Changes are afoot at the Freeland Chamber of Commerce.
Co-presidents Angela Muniz and Gretchen Mills, who were elected at the end of 2023, are bringing new energy to the chamber with a focus on rebuilding membership following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re juggling all the things,” Muniz said. “Big learning curve this year.”
The Freeland chamber consists of elected board members and officers who volunteer their time, and unlike other chambers of commerce, there is no full-time executive director to take on the brunt of the work.
Muniz and Mills have been striving to reengage business owners and to help the business community grow by showing them that the chamber is a tool to be utilized for networking and marketing opportunities.
The chamber currently has a total of 85 members, which include a host of new businesses.
“We’re kind of the financial district of the island,” Muniz said of Freeland. “We have all the banking, insurance, titles, escrow, all the things, and some of the largest shopping centers too. Everyone, we feel, from the South End has to come pass through Freeland at some point.”
The co-presidents have also been working with new leadership of the other South Whidbey chambers – Langley and Clinton – to share ideas and collaborate on events.
The Freeland chamber has had several successful events over the past year, from a golf tournament to a reggae concert to a treelighting ceremony.
This summer, the chamber is taking on the Freeland 3rd of July fireworks show, which had an extended hiatus during the pandemic. The show was formerly run by South Whidbey Assembly of God for over 20 years and is a much-anticipated event on South Whidbey. Interested sponsors and volunteers are invited to contact the chamber by calling 360-331-1980.
The chamber is also in need of some more board members, who must attend monthly meetings and separate committee meetings.
Co-presidents Gretchen Mills, left, and Angela Muniz are the new leadership behind the Freeland Chamber of Commerce. (Photo by Kira Erickson/South Whidbey Record)
