Members of the Greater Magnolia and Magnolia Parkway chambers of commerce have announced the formation of an eight-member exploratory committee to research the possibility of merging the two chambers.

Forming the committee is the first step to considering a merger, but the committee will not decide whether the chambers should unite.

Patricia Cooper, chairwoman-elect of the MPCC and the coordinator for the committee, said the chambers are considering the merger because of the growth in the area.

“Our goal as the chambers [is] to benefit the member businesses, and we’re just looking at whether this would be an opportunity to continue to best serve the members of this business community as it grows,” Cooper said.

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The GMCC, formally established in 1981, includes businesses within and just outside of Magnolia city limits. The MPCC, established about 11 years ago, includes businesses in and around the Greater Magnolia area.

According to a May 19 memo sent to all MPCC members, the boards of the two chambers unanimously agreed to form the MEC after a joint board meeting May 9. The committee includes four members from each of the chambers.

Members from the GMCC include Terre Albert, Mark Feanny, Bill Burgess and Gerry Luther. Committee members from the MPCC include Judy Bode, Patricia Cooper, Kendrick Skipper and Ron McKeithen.

Albert said the chambers have discussed merging in the past. This year, however, when the idea was brought to the members of both chambers, the membership agreed to form a joint exploratory committee to research the feasibility of a merger.

Albert said the MEC is trying to answer just one question: Is this merger a benefit to the members and to the business community as a whole?

“We’re just kind of the fact-finding group,” he said.

The MEC will report its findings back to both boards of directors and membership this fall after the 90- to 120-day research period is complete.

“[We’ll] basically give a recommendation, but it could be ‘yes’ [or] it could be ‘no,’” Albert said.

The Magnolia City Council adopted a resolution June 14 expressing the council’s support for the GMCC, which has been in the city for many years, Council Member John Bramlett said.

“The purpose of this resolution is to say, ‘We want to keep the headquarters within the city of Magnolia, because it works good with the chamber and the city working together, and we’ve got longevity here [in the city] versus the other side [that may be annexed by Conroe],’” Bramlett said.

Members of both chambers will make the decision whether to proceed with a merger, Cooper said.

She said the committee’s findingswill be taken to the members of both chambers, and the boards will move forward with plans for a unified chamber should the members decide a single chamber is best for the Magnolia business community.

The committee will hold two member listening sessions at Magnolia Parkway Elementary School, located at 11745 FM 1488, Magnolia, to consider chamber member thoughts on the merger. The sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. July 7 and 11 a.m. July 11.

“We’re working very hard to make sure everyone is informed on exactly what we’re doing, because it’s not about us,” Cooper said. “It’s about the members.”