COMMENTARY

“Wilson’s new chamber mailed out unsolicited invoices using business license information obtained from the City of Vero Beach and the Town of Indian River Shores. Several businesses reportedly paid the invoice they received from Wilson’s new chamber believing they were renewing their membership in the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce.”

MARK SCHUMANN

Until late this past week, the “Membership Directory” on the new Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce home page linked to a “Business Directory,” which presented a listing of many businesses not affiliated with the new organization.

The new chamber is headed by acting president, Charlie Wilson, along with fellow founding board members Mark Mucher and Dan Stump.

Despite Wilson’s insistence there was nothing wrong or misleading about the way the new chamber presented information about non-members through a link labeled “Membership Directory,” the site has been change.  Now the new Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce website’s “Membership Directory” simply reads, “coming soon,”  and no longer links to VeroBeach.com, with whom Wilson insists he has have a “co-op agreement.”

Following Inside Vero’s initial report on the new chamber’s “Membership Directory,” reader David Cox posted, “I am happy to be listed on verobeach.com. However, I am not at all happy to be linked to this new “Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce,” and to have their website imply that I am a member of their organization. This is deception, pure and simple.”

 

Soon after Inside Vero’s report and Cox’s comment were posted, I received an email from Wilson objecting to the report.  “Your latest post is false and malicious.  Our contractor is currently building the membership directory.  At this time the membership directory is in testing.  There is no connection to Mr. Cox and especially to First Marine Bank (sic). Neither are currently members.  When the construction is complete we will let you know.  In the meanwhile we have a co-op agreement with InsideVero.com (sic),” Wilson wrote.

Replying to Wilson, I wrote, “Your website and its interface with VeroBeach.com is currently working exactly as I have described it.  Having said that, I will add your explanation.”

Inside Vero’s report — What is the meaning of “member? — was then updated to include Wilson’s explanation.  Clearly not content, Wilson wrote, “You are wrong again and not man enough to admit it. Shame on you.”

In other recent communications, Wilson referred to me as “anything but an honest, honorable man,” and as “irresponsible and often inaccurate.”  Most recently, in a personal email to me, Wilson asserted that I am “void in truth, ethics and integrity.”  Given Wilson’s perspective on reality, when he thinks what I am reporting is true, then I will know it is time to double-check my sources.

Wilson was once quoted as saying, “if you can’t attack the message, attack the messenger.”

As reported by Inside Vero, the new chamber’s “Membership Directory” button on its home page linked to information about businesses that have no connection with the new Wilson-lead organization.  Despite Wilson’s continued assertion that no logical person would conclude the information presented there was related to his new chamber’s members, the link has been removed.

The new chamber has also now updated is calendar to include the listing of at least one event, the new chamber’s first ever annual meeting and election of officers to be held April 30 at 5:30 p.m.  Though no information is provided about the location of the meeting, Wilson indicated today the inaugural event will take place at the Lobster Shanty.

Wilson had earlier announced a goal of recruiting 100 new members for his organization by March 30.  Speaking before the Vero Beach City Council in early April, Wilson said the new group had attracted “two-thirds” of its objective of 100 new members, a result Wilson described as “hugely successful.” According to Wildon, as of today the new chamber has 80 members.

For many years, that local chamber was knows at the Vero Beach/Indian River County Chamber of Commerce. Wilson’s new organizations, going by the name Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce, is apparently causing some confusion in the market place. Wilson’s new chamber mailed out unsolicited invoices using business license information obtained from the City of Vero Beach and the Town of Indian River Shores. Several businesses reportedly paid the invoice they received from Wilson’s new chamber believing they were renewing their membership in the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce.

Today, a search of “Vero Beach chamber,” “Vero Beach chamber of commerce,” or “chamber of commerce Vero Beach” links to “indianriverchamber.com,” the web address for the long-established local chamber, as does “verobeachchamber.com.”

See also: What is the meaning of “joined”? and Congratulations may not be in order