YORKTOWN, N.Y.—Leaders of the Yorktown and Hudson Valley Gateway Chambers of Commerce held a public forum at the Jefferson Valley Mall last week to discuss the merger between the two organizations, which goes into effect on Jan. 1.
Yorktown Chamber President Karen Trendell introduced Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber Executive Director Carole Voisey to the gathering and said the merger should benefit Yorktown businesses by making more resources available.
“This merger represents a forward-thinking solution, one that will secure the future of the chamber and deliver greater value to our members and community,” said Trendell, who will be on the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber’s board. “It will bring strong infrastructure with a well-established operational framework to support the needs of our growing membership. Carol is the executive director... They have staff and a location in Peekskill and will maintain the location that we have put here [at Jefferson Valley Mall] for three years now.”
Trendell said the Yorktown Chamber—which currently has around 200 members—had come a long way since a low point of around 60 during the COVID pandemic.
“When we assumed leadership of the chamber three years ago, we inherited an organization in a state of dysfunction and distress,” Trendell said. “Membership was dwindling, there was no staff, morale was low, and the Chamber’s reputation had suffered.”
Trendell said the organization had rebounded and was in a good position to merge with its neighboring organization.
“Today, the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce stands on a foundation of strength, resilience, and a vision for the future, which is why we’re looking to a merger, and we’re moving in that direction,” she said.
Voisey, a full-time paid employee with an office in Peekskill, has a background in the nonprofit sector and believes her experience has made her an effective advocate for local businesses. She also noted that the HV Chamber’s main territory—which includes Peekskill and Cortlandt (including Buchanan, Verplank, Montrose, and Croton-on-Hudson)—has a strong connection to Yorktown.
“We’re very excited about this merger,” Voisey said. “It also benefits all of the other communities in this partnership.... I do know that transition is difficult, and that it is sometimes unwanted, but change can be good. And I do believe that this growth is going to be beneficial to all of us.”
Trendell said the transition will begin in earnest on Dec. 15, when the Yorktown Chamber will provide its current member lists to the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber.
“They will be uploading it into their database and they will be given the phone numbers and the email addresses there,” Trendell explained, adding that the Yorktown Chamber will “be fielding calls” until the end of the year.
Trendell said the decision to merge came after a years-long rebuilding process for the Yorktown Chamber.
“We are not closing a chapter tonight,” she continued. “What we are doing is opening a new one. We are becoming bigger and better. We are taking our 200 members and infusing them into the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of 389.”
Trendell said members of the Yorktown Chamber who had reached out so far were in favor of the merger.
Voisey, who became the Hudson Valley Gateway executive director in 2022, said that being a paid employee of the organization allows her to focus exclusively on advocating for its member businesses.
“This is my full-time job. I am being paid to serve you and to help your business and to advocate and to connect you with the right people, open doors for opportunity,” Voisey said. “It’s our goal to see all of these communities prosper and to rise together and that’s really our whole focus. I have very thick skin—so if anybody has some problem or feels like we haven’t met your needs, or the transition has been hard for you, call: Talk to us about it, communicate with us and we will do our best to try to work it out with you. We are not afraid of a little pushback.”
Trendell said all members of the Yorktown Chamber will automatically become part of the Hudson Valley Gateway organization on Jan. 1 with no additional dues. However, the HV Gateway Chamber does offer its members a range of services—including help with marketing, online, and more—for separate fees above the basic membership cost.
Leaders of the Yorktown and Hudson Valley Gateway Chambers of Commerce held a public forum at the Jefferson Valley Mall last week to discuss the merger between the two organizations, which goes into effect on Jan. 1.
Yorktown Chamber President Karen Trendell introduced Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber Executive Director Carole Voisey to the gathering and said the merger should benefit Yorktown businesses by making more resources available.
“This merger represents a forward-thinking solution, one that will secure the future of the chamber and deliver greater value to our members and community,” said Trendell, who will be on the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber’s board. “It will bring strong infrastructure with a well-established operational framework to support the needs of our growing membership. Carol is the executive director... They have staff and a location in Peekskill and will maintain the location that we have put here [at Jefferson Valley Mall] for three years now.”
Trendell said the Yorktown Chamber—which currently has around 200 members—had come a long way since a low point of around 60 during the COVID pandemic.
“When we assumed leadership of the chamber three years ago, we inherited an organization in a state of dysfunction and distress,” Trendell said. “Membership was dwindling, there was no staff, morale was low, and the Chamber’s reputation had suffered.”
Trendell said the organization had rebounded and was in a good position to merge with its neighboring organization.
“Today, the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce stands on a foundation of strength, resilience, and a vision for the future, which is why we’re looking to a merger, and we’re moving in that direction,” she said.
Voisey, a full-time paid employee with an office in Peekskill, has a background in the nonprofit sector and believes her experience has made her an effective advocate for local businesses. She also noted that the HV Chamber’s main territory—which includes Peekskill and Cortlandt (including Buchanan, Verplank, Montrose, and Croton-on-Hudson)—has a strong connection to Yorktown.
