn the entire Royal Family.

Before Connie joined the chamber staff – where she has had a tremendous impact on the growth and reach of chamber events as well as its treasury – she worked in the hospitality business. She spent more than 30 years with Holiday Inn before moving on to Harrah’s Casinos and ResortQuest Vacation Rentals. At Harrah’s corporate HQ, one of her many roles was head of “costuming and uniforming.”

That explained a lot, I told her.

“No, I wasn’t a showgirl, I just dressed them,” she told me.

For years while she toiled in the corporate hospital profession during the week, she had her own accessories business on the side. “That was my golf. All the guys in the office had golf, I had accessories.”

The petite professional was always big on ideas and knew how to make things happen – with style, of course. When I asked what she was most proud of during her chamber tenure, she said the development and growth of the Healthy Living and Lifestyle Expo. In the past five years, it's grown from a tiny event first held at Prairie Life Fitness that drew between 100 and 200 visitors to this year’s expo that more than 4000 people attended at Brentwood Baptist Church. As a component of the Greater Nashville Race for the Cure, the expo helped raise not only a significant donation to the local Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, but also funds for the chamber’s educational programs.

I couldn’t help but ask if the forthcoming unification of the county’s three biggest chambers influenced her decision to leave the chamber now.

No way, she said. “I’m retiring.”

“But you don’t look old enough to retire.”

“Oh yes, I am. I’m close enough. I’ve worked for 45 years.”

Connie’s husband Paul retired about five years ago. This weekend they are embarking on a grand tour of the South, one that will take them first to Texas and then who-only-knows where.

She said the only problem she’s having is figuring out what to pack “in one suitcase.”

It doesn’t matter. All of us who know Connie know she’ll be the best accessorized person on the Interstate, at the Alamo or in Atlanta no matter how big the bag.

She will be missed. For her style, yes, but mostly for her hard work and infectious enthusiasm. Oh how I wish she’d give me one of her boas before she leaves town…

Susan Leathers is editor of Brentwood Home Page. Click here to read previous columns. Email her at susan@brentwoodhomepage.com