CHAMBER, RCGA SAY NO DEALS MADE

No deals were made in the decisions of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce and the Regional Commerce and Growth Association to join forces, officials said Friday.

Walt Wildman's decision to resign as executive director of the RCGA effective Sept. 30 played no part in the matter, officials said.

"This was not a deal of any sort," said Ollie Miller, chairman of the chamber board.

Duane Beussink, president of the RCGA board, said Wildman's decision to resign caught the board by surprise Thursday night. "We accepted his resignation with regrets and wished him the best."

Wildman, who has served as executive director of the RCGA since November 1989, is leaving to take a position as head of social services for VIP Industries. He is scheduled to begin his new job on Oct. 17.

Beussink said it is vital that the chamber and RCGA cooperate. "The only way this area can grow is if everybody works together."

Thirteen members of the 18-member chamber board were in attendance at Tuesday's meeting where it was unanimously decided that the chamber would join the RCGA.

The decision was announced Thursday afternoon. Hours later, the RCGA board voted to join the chamber.

The chamber will pay an annual membership fee of $1,000, while the RCGA will pay $185 as an organization member of the chamber.

"We didn't do it because of or in spite of Walt Wildman. We did it because former chamber members were coming back. We saw that as a very positive thing," said Miller.

A number of key RCGA leaders, such as Earl Norman and Jim Drury, who broke with the chamber several years ago, have rejoined in recent months.

"We felt in one respect that they were sort of holding out an olive branch to us and we thought the time has come to try to overcome the differences of the past for the good of the community," said Miller.

"We discussed the pros and cons. We didn't see a down side to it."

He said the organizations haven't merged their operations in any way. The chamber, he said, is only committed to a one-year membership in the RCGA.

"If we see it is not working, we will reassess the situation next year," said Miller.

Chamber board members said they were unaware when they voted Tuesday that Wildman intended to resign as head of the RCGA.

Had the board known, Miller said, it might have delayed any decision on the membership issue to avoid any appearance of a deal being struck.

The chamber board's decision to join the RCGA came at the written urging of Wildman and followed a meeting some months ago of key leaders from both groups.