Dubuque and Galena Chambers consider merger

Pooling resources to get things done more efficiently.

That's the goal as two Chamber of Commerce organizations consider joining forces.

The Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce is announcing plans to merge with the Galena, Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Those communities sit about 20 miles apart on opposite sides of the Mississippi River.

The decision to merge is now in the hands of the chamber members.

This is the slow season at Galena Cellars Winery.But Manager Denise Spielman keeps herself plenty busy.She also serves as the President of the Board of the Galena Chamber of Commerce.

Spielman said, "we haven't had the ability or what we feel is the ability to operate on a higher level that we feel we owe our members. "

With that mission in mind, both Galena and Dubuque decided to ask members if they want to merge into one regional chamber.

Dubuque Chamber President Molly Grover said, "So the Galena Chamber becomes a division of the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce but we do business in Galena as the Galena Chamber."

Under that plan, each chamber would keep it's own name, board of directors and staff. But the two chambers would share a budget.

Grover said, "you also get all the resources. All the contacts. All the referrals, all of the business building capabilities and resources that the Dubuque Chamber offers."

Grover says the stronger Galena's businesses are, the stronger Dubuque's businesses are.

Spielman said, "they are going to gain a higher presence. They are going to gain the ability to market at a higher level. "

In the next two weeks, members of both chambers will vote to either approve or deny the merger.