Crescent Bar woman new head of Quincy chamber

QUINCY – Within a year of moving from western Washington to Crescent Bar to retire, Mara Jacobs  decided to make Quincy her new home town.

Apparently, the business community believes she has. It recently voted her president of the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce for 2012.

“It's a real honor,” she said.

An honor that's been earned. Once Jacobs made her choice, she committed herself to involvement. She has worked for pay in Quincy. She has also volunteered.

Other officers for 2012 include Vice President Dustin Cornwell and President-elect Todd Wurl. New board members are Molly Richardson, Janie Milbrandt, Jan Meek and Betsy Kagele.

Hold-over board members include Darrell Amundson, Matt Bergerud, Kathie Brown, Nichol Knebel, Pam Nutter and Tim Snead. The paid employees continue to be Executive Director Karen Vizena and Executive Assistant Monica Freer.

Jacobs and her husband Ken lived in Enumclaw and Renton before moving to Crescent Bar in 2004. They live in The Orchards section, where they purchased a home in 1995.

As planned, the retiring Jacobses went to Arizona that fall of 2004. About a month later they “wanted to go back home” to Quincy.

Once the Jacobses started to become active in Quincy, Jacobs said, they knew western Washington had ceased being their home.

Jacobs was a business woman in western Washington, owning and managing Keg Steakhouse & Bar. She was also person who appreciated physical fitness.

One of Jacobs's first contacts here was the Pro-Fit Training & Nutrition center. She eventually became the bookkeeper and a personal trainer.

She also became active at the St. Pius X Catholic Church. She develops programs for children for special days of the Catholic calendar.

Jacobs became a member of the Chamber's board of directors five years ago. She became a member of the Quincy Valley Historical Society board four years ago.

She's not just a member, however. She's a volunteer on whom other members can count for work details.

Jacobs recently left Pro-Fit, but she's still working. She's the business manager for the private Quincy Valley School and mans the  counter at the Jones of Washington wine tasting room.

“Retirement was boring,” she said recently.

One of the positives that's likely to come from Jacobs's presidency is a better understanding between the folks of Quincy and Crescent Bar. The lease controversy on the island has been cause for some hard feelings.

There are some people on the island who look disapprovingly upon Quincy folks. There are folks in Quincy who see islanders the same way.

But there are a lot more friendships. The majority of Crescent Bar residents do their shopping and other business happily in Quincy.

Crescent Bar residents like Jacobs are typical. Richardson, who works at Edward Jones, is a QVCC board member. Other Crescent Bar residents are involved in Quincy organizations, such as Moose and the senior center.

As for her role this year, Jacobs does not see herself as the Chamber's top gun. She has no more importance, she said, than any of the other 11 board members. She will still be doing the grunt work of the last few years.

First up on the Calendar is the Farmer Appreciation Breakfast. It will be held in March, but a date has not yet been selected.

Ongoing now are sign-ups for the biennial European tour sponsored by the Chamber. This will be the third trip. It will be to Greece in November. Anyone may participate.

The event that will get a lot of Jacobs's attention is Quincy Valley Women's Day. Having been a business woman, she's eager to help the community's women-owned businesses and business in general to grow.

Started last year, and held at the QVS, Women's Day was an attempt to create better awareness between the women of Quincy and the area and Quincy Merchants and health care providers.

Women's Day drew 30 vendors and more than 150 visitors last year. The numbers were satisfactory, Jacobs said, but there is greater     potential.

“I think most of last year's vendors will be back,” she said.

Jacobs hopes added promotion will increase the numbers. She noted there has been more time to prepare for the second go-around.

A major change for this year is the venue. The Quincy Valley Women's Day will be held at the Community Center.