“We’re very excited about this merger,” Voisey said. “It also benefits all of the other communities in this partnership.... I do know that transition is difficult, and that it is sometimes unwanted, but change can be good. And I do believe that this growth is going to be beneficial to all of us.”
Trendell said the transition will begin in earnest on Dec. 15, when the Yorktown Chamber will provide its current member lists to the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber.
“They will be uploading it into their database and they will be given the phone numbers and the email addresses there,” Trendell explained, adding that the Yorktown Chamber will “be fielding calls” until the end of the year.
Trendell said the decision to merge came after a years-long rebuilding process for the Yorktown Chamber.
“We are not closing a chapter tonight,” she continued. “What we are doing is opening a new one. We are becoming bigger and better. We are taking our 200 members and infusing them into the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of 389.”
Trendell said members of the Yorktown Chamber who had reached out so far were in favor of the merger.
Voisey, who became the Hudson Valley Gateway executive director in 2022, said that being a paid employee of the organization allows her to focus exclusively on advocating for its member businesses.
“This is my full-time job. I am being paid to serve you and to help your business and to advocate and to connect you with the right people, open doors for opportunity,” Voisey said. “It’s our goal to see all of these communities prosper and to rise together and that’s really our whole focus. I have very thick skin—so if anybody has some problem or feels like we haven’t met your needs, or the transition has been hard for you, call: Talk to us about it, communicate with us and we will do our best to try to work it out with you. We are not afraid of a little pushback.”
Trendell said all members of the Yorktown Chamber will automatically become part of the Hudson Valley Gateway organization on Jan. 1 with no additional dues. However, the HV Gateway Chamber does offer its members a range of services—including help with marketing, online, and more—for separate fees above the basic membership cost.
Leaders of the Yorktown and Hudson Valley Gateway Chambers of Commerce held a public forum at the Jefferson Valley Mall last week to discuss the merger between the two organizations, which goes into effect on Jan. 1.
Yorktown Chamber President Karen Trendell introduced Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber Executive Director Carole Voisey to the gathering and said the merger should benefit Yorktown businesses by making more resources available.
“This merger represents a forward-thinking solution, one that will secure the future of the chamber and deliver greater value to our members and community,” said Trendell, who will be on the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber’s board. “It will bring strong infrastructure with a well-established operational framework to support the needs of our growing membership. Carol is the executive director... They have staff and a location in Peekskill and will maintain the location that we have put here [at Jefferson Valley Mall] for three years now.”
Trendell said the Yorktown Chamber—which currently has around 200 members—had come a long way since a low point of around 60 during the COVID pandemic.
“When we assumed leadership of the chamber three years ago, we inherited an organization in a state of dysfunction and distress,” Trendell said. “Membership was dwindling, there was no staff, morale was low, and the Chamber’s reputation had suffered.”
Trendell said the organization had rebounded and was in a good position to merge with its neighboring organization.
“Today, the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce stands on a foundation of strength, resilience, and a vision for the future, which is why we’re looking to a merger, and we’re moving in that direction,” she said.
Voisey, a full-time paid employee with an office in Peekskill, has a background in the nonprofit sector and believes her experience has made her an effective advocate for local businesses. She also noted that the HV Chamber’s main territory—which includes Peekskill and Cortlandt (including Buchanan, Verplank, Montrose, and Croton-on-Hudson)—has a strong connection to Yorktown.
“We’re very excited about this merger,” Voisey said. “It also benefits all of the other communities in this partnership.... I do know that transition is difficult, and that it is sometimes unwanted, but change can be good. And I do believe that this growth is going to be beneficial to all of us.”
Trendell said the transition will begin in earnest on Dec. 15, when the Yorktown Chamber will provide its current member lists to the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber.
“They will be uploading it into their database and they will be given the phone numbers and the email addresses there,” Trendell explained, adding that the Yorktown Chamber will “be fielding calls” until the end of the year.
Trendell said the decision to merge came after a years-long rebuilding process for the Yorktown Chamber.
“We are not closing a chapter tonight,” she continued. “What we are doing is opening a new one. We are becoming bigger and better. We are taking our 200 members and infusing them into the Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of 389.”
Trendell said members of the Yorktown Chamber who had reached out so far were in favor of the merger.
Voisey, who became the Hudson Valley Gateway executive director in 2022, said that being a paid employee of the organization allows her to focus exclusively on advocating for its member businesses.
“This is my full-time job. I am being paid to serve you and to help your business and to advocate and to connect you with the right people, open doors for opportunity,” Voisey said. “It’s our goal to see all of these communities prosper and to rise together and that’s really our whole focus. I have very thick skin—so if anybody has some problem or feels like we haven’t met your needs, or the transition has been hard for you, call: Talk to us about it, communicate with us and we will do our best to try to work it out with you. We are not afraid of a little pushback.”
Trendell said all members of the Yorktown Chamber will automatically become part of the Hudson Valley Gateway organization on Jan. 1 with no additional dues. However, the HV Gateway Chamber does offer its members a range of services—including help with marketing, online, and more—for separate fees above the basic membership cost.
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