A member of the Oak Harbor City Council is now at the head of the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce.
Councilmember Eric Marshall announced at the council meeting last week that the chamber board named him as permanent director of the chamber. He was previously appointed as the interim director after the former director was let go on the same day as the board president resigned.
At the council meeting, Marshall said he drafted a memorandum at the advice of the city attorney to address the potential for conflicts of interest. The chamber receives well over $150,000 each year in lodging taxes from the city; the council approves the grants each year.
“I am cognizant of existing and future grant funding issues and will take necessary steps to avoid any conflict or appearance thereof,” he said. “This includes making appropriate disclosures and recusing myself from grant-related votes when required.”
In an email to the News-Times, Marshall explained that he intends to keep his two roles entirely separate.
“While acting as the executive director I represent the interests of our membership, while acting in my capacity as a council member I represent the interests of the entire community,” he wrote. “The objective is to know what hat I am wearing at the appropriate time and articulate such with whomever I am speaking with.”
A press release from the city states that Marshall is committed to public service and has served the city with integrity.
“I want to congratulate Eric on this new role,” Oak Harbor Mayor Ronnie Wright said in the press release. “His passion for Oak Harbor and commitment to our community will continue to move Oak Harbor forward.”
As the new chamber director, Marshall said he doesn’t envision implementing significant changes immediately, but he plans to work with the staff “to achieve the objectives outlined in our bylaws, vision and mission statement.”
Still, he has definite goals for his role at the helm of the chamber.
He wrote that the chamber leadership wants to grow the membership to more than 500, “a target not reached since the tenure of Executive Director Magi Aguilar,” who now works for the city as communications director.
Marshall said he is also working to revitalize the Ambassador program for member interactions, create a new membership directory and visitor guide, upgrade technology in the conference room and replace the chamber sign with a digital reader board.
“Additionally, we would like to strengthen our relationships with key partners, including the Oak Harbor School District, Skagit Valley College, NAS Whidbey Island, the City of Oak Harbor and the Oak Harbor Main Street Association,” he wrote. “We are also eager to create opportunities for our youth and sailors to engage more actively in the community.”
Marshall and his wife, Michele, used to own Whidbey Weekly & Printing. He previously served on the boards of both the Oak Harbor and Coupeville chambers as well as the Oak Harbor Main Street Association, according to his biography on the city’s website.
