A full-court press by Washington- Wilkes Chamber of Commerce board members, and changes at the Chamber office,have seen membership in the local group almost double in the last few months.

"Thanks to the hard work by our Chamber board and members, we're excited to see the growth in our membership to about 208 members from 98 at the end of last year," said Ashley Barnett, who had taken over the part-time duties of Chamber director. "Thank you to the businesses and people who believe in the Chamber of Commerce and know we are doing everything we can to promote your business and Washington- Wilkes."

Chamber board member Ed Pope III said that he and other board members have gotten a warm welcome from business owners they approached for membership renewals. "They know it's important that Wilkes County have a strong Chamber to help build business and help business people," he said. "One person I talked to said, 'It's nice knowing that there's someone working for my interests.' Another said he liked the Chamber because the members are a unifiedgroup capable of doing more together than we are as individuals. And that's very true."

Pope says that the board knows it needs more participation from the ag community in Wilkes County, and is looking to add a farmer or rancher as a board member. "We would really like for the farming and agriculture community to know that we are committed to seeing their industry prosper," Pope said. "People think the Chamber is too focused on tourism and retail, but every business is important to us. The agricultural sector is still the largest industry here, and is vital to this community's well-being, and we understand that."

With Barnett taking on the additional duties as Chamber director, the officeneeded help with phones, visitor traffic, and administrative work. "We are excited to welcome Rachel Arnold as the new administrative assistant," Barnett said. "Working part time, she'll be a huge asset to the Chamber. She is great with the visitors and such a professional, and we are thankful to have her."

Realizing that a Chamber of Commerce is only as strong as the members build it, several Chamber business members have stepped up to help their Chamber in different ways. The new Chamber street cart is a good example. "We want to thank Scott Lewis with State Farm for donating the golf cart and for Washington Towne Cars/Neighborhood Custom Vehicles for the fantastic upgrade," Barnett said. "We're so excited to have our very own customized golf cart. It has already been of great use!"

Farmers and Merchants Bank stepped up and donated new officefurniture and desks, she said. "We are excited beyond belief to have new officefurniture in the Chamber," Barnett said. "We can never thank F&M enough for all they do for the community and especially to help the Chamber of Commerce, which in turn benefits the whole community."

Another visible donation by a business is the newly improved web site WashingtonWilkes.org. "Catherine Fievet Blount has just done a tremendous job," Barnett said, "And we update it daily, so if you haven't been to it in a while, you're sure to findnew postings. Please send us any information or pictures for our website committee to look at, so we can keep adding to it."

Now, shouldering the duties of Chamber Director and Tourism Director, Barnett faces both tasks with boundless enthusiasm and growing wisdom. "I've said it over and over again," she said, "I love coming to work every day and working for an incredible city and county. It is my passion and I can't wait for years to come and what all is in store. Again, I cannot thank you all enough for what our community has done to support the Welcome Center and Chamber of Commerce. We could not do it without you."