A pandemic is nothing anyone was prepared for, anywhere. For Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce (BHRCC), which promotes and supports member businesses, the region and the community, the coronavirus presented a daunting, unprecedented situation.

BHRCC Board Vice President Jason Denby has been volunteering as interim executive director until a new one is hired. Following the departure of Patricia Royall, executive director for five years, the Chamber board put out a call for the job in January. There were several applicants, but then COVID-19 arrived..

The Chamber office was closed for a few months. “We didn’t know what else to do,” said board president Doug Goldhirsch. “We got going a little slower than we would have if we had a team together. We were in a sort of turnaround phase when COVID-19 hit, that sort of set us back a little bit. In a way it’s made it harder. We are starting from scratch in a totally new work environment.”

When Gov. Janet Mills began closing down the state, the Chamber was putting the 2020 Region Guide together. Marketing & Communications Director John Nunan worked remotely from home to finish it. Event cancellations and postponements were flowing daily.

“Working on the guide certainly came with some unique challenges this year,”’ said Nunan. “It became clear at a certain point that delays were going to be inevitable to allow us to have the most accurate information possible. To that end, we de-emphasized events’ dates, focusing more on what happens here – rather than when it happens. The Art Map was reintroduced this year due to popular demand, and printed stand-alone copies to distribute in the participating region galleries.”

The Region Guide is now at the printer and should arrive soon. The digital version of the Guide and Art Trail Map have been on the Chamber’s website for a couple of weeks.

“A lot of what (the Chamber has) done, how we’ve been able to keep afloat is all thanks to John,” Goldhirsch said. “He’s been a key player and has a plethora of knowledge.”

Although Nunan had decided to work part-time at the Chamber, he has stayed on as the marketing & communications director while the board puts a full-time team together. One new full-time member of this new team, the member services and events manager, starts in August, joining part-time staff member Eileen Vactor and Nunan.

With serving members as the top priority, the website, www.boothbayharbor.com, is being revamped. A new addition will be a live status of every member business’ open and closed status.

“It’s been a resource for people. We are also taking each category listing what’s open and not open as well,” said Denby. “We also field a lot of calls from visitors about what’s going on here and what they can do here now.”

The Business After Hours program is resuming July 22 and 23 at Knickerbocker Group, in a new format in these coronavirus times. Instead of members gathering to learn about one another’s business, take a tours and network, members will make appointments through the Chamber office to visit the hosting business.

In addition to the Chamber’s larger events, Harbor Lights Festival and Claw Down – the Chamber does plan to bring back that  popular culinary contest  – the Chamber has been contacting other area entities to discuss how they can work together.

A new event, just in the discussion stage, is a boat show to promote the work and skills of the many boat yards here. The Chamber would sponsor and promote the show.

Said Denby, “We have a great board that wants to continue strengthening the Chamber to support the members. This is a small community with a large footprint.”

Although no plan is yet in place for the trolley Paul Coulombe donated, Goldhirsch said a project team will see how it will be used for the benefit of all. The new member services and events manager will be part of that team.

“When we began the process we didn’t even know if we were going to have a season,” Nunan said. “So it is heartening to be where we are at this point welcoming visitors into the area and helping businesses weather this storm. We are proud of what the community has accomplished and remain hopeful for the future.”

Currently, the Chamber, at 192 Townsend Ave., has limited hours: Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All COVID-19 guidelines are being observed. Questions? Call 633-2353.