CONWAY — In an effort to bring Concord to the mountains, state Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell and his staff presented and state resources forum for local businesses at the Fairbank Lodge at Cranmore Mountain Resort on Tuesday morning that was hosted by the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Topics included housing, the outdoor recreation economy, international trade and how to help businesses succeed.

The forum was the third held by the BEA to date, with the first held in Keene a year ago and the second in the Lakes Region in April. A fourth is planned for Oct. 7 at the Seacoast School of Technology in Exeter, said BEA Director of Communications Lorna Colquhoun.

In addition to Caswell, presenters at the hourlong forum included Chase Hagaman, directo, of the state Division of Economic Development; Andrew Dorsett, director of InvestNH (housing); Ian Davis, program manager at the Northern Borders Regional Commission; and Benoit Lamontagne, business resource and development specialist for northern New Hampshire.

Also speaking were Joseph Doiron, director, Office of Workforce Opportunity; Janel Lawton, director, Office of Outdoor Recreation and Development; Heather Shank, director, Office of Community and Planning Development; Lori Harnois, director, Department of Travel and Tourism Development; and Matthew Conserva, director, Broadband.

Lamontagne said it can be difficult for new businesses to negotiate their way through state government and that’s where his office can help. He said a business from Quebec opened an office in New Hampshire and whose leaders encountered trouble while trying to make it past the border crossing on one trip. The executive made a nighttime call to Lamontagne and he was able to clear up the matter.

In her talk, Lawton saluted the outdoor recreation industry of Mount Washington Valley and the leadership of the chamber in addressing the challenges the valley faced during COVID in 2020 and continues to manage as it tries to govern overuse of natural resources such as the heavily-used Diana’s Baths off West Side Road in North Conway.

She noted how the state and other tourism organizations such as Granite Backcountry Alliance and chamber have worked to educate the public through the chamber’s Pledge program and GBA’s Ski Kind etiquette.

Also present were Jeanie Forrester, director of intergovernmental affairs; Mike Bergeron; business development manager; Adam Boltik, intercommerce director; Bridgett Beckwith, B.E.A. tax credit program manager; and Sarah Murray, APEX government contracting.

Others on hand included Amy K. Bassett, district director for the federal Small Business Administration, and Tuesday A. Perkins, lender relations specialist for the SBA, both based in Concord. Executive Councilor Joe Kenney (R-District 1) of Wakefield also attended.

Representing the chamber were Executive Director Michelle Cruz, Director of Guest Services Lisa Eastman and Heather Odell, newly hired community engagement liaison.

Approximately 30 business leaders were in attendance, including Ben Wilcox, president and general manager of Cranmore Mountain Resort; Tyler Ray, former executive director of Granite Backcountry Alliance; Kathy Bennett of Kathy Bennett Marketing; and Melody Nester of Ski NH.

“For those of us in the northern part of the state, it’s always tough to get our message out to Concord so I think it was really great to have our local valley businesses have this opportunity to meet with BEA leaders to and to hear and see the resources that are available to help,” said Cruz after the hourlong session.

Caswell welcomed the opportunity to meet with local businesses and to showcase the resources the state has to offer.

“We go to a region in the state, bring our team and provide the intel,” he said, adding, “We want to hear people’s concerns and let them know we have resources that are available.”

Caswell said primary concerns he has heard are lack of housing and people to staff businesses.

“The number of communities that are willing to engage on the housing question, to say we want to do housing and ask what is the right size for us and where do we want to have it — more and more communities are having that discussion versus five or six years ago you wouldn’t have that … That’s a long play.

“How does it help a community without ‘wrecking’ a community, and there are different ways to do that,” Caswell said,

He said the challenge for communities is how to build the economy without wrecking the natural amenities.

As the Sun has reported, Conway last year completed the update of its master plan, and the planning board is now working to update the zoning to meet the goals set forth in the plan as it addresses future redevelopment.

Thursday at 6 p.m., the Conway Planning Board is continuing an ongoing discussion on a proposal to create a core commercial district from Four Your Paws only south to the bottom of Burger King (Bowling Alley Hill) that would limit new hotels and commercial buildings larger than 15,000 square feet to that corridor.