The chamber of commerce is currently operating without a director, leaving board members weighing budget constraints, event workloads and the future direction of the organization.

Board President Sylvia Ettefagh told directors during a Sept. 14 meeting that leadership has not yet committed to hiring a full-time executive director following the departure of Lora Lee Mason on July 30. Mason had served in the role since October 2025.

“Currently, we’re reviewing our budget to determine what can be done (about filling the position),” Ettefagh said. “We haven’t started looking for a new director yet.”

The chamber spent more than it took in the fiscal year that ended June 30.

The board has previously discussed director burnout and event oversight. Former director Tracey Martin, who took the post in August 2024, stepped down a year later to travel abroad with her husband.

During a July 14, 2025, meeting, the board addressed the job’s demands by voting to scale back chamber involvement in community events.

At that meeting, the chamber decided to relinquish control of planning and organizing Fourth of July events and games to community volunteers, as well as also turning over control of the annual pumpkin patch event  held in October.

At the time, Martin pointed out that organizing the annual Fourth of July celebration placed an immense strain on staff, as preparations began every January and compounded an already demanding routine.

The chamber continued to manage the July 4 fireworks and royalty ticket-sales contest that raises money for the fireworks and chamber operations.

Those workload concerns resurfaced during the Sept. 14 session. 

Board member Jake Harris emphasized that the chamber’s primary mission is to promote businesses and economic development, though he noted that mission relies on shared interest and support from the municipal government and the wider community.

The borough stopped making an annual donation to the chamber two years ago, though it does provide office space for the chamber at the Nolan Center.

According to material handed out for the Sept. 14 meeting, the chamber spent $90,408 in the fiscal year that ended June 30 and spent $117,684, for an operating loss of $27,456.

The draft budget for the year that started July 1 showed expenses of $99,290 and revenues of $93,300, for an operating loss of $5,990.

To keep operations running through the fall, board member Angie Flickinger proposed hiring a part-time coordinator to manage programs through the end of the year. Under her proposal, the board could then assess whether funding allows the arrangement to continue long term.

Flickinger also recommended drafting a clear work plan to prevent the new hire from becoming overburdened.

The board concluded there is sufficient room in the current budget to move forward with hiring a temporary, part-time coordinator.