Mike Miskowicz got right to work volunteering in the community after he and
his wife Lyn began residing full-time in Rhododendron in 2017 in a Steiner
cabin they have owned for more than 15 years.

Now, Miskowicz will serve as the new president of the Mt. Hood Area Chamber
of Commerce Board of Directors, after being named to the position at the
Sept. 3, 2019 chamber meeting.

Three other new board officers were also announced at the meeting.
“You’ve got to be involved to expect change,” Miskowicz said about his belief
in the importance of civic participation.

Miskowicz assumed the responsibility of chamber president in addition to his
current roles as co-chair of the Rhododendron Community Planning
Organization (CPO) and member of the board of the Rhododendron Water
Association (RWA).

He has been involved in the community as a volunteer for the REVEL
marathon, as well as this year’s Huckleberry Marathon, and is an advocate for
the Wounded Warrior Project.

Miskowicz began volunteering at the community level in 2014 by serving as
the vice-chair of his homeowner’s association while living in Minneapolis,
Minn.

He described his involvement in community organizations in the Mount Hood
area as a “natural transition” due to the influence of his neighbor Steve
Graeper, Chair of the Rhododendron CPO. Miskowicz became involved with the
CPO after meeting Graeper and quickly became vice-chair, while attending
Chamber meetings on behalf of the CPO during the summer of 2018.

He was encouraged by Coni Scott, former vice president of marketing for the
Chamber, to run for president in July. Voting by incumbent board members
took place in August. Miskowicz and other new board officers began their
terms in September 2019.

“They’ve been very supportive,” Miskowicz said of the established board
members, including former board president Jeri McMahan during his
transition. “(The board) has a good team concept.”

McMahan will continue to offer her expertise and experience as an associate
director of the board.

“Our new board brings new energy and great enthusiasm,” McMahan wrote in
an email to the Mountain Times. “I hope to see chamber membership continue
to grow and promote the business community.”

Miskowicz noted the upcoming goals for the Chamber include increasing
membership of local businesses and making efforts to unify the businesses in
the community.

The organization will also pursue the return of “The Bite of Mt. Hood,” an
annual food and drink festival held in April that features local restaurants.
Miskowicz described this as part of a strategy to incorporate event-based
efforts to promote local businesses.

His other expectations of his new role as president include a concerted effort
by the Chamber to bring businesses together to focus on mutual areas of
concern and interest.

Miskowicz describes these goals as ways of “teaching (local businesses) to
work together,” to promote commerce in the region.

Miskowicz will serve as the president until September 2021.

Other new board members are Vice President of Marketing Brittany Allen,
Secretary Barb Bresseon and Project Officer Steve Carlson.

The Mount Hood Area Chamber of Commerce meets on the first Tuesday of
every month at the Mt. Hood Village RV Resort, 65000 Hwy. 26 in Welches,
and can be contacted by phone at 503-622-3017 or by email at
mthoodareachamber@gmail.com.