Borrego Sun - Since 1949

The cold wintery evening did not deter the lively group from assembling at the Julian Town Hall for the installation dinner of the Julian Chamber of Commerce 2019 Board of Directors.

With about 80 people in attendance, the event began with a happy hour filled with mingling and raffle ticket purchases. Raffle prizes were provided by a number of local merchants such as Volcan Mountain Winery, Fiddle Camp, Community Valley Bank, Julian Olde Time Photo and Ramona Disposal.

David Klumph treated the audience to music and acted as the emcee for the evening. Once guests had the opportunity to enjoy the delicious dinner catered by Jeremy's on the Hill, the installation began.

Deputy District Director Andrew Hayes, representative from the office of Senator Brian Jones, had the honor of installing the new directors. He entertained the audience with his comical and relaxed swearing in of the new directors. His speech included promising the new board with free pies and praising them for their commitment to the board.

The 2019 Board of Directors consists of Jim Wayman as President, Tom Nickel as Vice President, Robin Boland as Treasurer and Tracy Turner at Secretary. Directors include Rami Abdel, Nico Roulston, Gloria Andrews, Doreen Cross and Jeff Connolly.

Wayman boasts an extensive business background including being President of the Hawaii Coffee Company; Nickel is the owner/brewer of Nickel Brewery; Boland works hard marketing events for Julian and can be found greeting visitors at the Chamber of Commerce office; Turner is the owner of Wynola Junction Antiques and Collectibles; Abdel is the President of the San Diego Backcountry Visitors Bureau and co-founder of Alter Experiences; Roulston is co-owner of the Candied Apple Café; Andrews is owner of Yogi Picnic Baskets; Cross manages Fort Cross in Wynola; Jeff Connolly is an active member of the Lions Club.

Hayes also had the opportunity to present several members of the community with Certificates of Achievement for their dedication to community service.

Barbara Hedrick and Krisie Morgan received recognition for their dedication to the community. While Dana Petersen was recognized for her outstanding service with the Miss Julian Pageant and tireless monthly decorating of the Julian Town Hall.

Wayman presented Roger Spilman with the "Golden Plunger Award" for his hard work in keeping the Town Hall in working order. The directors joked that their slogan was "you break it, Roger can fix it". Stacy Peyakov and Steve Uram, who were not in attendance, also received awards.

New members of the Julian Chamber of Commerce are FHL Realty, Julian Pathways and Friends of the Julian Library.

Wayman took a moment to recognize the current and past board members. He commended their service and professionalism to the Julian community, and continued to say that Julian needs to be a vibrant business community yet do it smartly in the way that events are promoted. In the past, local events have resulted in a large number of tourists arriving in the small town. This has prompted a lot of concern regarding Julian's current infrastructure.

With the number of attendees to events sometimes rising to the thousands, the need for parking, security and restrooms is an ongoing issue. The Julian Chamber of Commerce understands the needs of the community and is discussing ideas to promote smaller, multiple events throughout the year.

The Chamber does not want to inundate the small mountain town, yet still bring visitors to local businesses.

The Chamber is looking to focus on ag tourism, camping/glamping and hiking. Wayman thanked the board for their hard work and is looking forward to a successful 2019.