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Memorial to Terri Bridenbecker past Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director
 Terri Bridenbecker, who passed away in early January 2009, led the Chamber of Commerce for more than seven years.
Tim Bridenbecker said his wife, Terri, loved to unwind from her job as executive director of the Chamber by quilting or working in the garden at her home on O'Neil Road in Owasco.
The Bridenbeckers were well-known figures in the Auburn business community. Terri headed the chamber, and Tim owns two Riverbend coffee shops, one at Fingerlakes Mall and the other downtown on Genesee Street in Lattimore Hall.
The Bridenbeckers met on a double date with Tim's brother, Ed, and Terri's sister, Susan, Tim Bridenbecker said. Tim lived in Utica at the time, Terri in New Hartford.
"When they were dating, we both kind of did the blind date with them - your sister, my brother, that sort of thing," Tim said.
The double date led to marriage vows for Ed and Sue and, a year later, Tim and Terri, who celebrated their 24th wedding anniversary in October. They had two children, Ryan, 23, an accountant at Savannah Bank, and Alysse, 21, a senior at Messiah College in Pennsylvania.
Terri Bridenbecker graduated from Endicott College, in Beverly, Mass., with an associate's degree in retail management.
After working as a buyer and other retail positions, she landed a job at Fingerlakes Mall. Tim was working in Rochester, and they were living in Liverpool. To ease the commute, they moved to Auburn, liked the community and settled down. "We've been here since 1985," Tim said.
Bridenbecker took over as chamber director in September 2001. At the time, she had worked for the chamber for a year.
"We feel a great loss," said Ginny Kent, coordinator for the chamber's Leadership Cayuga program and membership coordinator. "We’ll really miss her."
Elaine Buffington, a certified public accountant at Beard Miller who is treasurer of the chamber's board of directors and a former board chairwoman, said Bridenbecker brought financial stability and growth to the chamber. Her crowning achievement, Buffington said, was the chamber earning a three-star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Only 300 of the approximately 7,000 chambers nationwide are accredited.
"That was just a huge accomplishment and something she was very proud of," Buffington said, "and, we at the board of directors were very proud of her."
Bridenbecker always looked beyond the normal to bring new programs and improved services to chamber members, Buffington said.
Before joining the chamber, Bridenbecker was financial coordinator with Hospice of the Finger Lakes. Hospice Executive Director Terry Kline said Bridenbecker worked for Hospice for five or six years, when the organization was located on William Street. Bridenbecker served initially as a clinical assistant, coordinating home health aides and medical equipment for clients, and later became the agency's financial coordinator.
"Terri was very kind, caring, sensitive to the Hospice mission and philosophy," we were very saddened about her unexpected death," Kline said. "Our sincere sympathies go to her husband and children."
Daniel Schuster worked with Bridenbecker in his roles as District 13 county legislator and his job at the Downtown Business Improvement District. She and her husband not only championed the local community, Schuster said, but they also invested in it, opening the two Riverbend coffee shops.
"She was certainly a great advocate for the business community here," Schuster said.
Memorial contributions can be made to either Leadership Cayuga Education Fund or IGNITE, in care of the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, 36 South St., Auburn 13021.
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