We hope that a slight stumble in effective communication during its first week under new leadership does not reflect the kind of advocacy we can expect from the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce in the future.

The chamber's board of directors appointed an interim executive director last week, and while Pamela Kirkwood may be well-known to area businesspeople and chamber members, the chamber took nearly a week to announce to the public that Kirkwood was on board.

We don't need to tell anyone that economic development is the biggest obstacle facing Auburn and Cayuga County, but now may be the time to remind those in positions to make things happen that it's going to take initiative - and vocal advocacy - to get anything accomplished.

The competition for jobs is fierce, and the Chamber of Commerce has a big part to play in promoting the positive aspects of the area to anyone who might be interested in doing business here.

The chamber this week indicated that the search for a permanent director is still ongoing but that it sees no need to rush the process because of its confidence in Kirkwood's ability to be an effective leader.

If that's the case, then we hope to see Kirkwood become a visible and vocal advocate for the area's economy and for the retention and creation of jobs.

We were a bit disheartened, given the chamber's primary focus of promotion and public relations, that it took so long for its staff to publicly announce that it had filled its top post, if only on an interim basis.

The chamber, especially its leadership, needs to be an active and vocal participant in the growth of the area.

Even in this phase of transition, the chamber can be - and should be - an influential group of proactive leaders.

It needs to be seeking new opportunities and it needs to be communicating, through all means possible, with the general public.