PHILIPSBURG--Attorney Richard Gibson Jr. has been elected to the board of the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He will occupy the position left vacant when Glen Carty, the former President, who represented large businesses, resigned. As a result of Carty's resignation, the nine-member chamber board was left with eight members. Large business operators voted to elect a ninth person on Friday.

Of the 45 ballots cast, 18 were for Gibson Jr.; 14 for C. Philips and 12 for Ann Meyers. One ballot was invalid.

Chamber Executive Director Claret Connor said Gibson Jr. will serve the remainder of the term that Carty was supposed to have, which is up to the end of this year. After this period he can be nominated for Chamber elections to serve a full term.

Current Board President Arthur Bute said Gibson Jr.'s addition to the board was a plus. He said his election to the board showed that the level of professional persons on the board was increasing. "This means that more people in the community want to get involved by being on the board."

Bute told this newspaper that the executive board (President, Vice President and Treasurer) that is in place will not be affected by Gibson Jr.'s addition to the board.

In a press release issued late yesterday, Bute said the Chamber board, management and staff thanked all the persons who took time from their busy schedule to be part of the voting process. The Chamber also welcomed Gibson Jr. to the board and said it counted on his active participation, especially in the implementation of the 2012 Chamber programme titled "New Country, New Approach."

The board says Gibson Jr. is a dynamic lawyer, who is also seen as socially involved in many aspects of our community, and his contribution to the Chamber will certainly be very beneficial to the business community.

Also on the board are Vice President Ludwig Ouenniche, Treasurer Abdul Meyers, and board members Hubert Pantophlet, Jeroen Veen, Joseph Lake Jr., A. Rawtani and Tamara Leonard.