After 18 months of research and work leading up to the creation of the State’s first Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (PAC), The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (PAC) recently held its first organizational meeting. The PAC is a registered, non-profit organization with the State of Arkansas and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce. As part of its charter, the PAC’s sole member is The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce and its purpose is to support issues that advance the mission of The Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors selected the original nine directors who will serve as the PAC Board and who will lead the PAC’s activities throughout the next 3 years. PAC Board members who will serve are Dan Messersmith, a partner at Duncan, Messersmith and Associates; Helen Selig, a broker at PDC Companies; Sam Stathakis, owner of Merritt Wholesale; Mike Ferguson, Market President for US Bank; Larry Dewitt, General Manager at Comfort Suites and Comfort Hotels; Lorna Nobles, owner of Trademark Real Estate; Larry Stephens, CEO of Mid-South Engineering; Mark Fleischner, owner of Laurey’s-The Diamond Center; Kirby Williams, Chief Retail Officer of Diamond Bank. Ferguson, Dewitt and Nobles each have terms that will expire in December 2009 and the remaining board terms will expire in December, 2011. Dan Messersmith was elected as the PAC’s Board Chairman; Selig was selected as Vice-Chair with Mark Fleischner chosen as Secretary and Stathakis tapped for Treasurer.

The Board’s first official act was to ratify and adopt the Articles of Incorporation and By-laws that were pre-approved by the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Arkansas Ethics Commission. The board also adopted a Conflict of Interest Policy which is more comprehensive than spelled out in the By-laws. The organization will officially register with the State as a PAC this month when it files its Political Action Committee Registration Form with the Arkansas Ethics Commission.

“The PAC’s primary purpose will be to raise funds to support issues that are important to the Chamber and key to making Hot Springs a better place to live, work and play. An excellent example that is currently facing the community is jail overcrowding and the need for a new jail. The Chamber has been studying and working on this issue for almost 2 years. When the Chamber is ready to bring a reasonable solution to this issue forward to the voters, the PAC will be a useful tool in providing funds to get that message out to Garland County voters,” said PAC Chair, Dan Messersmith.

The PAC board will be meeting to develop and implement a fundraising strategy for the organization in the coming weeks.
“Our fundraising strategy won’t include any Chamber member dues,” said Messersmith. “We will ask for contributions from Chamber members, but our plan does not include using any of the membership funds that the Chamber currently collects. We think that is an important point at this stage toward establishing and protecting the integrity of both organizations. Chamber members who wish to contribute to our efforts will have that opportunity, but they will take comfort in knowing that their normal Chamber membership dues are not being used for the PAC.”

Although Messersmith states that it is still early in the fundraising discussion, any Chamber member interested in contributing to the PAC can send express that interest and e-Mail their contact information to PAC@hotspringschamber.com. Those members expressing interest will be contacted once the organization finalizes its fundraising strategy and methods of contribution.

# # #