For the first time in about 10 years, the Mt. Hood Area Chamber of Commerce
will welcome a new president. At the Tuesday, March 6 meeting, Coni Scott’s
tenure as the organization’s president will end, with Jeri McMahan taking on
the role.

McMahan noted that there are “big shoes to fill” and that she hopes to
continue the momentum built up over the past decade.

“We have a good board; it’s a volunteer position and I always believe it’s the
board, it’s the group that runs it,” she said. “It’s not one person.”

McMahan headed the Hoodland Senior Center for 28 years and served as a
board member for the Welches Schools prior to school district consolidation.
She also serves with Clackamas County Tourism and Cultural Affairs, a
community partnership program.

“This woman is extremely qualified, I’m excited,” Scott said.

McMahan added that she hopes to engage with the chamber’s members to get
more ideas on improving tourism and getting people to stay on the mountain
to help area businesses. But she also doesn’t see a need to make any changes
with the group.

“I think the chamber its well organized right now, I think my idea right now is
to keep going with the way we have things organized right now,” McMahan
said. “I don’t see anything that’s broken that we need to fix right now.”

Scott, who will be the chamber’s vice president, noted that she’s most proud
of all the people that worked hard to make the chamber a success during her
tenure as president.

“If I’m going to be proud of anything, I’m going to be proud of our family of
friends up here,” she said. “I did nothing by myself. The volunteers and the
number of people we had from everywhere was amazing.”

Accomplishments during the past 10 years for the chamber include a yearly
breakfast honoring area volunteers, television commercials, various brochures
and more.

But one event Scott played a role in starting up, The Bite of Mt. Hood, will not
be back this year. Both Scott and McMahan cited the amount of work and the
numbers of volunteers needed to put the event on as the biggest reason for
not bringing it back this spring.

“We’re going out on a high note right now, and I think that’s the way to do it
instead of watch something fizzle out,” McMahan said. “Hopefully, if we bring
it back again, people will be out there waiting for it.”

Scott noted that while she is sad the event will not happen, she is proud of
how the profits from The Bite were used to support other organizations in the
community, including the school and the Boy Scouts.

“The community gave, and I hope they know we gave back to them, as well,”
she said. “That’s really important, as far as I’m concerned.”