BUCHANAN — Outside of Viki Gudas’ office window at 324 E. Dewey St. in Buchanan is a smokestack from the former Clark Equipment Company. Around her are financial services offices and, below, a hair salon. Starting a block west of the building is Buchanan’s downtown area businesses.

Gudas is in the hub of Buchanan’s business sector, which symbolically suits her role as Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce executive director well.

She became the chamber’s sole staff member one month ago in a part time role. She, along with its board, now seek to promote businesses new and old in the small city and in its general vicinity.

Gudas retired in April as president and CEO of Harbor County Chamber of Commerce in Three Oaks, which promotes eight municipalities’ businesses, from New Buffalo to Sawyer. She previously worked with trade and national associations in Chicago and St. Joseph, respectively.

About one week ago, she and her board had a planning session, where she said she received good direction on which strategic direction the chamber should move in.

“One of their goals they mentioned that I really share is demonstrating value to the members for their membership,” she said.

Gudas said many current members likely do not realize the perks being a member has.

“What I would like to emphasize more is making sure that we’re providing our members with the benefits of chamber memberships,” she said. “So, helping with their marketing. Helping them improve their skills in social media. Bringing more people in. Bringing more customers.”

Gudas said networking events are also important. Its member breakfasts, business after-hours and even ribbon-cutting ceremonies for new or improved businesses are opportunities for community leaders to connect and perhaps find ways to support one another.

To effectively provide the most perks, Gudas plans to have the chamber itself network with other organizations to consolidate resources and expand opportunities, such as seminars and workshops.

Lake Michigan College, Southwestern Michigan College, Cornerstone Alliance and Greater Niles Chamber of Commerce are organizations she has in mind.

“Let them do it,” she said. “We’ll help promote and sponsor so you’re not doing 10 people here, eight people here. You’re doing 30 people in a nice, central location.”

Gudas said partnerships are especially important when trends of merging chambers and drops in volunteer numbers hit the nation and southwest Michigan, and as Gudas only has a part-time role.

Another piece of Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce’s partnership plan is to co-host quarterly meetings with the chambers of commerce of Harbor Country, Niles, Coloma-Watervliet and South Haven.

The Buchanan chamber also has a new president, Fran Terry, who stepped into the role this spring. She has been the manager of Country Heritage Credit Union in Buchanan Township since 2000.

She was one of the board members that sought out Gudas for her executive director role. The two had known each other when Gudas led Harbor Country’s chamber.

“She has an excellent reputation, “Terry said. “She has great communication skills, and she knows the chamber businesses inside and out.”

Gudas said she was familiar with Buchanan because she would head to the area to step away from the lakeshore. Its smaller tourist presence emphasis was appealing to her, as was the existence of industry.

“You also have a larger population and, of course, you’ve got the proximity of the wineries, which are just booming,” she said. “The whole new marijuana businesses that are coming online is also something new. Buchanan’s sort of paving the way for a lot of other communities around here. Niles, too.”

Clark Equipment Company, the former industry whose smokestack can be seen from Gudas’ window, was first encouraged to move from Chicago to small-town southwest Michigan by Buchanan’s chamber of commerce in 1904.

Now, over 110 years later, Gudas, Terry and the Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce will seek to create a positive business atmosphere and retain the businesses it has.

Businesses interested in joining the chamber or individuals interested in volunteering can call Gudas at (269) 695-3291 or visit her during office hours Mondays and Fridays.