Group to relocate, begin management of operations

After hours of work sessions and a pair of public meetings, the Powell Valley Chamber of Commerce has decided to consolidate services with the Powell Economic Partnership.

The two entities have been working together since January, when the chamber announced it was seeking a new executive director. PEP was asked to assist in that transition, gathering feedback from chamber members and the community about economic and community development, as well as hosting two information-gathering meetings with the public. The boards of directors of both organizations then analyzed the data and formulated a plan.

“The Chamber of Commerce is hiring us to manage their operations, which is amazing,” said PEP Executive Director Christine Bekes. “It was a long, hard process to go through, and certainly the patience of the community is awesome. But ultimately, I think the decision reflects both boards’ consideration of the community feedback from the winter.”

According to statements sent by both boards, the feedback identified business development and the promotion of Powell as community priorities.

Aside from moving PEP offices from the Northwest College campus to the chamber, the two organizations will seek to fill a new position: that of visitor center coordinator. Bekes said the responsibilities of this position will hit on a lot of areas the community saw as needing to be addressed.

“This person will manage the visitor center, which obviously includes many roles,” she explained. “But they will also oversee community events. Those roles are still being defined, but those are things that make sense. I think it will be a great outcome, and is one of the things that will look different with PEP’s management of the operation.”

The chamber and PEP are remaining separate entities; Bekes said the difference is that, instead of hiring a person to oversee day-to-day operations, the chamber hired PEP.

“In doing so, we won’t be hiring a chamber director,” she said. “I don’t see that happening, at least not right now. Maybe at the end of the transition period, but at this point and time that’s not the direction that seems to be going.”

In a letter to chamber members, Chamber President J.J. Jeide said members will not feel a gap in services during this transition period.

“We recognize that times have changed, and the Powell chamber board is confident that this move will be a positive one for Powell and for our chamber members,” Jeide said. “I want to thank all the chamber board, the chamber members and the community for their patience, loyalty and commitment to the chamber. I am also asking for your continued support as we move forward.”

“Ultimately, the chamber’s decision to look to PEP to manage its operations just made sense,” Bekes said. “PEP was willing to take a look as well; there is some duplication of services there. That’s why there needs to be a transition period.”

Transitioning to what is the question, though Bekes said the purpose of this period is to get a handle on what’s best for the community.

“The question is, are we meeting the community needs that were defined this winter, and how that looks moving forward. That is definitely not a known,” Bekes said. “But at the same time, what is known is that we needed to take care of business, and PEP was willing to step in and take that on.”

From an organization standpoint, PEP will work with an outside facilitator to outline a plan that will serve the needs of members and stakeholders of both organizations. According to PEP Chairman Jeremy Gilb, although expanded services with the chamber will require energy and time, PEP will continue to work on business development priorities.

“These services will not hamper the great strides PEP has made in the past five years to be a community asset and arguably one of the leading economic development organizations in the state,” Gilb said in a letter to PEP investors and stakeholders.

The hiring of a visitor center coordinator will also assure the community and PEP investors and stakeholders that Bekes will continue to work on business development priorities.

“Obviously, if I were managing the visitor center, I wouldn’t have time to do that,” Bekes said. “Some of the chamber member benefits we’ll be taking care of, people may wonder how we’re going to do all that. But some of it is a duplication of effort. ... We have great engagement in our opportunities, and I’ll definitely be wrapping in the chamber membership, which has some overlap in and of itself, into our opportunities as well.”

Powell is not unique in consolidating its economic services: Laramie, Goshen County and Douglas have all consolidated services, and three other communities are actively considering it.

“That said, there is no cookie-cutter template, because every community has done it for different reasons and in a different way,” Bekes said. “In some ways, you can say it’s a consolidation of services, but in other ways you can think of it as an expansion. What does that look like? It’s hard to say. But I think the overall effect for the community is going to be positive. Both the boards worked very hard with the community in mind.”