ASHLAND — The Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce honored several people during its annual luncheon last week working to stave off the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
All of its 43 businesses and organizations working in the medical and social services fields received the chamber’s “Spirit of the Chamber” award.
The individual version of the award went to Mark Rafeld, the county’s emergency management director.
“Not all heroes wear capes,” said Amy Daubenspeck, the chamber’s director of operations. “Even when we’ve all been gripped by this COVID-19 presence that we can’t seem to shake, you all came together in bad times.”
Rafeld said he was humbled by the recognition and the award.
The chamber’s “Jim Lingenfelter Service” award went to Barb Queer, a retired Ashland County Board of Elections member and longtime government worker. She said she was speechless — “which doesn’t happen very often” — and thanked the chamber for the honor.
The awards came during the chamber’s annual luncheon, at Ashland University’s John C. Myers Convocation Center. It was the first in-person luncheon since 2019. It also came at a time in which the chamber — and the area’s economy — seems to be on a rebound from the pandemic.
“We were excited with how the bed tax revenue rebounded, which was an indicator of economic growth and stability in our community,” said Jim Cutright, the chamber’s immediate past chair and President of Ashland County Community Foundation.
The chamber had its annual luncheon meeting at Ashland University’s John C. Myers Convocation Center on Nov. 4 — the first in-person luncheon since 2019.
The chamber’s calendar year 2020 ended with a slight decrease in revenues, which officials attributed to lower lodging tax collection through the pandemic. The chamber does not receive lodging taxes, they are distributed to counties and cities.
“But the (Ashland Area Convention and Visitors Bureau) is a division of the (Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce),” said Renae Osborne, Director of Programs and Finance at the Ashland Chamber of Commerce. “So when that tax revenue is down, it shows in the chamber’s budget.”
The collection of lodging taxes, or bed taxes, in Ashland County this year has already seen a 17% increase from 2020 numbers, according to data provided by the Ashland County Auditor’s office.
Ashland collected around $256,000 in bed taxes last year from both northern and southern regions of the county. This year, with November and December still to go, the county has collected a combined $299,000.
Even with the slight decrease in 2020 revenues, though, the chamber had a higher amount of cash on hand compared to the close of 2019. As of September 30, the chamber’s year-to-date revenues and net income were both in line with 2020, officials said.
Osborne said that’s because of the chamber’s creation of a sustainable model for the organization, which meant cutting two full-time employees down to part-time, and having members who remained faithful through the most trying times.
“We are extremely grateful to our members for recognizing the value of chamber membership,” she said.
The chamber also highlighted growth of several programs over the last 18 months. There was the completion of its Green Light Project, which involved visiting every chamber member. There was the launching of a Virtual Lunch and Learn series, the launching of a weekly video series dubbed “Four Good Things Friday,” and several other programs aimed at promoting area businesses.
The chamber’s luncheon included its annual reorganization of its board officers. Dan Lawson, Associate Vice President of Corporate Relations at Ashland University and an at-large Ashland City Councilman, was promoted to the board’s chair.
Angela Ringler will serve as Chair Elect, Jim Cutright will serve as Immediate Past Chair, Scott Fickes will serve as Treasurer and Jody Allton will serve as Secretary.
Bryan Finger, Nicole Hawks and Bri Noel were all welcomed as new additions to the chamber board.
