History of the Chamber
On October 31, 1958 the Norwich Chamber of Commerce, led by William Kingman, voted in favor of becoming the Chenango County Chamber of Commerce and the certificate of incorporation was signed on January 17th, 1959.
During the many decades of change since then, our commitment to the community has not changed. It has only strengthened and grown with each year to meet the needs and challenges of our members, local residents, businesses and visitors.
In the 1970’s, Marylou Stewart began her job as Executive Vice President and remained until 1995 when she retired. Under Marylou’s tutelage, The Chenango Foundation was incorporated, the first Leadership Chenango Class graduated, Accreditation by the U.S. Chamber was achieved, and member programs and benefits grew.
In 1995, Tammy Carnrike was promoted to President & CEO. Through the next decade, the Chamber became the official Tourism Promotion Agency for Chenango County, acted as a catalyst in the development of the Route 12 corridor, published a full-color business directory, and added more member benefit programs.
Consolidation of tourism, economic development and Chamber operations was achieved in 2007 with a new name – Commerce Chenango. In late 2008, consolidation of the Chenango County Area Corporation and the Greater Local Development Corporation was attained and currently operates under the name of Development Chenango Corporation.
In May of 2009, Commerce Chenango took on a fresh ‘look’ and implemented an innovative new brand as part of the strategic plan to increase awareness and promote the unified image of our organization.
Today, Commerce Chenango is over 250 businesses strong and is committed to serving the county by fostering and strengthening economic growth, promoting the wonders of Chenango County and serving the needs of visitors from around the world. Our history is rich and powerful and Commerce Chenango is proud of the impact of our leadership and active membership. We look forward to serving our community for decades to come.
