The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the official appointment of Andrew Fike as full-time president of the organization, effective Thursday, January 25, 2024. Fike resigned his position as Chair of the Chamber Board of Directors in May of 2023 in order to fill the vacancy in an interim capacity.
“We are very pleased to announce that Andrew Fike has been promoted to the permanent position of President of the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce,” said Steve Stuck, Chair of the Board for the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce. “Andrew has been a lifelong resident of Garrett County, a long-time business owner, and someone that has been very active in the Chamber and the community for many years. He brings much enthusiasm and passion to this position and is determined to do whatever he can to help the businesses thrive and succeed in Garrett County. Please join me in welcoming Andrew into this position.”
In his youth, Fike spent 15 years at Beachy Lumber Company. He also owned Fox’s Pizza, Oak-Mar Motel & Restaurant, Oakland Motel, and 3rd Street Diner and still owns Parkview Apartments. He has also served on boards for various church and civic organizations including the West Marva District Church of the Brethren District board, Bridgewater College trustee board, and the Oak Park Church of the Brethren board.
Fike was elected to the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in 2019. He served as the Vice Chair of the Board from 2020 – 2021 and Chaired the Board from 2021 until he stepped down to act as interim president. Under Fike’s leadership on the Board and during his stint as interim president, the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce has made a number of well-received changes including adopting a discounted membership rate for non-profit organizations, creating an Associate-level of membership for individuals who wish to engage with the Chamber and business community, splitting Business After Hours admissions fees with hosts to help offset costs, and updating the Chamber logo to better reflect the organization’s dedication to the whole county.
“Having been a member of the business community for the past 40 years it’s wonderful to be in a position where I can help connect fellow business owners and community leaders make connections,” said Fike. “I’m proud of what we’re doing here and our renewed dedication to the Chamber’s mission to ‘organize, support, and represent Garrett County’s business community in advancing common interests.’”
The Garrett County Chamber of Commerce is the largest professional business association in the region with 500 members representing every industry in the community. The mission of the Chamber is to organize, support, and represent Garrett County’s business community in advancing common interests and additionally to promote Garrett County’s hospitality and recreation industry by attracting visitors to the county through comprehensive marketing. The Garrett County Chamber also serves as the Destination Marketing Organization and Heritage Area Management entity for the County.
