ARLINGTON Steven Peiffle has marked nearly a quarter-century through his membership in the local Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, but while he is stepping down as a board member, he promised that he wont be a stranger to the group.
Ill still be involved, said Peiffle, of local law firm Bailey, Duskin, Peiffle and Canfield. I just wont be on the board. Its a time issue, more than anything else. I was already thinking about stepping down a few years ago, but I wanted to make sure the merged Chamber was up and running smoothly before I left.
The consolidation of the Smokey Point and Greater Arlington Chambers of Commerce is but one of the many changes thats happened during Peiffles tenure as a board member.
Peiffle joined the Arlington Chamber Board in 1984 and found himself serving as its president from 1985-1986, starting when the previous presidents medical problems caused then-Vice President Peiffle to take over for him.
We initially ran the chamber out of cardboard boxes, Peiffle said. Our records traveled from location to location. When we did finally open an actual office, it was still part of another office.
Peiffle recalled the chambers mergers with the Arlington Business Community Development group and the Stillaguamish Valley Frontier Days Association, the latter of which saw the chamber assume the duties of staging the Frontier Days Celebration and Parade starting in the 1990s.
Not long after that, we did our first staff hirings, Peiffle said. Prior to that, all of our staff members had been volunteers.
In 2000, Peiffle received the Chamber Presidents Award from then-President John Meno, in recognition of his outstanding services to the chamber and the community, and in 2005, Peiffle was one of the board members who oversaw the consolidation of the two chambers.
In spite of his pride in his time as a board member, Peiffle feels its appropriate for him to step down now.
There can be a time when people stick around too long, Peiffle said. Thats when you need fresh blood and new ideas, and not just all the same old people.
Peiffle offered praise to the chamber and encouraged new membership.
I really want to thank the board for their quality of leadership, Peiffle said. Ive made a lot of good friendships and relationships that have been well worth my while. My advice to anybody coming into the chamber would be to be passionate about it, and to have fun with it.