January is the time of year we say thank you to the four Gold Member Businesses of the Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce. These businesses, Alpine Lumber Company, Angel Fire Mini Mart, Angel Fire Resort, and Lowe’s Valley Market, are extremely significant in keeping the doors open to our tiny rural Chamber, and therefore benefitting all of our business members in and around the Moreno Valley. Their contributions are greatly appreciated!
The Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce opened its doors with a Certificate of Incorporation in January 1982 as the Angel Fire Resort Association. Our founding fathers are Ronald B. May, Eunice “Betts” Loving, Bert Clemens, David Ambrose, Jeanine Neal, Herbert Koffler, and Ray Lisk. These seven people, with the help of the owners of the Angel Resort started collecting a Resort Fee from the membership. In 1986, then President of the Board, Don Borgeson, went to the state of New Mexico to secure future permission for the fees that would help the Chamber financially and would add value to any business member who wanted to step up their membership. The Chamber’s name was changed shortly after that to the Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce and the 1/2 percent Resort Fee is now known as the Chamber Fee. Premium and Gold Memberships were added to the Chamber’s choices of membership levels. The levels of Chamber memberships are Standard ($250.00 per yr.), Non-Profit ($200.00 per yr.), Premium ($200.00 per yr.) and Indivdual ($75.00 per yr.).
As a Premium Member, a business elects to the voluntary collection of 1/2 percent of their gross sales. The member collects this 1/2 percent from its customers and then pays the 1/2 percent to the Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce on a monthly basis. (Note: 1/2% of $100.00 is 50 cents.) This fee is used along with chamber membership dues to finance the operations of the Angel Fire Chamber of Commerce in promoting it’s members and the Angel Fire area. We also call it a Pass Thru Fee because the member doesn’t pay, their customer does and it passes to the chamber. With the Premium level yearly membership dues are less and each Premium member has the opportunity to list up to three business. This is a savings of $550.00 per year to that business owner. When a businesses Customer Fees to the Chamber reach $2500.00 per year or more, that business automatically becomes a Gold Member and their yearly membership dues are reimbursed. What this means is the business receives all of the benefits of Gold Membership, Free! Plus they may have unlimited business listings. It is a win-win system for both the chamber and the Gold Member and we are ever grateful for the chamber fees they send us!
We have fifteen premium memberships: Angel Fire Homes Property Management, Angel Fire Rentals (ReMax), Angel Flowers by Layna, Brenda’s Property Management, Cafe Expresso, H2 Uptown, Kokopelli Property Management, Laguna Vista Lodge, Historic Restaurant & Saloon, North Country Property Management, Ski Tech, Snowball Lodge, The Bakery & Cafe @ Angel Fire, The Trailhead, Village Ski Shop & Rentals, and Winter Sports. And we have the four mentioned premium turned Gold Members: Alpine Lumber Company, Angel Fire Mini Mart, Angel Fire Resort, and Lowe’s Valley Market. We say thank you for the extra help!
All four of our Gold Members have been members of the Angel Fire Chamber since 1982! Some have changed hands throughout the years and the new owners have faithfully continued what the previous owners started. We say thank you for your years of support and thank you for your continued support!
And to all of our members, at each level of membership, we say thank you for your support! May 2016 be a successful year fo all of us!
Jo Mixon
Executive Director
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