Economic partnership, chamber to combine

TIFFIN—Tiffin-Seneca Economic Partnership (TSEP) and the Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce announced Wednesday that the two organizations will be merging. The announcement came just weeks after the organizations signed a memorandum of understanding, agreeing to explore a potential collaboration. Bryce Riggs has been serving as the interim president/CEO for TSEP since Aaron Montz resigned in January. Riggs is also the executive director of Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce and Destination Seneca County, which share a staff. It is unclear how Destination Seneca County will be impacted by the merger. According to a release, both boards determined a merger would "enhance business advocacy, workforce development and economic initiatives throughout the region." "This merger represents a strategic step forward for our business community," Chip VanDette, TSEP board chair said in the release. "By bringing together the strengths of both organizations, we can better support business attraction, retention, and workforce development while creating a stronger, unified voice for economic growth." A committee composed of the chair and vice chair of both organizations is set to oversee the next steps which include hiring a president and CEO to lead the new organization. "The focus now shifts to ensuring a smooth transition and positioning the organization for long-term success," Ashley Helmstetter, Chamber board chair also said in a release. "This is an opportunity to strengthen the services, resources, and advocacy efforts available to businesses and the community as a whole." The A-T reached out to Riggs with additional questions but did not receive a response by deadline.