My time as the Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce president is coming quickly coming to an end.

This is my second time around as Chamber president. I’ve served a total of six years on the board. What I’ve learned the most is the dedication it takes from a chamber director to serve chamber members.

Some people don’t know what the chamber does or sometimes think the Chamber of Commerce is an entity affiliated with the City government. That is not the case. The chamber is made up a group of business owners with likeminded passion and concern for the area community.

The director works with board members, but also works for each Chamber member. We have been fortunate to have great directors that have a passion for Cassville. Every Director I’ve worked with has a heart that beats for the betterment of our community.

It’s not an easy position, as some might think. It takes hours of planning, getting to Roaring River at 3 a.m., fielding phone calls from members and nonmembers, hot summer days, lining up over 100 entries in the Christmas parade, getting phone calls at 1 a.m. about Portapotties for an event, interviews, emails, articles, ribbon cuttings.

Christmas lights, musicals, cook-off, State Playoff tailgates, taking all the complaints when things are changed or canceled, helping pick up debris when it floods, trying to help businesses out during a pandemic, attending community planning meetings and so much more. Each day is different.

I’ve been on the hiring committee twice and we’ve told candidates, “There’s no way to fully prepare you for this position. You’ll see curveball after curveball.”

I tip my hat to the Chamber. It plays a vital role in the heartbeat of our community. It’s been an honor to serve.

Chad Johnson is the president of the Cassville Area Chamber of Commerce Board and owns Johnson Chiropractic in Cassville. He may be reached at dcjchiropractic@ gmail.com.