Chamber of Commerce Elects New President at Annual Meeting

The Greater Copper Valley Chamber of Commerce elected a new president at its 39th annual business meeting on October 22 at the Caribou Grill.

In her final message as acting president, Jordanny Sutherland called her past three years leading the board “a meaningful and rewarding experience.” She also expressed how thankful she is “for the opportunity to work alongside such dedicated volunteers and members of our organization.”

Sutherland expressed plans to continue to serve on the board, just not as its president, and to focus more time and attention on working in the Visitor Center.

Current board treasurer Richard Dennis was unanimously voted in as the Chamber’s new president. Secretary Nathan Helmer called him “an obvious choice.” Dennis was traveling out of town and unable to attend the meeting, but he had already expressed willingness to serve as the board president and was uncontested in the election. Dennis has served as the Chamber President in the past.

The annual meeting agenda also included chamber awards, budget discussions, and a silent auction.

The Chamber gave the Community Support award to Copper Valley Air. This award goes to local businesses that foster community services and involvement. In addition to essential services like assisting with med-evac flights and delivering mail to McCarthy, Copper Valley Air opens its hangar to community events and hosts an annual Airport Day with $10 flights, live music, and family-friendly games every summer.

Crossroad Medical Center received the Community Service award, which was accepted by their CEO Steve Gallagher, who was also that night’s keynote speaker. Chamber Vice President John Becker was named the Board Member of the Year as a recognition of his service and involvement during his 12-year tenure on the board.

Because current Treasurer Richard Dennis was out of state, board member Margaret Billinger presented the financial report for the Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 fiscal year. In spite of decreasing office expenses by 13% and cutting dinner meeting expenses by 17%, the board saw a four-figure net loss for the second year in a row. 

Merchandise sales at the visitor center saw a $500+ increase this summer in spite of a slower year for tourists. Official visitor records reported over 5,000 visitors from across the US and almost a thousand foreign travelers. The top countries represented at the visitor center were Canada, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Clicker counts tracked by the visitor center employees recorded over 9,000 visitors overall, with the most foot traffic seen in July.

The next board meeting will take place on November 5 at 5:45 pm at the Ahtna Inter-Tribal Resource Commission Conference Room. Their Christmas dinner is scheduled for December 10.

Disclosure: The writer’s husband was employed part-time by the Chamber of Commerce at their visitor center for the past two summers. 

Copper Valley Air and Crossroad are Copper River Record advertisers.