One of San Juan Bautista’s biggest fans is finally saying
goodbye.
Terry Marburger, the executive director of the San Juan Bautista
Chamber of Commerce, is retiring after heading the chamber for four
years and after more than 20 years of service in it.
One of San Juan Bautista’s biggest fans is finally saying goodbye.
Terry Marburger, the executive director of the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce, is retiring after heading the chamber for four years and after more than 20 years of service in it.
Marburger, who has been working incessantly since she was 17, feels it’s her and her husband’s turn, who is also retiring, to partake in some much-needed rest and relaxation, she said.
“It’s time for us to finally take some time for ourselves,” Marburger said.
She moved to San Juan Bautista on Christmas Eve of 1969 because of relatives and began her own business, Terry’s Candles. She decided to join the Chamber of Commerce because it was important to have business owners on the board, she said.
After traversing through administrative positions, she was finally asked to head the chamber in 1999.
“There were people here who said the job couldn’t be done by just one person,” Marburger said. “But if you organize well, it can.”
The job kept her busy, never allowing time for time off, she said.
“I thought vacations were going to Las Vegas or San Francisco for conventions,” she said.
Marburger and her husband bought two and a half acres in Jamestown, about 60 miles west of Stockton, and plan to build a house.
“I want a big house, with lots of space,” she said. “I deserve it.”
After she finishes her house she hopes to do some traveling. There are so many things in this country alone that she’s never seen and this is the time to see them, she said.
While heading the chamber, Marburger achieved several accomplishments she’s considerably proud of, one being the chamber’s bond with San Juan Bautista and the neighboring towns.
“We reconnected with non-profits and other organizations,” she said. “We became an entity in the community.”
She also helped to sharpen the town’s tourism focus, working closely with the San Benito County Tourism Council, she said.
“Because 90 percent of the businesses here depend on tourism, when you help to bring it into the town, you feel like you’ve accomplished a goal,” she said.
Through all her hard work, Marburger will savor her experience with the chamber.
“I really have enjoyed it,” she said. “It’s been a rewarding experience.”
Her replacement, Jennifer Schultz, will be taking over when Marburger officially retires on Wednesday, Aug. 27, and is anxious to continue in Marburger’s footsteps.
“I love San Juan,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to working with everyone and continuing the wonderful job that Terry’s done.”
