DE LA ROSA ELECTED PRESIDENT OF CHAMBER

Since David Wilder resigned as president of the Chamber of Commerce in December, eleven persons met at the Mill Creek Cattle Company in Mentone on Tuesday night, January 12, to elect the new Chamber president. Crafton Hills College Political Science professor Steve Hellerman and MACA vice-president J.P. Gutierrez had been nominated but both withdrew their names from consideration, leaving Chamber Vice President (and MACA President) Gabe De La Rosa as the only candidate. Gutierrez’s reason for not running for president was that he thought a business owner should be president. Hellerman, who was not president, did not state a reason for rejecting his nomination.

According to the Chamber’s bylaws De La Rosa moved into the position of de facto president until the Chamber’s regular election in October 2021, which the vote confirmed. There were six votes for De La Rosa and two votes for Joyce Rapp.

Some voters qusetioned why the vote was needed, if De La Rosa was already de facto President. Others stated a vote had to be taken.

Chamber members were given one week in which to nominate candidates for Chamber president before nominations closed and the vote meeting was held.

Jan Orbaker, a local rancher, offered to be vice president and was present at the meeting. One other such volunteer was not present. Orbaker, whose late husband was the MACA vice-president, will be voted on at the Chamber’s meeting by phone on the lat Tuesday of this month at 7 p.m.