New chamber director says unity
is the key to Berea’s prosperity

By Andy McDonald

It should come as no surprise that Dee Hudson feels right at home in her new job. Since taking over as executive director of the Berea Chamber of Commerce in July, Hudson has continued the pursuit of an interest that began when she was just a child, back when her parents converted a stately 19th century home into a restaurant.

“I grew up with it and I’m just very comfortable in the hospitality industry,” said Hudson. “I’m trained in other areas, but hospitality is just part of me.” Hudson has an advanced degree in environmental design and a nearly finished graduate degree in adult literacy, the latter being a cause about which she’s especially passionate. But her family roots in hospitality were strong, prompting her to come to Berea four years ago after she received an offer to operate the Boone Tavern Inn. Once she and her family traveled from their home in Bloomington, Indiana, to visit the city, they were hooked on Berea, Hudson said, and her effort to revitalize the famous Kentucky landmark was under way.

Dee Hudson

When the opportunity arose to work with the Berea Chamber of Commerce, Hudson said becoming executive director seemed like a perfect way to serve a community she has come to love. Unifying Berea’s business community will be one of her highest priorities, according to Hudson, whether it is through facilitating community wide networking, providing informative seminars for business people, or creating new community events.

Beginning in September and running through November, the chamber will sponsor a brown bag mercantile lecture series every Monday and Wednesday at noon. Merchants and business people will be encouraged to bring their lunch to the Acton Folk Center, listen to the hour-long discussion, and maybe make some important new connections in the community. The event will be open to chamber members and non-members alike.

On Fridays at noon, weather permitting, live music will be playing at Memorial Park just across the street from the folk center. Hudson said the events are not only an opportunity to share the combined talents of Berea’s business people, they are also a unique way to remind people that prospects for business are best when the community works together.

“The synergy of the whole is going to be stronger than the single little soldier standing alone,” Hudson said. “We have so many smart and talented people in Berea. If we can use what we’ve got as a group, we can do some powerful things.”

It’s with that same spirit Hudson says the chamber will reach out to serve the entire business community - not just one specialized segment. For example, when a representative from the Madison County Extension Office asked if the chamber would be interested in participating in a program that would benefit both merchants and local farmers, Hudson jumped at the chance.

Under the program, merchants in Berea and Richmond will buy hay, flowers, pumpkins and other products from local farmers, all of which can be used as fall décor near storefronts. Berea and Richmond may then seem more attractive and welcoming to prospective tourists, possibly benefiting the whole spectrum of community businesses, whether it’s gas stations, restaurants, motels, retail stores or other establishments. Farmers, meanwhile, would gain more income to spend locally as well.

“What benefits one benefits the whole,” Hudson explained, noting that ideas like the extension program can allow the chamber to tap new segments of the economy. “The farmer is like the forgotten merchant. You can’t say they have storefronts, and you may not see directly how they add to the commerce of our city, but they are out there. They shop at our grocery stores, buy insurance, they get their hair cut, so we should include them.”

Many other projects are in the works, which Hudson hopes will enhance Berea’s sense of community while providing new opportunities for all merchants and business people in Berea. But for any of them to work, she said business people must be willing to pull together and work for the community’s common good.

“We already have a wonderful foundation for success here in Berea,” said Hudson. “We just need to make things happen and build upon that foundation like an energized community.”

Written by Andy McDonald - BereaOnline.com Contributing Editor