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President’s Letter MAIN PHONE
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320-251-2940
AUTOMATED RESERVATION LINE 320-656-3826 PROGRAM HOTLINE 320-656-3825 information@StCloudAreaChamber.com WWW.STCLOUDAREACHAMBER.COM ST. CLOUD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STAFF PRESIDENT Teresa Bohnen, ext. 104 VICE PRESIDENT Gail Ivers, ext. 109
Like Riding a Bike
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n September Doug Loon became president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the most influential business organization in our state. I believe he is one of the only people who will be able to successfully follow the legacy of David Olson, who died of cancer last summer. Doug has worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in a variety of roles for most of his career. He is strategic and thoughtful, yet he is action oriented and moves quickly. He motivates people easily and gets things done effectively through others. He came home to Minnesota from Washington, D.C., in 1998 as vice president of the U.S. Chamber for the Upper Midwest. Coincidentally, I started my career with the St. Cloud Area Chamber at the same time. When Doug showed up in St. Cloud, we hit it off immediately, launching a great friendship. In the early 2000s we both attended the U.S. Chamber’s professional education conference in Colorado Springs for a week to learn how to run effective chambers of commerce. One afternoon was left open to experience Colorado Springs. We decided to bike down Pike’s Peak with a small group. “It’ll be fun,” we agreed. After all, it’s all downhill. All the other cyclists were testosterone crazed males who were out to beat one another down the mountain.
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Being who I am, I felt the need to keep up. We ran into a thunderstorm and the tour guides made us all get into the van to avoid being struck by lightning. Then we hit the one uphill patch. It was difficult and exhausting. I was the last person entering a road construction area, and I hit a clump of unstable dirt and gravel. As I crashed in slow motion, I clearly recall thinking, ‘I’m going down and it’s not gonna feel good.’ Nothing broke, but most of the skin on my right thigh was left on the hill that day. I brag that my DNA is a permanent part of Pike’s Peak. I got up, got back on the bike, and continued. Those boys weren’t going to see me quit. When we got to the bottom it was raining. Blood dripped down my leg into my sock, but I was smiling for the photos. Doug smiled, hugged me and said, “You’re pretty tough.” Doug’s new experience may be a bit like our bike ride was for me. There will be a lot of testosterone-crazed people trying to beat him. There will be storms and he may have to dodge lightning. There will definitely be uphill patches that are difficult and exhausting. He may even crash and leave some skin. But I know he’ll get up to continue the ride, because he, too, is pretty tough. And most of all, it’ll be fun.
DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION Judy Zetterlund, ext. 106 SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR Virginia Kroll, ext. 105 COMMUNICATIONS & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Whitney Bina, ext.130
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Sharon Henry, ext. 124 ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Vicki Lenneman, ext. 122 ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Shelly Imdieke, ext. 100
CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU STAFF MAIN PHONE | 320-251-4170 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Julie Lunning, ext. 111 DIRECTOR OF CONVENTION SALES Lori Cates, ext. 113 DIRECTOR OF SPORTS & SPECIAL EVENTS Dana Randt, ext. 110
DIRECTOR OF VISITOR SERVICES Jean Robbins, ext. 129 SALES MANAGER Nikki Fisher, ext. 112 ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Carrie Zwack, ext. 100
2015-16 BOARD MEMBERS Jason Bernick, Bernick’s, Board Chair
Diane Mendel, Playhouse Child Care
Dan Bittman, Sauk Rapids-Rice School District
Dolora Musech, Batteries Plus Bulbs
David Borgert, CentraCare Health Neil Franz, Franz Hultgren Evenson, Professional Association Jim Gruenke, Mark J. Traut Wells, Inc. Jason Hallonquist, AIS Planning John Herges, Falcon National Bank
Teresa Bohnen Publisher
MEMBERSHIP SALES SPECIALIST Jaime Buley, ext. 134
Dennis Host, Coborn’s, Inc.
Kris Nelson, Custom Accents, Inc., Past Board Chair Bernie Omann, St. Cloud State University Mark Osendorf, Xcel Energy Roger Schleper, Premier Real Estate Services, Board Vice Chair Melinda Vonderahe, Times Media Dr. Bea Winkler, retired business owner Chriss Wohlleber, Courtyard by Marriott-St.Cloud