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2 rural chambers will merge in ’17

PEYTON NEELY The Marietta Times Rick Walters, chairman of the Muskingum Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, announces the merger with the Beverly-Waterford Area Chamber of Commerce during the monthly luncheon on Wednesday in Beverly.

BEVERLY–After 22 years of co-existence, the two chambers of commerce in the Beverly-Waterford area will merge next year.

Representatives of both the Muskingum Valley Area Chamber of Commerce and the Beverly-Waterford Area Chamber of Commerce said the groups have been discussing a merger for about two years and will make it official at the beginning of 2017.

“This has been something on the table for a couple years now and it didn’t happen overnight,” said MVACC Chairman Rick Walters at the monthly MVACC luncheon Wednesday.

The Muskingum Valley Area Chamber of Commerce was first established 22 years ago by Beverly resident Glen Miller.

“I created this one because the other chamber wasn’t as involved as I would have liked,” he said. “This is a great opportunity to keep the community close together.”

Officers from both chambers will head the new version. Elizabeth Stephens, chairwoman for the BWACC, will now be vice chairman aside Walters. Susan Chipps, recently the treasurer for MVACC, will serve as the new secretary and Tamera Johnson, recently the treasurer for BWACC, will serve as the new treasurer.

“Combining both will help us achieve a lot,” said Stephens. “Now we will be more together rather than pulling one way or another.”

These officers will remain in office throughout 2017 and an election will be held at the end of next year to determine new officers.

The purpose of both chambers is to promote the businesses and quality of life within the community with events like golf outings, banquets and Christmas activities. Both chambers also assist local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities become members to advocate on behalf of the business community.

One key factor in determining the merger is that more than 50 percent of all the members of each chamber were involved in both.

“It only makes sense to combine the two,” Walters said.

The new name for the chamber will be the Muskingum Valley Beverly-Waterford Area Chamber of Commerce, he said.

“We wanted to embody the history of both chambers when we thought of a name,” Walters said.

Charlie Schilling, of Charles L. Schilling, LLC, is a member of both of the chambers.

“This is something they’ve both been talking about for a long time,” he said. “It will bring a lot of progress to the community and I’m excited to see it happen.”

The combined chamber will hold its planning meeting for all officers and directors on Jan. 4.

“We will discuss the bylaws for each of the chambers and what the amount for dues will be during this meeting,” said Walters. “The Muskingum Valley chamber has about seven pages of bylaws and the Beverly-Waterford chamber has about three so it shouldn’t be hard to make the combination.”

Members have said they think the change is a logical one to make.

“I’m excited to see what progress will be made now that we are one big team,” said Walters. “We can only improve from here.”

 

About the merger

¯The Muskingum Valley Area Chamber of Commerce and the Beverly-Waterford Area Chamber of Commerce will be combined beginning in 2017.

¯The new name of the combined chamber will be the Muskingum Valley Beverly-Waterford Area Chamber of Commerce.

Source: Rick Walters

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