ARKADELPHIA — The Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance and the Arkadelphia Area Chamber of Commerce will merge into one organization following a Dec. 29 vote by Chamber members.
“Many projects and programs were always going back and forth between the organizations and have sometimes been confusing,” said Shawnie Carrier, who will be president and CEO of the combined organization. She has been executive director of the Alliance.
“This is certainly not a new thought,” she said. “We have been operating under the same roof and with the same mission for quite some time. The merger allows us to better maximize resources and staff between the two entities and ensure that we are being good stewards of our budget dollars.”
Carrier said the Chamber will operate as an arm of the Alliance. The Economic Development Alliance has a mission of finding and developing opportunities for job creation by working with existing employers and soliciting new industries into the area.
According to the merger document, the leadership of the two organizations “deemed it desirable and in the best interest of their respective corporations, their members and the residents of Arkadelphia and Clark County” that the two groups combine into one organization so participants could concentrate their efforts on developing new economic opportunities and improving the business environment in the county.
Connie Nelson, who has been executive director of the Chamber, will be the director of Chamber and Retail Services for the combined organization.
“I am excited about the positive impact that increased attention to our small and retail businesses will have on our community,” Nelson said.
While the merger unites the two organizations, both the Chamber and the regional Alliance will retain their names and logos, according to the merger announcement.
The structure of the two groups will change. Members of the Alliance Board of Directors will retain their positions, and two Chamber representatives will be added to the board. The chamber, meanwhile, will operate with an advisory board consisting of those who are chairing committees and three executive representatives, Carrier said.
A new committee structure for the Chamber will be announced during the first quarter of 2011, according to the announcement. In addition, the Alliance plans to release information on new-member benefits during that same time.
Donnie Whitten, Chamber president and the superintendent of the Arkadelphia Public School District, announced his support of the merger plan.
“In the wake of the announcement of the Arkadelphia Promise scholarship program [for Arkadelphia public school students announced in December], this merger makes another positive stride for Arkadelphia and the future of economic development,” he said. “The Chamber is not dissolving; we’re simply solidifying the vision of two years ago to merge the organizations. We think it will help us as a Chamber.”