b'For his ownCharles Van Rysselberge was the Chambers President and CEO from institutional2002 to 2011. Retired and living in Gainesville, Georgia, today, he still gets The Post and Courier. Anecdotally, he gives us the backstory of memory, 40 yearsChamber service characterized by the power of an opportunity fund, in the making,sky miles, passage of a half-cent sales tax in 2004 for transportation that led to the Ravenel bridge and more. Conversation with him is Charles received,generously peppered with the names of Chamber staff and volunteers in 2013, thehe believes moved important matters forward for the good of the Honorary Lifetimeregion. Were there room in this 250 th -anniversary retrospective, those names would fill pages. It seems a good moment then, on behalf of MembershipCharles and Chamber leadership past and present, to say thank you award from theone and all for memories like those shared here.AssociationFirst things first, a word about the title of this feature. Over his 40-of Chamberyear career, Charles managed five chambers in five different states. While heading the Oklahoma City Chamber, he was just four blocks of Commerceaway when the bomb went off at the Federal building. He was at the Executives. Atlanta Chamber when the city won the bid for the Olympics. He knows a good bit about the historical personality and presence of chambers N of commerce. In the old days, he says, chambers, like Ringling Bros. O60s, however, community problems gained traction and and Barnum & Bailey Circus showman P.T. Barnum, were blustery. They were motherhood and sliced breadbooster organizations that didnt like to talk about anything negative. In the chambers could no longer afford to sweep problems under the rug. On behalf of the businesses they represented, they galvanized members to confront them. Tough issues, Charles says, were at the forefront of the Charleston Chamber when he served and will remain so long into the future as issues related to education, talent development, housing, M infrastructure failure, landfill, climate change, drugs and more pervade OREthe regional landscape. P.T. BARNUM45 NO MORE P.T. BARNUM'