Seven chambers of commerce in Putnam County have been advocates for their regional niches, but the power of one is essential when it comes to advocating for federal, state and local funds ”“ and to garner recognition for the business community.

To that end, the seven have reached a meeting of minds, forming the Putnam County Chambers of Commerce and creating an acting board of directors, with Mahopac-Carmel”™s chamber President Jennifer Maher as acting chairwoman.

“Right now, this is going to keep each chamber operating separately with a separate budget. Bringing the chambers together under one umbrella is going to give us a voice on a federal, state and local level,” said Maher. “We are literally the ”˜missing link”™ in the Hudson Valley Chamber Coalition.”

Maher, owner-broker for Incline Real Property Services in Carmel, had been with Keller-Williams for several years and was thinking of investing in a Keller-Williams franchise in Putnam. “It couldn”™t be a worse time to start a new business,” said Maher, “but there never could be a better time to advocate for the business community to come together and work as a team.”

The benefits of a single chamber give Putnam the opportunity to get needed attention from Albany. Although it was granted Empire Zone status three years ago, the county”™s business community was so fragmented, implementation was difficult. That”™s when Pete Bardunias, executive director of the Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce, started investigating how other chambers were managing and bringing the information back to share with Maher.

“We learned a lot,” said Maher, Putnam County Chambers”™ new acting chairwoman. “With help from other chamber presidents ”“ Marsha Gordon (Westchester Business Council), Ann Meagher (Greater Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce), Charlie North (Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce) and Joyce Minard (New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce) ”“ we were able to use their input to see how we could best serve the business community in Putnam ”“ not just for the Mahopac-Carmel chamber, but for all the chambers and every business here.”

The new Putnam County Chambers of Commerce has 14 acting members on its board of directors, two from each of the seven chambers with Maher, president of Mahopac-Carmel”™s chamber, acting as chairwoman. Of the seven, only Mahopac-Carmel has a paid executive director, Bardunias. He”™s acting ex-officio on the new chambers”™ board.

The Mahopac-Carmel chamber recently changed its bylaws after inducting its 500th member, making it the first chamber in the county to adopt a corporate structure of governance. “We”™re no longer run like a club,” said Bardunias. “Our annual budget exceeds $300,000.”

For Maher, there are no expectations. “I want what is best to happen,” she said. “There are good things about keeping our individuality ”“ but in creating the Chambers of Commerce we can advocate for Putnam with our elected officials. It will give us a voice.Â Business blames the economic atmosphere on elected officials, but they don”™t have anyone to give those officials information. How can they represent us properly if they don”™t know our needs?”

The Putnam County Chambers of Commerce first official act will be to host the Putnam County League of Women Voters”™ candidates”™ night at the VFW in Carmel Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. “They are going to talk about and interview candidates on every level, from federal to local. It will give them an opportunity to meet us as well,” said Maher.
Nat Prentice, president of the Cold Spring Regional Chamber of Commerce who now sits on the 14-member board of directors of the newly formed Putnam County Chambers of Commerce, sees the move as a win-win for all.

“Coming together to get any kind of government attention, whether at the federal, state or local level, gives a voice to all of us and avails us of the opportunity to raise revenue with corporate sponsorships ”“ we aren”™t able toÂ do this as local chambers,” said Prentice. “I can”™t help but think our members are going to benefit from having a wider circle to network and promote commerce. This is a strategic partnering for the chambers without losing our individual identities.”

Brewster, Carmel-Kent, Cold Spring Area, Greater Mahopac-Carmel and Patterson chambers of commerce, theÂ Putnam County Independent Business Alliance and the Putnam Valley Business Association are the members of the new Putnam County Chambers of Commerce.

Grant for Mahopac-Carmel chamber

The town of Carmel and the Greater Mahopac-Carmel Chamber of Commerce are expecting an influx of $400,000 from Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York.
The funding will enable the chamber to create an Economic Opportunity Center with ample parking where the current chamber office now sits, allowing for an expanded Visitor”™s Center as well.

The project was conceived and designed by Mahopac-Carmel chamber President Jennifer Maher and town of Carmel supervisor Kenneth Schmidt.Â Additional funding to complete the building and parking area will be raised through public and private sources.

“In addition to having a building that can accommodate many functions for the chamber and the community, we will alleviate the parking problem in downtown Carmel,” said executive director Pete Bardunias. “The new parking area will be in front of the new building and give us enough room to accommodate the functions we are planning for it. It”™s a very exciting move for us, and we”™re hoping for the support of local business and the community to make it happen, with thanks to Sen. Schumer for getting the appropriation.”