Tague deserves thanks

The job, in some ways, is like being the pastor of an independent church.
You need to be able to build consensus, motivate volunteers, stay on message, put out fires, broaden the base of membership, keep the peace between rival factions and competing visions, inspire folks who aren’t always inclined to feel inspired, balance the books, develop strategic plans, identify challenges, welcome newcomers, nurture new leaders, listen to the members, get the members to listen to you, serve as the public face of the organization and juggle all this while working with a shoestring budget.
That, in a nutshell, is what’s entailed in serving as the executive director of the Jay County Chamber of Commerce.
And that, in a nutshell, is what Vicki Tague has been up to for more than 20 years.
Her successor, Dean Sanders who comes on board at the chamber the middle of this month, will have big shoes to fill.
That’s because not only has Vicki worn all the different hats described above, she also played the key leadership role in transforming chambers of commerce in Portland, Dunkirk and Redkey and other similar groups into a single, county-wide chamber of commerce.
Would there be a county-wide chamber without Vicki’s leadership? Maybe.
But sometimes you need the right person at the right time, and Vicki Tague was the right person.
She provided the perseverance to see the task to completion. And that sort of grit and determination should come as no surprise; she demonstrated the same qualities in her own personal battles with cancer over the past several years.
It’s a cliché to say she leaves behind big shoes to fill, but it’s also true.
Her successor will face his own set of challenges, but he comes into the job with a healthy, broad-based organization ready to build upon a record of success. He has Vicki Tague to thank for that. We all do. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]