Chamber Seeks a CEO To Speak Up For Business

Godwin, a longtime education advocate, has lived in the county for two decades and was recently appointed to the Board of Trustees of Montgomery College. Asked whether she was interested in the job, Godwin said, "I've been encouraged to apply." Asked by whom, she said, "Many folks."

Robertson said the job's salary is competitive with similar chamber jobs in the region -- between $100,000 and $150,000.

Edward Hall Asher, a Chevy Chase developer and the incoming board chairman, believes the county is going to have trouble sustaining current budget levels because of a drop-off in the economy. He said the chamber could be particularly helpful.

"I think the county council should be able to use the expertise of all the businesses in the county to help get through the rough period," said Asher, who is president of the Chevy Chase Land Co., which recently built a luxury shopping center on Wisconsin Avenue.

Howard A. Denis (R-Potomac-Bethesda), a longtime county council member, said he would like to see the chamber, particularly under its new leadership, get involved in legislative activities earlier in the process.

"Where they miss the boat is that they tend to parachute in at the end, right before we are going to make a decision," Denis said. "It's not as effective as it might be because you really have to stay with the legislative process and the council on a regular basis."

Denis did say that he was encouraged during a recent instance of the chamber pushing along an important issue nearly from the get-go. That was its early and key support for a county program that sets aside 10 percent of each county department's procurements for area small businesses.

"I give the chamber credit there -- they did pick up on it, they did help make it happen and they did lobby for it," Denis said. "We have to do more along those lines."