The Manson Chamber of Commerce, under the leadership of Executive Director Tom Tochterman, conducted its first official act of business with a Board Retreat, January 3 and 4, in the conference room of North Cascades Bank, in Chelan. Fletcher Ellingson, author of “The Practice of Feeling Good” facilitated the first day of retreat.
The first item to take note of is the expansion of the Chamber’s Board from five to nine.
“Given all the projects and events the Manson Chamber hosts or sponsors, it was clear that doubling the size of the board was warranted. Our community is blessed with great volunteers that get the work done. We need additional help with advance planning, both financial and logistical; the board settled on its size from a board of five members to nine,” stated Tochterman.
“The retreat was very productive,” said Past President Kim Ustanik. “Fletcher helped organize our ideas and goals, charting a course for 2024, providing first-class benefits for Manson Chamber members.”
“Enhancements for 2024 include a stronger focus on the value of membership to our current and future members, a frequent outreach program where each member of the Board is assigned a set of businesses to network, a fresh look at the type of municipal services our community needs, and a way forward to acquire them, and the creation of small group meetings to plan specific enhancements to strengthen our business community. It’s like the old African proverb, if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go as a group,” said Tochterman.
Returning Board members include Kim Ustanik - Mountain View Lodge, Bill Swayne - Chelan Ridge Winery, Erik Cooper - Vibe Cellars and Mariah Koester – Four Lake Winery. New Board members in 2024 include Kevin Cameron – Chelan Lookout, Becca Hines – Succession Wines and Alta Cellars, and Janice Vyborny – Fresh Off the Press. Two seats remain open and appointments are expected soon.
The current Manson Chamber of Commerce originally began as the Manson Development Council in 1987, then incorporated in 1992 as the Manson Merchants, changing their name to the Manson Business Association (MBA) in the early 2000’s, and again changed its name to the Manson Chamber of Commerce in 2013. It has been a fully volunteer organization until 2015 when an Executive Director was hired. The Manson Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization with the primary goal of improving both our community and business environment in Manson.
To find out more about the Manson Chamber of Commerce and how you can join, as a business, individual or a volunteer visit our website at www.moretomanson.com or contact Tom Tochterman via email at director@moretomanson.com
By Norm Manly
Community Volunteer