We’ll just come right out and say it: We think the Greater of Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce made a big mistake when it showed former Executive Director Jim Martin the door last week. Whether it was a long standing personnel matter or not, the details of his sudden departure came as a shock to the community — worst of all, they came as a shock to Jim.

“I thought everything was going pretty well,” he said this week. “I was very excited about the membership growth.”

What wasn’t to be excited about?

Under Jim’s nine-month leadership, the chamber tripled its volunteer corps, increased the number of patron members from 15 to 50 and raised overall membership by 100.

In what could have been an extremely tumultuous time, he also helped put the organization in the black and was busy creating partnerships before his directorship was abruptly ended.

“There’s more to business than profit and loss, there’s also the relationship with your bosses,” he explained. “You gotta please the 900-pound gorilla and sometimes you just can’t do that.”

While there may have been some differences of opinion between Jim and the “gorilla,” were they really large enough to bring the hammer down on the community of Poulsbo? That is who will bear the brunt of the blow from this decision, we feel. Jim accomplished notable success is just nine months time and we wonder what else he could have done for the community if he had the time and support to do so.

Losing Jim at the chamber will likely translate into a loss for Poulsbo as a whole. It’s a sad day when the differences of the few are allowed to override the needs of the many.

But that is what appears to have transpired in this case.

Jim did note that in hindsight, he might have done a few things differently. But hindsight is always 20/20, as the saying goes. Unfortunately it also comes too late. This is something we’re pretty certain the chamber will learn as it goes into 2005 without Jim as its executive director.

Not to say that whoever replaces him at the position might not become a success over time but the immediate, positive impact and partnership building will be difficult to match.

Very difficult indeed.