Running a chamber of commerce is never an easy assignment, and it can get even more complicated when the organization has been built through the merger of two longtime groups.

When you consider the accomplishments of the Brooke County Area Chamber of Commerce, however, you have to say that the organization has gotten off to a pretty good start.

“This evening, we are all seated at the same table — a table of opportunity connection and growth,” said Sandy Kemp. “It’s wonderful to see so many familiar faces, and so many new ones at our table tonight.”

Kemp, the director of the Brooke County Senior Center, was speaking as the first vice president of the Brooke chamber, and her words were delivered Nov. 12 as part of the opening remarks at the organization’s recognition dinner. She stressed that the chamber’s core was strengthening business connections and bringing people together.

“This past year, the merger of the Wellsburg and Follansbee chambers has been a winning combination,” Kemp said to the 200-or-so who attended the dinner at the St. Francis Center in Follansbee.

Her words were in keeping with the theme of the evening: Place Your Bets on Success: Bet on the Chamber. They also helped to guide President Eric Fithyan.

“Tonight, we celebrate our first year as a merged chamber,” Fithyan explained. “I think it’s safe to say that we’ve hit the jackpot. The team of volunteers are a full house for the chamber of commerce.”

Chamber dinners are about celebrating successes and recognizing individuals and organizations for the work they do in the community. This year’s honorees — A Child’s Place C.A.S.A., the nonprofit organization of the year; Suzanne Davidson, the recipient of the lifetime achievement award; Tony Viola, the young professional of the year; Two Antique Geeks, the business of the year; and Samantha Walters, the citizen of the year — certainly fell into that category.

But, as Fihyan said, the biggest milestone of the year was the merger of the Wellsburg and Follansbee chambers that created the new group.

“What started as months of conversations between two organizations become a reality this year,” he said. “Both groups placed trust in me to serve as president for two years to help guide the transition into a unified chamber of commerce.”

That transition did not come without challenges.

“As with many changes, some members of our board of directors retired, and others decided that the decision was not for them,” Fithyan added. “But those who stayed came together with dedication and a vision, joined by many members. We came together to create something stronger, something better — a vibrant, united organization.”

Fithyan said a rotating board structure will hope to ensure that the organization always has fresh board members who will bring new perspectives and fresh ideas.

While the organization is moving forward, Fithyan said, it’s important that it does not lose touch with the past.

“Former Wellsburg chamber President Dan Otto even passed along a new set of scissors to commemorate our first ribbon-cutting as a chamber of commerce,” he said.

Those scissors have handles that are orange and blue.

“Our colors tell our story — the orange represents Wellsburg High School and the Orange Knights, and the blue is for the Follansbee Blue Wave. We’re deep in history, but we’re still one chamber of commerce,” Fithyan said.

“They represent who we are now, a new organization built on rich traditions as we share one motto of working together.”

Fithyan added that the chamber ribbon-cuttings during the past year had welcomed six new businesses to the area.

Collaboration, he explained, is important to everything the chamber does. That includes partnering with the other chambers of commerce in our region. Emily Byers, president of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, and Brenda Mull, president of the Weirton Area Chamber of Commerce, both were at the dinner.

It also includes working with volunteers at community events, from helping at the Mountaineer Food Bank and the Wellsburg Applefest to providing teacher grants and coordinating one of the region’s biggest trunk-or-treat events. Those efforts helped the organization earn a nomination as a finalist in the community involvement category in the Best of the Best awards presented by the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.

“That’s recognition that reflects every hour of volunteer time and every ounce of dedication to this team,” Fithyan said.

Volunteer work, he explained, is what makes the chamber a success.

“All of this, every event, every partnership, every success was accomplished by an all-volunteer team,” Fithyan added.

That dedication and work have created a solid foundation for the organization.

“You should be proud of your chamber of commerce,” Fithyan added. “You should be proud of your volunteer effort. As your president, I am proud, deeply proud, to serve and to serve Brooke County and our surrounding communities. From Weirton to Beech Bottom, from Bethany to Colliers to Wellsburg and Follansbee, we are a family.”

(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times)