Katie Holland.
What on earth was the Chamber thinking?
On Monday in its 'Chamber Chat' email to members it announced its Women in Business sessions were to be revamped as the Chamber of Commerce Bikini Club.
It came complete with a logo featuring a cartoon of a large lady in a small bikini.
The backlash was swift and none too complimentary.
I am sure the Chamber's intentions were good. It wanted to market its female-focussed events in a more "fun and vibrant" way.
Business doesn't have to be boring, but there is a fine line between fun and plain demeaning, sexist and cringeworthy. In my view, that line was crossed.
When businesswomen attend events run by the Chamber they do so to network, learn and share ideas so they can improve their own businesses and contribute to the Rotorua economy.
Generations of women have worked hard to achieve an even playing field with men in the business world - and many would argue it's a battle they are still fighting.
Only recently it was revealed the pay gap between what men and women earn in New Zealand is the worst it has been in almost 10 years.
The last thing Rotorua's businesswomen need is a professional organisation set up to advocate for them reducing them to a trivial caricature.
They take their careers and businesses seriously and the Chamber should do the same.
To its credit, the Chamber reacted swiftly to the backlash over the name and apologised yesterday, admitting it had got it wrong and asking for suggestions for a new name.
But you do have to wonder how the name got through in the first place, without someone raising a red flag.
Chamber chief executive Darrin Walsh and the board members have worked hard over the last two years to build a strong organisation that meets the needs of its members.
Hopefully this will be a mistake they will learn from. Its female members deserve that respect.
The foodbank has collected $5560 in donated food, money, and gifts in week one.