The Indian Lake Chamber of Commerce held an open forum Wednesday night at Indian Lake High School, giving those in attendance an update on the organization’s current status and plans for the future.
Board President Rick Core opened the meeting by acknowledging the challenges the chamber has faced in recent months.
Former Executive Director Amber Fagan left the organization in August, around the same time the rented space housing the chamber was flooded, destroying nearly all of the organization’s paper records.
Core asked the community to be patient and trust the process as the chamber moves forward.
He said the organization’s focus will be on unity, rebuilding from the ground up, and serving its membership and the Indian Lake region.
The current executive board includes Core as president, David Durnell as vice president, Jenny Ignarski as treasurer, and Carrie Wygant as secretary.
Jim Berry, Amy Musil and John Watkins also serve on the board.
The board said it wants to operate with greater transparency.
The chamber has also moved its office to 7465 State Route 366 in Huntsville.
The organization will hold an open house Thursday, October 1, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
The event hopes to give community members an opportunity to meet the chamber team, see the new office, and connect with local businesses and other members of the community.
Financially, Jeff McCollough told those attending that the chamber currently has about $66,000 in available cash, along with approximately $350,000 in investments and certificates of deposit.
He also said the organization has no outstanding bills.
Membership has declined steadily over the past several years.
The chamber reported 374 members in 2022, 334 in 2023, 316 in 2024, 284 in 2025, and 239 members year-to-date in 2026.
The board said it has been meeting nearly every week as it works through the rebuilding process.
However, no clear schedule was provided for future meetings that would be open to chamber members.
Wednesday’s forum made clear that the chamber is still in the early stages of rebuilding, with several details about its future direction still being worked out, including board members, direction, and plans for future activities.
There were several dozen community members at the meeting, including major business leaders from the Indian Lake region.
