PINE TWP, Allegheny County — A little over a year ago, the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber hired a new leader.

Now it has to do that all over again.

That is because Rebecca Martin, president and CEO, abruptly resigned Tuesday effective that day.

She had been on the job for 14 months.

Jim Boltz of Minuteman Press, the chamber’s 2014 board chairman, confirmed Martin handed in her resignation.

“We weren’t expecting it,” he said, adding, however, the board was not shocked Martin decided to move on for other opportunities.

Boltz said the chamber’s personnel committee already has begun a search for her successor.

Steve Carpenter of Northwood Realty. a chamber board member, said he found out about Martin’s resignation via e-mail Wednesday.

“Actually, I have no clue, we just found out about it the other day. I can’t really form an opinion,” Carpenter said this morning of her leaving.

“I would say, yes, I’m kind of surprised. She seemed to be very aggressive. She had a good idea of the big picture of where the chamber was going. She had the ability to do well. I don’t know, personally, what opportunities were open for her.”

Carpenter said Martin had been a good employee and had never been disciplined or reprimanded while at the chamber.

Carpenter said chamber events will not be affected by Martin’s departure and the organization may at most see some minor disruptions in administrative services.

“Our focus is on the events that the chamber puts on, which we can easily maintain,” Carpenter said. “As far as the signature events go, we won’t skip a beat.”

Martin replaced Susan Balla, who retired as the organization’s executive director in February 2013. Balla had led the organization since its formation in January 2010 through the merger of the Cranberry Area and Pittsburgh North chambers.

Before coming to the chamber, she was senior vice president of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce in Austin, Texas, for nearly three years. She was chosen after a national search of more than 180 candidates.

In an e-mail, the chamber said it “is thankful for all of her hard work and dedication to the membership and wishes her the best in her future endeavors.”

At the chamber’s annual meeting Feb. 18, Boltz said the organization ended the fiscal 2013 year about $83,000 in the red.

However, he had said then the leadership was addressing the main issues — less income from advertising, events and membership dues — that had led to the deficit.

Tax forms filed with the IRS for years 2009 through 2011, the most recent years available, show the organization has experienced some ups and downs dating before its 2010 formation through the merger.

The organization showed about a $10,000 profit during 2010, but expenses exceeded revenue by $27,000 in 2008, $59,000 in 2009 and $21,000 in 2011.

In comparison, other chambers also have suffered losses in recent years. However, those losses have not been as significant as those posted by the Pittsburgh North chamber.

In an interview after the Feb. 18 meeting, Boltz had said the chamber turned a profit in 2012.

During Martin’s tenure, the chamber went through a considerable amount of change.

In August, the chamber unveiled a new logo and name — no longer going by THE CHAMBER of Commerce Inc. — as part of a rebranding effort to better represent the business corridor north of Pittsburgh.

Martin, who is a Pennsylvania native, also hired a new staff and created a new staff structure. Her title became president and CEO, and new positions were created and filled to align with national chamber standards.

The chamber has about 1,000 members from Zelienople south to the Allegheny River, from Route 8 in the east into Beaver County in the west. It covers parts of Allegheny, Beaver and Butler counties and also 16 municipalities.

The chamber operates two offices, its main office at 5000 Brooktree Road in the Wexford area and one in the Cranberry Township Municipal Center on Rochester Road.