Chamber looks to members for guidance

MADAWASKA – The Greater Madawaska Chamber of Commerce is looking to refocus its efforts and it is seeking assistance, recommendations and opinions from its membership.

About 45 members attended an early morning breakfast Wednesday to listen and offer their opinions.

It became apparent during the session that volunteerism should be rebuilt in Madawaska. One person wondered where service clubs have gone.

All kinds of ideas came from the membership in the first such meeting held in recent memory.

At the outset, the Chamber of Commerce’s new executive director, Dennis Michaud, and President Susie Lang said they were looking for direction.

One businessman said the Chamber of Commerce office, which moved into the Madawaska town office building a year ago, needs to be on Main Street, where it would be more visible.

The cellar office was given to the Chamber of Commerce free of rent.

Others suggested the creation of incubation programs to assist new businesses and entrepreneurs, to foster volunteerism, to advertise north of the St. John River and to promote shopping locally.

“Is it [the Chamber of Commerce] for publicity or social activities?” asked Jeff Albert, a local industrialist. “The focus should be on members and their needs.

“The Chamber should be a voice, hold meetings, discuss issues and create a voting bloc amongst businesspeople,” Albert suggested. “Businesspeople need to stick together, form a coalition.”

Albert believes the Chamber of Commerce should inform members about politics at the local, state and national level. He thinks the Chamber should let members know how their legislators vote.

“Politicians listen to a unified voice,” he said. “I, we don’t even know the voting record of Representative Ross Paradis on business issues. How do our own selectmen vote on business issues?”

John Ezzy followed up saying the Chamber could have monthly or quarterly membership meetings to inform members.

Some, such as businessman Louis Dugal, felt the Chamber of Commerce has to do something about the “negativity” in the community.

“We need to look at the positive,” he said. “We have some in Madawaska.”

“We need to raise the enthusiasm,” he said. “That would make people want to come to Madawaska.”

They also discussed tourism, and the need to become active in that realm.

A former executive director of the Greater Madawaska Chamber of Commerce, Laurie Sirois, said the Chamber is pulled in too many ways by too many people and too many projects.

“The Chamber can’t be everything to everyone,” she said. “The Chamber can’t do anything well if it has 100 things to do.

“When Chamber personnel try to say no, people get upset,” she said. “Personnel burn out.”

She believes the Chamber needs to pick projects and do those well.

Selectman Clifford Chasse promoted the development of a retirees’ volunteer program. He said there is a large group of them in Madawaska, and they have a lot of skills.

Several said some of the Chamber projects should be done by groups of volunteers, instead of Chamber personnel.