Two remaining Sequim chamber board members stand their ground

SEQUIM — Hattie Dixon, one of two Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce board members who didn’t resign this week, doesn’t plan to budge for now.

On Thursday, she said she wants to see an orderly transition into the chamber’s next chapter.

Dixon, president of the chamber board last year, and real estate broker Ron Gilles are the only board members who didn’t resign during a cacophonous chamber forum on Tuesday.

The Concerned Chamber Committee, a group of 15 chamber members spearheaded by Gil Simon of Sequim Village Glass in Carlsborg, challenged the board, calling it irresponsible.

The board fired chamber executive director Lee Lawrence on Jan. 18, and then gave what the committee said was a too-vague explanation about Lawrence’s “unprofessional” behavior.

Tuesday, following an afternoon of shouts and tears, 11 board members gave up their posts.

Simon said Wednesday that he invites all chamber members to nominate and vote for an interim board.

Thursday morning, Dixon said she’s not opposed to bringing more chamber members into the discussion of the organization’s future.

“We’re questioning the manner in which it’s being done,” she said.

She added that, technically, there’s a third voting member on the governing board.

Chamber bylaws authorize the Irrigation Festival Committee to appoint a representative to the chamber board — and that person was appointed some time ago, Dixon said.

He’s Joe Borden, the Irrigation Festival chairman.

Officially he’s a voting member of the chamber board, Dixon said.

“Whether he wants to stay, I don’t know.”

Borden, who resigned as board president Tuesday but said nothing about his Irrigation Festival appointment, couldn’t be reached Thursday. Dixon said he was out of town.

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