Buzzy Phillips, Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce Board member announced that Jennifer Jennings was officially appointed to the Directors position at the August Chamber Board meeting.

January, 2012 started out with an arson fire destroying the Chamber office building which had stood for forty years. A motor home donated by Roger Schutt, Manager, Partner at Calusa Ridge Gated Community was a temporary office for the Chamber for the next four months. The Chamber officers were not able to hookup electric, no phone, no running water, the day to day business was done by Jennifer Jennings at an office that was donated to the Chamber by Stanegate Bank in St. James City. The nearest working bathroom was across the street where Mitch Carter, owner of Greider Realty and Edward Jones Investment was kind enough to allow the chamber volunteers access.

After Lisa Benton, the Director for six years, resigned in April, 2012, the Chamber Board retained Betsy Haisemeyer, Director from the Beacon of Hope for consultation purposes. In the meantime Jennings continued the daily business of the Chamber, keeping the doors open, Jennings began preparing for the Chamber’s biggest fundraiser MangoMania which she was hired to do a year earlier and was now only three months away from this years event.

Jennings was originally from Red Hook New York when she discovered beautiful Pine Island in 1996. She worked at local art galleries and was director for the Randell Research Center. In 2002 Jennings helping then MangoMania Chairman Pat Burman, at the tasting table, cutting and serving mangos and other tropical fruits for the visitors. In 2003 Jennings was crowned in Pine Island style MangoMania Queen “The Good”. Burman said, “That year Jennings became so seriously ill that it required her to go to the hospital afterwards, but still worked hard during the event and maintained a professional attitude. She has also helped me at the Taste of Pine Island, held in January which has since become the island’s largest two-day event.”

New Board Member, Pat Hutchinson has volunteered to chair the committee for the reconstruction of the Chamber building, she is working with Honc Construction to certify the septic tank and other Island contruction member to get bids and drawings for permitting so the Chamber can get started on the reconstruction of the new building. It has been almost 8 months since the building was destoryed by fire. Board Members, Steve Timcak and Bill Stoelker are working on a new fundraiser (a Farmers/Fish Market) for the Chamber and hope to have a start date by this season. Chamber Member Pat Burman, who resigned from the Chamber Board two months ago volunteered to continue chairing the membership committee. She wants to gather input from the membership concerning what the Chamber can do to help them better promote their businesses. Burman said “Since I have been a member of the Chamber for over 20 years and served as a board member for most of these years I will continue to help Jennifer and the acting board where I can.”

Jennings would like to encourage all members to become active, attend the card exchanges, breakfast, events and even the board meetings. “This is where you learn what the Chamber is doing for you and your business”, she said. She is working on restructuring the temporary Chamber office to make it more user friendly and is working with the existing ambassadors’ and recruiting new ambassadors’ to keep the Chamber office running smoothly and provide information to visitors about island services and products, and yes, MangoMania 2013. “ The season is right around the corner so I need to get the member brochures and cards placed in the display racks and start our training program for new and old ambassadors”, Jennings said.