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Chamber bids goodbye

to retiring Zubkow that’s your chamber

Written by Bobby Vasquez.

After 20 years, the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce will be without familiar face. Office and
Events Coordinator Grace Zubkow recently announced her retirement, with her final day July 1.
Friends, family and chamber supporters gathered at the Chamber offices to wish her a fond fare-
well.

The boardroom at the Deer with you. You are one classy “I’ve been involved with a ful for the friendships she
Park Chamber of Commerce lady. You have character. lot of folks who have done made and memories she
offices turned into a sea of You have morals. I could a lot of things with differ- made.
tears, hugs and well wishes have not done what I did ent business, but Grace
as the organization said without you as my founda- is all about commitment. “It’s an honor to have
goodbye to retiring Office tion.” She was the first one in the worked with everyone,”
and Events Coordinator door, the last one out. She she said through tears. She
Grace Zubkow. Current Chamber Presi- was always a step ahead of thanked the individuals she
dent and CEO Tim Culp the rest of us,” he said. worked with for their cre-
While images of fun days echoed his predecessor’s ativity, wisdom, innovation
of the past and messages sentiments. In a small He said it is remarkable and and freedom.
of thanks were projected office environment, it is not uncommon to see one per-
onto a wall, dozens of Deer uncommon for co-workers son stay committed to an
Park Chamber supporters to become close family, he organization for 20 years.
from past and present were said.
on hand to give Zubkow a Zubkow said she was grate-
fond farewell. That close family endures
the joyous times and the
Former Chamber President/ dysfunctional times, he
CEO Sharon McLean said said. But at the end, that
her tenure was marked by family still comes together,
Zubkow’s friendship and said Culp.
loyalty.
“You laugh together. You
“It was a privilege and hon- cry together. You get mad
or to work beside you,” said together. You slam doors
McLean. together. But you are fam-
ily,” he said. “But we have
McLean, who served the memories that we created
chamber From 1999 to together. We’ll manage and
2010, said she admired we’ll move on and it’ll be
Zubkow’s tact, especially different.”
when it came to words.
While he appreciated
“I would say ‘Grace, this is so many attributes that
what I’m thinking. You put Zubkow brought to the
it into words,’” McLean said. Chamber, Culp said he was
“Good, bad, ugly, the whole most impressed with her
time, I enjoyed working commitment.

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