The CEO of the Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce Dennis Beson has resigned.
The announcement was made Monday afternoon by the chairman of the Chamber Board of Directors Stan Hambright. He stated the Board has received and accepted Beson’s resignation as CEO, effective August 30th.
Hambright also stated, “Future decisions about a new CEO will be determined once there is resolution of the Master Agreement currently under negotiation.” That is the master agreement for the consolidated Chamber of Commerce. Geary County Commissioners recently voted 2-1 to withdrawal from the master agreement at the end of the year. The notice was given before a July 1st deadline so that does leave time in the coming months for discussion and negotiation on the matter.
JCPost contacted Beson for information on his decision to step down. “Well I have some personal things going on back home. I’ve got an aging father. My kids are back there and I really want to spend time with them and try to get back to having people like that in my life.”
Beson’s resignation comes at a time when there has been there has been concern about the master agreement for the consolidated chamber of commerce and the declining transient guest tax revenues that support the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. The County oversees the transient guest tax revenues for the CVB which is also under the Chamber umbrella.
Beson has also expressed concern about a potential conflict of interest with the 2-1 vote. He stated last Friday, “The Chamber provides a layer of insulation between Commissioner Stimatze and Michele Stimatze ( CVB Director ); if this particular CVB is pulled apart you’ll have a direct connection even though there still could be an advisory committee or a board — it certainly brings it one step closer to being a direct report, husband and wife.”
JCPost asked Beson how the county withdrawal notice and potential conflict of interest issue played into his decision to step down now? “Oh, not much. I think those are questions that are best reserved for the Board of Directors. ” He was also asked if he would have stepped down if those issues had not been going on now. “Yeah, probably. This is really about my personal life and this is kind of the perfect time.” Beson noted it was a hard decision for both himself and the Board.
Beson began work for the Chamber of Commerce on August 3rd, 2015.