NY's Eve, Small Biz Saturday, election on Chamber agenda

At the meeting of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, November 11, at Any Occasion Banquet Hall, Jennifer Martin, on behalf of the Chamber banquet committee, reported that a theme has been selected for the New Year’s Eve celebration to which the entire community is invited: A Night at the Oscars. Those who wish to may dress up as a favorite movie character or as if they are going to the Oscars or don’t dress up and you can still attend. Tickets will cost $10. Food (light fare) will be provided, and a cash bar will be made available. Games of chance will again be offered, and those with the most chips at the end of the evening will be notified the next day as to the prize winners.

Volunteers are needed to run gaming tables, help with setup and other tasks. Contact Martin for more information. The event is seen by the Chamber as a way to thank all of the volunteers who have donated their time to civic events over the past year. The venue is the community center.

Mission Statement

The Chamber has adopted a new mission statement:

“The Odessa Chamber of Commerce, a membership organization, will promote and support the economic development and advancement of business in Odessa.”

Small Business Saturday

Discussion centered on how best to promote local shopping. Small Business Saturday is the day after Black Friday (which is the day after Thanksgiving). Since time was so short for this year, the members decided to put up signs and invite folks to participate and see what kind of response was elicited. The next year could then be a much bigger event, kicking off local shopping and leading into Christmas Fest the following Wednesday.

There was also discussion of an event that would also feature home-based businesses. Laura Estes at a prior meeting had suggested their inclusion in Small Business Saturday. Lisa Ott proposed another time of year for the event when no other events were scheduled, calling Open House Odessa perhaps. Marlon Schafer concurred, opting for putting the home-based businesses into the community center for improved access, calling it an Odessa Business Fair. Lise Ott will chair a committee to discuss logistics and timing.

Election

Nominations were opened for officers for 2015. Marcus Horak is unopposed for president. Running for vice president are Marlon Schafer and Justin Parr. Running unopposed for secretary is Mo Sheldon and for treasurer is Larissa Zeiler. Board member, Pos. 1, has Lise Ott running unopposed, Pos. 2, Vicky Iverson facing off with Sherri Frederick and Pos. 3 to be filled by the Biergarten 2015 chairman. The Chamber will not meet November 25. The next meeting and election of officers will be December 9.