The York County Chamber of Commerce and the York County Economic Development Corp. plan to affiliate under a new parent organization, the York County Economic Alliance, the chamber said today.
Both groups will remain programs of the new organization, which is expected to become effective Jan. 1. But the joint organization will have one membership and one brand identity, according to a copy of the memorandum of understanding posted on the chamber’s website this afternoon.
The proposal also leaves open the possibility of other organizations joining it.
The YCEDC and the chamber said in February had reached a memorandum of understanding to pursue an affiliation between their operations. The chamber members are scheduled to vote on the plan Tuesday at the York Expo Center.
The original memorandum called for five task forces to conduct a 90- to 120-day review of various aspects of the organizations’ operations, according to a news release earlier this year.
Both sides said a merger was a possibility being considered.
At least two other significant nonprofit affiliations have occurred or are under way in York County this year.
In May, the local betterment organization YorkCounts became an initiative of the York County Community Foundation and its two staff positions were eliminated.
And in July, the downtown York-based Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center said it would take over marketing, financial and administrative functions of the York Symphony Orchestra effective after the symphony’s executive director, Henry Nixon, retires at the end of August.
