CAPE CHAMBER NARROWS ITS SEARCDH FOR NEW PRESIDENT

The committee searching for a new Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce president has completed its initial screening process, narrowing the field of candidates from 70 to 12.

Judy Wilferth, executive search committee chairman, said, "We're very pleased with the quality of people who submitted applications. They came from all over the country, even Alaska," she said.

Robert Hendrix, who has led the chamber for 21 years, will retire in December.

"Most of the applicants had quite a bit of chamber experience," she said.

The position was advertised in national and state chamber publications.

"The national Chamber of Commerce has a very detailed outline for going through a professional search for a chamber executive. We've followed that very carefully, and it's been helpful," she said.

Wilferth said the committee will invite no more than five or six applicants to town for personal interviews. The committee will then submit "a short list" to the chamber board, which will make the final decision.

No names are being released at this time. "It would be unfair to the people involved to release names at this preliminary stage while we are still in the process of checking background and references," she said.

"We're proceeding on schedule," said Wilferth. "Our goal was to have a recommendation to the board by August, and it appears we'll make that deadline."

Members of the committee are Wilferth, Crossroad Shopping and Professional Office Center and Children's Bazaar; Kenneth Hayden, Boatmen's Bank; Wayne Smith, CyberTel; Beverly Estes, Gulliver's Travel; Harry Rediger, JCPenney; Harry Rust, Rust & Martin Inc.; Dennis Marchi, Schnucks; James Biundo, Southeast Missouri State University; and Craig Felzien, Southwestern Bell Telephone.