By KEVIN NEVERS

The Chesterton/Duneland Chamber of Commerce has a new executive director.

And she’s a familiar face in the local business community.

The Chamber Board of Directors unanimously voted this morning to hire Bonnie Trout, owner of the former Fine Things at 115 Broadway and—under the aegis of the Duneland Economic Development Company, the Chamber’s not-for-profit arm—manager of the phenomenally successful European Market.

Trout replaces Laurie Franke-Polz, who resigned in August after a little more than seven years in the position.

“As executive director,” the Chamber said in a statement, “Trout is responsible for the general management and coordination of all Chamber activities, directs the planning of Chamber objectives, and implements Chamber policies.”

Trout has been a Chesterton resident since 1991, when she moved from California. After retiring from AT&T—where she worked for 30 years, as an instructor, a business office manager, and an auditor—she worked in the Chamber office for nine months as an administrative assistant. “I wanted to get involved in the community,” as Trout told the Chesterton Tribune today.

She later spent two years as executive assistant to the owner of Kramer & Leonard Office Products, Greg Fox, then in 1997 opened her retail shop, Fine Things. After almost six years in business in Downtown Chesterton, Trout closed her store and has been working as a salesperson for Martin Binder Jeweler in Valparaiso. Trout also co-managed the European Market when it debuted last year and is now managing it herself and at one time chaired the Chamber’s Downtown Beautification Committee and served on its Retail Committee.

Trout’s assumption of the executive directorship comes at a critical juncture in the Chamber’s history. On Tuesday Chamber President Glenn Wagner officially announced the successful completion of the transition which saw Lakeshore Festival and Events Inc. assume total responsibility for the management of the Wizard of Oz Festival, after 22 years under the sole sponsorship of the Chamber. And with the recent resignations of the Chamber’s bookkeeper and its office manager, Trout will be starting with a clean slate.

She has, Trout said, a lot of work to do.

Her first priority will be to begin contacting Chamber members and get them “re-grouped.” What do they want? What do they need? “I don’t think they’ve gotten any contact for a long, long time.”

But Trout will also work to increase the Chamber membership, which has fallen, she said, from more than 500 in 1995 to 377 as of last week. “A lot of people were turned off by the Chamber, for one reason or another, and I’d like to know why.”

One way to make the Chamber a more inviting organization, Trout said, would be to implement a discount program for members. At the moment, Trout observed, the Chamber website advertises one of the chief advantages of membership as the opportunity to network. But businesspeople can network anywhere, while a discount program would offer members and prospective members a real incentive to belong to the Chamber.

Other initiatives: a survey of members to track their needs, an e-newsletter to make delivery faster and less expensive, and the appointment of a “business advocate”—or as she otherwise described the position, a “concierge”—whose job would be to assist businesses navigate and negotiate local zoning ordinances and other regulations.

In the meantime, of course, Trout will be involved in finding new digs for the Chamber, whose lease at the old New York Central passenger depot at 220 Broadway the Chesterton Town Council opted not to renew next year. Eventually, Trout said, she hopes that office space will be shared by LFE and the DEDC.

“I’m very excited by the position because I think I can make a difference,” Trout said. “I’m a people person and I’m well organized. And I’ve worked all my life.”

For his part Wagner told the Tribune that the Chamber received around a dozen applications for the position of executive director and interviewed about six applicants, but Trout was “the best choice because of her connection to the community and her proven record with the European Market.”

“Change is a good thing, a lot of times,” Wagner noted. “And in this case it’s a very good thing for the Chamber.”

“We’re definitely excited and looking forward to the future,” he said. “Bonnie is active in the community, she knows a lot of people, and she has a proven track record planning special events.”

Chuck Lukmann, who will serve as Chamber president next year, agreed. “I’m pleased that we were able to find someone of Bonnie’s caliber to lead the Chamber into the future and I’m excited about the direction it’s heading in serving its members.”

LFE

On the subject of the Chamber’s final hand-off of the Oz festival to LFE, Wagner said this in a statement released Tuesday. “The boards of both organizations take this opportunity to thank the countless individuals who made this year’s festival a memorable experience for all who participated. This transition is the culmination of many months of planning and the efforts of numerous volunteers at the board level and beyond. We anticipate the end result being a Chamber that is better positioned to meet the needs of its members and the business community. Consequently, LFE will now be in a position to focus on the festival, as well other North Porter County events that will enhance the county’s tourism efforts.”

“Beginning in 2005,” Wagner concluded, “LFE will be responsible for and oversee all aspects of the festival. The Chamber will continue to provide logistical and clerical support for LFE in a partnership designed to benefit both organizations and the Duneland community as a whole.”

As it happens, the completion of the transition comes just days after the resignation of Karen Spallina from the presidency of LFE. Marilyn Zengler, who chairs the LFE Board of Directors, told the Tribune that the resignation of Franke-Polz only a month before this year’s festival complicated Spallina’s job a great deal but that the festival was nonetheless very successful. “Karen did her best in a situation that was filled with difficult circumstances,” Zengler said. “And she did her best. And she pulled off the festival. We wish her nothing but the best.”

“Many not-for-profits raised funds and church groups,” Zengler said of this year’s Oz festival. “The vendors did great. And we’ve had a lot of letters at (The Yellow Brick Road) from people who had a great time.”

LFE will not attempt immediately to replace Spallina, Zengler said, but wait a few months instead. Meanwhile, “LFE is moving forward and we‚re really excited about next year. We‚ve got our committed volunteers who are really excited by the event.”

Jean Nelson, the former owner of The Yellow Brick Road, has also joined the LFE Board, Zengler added, “and we’re thrilled to have her with her experience.”

Zengler did say that LFE will assist the Chamber in planning and organizing the Christmas Walk and Santa Parade in November, both of them events— like the Oz festival—which LFE “is going to take over totally” but probably not this year, given Spallina’s resignation.

Posted 10/13/2004