What's In a Name?

The board of the South Kingstown Chamber of Commerce in a unanimous vote recently approved a name change for the organization. The chamber will now be known as the Southern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce.

The announcement follows years of planning as the chamber aims to move toward a more regional membership base to provide local businesses more opportunities and exposure.

"Our membership is not limited to South Kingstown businesses, with about 30 percent of our base coming from outside of the town," said Joe Iacoi, Executive Director. "We have many common members with other chambers."

But, some local chambers are saying that South Kingstown is overstepping its bounds. In a statement released by the chairs and executive directors of chambers of commerce from Charlestown, Narragansett, North Kingstown and Greater Westerly-Pawcatuck, the announcement by South Kingstown is "flagrantly misleading" and "offensive to the four viable, active chambers throughout South County."

In an excerpt from the group's statement, South Kingstown – with 630 members – has "made an attempt to usurp the totality of four membership groups whose combined membership totals 1,827."

"We do try to do things collaboratively and work together for the benefit of the businesses and it doesn't seem like that was the intent with the way they handled it," said Executive Director Karla Driscoll. "It doesn't send a very good professional message."

North Kingstown's chamber is troubled by South Kingstown's alleged intentions to work with businesses in Exeter, a town that NK's chamber has worked with in the past few decades. Driscoll also adds that no notification of the name change was ever sent to her.

The chamber's executive board has yet to meet to discuss the change. As for the relationship between the North and South Kingstown chambers, Driscoll is unsure what the future will hold.

"I honestly don't know how much we're going to be working with them, if at all," said Driscoll.