Triplett to leave Chamber

Bill Triplett, president of the Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce, will not serve again as board president and will not sit on the board once the new board is installed in July. That is a shame since Triplett has been a fair and activist board president. He ran meetings in a clean and impartial way, and did not use the Chamber as an ongoing platform to promote his own business interests. Of all recent presidents, Triplet, in my years of covering the Chamber, is the only president to routinely go out to member businesses to canvas for issues of concern to members and to gauge the business pulse of the town.

As of this writing, according to Triplett, Joe McNabb and Mona Taggart will not serve on the new board. Steve Zaccardi and Robert Garcia may have issues with time committment to Chamber business and may not choose to be installed. That leaves Ken Carlson, Mimi Lamp and Richmond Blake as sole directors, if Triplett's predictions prove true.

No matter who is on the board, the Chamber will face an uncertain future, since money from the county, usually in the 20 to 30 thousand annual range, is doubtful given the county's current economic crisis.

Triplett has been publicly lauded by the Chamber board for his service, activism, and committment to bettering the town's business climate. He will be missed.