The Fountain Hills Chamber of Commerce has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic as a force in the business community, said outgoing chairperson Bill Hinz and his successor, Suzanne Nann.

“Suzanne and a strong executive board will be seated July 1 and continue the momentum of the last 18 months for the non-profit business organization,” Hinz said. Nann attained her real estate license in 1966 and is currently affiliated with RE/MAX Sun Properties, 16704 Avenue of the Fountains.

“It’s been a tough year for a lot of businesses in Fountain Hills. From a personal business perspective, we fought our way to survive and we now see daylight ahead,” said Hinz, owner and developer of the newest resort, ADERO Scottsdale, formerly CopperWynd. The 177-room hotel opened last October and already has earned accolades from prestigious travel sites.

The current issue of Travel and Leisure magazine lists ADERO as one of the best new resorts in the world. ADERO is the only Arizona resort on Conde Nast Traveler’s 2021 Hot List of New Resorts in the World. The property also earned AAA’s Four Diamonds rating.

Still, a double whammy is clobbering the town’s business development. Although COVID restrictions have eased, the town is entering its historically low period of summer business traffic, said Hinz.

“We’re going to have to wait until fall to see the good days,” Hinz said. Leisure travel has definitely improved; his resort had 100 percent occupancy Memorial Day weekend. He predicts corporate business travel, team retreats and weddings will take longer to return. “We’re extremely hopeful that there is a pent-up demand to travel and get out...ADERO is well situated for recovery. Everyone wants to get out again, but stay safe.”

Hinz said the Chamber played a role that no one else in town took over.

“(Chamber President and CEO) Betsy LaVoie and her team refused to put their heads in the ground and wait this out,” noted Hinz. He praised the board for promoting LaVoie, a town native and former Chamber member relations manager, to CEO in Sept. 2019.

“The ‘Survive Today, Thrive Tomorrow’ initiative was designed to provide Chamber members with as much exposure as possible when most leaders were hiding and waiting,” said Hinz. “I am so proud of her.”

The Chamber maintained its membership during the pandemic, said Hinz.

“They (business owners) saw value that we were going to help them survive,” he added.

Revenue from two arts fairs was dramatically reduced because of a decrease in vendors and increased expenses for sanitation stations and mask-wearing enforcement. Registered vendors for the fall arts show is already ahead of pace of the 2019 fair. Sponsorships of special events also are at record high levels.

“I believe because of the great job the Chamber did in operating the two fairs, the upcoming November fair will be the most successful fair that we have done,” said Hinz.

The Chamber is taking over sponsorship of Oktoberfest, a popular authentic German festival of food and music organized by Christine Colley for more than 12 years. She is assisting the Chamber in planning the Sept. 24-25 event. A re-invention of the former business showcase, Fountain Hills Days, will be expanded in late March on the Avenue of the Fountains.

Before the pandemic, the Chamber revised its plans to build an addition on its office building. The board decided to renovate the structure “at a cost of four to five times less than originally budgeted.”

“It’s an example of new development and growth in difficult times,” said Hinz.

Incoming chairperson Suzanne Nann said she feels “very, very blessed” as she embarks on leading the Chamber.

Originally from New England (Newport, R.I.), she and her late husband, Bob, operated a family real estate agency in Metuchen, N.J., for 30 years. A combat veteran in the U.S. Marine Corps, he shared his patriotism and veterans’ activism with her. She was appointed an Honorary Woman Marine by the Marine Corps in 2004 for helping to restore a veterans park, leading Memorial Day parades and coordinating Memorial Day ceremonies from 1990 through 2004 in Metuchen. She is an auxiliary member of the local Marine Corps League #1439 and a supporter of the Marines’ annual Christmas Toys for Tots drive.

The Nanns started investing in Arizona real estate in 1987 and became Fountain Hills residents in 2005. At one time, they owned 22 investment properties, which are now scaled back to seven. She is a director of Fountain Hills Sister Cities. Bob died in 2012, shortly before she moved to Rio Verde. Her daughter, Jennifer Colitre, works at Pals Inn Pet Rescue.