BANGOR – The Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce elected a new set of officers and board members and addressed the importance of continuing its relationship with sister city St. John, New Brunswick, at its annual meeting and breakfast held Tuesday at the Sea Dog restaurant in Bangor.

Outgoing chairman Tom Palmer, general manager of the Black Bear Inn, declared the past year productive and successful, citing the efforts of the Chamber’s Wellness Council, which persuaded 74 area employers to invest in improving the health of their workers. In February, a national employee wellness organization, Wellness Councils of America, recognized the Chamber’s efforts by naming Bangor the nation’s first “well region.” Several local businesses have sponsored the Chamber’s Wellness Council, notably Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, which has donated $148,000 since 2002.

Palmer thanked the 150 attendees for their support and, after a brief vote to approve the nominated officers, he introduced incoming chairman Mark Woodward, executive editor of the Bangor Daily News.

“We’ve become more aggressive as a Chamber on public policy issues,” Woodward said. “It really is an honor to accept this challenge in the next year. I want you to expect more of what you’ve seen in 2006.”

Woodward honored Palmer’s fulfillment of a one-year commitment to the Chamber by presenting the outgoing chairman with a miniature version of the city’s Paul Bunyan statue.

Chamber members also elected Ken Huhn, director of development and outreach services of St. Joseph Hospital, to the vice chairman’s position. Cindy Rollins, an agent at Sargent, Tyler & West Insurance, was elected treasurer.

New board members Dan Tremble, owner of Fairmount Market in Bangor, and Dan Dauphinee, operations manager of Northeastern Log Homes in Kenduskeag, also were welcomed.

The membership in attendance also approved an amendment to the Chamber’s bylaws. Officers will now serve for one year instead of two, with the option of serving a second successive year at the vote of Chamber members. The change was put forth to add flexibility to the length of officers’ terms, Palmer said.

Keynote speakers Jonathan Daniels, president and CEO of Eastern Maine Development Corp., and Neil Jacobson, chief operating officer of Enterprise St. John, a New Brunswick economic development firm, stressed the importance of the Chamber’s collaboration with St. John to improve economic, cultural, transportation and alternative energy developments in the international northeast region.

Daniels stressed the importance of marketing the region’s goods and services and tourism industry.

“We need to bond together in order to become part of the global market,” Daniels said.

The Chamber will host its annual dinner Wednesday, Jan. 17, at the Bangor Civic Center. For more information, visit www.bangorregion.com.