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By NEIL O. NELSON

Leadership in Hillsboro’s local business association shifted north and east this week.

Teran Brown on Tuesday was elected president of the Hillsboro Business Association. Gail Mooney will serve as assistant to the new HBA president.

Both businesswomen have rural Cummings addresses. 

The obvious east Cummings bias will not factor into decisions made concerning Hillsboro’s business association, the two women promise.

HBA members meeting this week at the Main Street Community Center are fine with the Cummings connection.

Mooney, HBA vice president the last two years, will serve largely as a mentor for Brown, the two women agreed.

Amy O’Brien was elected vice president.

“Teran and Amy will bring energy  and enthusiasm to the group,” Gail Mooney is convinced.

“They’ll be fantastic.”

Outgoing president Neil Nelson appreciated the willingness of Brown and O’Brien to take the leadership roles of the local business group. Nelson has served as HBA president the last three years.

The ticket of Brown, O’Brien, with Randy Habeck serving as secretary, passed in a unanimous vote of the HBA members.

“It’s the next generation,” Mooney offered.

“It’s been a good run but we needed the younger business owners to take over,” said Nelson.

“We need a new vision for the business association.”

The election of a new slate of HBA officers came at a critical juncture of the Hillsboro Business Association.

The group failed at its December meeting to enlist anyone to run for office.

Dissolving the HBA was a distinct possibility, according to Nelson and Mooney.

“No one wanted to disband the group, but without anyone willing to serve as officers, we were running out of time and options.”

Longtime HBA member and former officer Dan Christianson agreed that the business group was at a crossroads.

“I don’t think we can force this organization to continue if no one is interested in taking a turn at leadership.”

But, he continued, Hillsboro “has a great future. It needs exposure, promotion and excitement.”

HBA members were alerted by e-mail earlier in the week that the group was facing some very important decisions Wednesday, indicated Mooney.

“We’re at an impasse. Officially, our group has no president, vice president or secretary. This needs to be addressed.”

Mooney continued the open dialogue Wednesday.

“It would be a tragedy if HBA were not to exist.”

No one wants us to go away, she insisted. So, what are our alternatives?

Disband, merge or continue?

The 21 members meeting Wednesday wanted the business group to continue.

“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t want it to stay,” said Randy Habeck.

“Then we need new officers, or we’ll just come back to this point again,” Mooney said.

“It’s time for the new generation to step into their roles.”

At that point, 30 minutes into Wednesday’s dialogue, Teran Brown offered to take the job as president.

Brown’s submission cemented the ticket of Brown, O’Brien and Habeck.

Bravo, said Mooney. “We’ve made great strides. HBA will remain an active organization.”

Brown wasn’t convinced.

“This is scary.”

She was still smiling when she submitted that her new role was daunting, to say the least.

“But exciting, I think.”

The Hillsboro Business Association, said Gail Mooney, “has accomplished so much, done so much for this community, especially the last several years, that no one wanted it to go away.”

HBA members meeting Thursday made sure it wouldn’t go away.

O’Brien and Habek indicated they were comfortable with moving up the leadership ladder next year.

Teran Brown and business partner Beth Christianson-Melby recently opened Hometown Aditude, an ad agency in downtown Hillsboro. O’Brien is the owner of Amy’s Floral and Coffee House on Main Street in Hillsboro. Pharmacist Randy Habeck is a business partner at Hillsboro Drug.

Betsy Tate, bank teller at Dakota Heritage Bank, is the HBA treasurer.

The Hillsboro Business Association had 60 paid members in 2007. The business group also welcomed five non-profit organizations into its family of businesses this year.

The HBA operated on a $6,000 budget in 2007.