"I'm feeling great about the accomplishments we made throughout the year and I am feeling confident that the 2008 board will build on what we started."

Those were the words of outgoing Ellenville-Wawarsing Chamber of Commerce's president Holly Houghtaling.

Houghtaling, an office comptroller at Sprague and Killeen and longtime member of the local chamber will be stepping down from the organization's presidency at year's end. It is a choice she says is motivated by her desire to be with her family though she says that she will miss the level of involvement she achieved this year.

"It's been very rewarding for me. I have gotten to know many aspects of this community that I was never available to see in the past. It got me involved in real issues and find out where our community wanted to go."

Under Houghtaling, the 2007 EWCOC was more active than anytime in recent memory as it sponsored its traditional events like the Fourth of July parade, the Blueberry Festival and holiday lights as well as a barn dance in support of the Ellenville Farmer's Market, a forum to discuss Wal-Mart, a number of business meetings and this weekend's second annual Holiday Sing. Houghtaling's board also presided over the relocation of the chamber's offices to the Hunt Memorial building.

In addition, the organization boasted the incorporation of the farmer's market under its umbrella, beginning a campaign urging consumers to shop locally and reached an all time high in chamber members with over 160.

So what does Houghtaling see as the best outcome of 2007?

"The increased motivation in our membership and the increase in our base — an increase of 40 members. That reflects the amount of effort by this year's board."

Houghtaling says that she will remain active with the chamber as immediate past president but will also see her role reduced from this year's workload.

"As immediate past president — of course I'll still be involved. How can you walk away from something like this? I will be there. I will not be acting in the same capacity. If they need me, I will be two offices down since we moved to the Hunt."

Looking Ahead

Looking forward to the board's incoming directors, Ace Hardware's Brian Culwell, Ellenville Public Library's Lynne "Asha" Golliher and the Ellenville Journal's Stefan Spezio, Houghtaling feels that, "all three of them will bring a fresh outlook and new ideas to the board."

Sizing up each new director individually Holly notes:

On Brian Culwell: "Brian's been a longtime member of the business community and I believe he will be a major asset to the chamber over the next three years."

On Asha Golliher: "Asha has brought in so much fresh blood. She was an outsider who has become so involved in our community over the past year... I have no doubt she will carry on with the same energy."

On Stefan Spezio: "He's my 'community' guy. I can't think of anybody who looks out more for the issues and concerns facing this community. He has that personal interaction with everyone. He just doesn't say it, he feels it."

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