New Hope Chamber of Commerce Director Connie Gering, who serves on the business group’s board as past president, resigned her position Tuesday, a chamber official confirmed Friday.
Additionally, sources close to the situation who requested anonymity say that at least two additional chamber directors tendered their resignations at a purportedly heated Wednesday night meeting of the New Hope Chamber’s board, although it is not clear whether those resignations were formerly accepted or withdrawn. And a fourth director may be resigning for personal reasons, say sources. Gering reportedly did not attend the Wednesday meeting.
Last week, the Free Press reported that cash awards to Arts and Crafts Committee members at a December, 2013 New Hope Chamber of Commerce holiday party were at the center of an ongoing controversy.
Aside from serving twice as New Hope Chamber of Commerce president, Gering has been co-chair of the chamber’s Arts and Crafts Committee, and currently serves as a member of New Hope’s Borough Council.
Local businesses invest their hard-earned profits in the NH CoC assuming the Board will act in their interest. What has happened here is a breach of trust AT BEST and more likely a felony since the theft of funds and monetary value of the parties they regularly throw in their own honor that have no conceivable value to the businesses they represent…rise we’ll into the $thousands.
Of course they resigned. But what I want to know is…are they going to give back the money they stole, and are they going to be prosecuted?