Chamber sets officers

SALISBURY — About 35 members came together at the annual meeting of the Tri-state Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, Jan. 19, at Noble Horizons for food, drink and camaraderie while planning for the economic year ahead. 

The slate of officers approved for 2017, as presented by Nominating Chair Bill Willis, was: President Susan Dickinson of Litchfield Bancorp; Vice President Jean Saliter, freelance graphic designer and photographer; Treasurer Peter Fitting of Noble Horizons; and Secretary Janet Manko of The Lakeville Journal Company. 

In addition, the slate of board members was approved: Marie Castagna of Lime Rock Park and the EMS Institute of Sharon Hospital; Mary Wilbur of The Lakeville Journal Company; Vanessa Thurston-Bousquet of the Interlaken Inn; Ethan Watt of Sotheby’s International Realty; and Bill Willis of Founders Insurance Group.

The financial report given by Dickinson showed the Chamber came out a little ahead of budget for the 2016 fiscal year, even with starting a new event, the Taste of the Tri-State vendor fair in March. Other activities included monthly Business After Hours gatherings at host businesses, as well as sponsoring and implementing the Lakeville/Salisbury Adopt-A-Tree decorations for the holidays and the Hometown Holidays celebration at The White Hart in Salisbury in December. 

A new venture for 2017 will be for the Chamber to take over the organization of the Murphy Open Golf Tournament in June, which had been run for 21 years by Fred Stevenson and a host of volunteers to benefit various nonprofit organizations in the area.

For more on the Tri-State Chamber of Commerce, go to www.tristatechamber.com, or call Dickinson at 860-435-0740.