The past 21 months for the Mt. Hood Area Chamber of Commerce have been
anything but “business as usual.” After the coronavirus pandemic hit, the
chamber halted in-person meetings, held board meetings via zoom and took
efforts to help its members, including not collecting dues for a year.

Next month, the chamber will restart its monthly in-person meetings, held on
the first Tuesday of each month, and will welcome Jason Brandt, President
and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association (ORLA).

“The 21-month long span of the pandemic to date has caused widespread
disruptions in Oregon’s hospitality industry,” Brandt wrote in an email to The
Mountain Times. “Our discussion at the Chamber will include a review of the
challenges faced by the industry to date, relief programs that have assisted
many with business survival, and the many challenges that persist as
operators work to bring back a sense of normalcy for their employees and
customers.”

Brandt added that while some businesses have started to be profitable again,
some had to go into debt to cover unavoidable losses.

“Our hope at ORLA for the business world would be that 2022 is full of
consistency for business operations without unexpected and overly volatile
government regulations,” Brandt noted. “2019 was the last year any business
was able to rely on operating hours based on their own decision making."

“Our hope for 2022 is that it is filled with opportunities to bring joy and
fulfillment to our guests as we work to transition from a pandemic to the
management of an endemic throughout our state and country,” he added.
The chamber will play its part in helping out Mountain businesses this year by
reducing membership dues, made possible by years of volunteer efforts,
including the proceeds from The Bite of Mt. Hood.

The chamber’s first in-person meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4,
2022, at the Mt. Hood Oregon Resort, 68010 E. Fairway Avenue in Welches.
Refreshments will be served and COVID protocols will be followed. For more
information, call 503-622-3017.