Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce members voted to change the chamber's bylaws on March 11 to better reflect the chamber's continuing focus on a local emphasis.

Those changes better reflect the emphasis of the chamber, according to Fred Steiner, chamber CEO.

The changes came as a result of a chamber brainstorming session in April of 2010. Several suggestions came from that session and several ideas have already been implemented including the recent bylaw changes.

The changes approved on March 11 follow:

The chamber board chair title is now chairperson of the board (formerly "chairman"). The board will continue to have a secretary and treasurer. Four divisions of the board have change names and their emphasis redefined. The new divisions follow:

Communication Division
Focus on things relating to member-to-member communication, such as newsletters, awards, recognitions, anniversaries, retirements, new business owners. Maintains contacts with industries and BCE.

Business Division
Focus on member recruitment, the downtown business district, making worthwhile services and products (benefits) available to members. Communicates with police and village officials concerning retail issues.

Education Division
Focus on speakers for monthly breakfasts, seminars and special chamber or town meetings. Establish relationships with village, state and federal agencies and provide members with information from these groups, which affect businesses. Works with the university on internships.

Growth-promotion Division
Focus on things such as festivals, website, brochures, business showcase, after-hour events, group advertising, billboards, welcome packet, tourism, ribbon cuttings. Will assist village in recruitment of new businesses and industries in economic development.

Bookkeeper position
In addition to these changes, the board will to create the position of chamber bookkeeper. That person will not be a board member, but willbe a part-time board paid appointment on a year-to-year appointment.