Erik Mahler interim president of chamber

Erik Mahler has taken the reigns at the Baldwin Chamber of Commerce once more. Serving for 12 years previously, with the resignation of Franky Jorge as chamber president, Mahler is currently the interim president as they search for an adequate replacement. With two candidates in mind, Mahler will see in the coming months if they have the chops to run the economic organization with 131 chamber members while dedicating their time and efforts to businesses in Baldwin.

To be the president requires a certain criterion, he told the Herald, you have to be “Willing to volunteer your time and money,” already be a chamber member, and do right by the community. Mahler’s father and grandfather were both chamber presidents in the past and they imparted on him the vital skill of giving back, which he hopes the next person has. “I was brought up to give service and give back to the community, and one way you do that is you get involved with local groups,” he said.

Getting involved with the chamber will not only help the whole group, but individuals who join can learn and take ideas from members, network, learn how to get a new client base and give back to their community. Also, there are ways to get involved and work alongside local government.

About six years ago the Town of Hempstead wanted to take away parking on Grand Ave. but Mahler said, “We squashed that idea because it would have ruined businesses, the chamber members that were there said it was their customer parking and the county backed away off after that. The idea of taking away eight parking spots doesn’t sound like a lot, but for them, that was their bread and butter that would’ve been taken away.”

Always looking at the human impact, Mahler said he’s goal has always been to restore Baldwin businesses to look like how they did when he was growing up- filled to the brim with customers who care. Ideally, he would like to see, “Every single store filled and people walking the streets and spending money locally, rather than shopping online because it’s easier and they don’t want to leave. Getting to know the business owners and how much they care and not just using them for raffles and fundraiser, because Baldwin businesses give and give and give and they don’t get in return.”

The uphill battle to reaching this goal, he says, is education, and how the lack thereof is leading more people to shop online. He puts it bluntly, “You’re either taught to give back to the community or not.” And getting trapped in the ease of online shopping has made the public stay at home rather than learn the names of those in charge of the mom and pop down the block. “Let’s face it, humans want to stay in their routine and their routine is comfortability. (But the) true growth is when you get outside of your routine and your comfortable zone,” he said.

That is just one of the obstacles businesses owners have to overcome to get customers. Another Mahler mentions is when those in power pass laws when they themselves are not business owners. He asks those who make these decisions to consider, “What are the logistics of the law you just passed?” Finding that too often, some laws “Put a cog in the wheel of a small person trying to open up a simple shop, they have to jump through hoops in order for them to do that.”

“It’s an uphill battle, but you can’t throw in the towel,” he said.