Anderson new Colfax Chamber president

Debi Anderson wants to see the Colfax Chamber of Commerce re-evaluate its mission and decide where its focus should be.

Debi Anderson

“What are the needs of the business community and what kind of chamber budget is required to fill those needs? I would love to see the chamber become more self-sufficient,” she said.

Anderson noted the chamber is going to increase efficiency, and a first step was appointing a finance committee.

“The chamber has been operating without a finance committee. How can you evaluate anything and plan for the future without a finance committee?” she asked.

Anderson credited outgoing president Kathy Mayer for getting the committee appointed as one of her final accomplishments in office.

So where exactly should the focus be?

Anderson said Colfax, like all communities, needs more businesses but she admits that is a pretty general statement and there is only so much one can do to bring new businesses to town. The real challenge for the chamber, she believes, is to create an atmosphere that will entice a new business to throw in their lot with Colfax.

“I think we need to take very good care of the businesses that are already here,” she said. “If people believe the community will support them, and can see that support demonstrated, they are more likely to consider locating a business here.”

As much as Anderson loves her home town, she said Colfax has always had trouble working together. Colfax has a chamber, a downtown association, an arts council, school support groups and many other community-based or government entities with worthy ideas and interests.

She wants to host a “summit meeting” of members from the various local interest groups to find out what they are working on, how other local groups can support them, what projects could be more easily implemented by groups working together and to increase awareness of what kind of help is needed. She believes a meeting of the minds would go far in focusing local efforts.

She is also considering opening dialogue with other communities in the area which are enjoying success in revitalizing their downtowns. Anderson believes the communities can learn from each other and also can come up with cooperative projects for the area.

“We need active membership. It turns out that in many cases the same people are trying to make things happen in more than one group. I like to think what would happen if each family would be willing to do just one little community-oriented thing. No one would get burned out and a huge amount could be accomplished. It’s just not enough to enjoy something if someone else will do it,” Anderson said.

Anderson is not new to the concept of “making something happen.” She made a rather significant thing happen in one day - she created a Colfax Arts Council. Anderson said she only dabbles in art, but has always loved the quality of life the arts bring to a community.

She came up with an idea one afternoon in June 2006. In approximately 30 minutes, the idea for an arts council was born and in the works. It took that long to book a meeting room at the library and take an advertisement to the Gazette asking for people interested in encouraging the arts in Colfax.

Dick Gebhardt, May Claypool, Mary Ann Taylor and Bill Reynolds responded and shortly after, Ann Marra joined the group.

“The arts council is my first love and the very last thing I would give up,” Anderson said. “It shows what people can do - a mural, art banners, a “Meet the Artist” program that has been going now nearly seven years.”

With the right focus, Anderson believes Colfax could become a destination community.

“Think of everything we have here. We have one of the most complete and unsullied historic main streets in the state which would appeal to photographers, history buffs and artists and it provides a setting with built-in charm,” she said.

Anderson also encourages the business community and anyone else interested to attend the chamber of commerce luncheon every second Tuesday of the month. Anderson said the guest speakers have been exceptionally good with information for both retail and service businesses. She said many in the business community are missing good, free information.

“Kathy Mayer picked up a wealth of information at the luncheons and started to build on it during her tenure as chamber president,” she said.

Anderson said speakers will continue to be invited to the luncheons and business members are welcome to suggest a speaker or point out a topic of interest.

New vice president is Matthew Zook, and Mayer is immediate past president. Other board members include Randy Daniels, Sabrina Kennedy, Shawn McAdams, Suzy McNeilly, Whitney Mueller, Shawn Burt and Diana Frey.