The chamber of commerce is currently operating without a director as board members weigh budget constraints, the events workload and the future direction of the organization.
Board President Sylvia Ettefagh told directors during a Sept. 14 meeting that leadership has not committed to hiring a full-time executive director following the departure of Lora Lee Mason on July 30.
She said board leadership is reviewing the chamber’s budget to determine what can be done about filling the position.
The chamber spent more than it took in during the fiscal year that ended June 30.
The board has previously discussed director burnout and event oversight responsibilities.
The chamber last year relinquished control of planning and organizing Fourth of July events and games to community volunteers, as well as also turning over control of the annual pumpkin patch event held in October. It continues to manage the July 4th fireworks and royalty ticket-sales contest that raises money for the fireworks and chamber operations.
Those workload concerns resurfaced during the Sept. 14 session.
Board member Jake Harris emphasized that the chamber’s primary mission is to promote businesses and economic development.
To keep operations running through the fall, board member Angie Flickinger proposed hiring a part-time coordinator to manage programs through the end of the year. Under her proposal, the board could then assess whether funding allows the arrangement to continue long term.
The board concluded there is sufficient room in the current budget to move forward with hiring a temporary, part-time coordinator.
