County leaders and residents met Nov. 2 at J.H. Robbins Memorial Library to discuss a possible merger between Ellsworth County Economic Development and the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce.

The idea has been discussed since May, when then-Chamber Executive Director Tami McGreevy tendered her resignation.

The thought was that by joining forces, the two entities could better serve the county and do so more efficiently.

“The status quo wasn’t going to work anymore,” President of the Board for the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce, Colby Richard, said, “so, we turned our attention towards economic development.

There are successes there. We started talking about what it would look like as a merger.”

More than 20 people attended the listening session that was facilitated by Jackson Swearer, director of StartUp Hutch, an organization for businesses and entrepreneurs to collaborate and receive assistance in their ventures. He guided the discussion throughout the evening by asking questions of those in attendance. Each was given one minute to think about their answer before discussing their thoughts with their neighbors. After small-group discussions, their thoughts were shared with the entire group and noted for further use by the Chamber and ECED.

The first question was “What excites you about the possibility of this merger?”

Specifically, what community needs currently exist that aren’t being met, that could be through greater collaboration?

A greater focus on tourism was a common thought, along with cohesion for businesses. Combining the organizations would eliminate duplication of events and activities, as well as make it easier to obtain assistance from one organization, rather than having to go to multiple places searching for the right one.

“We don’t want to take away from anybody,” Richard said. “We don’t want to lose anyone; we want to grow upon what we have.”

“I’m afraid that the Chamber will just disappear and won’t have a say in things.”

Georgina Bates

Former Chamber Ambassador President The following questions created much discussion: What are you most worried about with this merger and what would you want to make sure Ellsworth County does not lose in the merger?

A number of concerns were raised. Many focused on what the structure of the combined organization would look like and how it would ensure that the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce did not get lost in the larger entity. The structure of the boards of each of the entities are different. Chamber members serve for specific terms versus those on the ECED side, who can serve indefinitely. With ECED subsuming the Chamber, how many places on the board of directors would be made available to Chamber members?

“I don’t feel nervous about them taking a position in the growing of Ellsworth,” Richard said. “I have great confidence that we’ll have the right people in the right places in the right structure.”

Some questions could not be answered. However, it was said that board members would be elected by businesses and that they would make every effort to ensure that the board has a fair representation from Ellsworth. “I’m afraid that the Chamber will just disappear and won’t have a say in things,” Georgina Bates said.

Bates has been involved in the Chamber for some time. She once served as the Chamber Ambassador President for many years.

A number of concerns kept coming up about what the merger would mean for Ellsworth proper. Historically, a chamber of commerce is the heart of a town’s growth through promotion of the interests of the business community. They provide valuable resources to local markets. Residents expressed their fears that the needs of the City of Ellsworth would come secondary to the needs of Ellsworth County. “Rural farmers and ranchers turn to their nearest towns for support,” Ellsworth resident Mary Ann Fredrickson said. “We have such strong neighbors and they are so resilient, but they need a Chamber for support.”

Fredrickson’s husband, Robert Fredrickson, is a retired lawyer who expressed concern over the legalities of such a merger.

“Have you hired an attorney for this process,” he asked. “Have you looked to see if your bylaws need to be re-written to accommodate this?”

The ECED board has had their counsel look into the legal requirements of the proposed venture, though they admitted they haven’t delved in too deeply.

“We didn’t want to spend a lot of money on the legal side if it wasn’t going to pass other hurdles that we had to get over,” ECED Treasurer Curt Glaser said.

The projected timeline of the merger provided insight into those hurdles. The first was a discussion with stakeholders, Ellsworth County Commissioners and City of Ellsworth leaders which took place in October. The next event in the timeline was Wednesday’s listening session with the community. Future events include a discussion with residents and leaders in Wilson Nov. 7, in Kanopolis and Lorraine Nov. 8 and Holyrood Nov. 21.

“We want what’s best for everyone,” Glaser said.

The final question asked by Swearer of the attendees was “What is the most important thing a new combined organization should focus on?”

Most of the answers had an overall theme of doing what is best for all those involved and doing so with honesty and transparency. To this, board members on each side expressed a similar desire and ensured that this decision will not be taken lightly.

“It didn’t happen overnight; we’ve been having these discussions for weeks and months,” Richard said.