A mixture of good food, a lot of socializing and perhaps a little business talk made for a pleasant Wednesday evening for about 2,000 people who attended the annual “Taste of Lawrence” fall mixer organized by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.

“The food is absolutely wonderful, and the socializing is important,” said Robin Smith, who attended the outdoor event along with his wife, Shirley Martin-Smith, a member of the chamber’s board of directors.

Those attending purchased tickets to sample food provided by about 25 local eating establishments.

The mixer, held in a field at Crestline Drive and Bob Billings Parkway, is intended to honor the area’s educators. A record number, about 500 educators, attended this year’s event, said Cathy Lewis, the chamber’s vice president for membership. Last year, about 400 attended, she said. The overall crowd total was nearly 1,700.

Bob Arevalo, personnel director for Lawrence public schools, said he thought the event was well received.

“It welcomes educators to the Lawrence Community at the beginning of a new school year,” he said.

The mixer also gave the Lawrence Education Achievement Partners (L.E.A.P.) a chance to “get its name out and show what it can do,” said the organization’s director, Sarah Klingele. A booth provided information about L.E.A.P., which works to establish connections among community businesses, organizations and schools.

Ryan Harjo, Hereford House chef, flips burgers over a grill at the Chamber of Commerce's fall mixer, A

This year’s mixer came at time when the chamber has to start looking for a new vice president for economic development. Lynn Parman, who held the job for three years, is leaving to take a position with the Kansas City Area Development Council.

Chamber President and CEO Lavern Squier is finalizing a committee to search for Parman’s replacement. Although no specific timeline has been set for hiring someone, he said it could happen in December or January. The committee will include city and county government representatives, as well as representatives of the chamber, realty and chamber funding and working partners.

Parman’s replacement is expected have the ability work with a variety of entities and be sensitive to the needs of the cities and the county.

“We have a lot of groups here, and we want somebody who can understand all of the needs and how they fit,” Squier said during the mixer.

• 6News video: City’s food, educatiors celebrated at festival

Shirley Martin-Smith agreed.

“She (Parman) established a baseline, and some say we should bring it up another notch,” Martin-Smith said.

State Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, said the job required someone “who is willing to work 70 hours a week.”

“It takes a lot of time to understand our county and it’s potential,” Sloan said.