Cape May Chamber Elects New President

CAPE MAY — The Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May elected and installed new officers and directors at its annual installation dinner Tue. Oct. 12 at Aleathea’s.
John Cooke was elected chamber president. He has been managing the Victorian Motel with his wife Suzanne for the past seven years. He served on the Harborfest Committee in 2010, as well as the Tulip Festival, and Oktoberfest Committee.
John has more than 25 years experience in the hospitality industry from owning a 100-seat restaurant to managing an 800-room hotel in Philadelphia. In his acceptance speech, Cooke said Cape May is already an outstanding, award-winning choice for a destination vacation.
“Visitors to Cape May don’t get here by accident. They have to pass by a lot of other places by the time they arrive here at “exit zero,” he said.
Cooke said Cape May visitors are “informed, intelligent consumers.”
“Providing these visitors with the information to make us their choice is our plan and our purpose as a chamber,” said Cooke. “We’re seeing an increasingly sophisticated traveler here in Cape May and we must keep pace with this trend in our technology… our marketing… and our service.”
He said Cape May has a significant portion of the tourism market and other destinations have stood up and taken notice.
“They are after a piece of our pie. But we have a plan to protect our pie and make it even larger. We can no longer think of ourselves as simply a “down the shore “ location,” said Cooke. “We have a global audience and the Cape May Chamber will be a voice of Cape May.”
Barry Bruno was installed as first vice president. He is a sales agent for Chris Clemans /Sotheby’s International as well as the owner of Professional Property Service in Cape May.
Bruno sits on the Board of Directors of the Cape May County Board of Realtors, CMCAR Community Service, CMCAR Professional Standards, and the Executive Board of the Cape May Chamber of Commerce
Ron Goldstein was installed as second vice president. From Needham, Mass., he graduated Harvard Dental in 1978.
Dr. Goldstein was in private dental practice in Philadelphia from 1980-2003. He was a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania Dental and Temple for eight years, part time.
Dr. Goldstein opened his “retirement” dental practice in West Cape in 2006. He is currently vice president of volunteers of Volunteers in Medicine of Cape May County, treasurer for Family Promise, Director for the Taxpayers Association of Cape May Point and former treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May.
Larry Muentz was installed as third vice president. He is the owner of Alexander’s Inn on Washington Street and runs Successful Seasons, a website design and hosting company. Muentz also publishes the Great Vacation Guide. He has served on the bylaws committee and also the website committee.
Peggy Vogel was elected as secretary. Her family has been coming to Cape May since 1886 when her grandfather purchased a summer home on Maryland Ave.
She works for Coldwell Banker in Cape May.
Linda Steenrod was installed as treasurer. She has been proprietor of Billmae Cottage for 11 years.
Steenrod served on City Council for four years. She is past treasurer and a president of the Cape May Chamber of Commerce.
The following members were elected to serve on the board of directors: Timothy Bobb, Payton Bowman, Dawn DeMayo, Maryann Gorrick, Jennifer Hubbs, Dylan Mullock, Susan Tischler and Don Wood.