Chamber president says membership rebound and staff hold operations while city waits for new executive director

The Geneseo Chamber of Commerce reported to the city council Tuesday that recent outreach has brought businesses back to membership and that the chamber will wait to hire an executive director until it finds the right candidate.

Jenny, who identified herself as the chamber president, said the chamber held a networking event attended by about 40 business leaders and has prioritized rebuilding its membership base. "We're waiting to find the right candidate. Jess is doing a great job filling the void right now," Jenny said, adding that the board has stepped up while the recruitment continues.

City council members expressed concern that a renewed focus on serving the full membership should not come at the expense of downtown and State Street businesses that are struggling. One councilmember said they would support targeted city assistance if it could show a clear return in tax revenue.

Jenny said the shift is not meant to abandon downtown events but to broaden services across the membership. She listed planned initiatives that include new networking and educational programming, an updated website and tools to help businesses use modern marketing and social media.

The chamber also discussed event structures and vendor fees after several council members raised questions about lower vendor participation at local festivals. Chamber leaders said they will review event pricing and may wait to make significant changes until an executive director is hired.

The presentation closed with the council thanking volunteers and chamber leaders for their time and work.

The council did not take action on chamber staffing at the meeting; the chamber said it will return with proposals once a candidate is identified.