Members of both Magnolia chambers of commerce attended a listening session July 7 to share their thoughts on a possible unified chamber.[/caption]The geographic barriers between Magnolia’s two chambers of commerce are blurring as the city itself grows, said Patricia Cooper, chairwoman-elect of the Magnolia Parkway Chamber of Commerce.
Extending the Magnolia city limits, developing more land, and widening FM 1488 have caused rapid growth in the area. Now, a business in the middle ground—land previously outside of either chamber’s reach—may be courted by both the Greater Magnolia Chamber of Commerce and the MPCC to become members.
Deborah Rose Miller, a member of both chambers and the Magnolia ISD school board, said there is a 35 percent overlap of membership between the GMCC and the MPCC.
“The reality is that we’re going to get more competitive,” Miller said. “It was one of the driving points that brought the conversation to this point.”
The boards of the two chambers unanimously agreed at a meeting May 9 to form the Magnolia Exploratory Committee to research the possibility of merging the two chambers. The committee, which includes four members from each chamber, will report its findings back to both boards of directors and membership this fall after the 90- to 120-day research period is complete.
“The question the committee is looking at is would the unification serve a greater good of the members as a whole?” Cooper said.
As part of its research, the MEC held the first of two listening sessions July 7 at Magnolia Parkway Elementary School. About 20 chamber members—some, members of both of the chambers—attended Thursday’s listening session.
“I understand the strong emotion that it brings forward in even discussing this [merger],” Cooper said. “But that geographic divide [between the chambers] is about to not exist.”
Led by Gigi Woodruff, facilitator for the MEC, attendees discussed the strengths, goals and identity of each chamber. Annual events, social connectedness and a love of Magnolia topped the list for what the chambers do well.
Miller, a member of the GMCC for 16 years, said the GMCC is good at differentiating the Magnolia chamber from neighboring chambers in Tomball and The Woodlands.
“What the Greater Magnolia chamber holds dear is the community and being Magnolia,” she said. “The city limits never kind of came in place to the conversation until late, but it was really just about Magnolia—its identity.”
Additionally, members focused on what the Magnolia business community may need as it continues to grow.
“This is brainstorming for both chambers, regardless of whether there’s a unification strategy to move forward,” Woodruff said. “All of this will be opportunity that somebody’s got to address as Magnolia continues to shift.”
Members suggested that a unified chamber could give the Magnolia business community a stronger voice in the county and before government bodies.
“We’ve got to be a better partner in the county,” said Miller, speaking for both Magnolia chambers.
A unified chamber could offer more support to incoming businesses, making the Magnolia business community more attractive, Cooper said.
However, members also voiced concern about smaller businesses getting lost in a large chamber, increased drive time to chamber events, and the current lack of a central meeting place.
“We need to decide if the barriers that were there that caused the growth of two [chambers] are still there or [if they can be overcome] or not,” said Rob Eissler, a MPCC member representing the Westwood Magnolia Parkway Improvement District.
The MEC will not decide whether the chambers should unite; the membership of both chambers will make the decision to proceed with a merger once the committee’s research is completed this fall.
“There’s a lot of emotion involved, and when you involve emotion, perspective kind of loses its trail,” Cooper said. “What the committee is trying to do is look at the facts.”
A second listening session will be held at Magnolia Parkway Elementary School, located at 11745 FM 1488, Magnolia, at 11 a.m. July 11.
