The Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce has strengthened its Board of Directors with the addition of three new members: Michelle Curtis of First National Bank joins as Board Treasurer; and Mary Tripp, of Bank of America, and John McKeith, of The Belfast Center, join as Board Members, respectively.

Michelle Curtis is a VP, Business Development Officer for First National Bank, and has been in the banking realm for 25 years. She is a passionate relationship builder and community ambassador for the communities she serves in Knox and Waldo County. When she joined the Board, she wanted to be able to connect with other community leaders to support the business efforts of for-profit and nonprofit Chamber members. She wants to serve as liaison in the community and make connections for others to better their business or community relationships. For a community to be strong, it should work on the principle that a rising tide raises all ships. A community needs to drive the mission that all facets should be working together to ensure stability and growth for everyone.

Mary Tripp works for Bank of America and has for 23 years and has served many roles but is currently the Home Lending Business Enablement Executive and the Belfast site Integration Leader. She has lived in Waldo County her entire life. She also serves as Vice President and Secretary for Waldo County Habitat for Humanity and as the Treasurer for Triton Athletics.

John McKeith owns and manages The Belfast Center, a 70+ unit office and creative space overlooking Penobscot Bay in downtown Belfast. He is also a commercial photographer, working primarily with college and university clients around the country.

McKeith has spent the last 35 years helping create marketing campaigns for nonprofit organizations. His focus has been on the visual side of these campaigns, helping to tell a client’s story through imagery. He has also been involved in developing a number of these marketing campaigns.

“Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce is a fantastic organization that brings a lot of resources to the table,” he says, in a Chamber news release. “But as Dorothy explained to me in some earlier conversations, one of the challenges continues to be reaching the established area businesses and connecting with new businesses coming into the area to encourage them to become members and to take advantage of what the Chamber has to offer. I hope that I can use my experience in marketing and running a business in Belfast to help the Chamber reach and connect with this audience. If the Chamber is seen as a hub of accessible information and connections, then business people in the greater Belfast area have that many more tools at hand to grow their own businesses, and ultimately strengthen our community.”

Alex Hawthorne, Board Chair, welcomed the new board members and looks forward to working with them as the board continues to strength and advance the Chamber. The Chamber’s mission is to champion a thriving business environment for our members through promotion, networking, advocacy, community partnerships and access to relevant information.

Leaving the board recently was David Dancy who is retiring to Florida, and Cynthia Joseph who served as our Board Secretary. We are grateful to both David and Cynthia for their time and dedication to the Chamber.

The Chamber office and Information Center are open Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm, and 9am - 11am or longer on the weekends with volunteer availability.