Members have shifted to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida
It’s the end of an era for the West Volusia Regional Chamber of Commerce, one of West Volusia’s key business networks. Unable to move forward after covering the cost of an unforgiven COVID-19 business loan, the chamber officially shut its doors.
But, President Sherry DeCrenza said, members won’t be left by the wayside. All WVRCC members were moved, effective immediately, to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, and that group will pick up many of the WVRCC’s most popular events.
The public announcement was made Dec. 19 at the chamber’s weekly A.M. Connection business meeting in DeBary.
“The Hispanic Board was there, strong and welcomed all the members and were so excited,” DeCrenza said. “They’re going to continue with our A.M. Connection every Tuesday.”
Francine Rope-Mundy was one of the West Volusia chamber members who was at that meeting. She operates her own mobile notary business and has been a member of the chamber for nearly 10 years, and she served six of those years on the board of directors. Rope-Mundy entered the meeting uncertain about the future, but she left feeling optimistic.
“My blood, sweat and tears and heart were in that chamber, but I think it’s nicer and easier when you take something today that seems bad and make it good,” she said. “I give credit to Sherry and the Hispanic Chamber for helping me through this so gallantly.”
The Hispanic Chamber will also carry on other popular events the WVRCC hosts like the annual Legislative Luncheon, the West Volusia Hob-Nob and the annual Valor Awards.
The decision to bring all 218 of the WVRCC’s membership into its fold of 400 members was an easy one, Hispanic Chamber President Lourdes Leon told The Beacon. She wanted to ensure the business owners and members of the West Volusia chamber landed on their feet, but she also recognized what an important role the WVRCC played in the community.
“I always attended those events, that’s the reason why, when we sat down with Sherry, it was easy to say yes,” Leon said. “Those events are very important in our community, they educate, they celebrate and through them you get the community together, so it was a no-brainer.”
The decision to dissolve the WVRCC came suddenly when the chamber received news that their $17,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan would not be forgiven, DeCrenza said. The chamber filed for the loan in 2020 to cover the payroll of staffers as the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in business as usual.
DeCrenza said the money was all spent correctly, but the paperwork that was initially filed had many discrepancies.
The chamber, she explained, was filed as a corporation, and the then-president of the board of directors was indicated to be its sole owner. The Small Business Administration was never able to come to terms with those errors.
“I tried so many avenues,” DeCrenza said. “It’s very disheartening this is happening.”
But as the chamber formally closes its doors after 15 years in operation, DeCrenza is looking forward to the future, and Leon is, too.
“We know how much you put into a chamber, and the board of directors at West Volusia put all of their heart and sweat into it, and we didn’t want that to go to waste,” Leon said. “We wanted to make sure the legacy continues.”
