Chamber Reorganizes, Lays Off Executive Director

The Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce, which represents businesses in Garwood, Mountainside, Scotch Plains and Fanwood, has laid off Executive Director Naomi McElynn in a reorganization of the group.

WACC Chairman Jay Tintle said the decision to lay off McElynn was based on a corporate reorganization the organization has decided to embark on. He said the decision was "not necessarily a reflection" on McElynn's work in the Chamber's top executive role.

"Naomi is no longer with the Chamber," Tintle said. "We have decided to take a different direction with the Chamber. Sometimes you just need a change."

Tintle hinted that the current economic crisis contributed to the board's decision to lay off McElynn. He explained that the organization is a business and is managed based on member dues and that other chambers in New Jersey have had economic issues.

"Chambers are a business," he said. "Middlesex had to let go quite a few of their staff."

Tintle, the owner of Jay's Cycle Center on North Avenue in Westfield, would not explicitly say the Chamber is facing a cash crunch. He said a combination of factors played a role in the decision to lay off McElynn. A source within the WACC said the board made the decision at a recent meeting when they decided to embark on the restructuring plan.

McElynn could not be reached immediately for comment on this story. She has been informing contacts within the community about the board's decision to let her go. One person who received a message from McElynn showed it to Westfield Patch where the former executive director said she had been laid off.

The WACC board will meet on Thursday evening to discuss where to go in the future. Two part-time secretaries continue to work in the office and Tintle said volunteer board members will assist with the day-to-day responsibilities that were formerly handled by McElynn. Tintle said the Chamber's programs, including the September street fair and the farmer's market will continue as planned.

As a part of the reorganization, the board will be embarking on a study to see how the leadership should be structured. The WACC source, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the issue, said the board plans to reach out to other chambers in the area to discuss their executive leadership.

There has been a debate by some in the Westfield downtown community about the need for the Chamber and the Downtown Westfield Corporation, saying that the two groups have similar missions. The DWC handles the marketing and special events for businesses in a set geographic area of downtown, while the Chamber handles issues for businesses in the entire community. The Chamber also represents businesses in Garwood, Mountainside, Scotch Plains and Fanwood.

The WACC source said it is possible the Chamber would consider asking DWC Director Sherry Cronin to assume leadership of the Chamber as well, but stressed the idea is just a thought. The combined role is not without precedent. In Summit for years, the DWC's counterpart, Summit Downtown Inc., and the Suburban Area Chambers of Commerce, were led by a joint president. The Suburban Area Chambers also represented businesses in Berkeley Heights and New Providence. The joint president operated both with a combined staff from a Summit headquarters. The board member did say that Cronin's workload with the DWC could prohibit a joint venture.

Tintle said the idea of approaching Cronin to handle both jobs has not been discussed with Cronin or by the Chamber board. He did not indicate if the board would discuss the issue as a part of the reorganization plans on Thursday.

In addition, Tintle said he did not have a specific time frame for the restructuring of the WACC's executive leadership team. He said the board will discuss a specific timetable during the meeting on Thursday.

As a part of the restructuring, Tintle said the board would like to have the Chamber focus on a new set of programs, including more networking events. This would include adding new programs to the current programs offered by the Chamber. This could include education-related programs for local businesses. He said these would be discussed by the board on Thursday and at future meetings.

"The board is re-energized," Tintle said.