WHITE LAKE — The Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce held a special called meeting Tuesday at White lake Town Hall to discuss the Ambassadors Committee and the vacation of Executive Director Dawn Maynard.
The meeting, which lasted just 9 minutes, was run by President Tiina Mundy.
She started by addressing the fact that three of the Ambassadors Committee members were present.
“The board meetings are not open to chamber members or the public, but we will proceed and allow the visitors to hear our discussion,” she said. “But they will not be allowed to speak during the meeting.”
There is nothing in the Chamber’s by-laws that closes board meetings to Chamber members.
Mundy went on by reading a portion of a Bladen Journal editorial (“Key pieces miss out on brainstorming,” Aug. 19) that opinionated on Maynard, who was on vacation, missing the small business brainstorming even sponsored by Bladen County Economic Development.
“I just feel the board should be aware of the editorial and know that Dawn did her due diligence,” Mundy added. “The editorial was a blatant attack on not only the chamber but Dawn as executive director.”
Moving on, Mundy asked the board members present to refer to the Chamber’s by-laws, specifically Article XI, Section 2 which states “No committee shall take and make public any formal action, or make public any resolution, or in any way commit the Chamber of Commerce on a question or policy or on matters of general interest, without having first received the approval of the Board of Directors or the Membership. At the discretion of the Board, such approval may be given in advance, such as when a committee is appointed with the power to act on behalf of the Chamber.”
Mundy addressed the fact that the Bladen Journal and BladenOnline had publicized a number of items discussed by the Ambassadors Committee.
“We have not given the Ambassadors Committee any approval to speak on the Board’s behalf,” she said.
Wrapping up, Mundy said the board members had in their packet information about the Ambassadors Committee and, at the regular board meeting on Sept. 8, those duties and responsibilities would be more fully defined.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached by calling 910-862-4163.