The Chamber of Commerce gavel was officially passed to 2012 President Debbie Marcum at Thursday night’s Chamber banquet.

Born a “Navy brat” in Scotland, Marcum came to Alabama with her family in 1979, and graduated from Straughn, LBWCC and Troy University. She said her growing-up years here were marked by cleaning fences and hauling hay. It was enough, she said, to convince her to get an education.

Marcum works in the marketing and member services division of PowerSouth, and said her goals for the chamber in 2012 include adding workshops, monitoring a very important legislative session, increasing traffic to the Chamber’s web site and increasing services offered there, and continuing to provide networking opportunities to members.

Entertainment at the annual event was provided by comedian Jim Gossett, who poked fun at both Auburn and Alabama, Mayor Earl Johnson, Rep. Mike Jones, chamber board members, and The Star-News, among others.

Gossett said he recently tried to call Auburn quarterback Clint Moseley, but he couldn’t get him on the phone.

“Later I saw him, and he said, I heard the phone ring, but I couldn’t find a receiver,” he said.

Poking fun at both the mayor and the newspaper, he said the newspaper recently ran a poll –right beside a story about a talking cat – asking residents who they felt about the mayor.

“Eighty-one percent said they admired him,” Gossett said. “The other 19 percent had actually met him.”

Doing a Johnny Carson skit in which he provided questions, then opened envelopes to reveal answers, he said, “What is a .007? …. The average IQ of Chamber board members.”