To serve as the Interim President & CEO of your chamber, even for a limited period, and to sit in the seat that has belonged to some remarkable chamber leaders is humbling.

My association with the chamber began in the early 90s, when I was active through various businesses with both the Camden-Rockport-Lincolnville Chamber, and the Rockland-Thomaston Area Chamber. I served one year as the chair of the chamber board, and as a chamber board member from 2000 through 2006. I was involved with the first, [failed], CRLCC and RTACC merger effort. I was recruited back onto the board from 2008 through 2013 and was involved with the second, [successful], merger effort. I’m pleased to say that the vote to bring the two chambers together all those years ago has proven to be the right move for our membership.

So many of my career and leadership opportunities have come as a result of my long association with the chamber and its networking and marketing connections. I have worked with dozens of smart and dedicated chamber board members, many of whom have become friends and trusted colleagues. There is a natural bonding that occurs when individuals work together as a team to improve their community.

I’m very much looking forward to working with chamber staff members Amy Rollins and Diane Norton, both of whom I have known for more than 30 years, and with the seasonal staff and incredible information center volunteers, and our board of directors. I’ll be relying on all of them to help me, and I hope that you will also recognize how important the entire team is to the continued success of your chamber.

As we offer our best wishes to Tom Peaco on his new adventure with the University of Maine Alumni Association, I will do my best to continue the high level of service that Tom has provided to all our members, until Tom’s permanent replacement arrives.

With that in mind, please give serious thought to potential candidates who could step up to the high bar set by Tom in his seven years with the chamber as President & CEO. The search committee is hard at work, and asks that you please refer inquiries to ceosearch@camdenrockland.com. A link to the job posting is below.

Best personal regards,

Gordon

The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce organizational overview and job overview for the Chamber President & CEO may be viewed at the link below. Applications are requested by July 29, 2022.

Last week the Chamber held its annual Chamber Auction and Chamber Challenge Golf Tournament. The Chamber staff and board of directors wish to thank the many members and friends who supported these two important fundraising events through donations, sponsorships, and participation. We are grateful for your ongoing support of our operations!

Did you know that the Chamber has beautiful, lighted, free-standing kiosks at the Maine Visitor Centers in Kittery and Yarmouth?

In addition to showcasing the 2022 Jewel, there is room on each kiosk to display 4 member brochures/rack cards - 4" x 9" max size; you must be a Chamber member and a Maine Tourism Association member. For just $225/year, your rack card will be displayed in both locations! We currently have 1 slot open in Kittery and Yarmouth, available now on a first come, first served basis.

To participate in this high visibility display, please contact Amy Rollins at Amy@CamdenRockland.com or call her at 236-4404.

For the past seven years, Tom Peaco has served as our President & CEO. As he embarks on the next chapter of his career with the University of Maine Alumni Association, we wish him all the best.

We'll miss you, Tom!

Each week, the Chamber features one of our members here in our Friday Report e-newsletter (distributed to over 2,000 emails), and on our Facebook (6,000 followers) and Instagram (1,100 followers) pages. Featured Member posts will link directly to your profile page on the Chamber website.

Please click below to complete the two easy steps to be considered as a Featured Member. Featured Members will be chosen randomly from the submissions received. We invite you to take advantage of this great Chamber member benefit to promote your business.

Founded in 1972, The Apprenticeshop is a non-profit educational organization located in Rockland, Maine, whose mission is to inspire personal growth through craftsmanship, community, and traditions of the sea. All of our programs, whether on the water or in the shop, emphasize hands-on learning.

To learn more about becoming a Featured Member, click here.

Submit your news releases to Amy@CamdenRockland.com.

Free Historic Walking Tours of Camden

The Camden Public Library is pleased to offer a walking tour of downtown Camden on Fridays at 4:00 p.m., from July 1 through September 16. This entertaining and educational walking tour features a handful of historic sites in downtown Camden, including the Camden Public Library grounds and Amphitheatre, which were designated a National Historic Landmark in 2013. Learn about the people, places, and industries that continue to make Camden a special destination. More...

OUT Maine has not yet sold all of the tickets for its Pride Raffle and is extending the raffle into July. Tickets are only $10 and the prizes include a handmade afghan, quilt, and painting! More...

Our two month Take Home Supper plan for July and August is a relatively simple one whereby our backyard drop-in center programming will continue to happen with expanded hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer, and, of course, we will continue to support additional youth and families with morale-boosting comfort food through our community outreach efforts, case management services, and transitional living program as well. More...

Camden Shakespeare Festival gives Shakespeare’s beloved comedy AS YOU LIKE IT a “Summer of Love” makeover. It’s the 1960s, where anything goes, and the plucky Rosalind tries to win the man of her dreams in the most outlandish way possible. Groovy songs are performed live in this crowd-pleasing favorite! More...

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced expanded voice bot options to help eligible taxpayers easily verify their identity to set up or modify a payment plan while avoiding long wait times. Voice bots run on software powered by artificial intelligence, which enables a caller to navigate an interactive voice response. The IRS has been using voice bots on numerous toll-free lines since January, enabling taxpayers with simple payment or notice questions to get what they need quickly and avoid waiting. More...

This year, the Knox County Homeless Coalition (KCHC) celebrates its 8th year serving the Midcoast. As a birthday gift to the community, a generous donor offered to match the first $500,000 in donations received by KCHC this calendar year. “Thanks to the support of donors, friends, and partners, we met the $500,000 match!” stated Caroline Morong, KCHC Board Chair. More...

Anna Moorman, a member of the benefits team at Allen Insurance and Financial specializing in individual health insurance and Medicare, is now a licensed life & health insurance consultant in Maine. More...

Our online calendar is your guide to live & virtual events in the Camden-Rockland Region. Click here to view.

Have an event to share? Members are invited to share events on the Chamber Calendar. Login to your Chamber Profile Page to get started.

Members are invited to email Amy@CamdenRockland.com with details of goods, programs, products, or services they would like to offer to their fellow members. Please limit your offer to headline + 75 words and include an end date not to exceed 1 month.