CHAMBER BOARD TO HOLD ANNUAL RETREAT AFTER FRIDAY COFFEE

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors will hold its annual retreat Friday.

Board members will meet at the Lone Star Natatorium immediately following the chamber's First Friday Coffee for a day-long session, to discuss goals, set priorities, establish budgets, and discuss other issues.

The First Friday Coffee will be held at 7:30 a.m. Friday at Drury Lodge, with Alan W. Foust, a loss prevention specialist, discussing "Safety for the Holidays."

New chamber board members who were recently elected, will attend the retreat, and new chamber officers will be elected. Jim Rust, retiring chairman of the board, will remain on the board for one year as an ex-officio member.

New members elected to the board, for three-year terms, were:

Kim Swartz, executive director, community counseling Center Foundation; Jay Knudtson, vice president, Boatmen's Bank; Steve Green, vice president, commercial lending, Capital Bank; Don Hill, general manager, Capetown RV Sales; Alan Gregory, project manager, Gregory Construction Inc.; and Howard Meagle, vice president/general manager KFVS-TV.

A number of speakers will appear at the retreat, including city, school, university and highway department officials.

"We'll also talk about the new chamber building," said John Mehner, chamber president and CEO.

The idea of a new chamber building emerged three years ago during the chamber's annual retreat when chamber officials cited a need for additional space and more parking. The idea was revived last year when an offer was made on the current chamber building.

During the past year, plans for the new headquarters building were finished and the contract let for the new facility, to be on Mt. Auburn Road, available next summer.