Chamber selects executive director

LOWVILLE — The Lewis County Chamber of Commerce's board of directors has chosen a familiar face as the chamber's first full-time executive director in two years.

Interim Director Anne L. Merrill will serve in that capacity on a permanent basis.

"We had a tremendous number of applicants, and Anne was, by far, the most qualified for the position," said C. Lee Hinkleman Sr., board chairman.

Mrs. Merrill, who has worked in the chamber office for nearly four years, has a "strong relationship" with community members and a strong knowledge of the position, Mr. Hinkleman said.

"There's nothing I love more than Lewis County, the area and what we have to offer," Mrs. Merrill said.

The new director worked for 25 years at Carthage Savings and Loan, retiring in 2005. She then became associate director at the chamber under former executive director Gary W. Hamburg. Mrs. Merrill and her husband, Allen, also have operated the Hidden Comfort Bed and Breakfast on Jerden Falls Road in the town of Croghan since 2004.

Citing financial constraints, chamber directors in March 2006 eliminated the full-time executive director position, and Bethany J. Yost, then the board president, took over as acting manager. When Ms. Yost took a general manager position with Frontier Communications in late October, Mrs. Merrill was named interim manager.

The board then decided that a full-time executive director — who could spend more time researching grants and new programs — was again needed, and applications were accepted. Mr. Hinkleman was unsure of the exact number of applicants.

The Lewis County chamber has 418 members.

"I feel that we are off to a good start in 2008," Mrs. Merrill said. "We need to have a steady course, building relationships with businesses, members, legislators and the general public. We need to work for the members to help promote their businesses to keep them and Lewis County growing."

The director plans to hold meetings soon in the county with groups of chamber members to listen to their concerns and inform them of benefits.

"I anticipate membership growth as a result of the chamber's positive interaction with county businesses and government," she said.

Mrs. Merrill hopes to build on the chamber's solid relationship with county leaders and other local agencies like the Lowville Business Association.

While snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles are a vital part of the county's tourism industry, other forms of recreation — like snowkiting — should be promoted to diversify that segment of the economy, she said.

The chamber is hoping to attain tax-exempt status by summer, which should allow the agency to offer more community events and apply for more grant funding, Mrs. Merrill said. An upgraded Web site also is in the works, she said.

"Even though there are challenges, I remain positive," Mrs. Merrill said. "I think it's going to be a wonderful experience."

Janelle Blakely, a recent transplant to the Lowville area, has been hired as the chamber's associate director.

"I was very impressed with her resume and also her interview," Mr. Hinkleman said.

Ms. Blakely spent more than a year in 2005 and 2006 as assistant director and tourism representative for the Arcata Chamber of Commerce in California. While in college, she interned as public relations director for the U.S. rugby team, Mr. Hinkleman said.