HH_012518

homerhorizon.com news
the Homer Horizon | January 25, 2018 | 5
Chamber convenes for winter party, installation dinner of board
Thomas Czaja, Editor
The 2018 Homer Glen Area Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors takes the Oath of Office from Village Board Trustee
Brian Burian (left) at the Annual Winter Party and Installation
of Directors on Thursday, Jan. 18, at Ruffled Feathers Golf
Club in Lemont. Thomas Czaja/22nd Century Media
If there was one keyword
for the evening, that word
would be growth.
The Homer Glen Area
Chamber of Commerce held
its Annual Winter Party and
Installation of Directors on
Thursday, Jan. 18, at Ruffled
Feathers Golf Club in
Lemont. The occasion was
marked with its usual multicourse
dinner and raffle
baskets donated by chamber
members to support two
Lockport Township High
School student scholarships,
as well as chamber
events.
At the function, growth
was mentioned multiple
times, and each table had
seed packets for attendees
to take home and plant, a
symbol of growth the chamber
wanted to emphasize to
each individual present.
“The seed packets really
tie together with our theme,
not only for tonight, but
the whole year — growth,”
said Mitch Hart, of Boisset
Collection Wines, who was
officially installed as chairman
of the 2018 Board of
Directors shortly after being
introduced for the first
time that evening. “Growth
for all of Homer Glen’s
businesses, growth for our
chamber and our chamber
membership; I hope the
seeds bring that home to
you a little bit.”
The Village was wellrepresented
at the dinner,
with Village Board Trustees
Christina Neitzke-Troike,
Keith Gray, Sharon Sweas
and Brian Burian, as well
as Village Manager Mike
Mertens and Economic Development
Director Janie
Patch, in attendance.
Homer Glen Mayor
George Yukich was scheduled
to be there but was not
due to illness, so Burian
stepped up to deliver brief
remarks on the Village’s behalf
before giving the Oath
of Office to the new Board
of Directors.
Amber Morrison, of ISU
Coverall Insurance Group
and the new chamber vice
chairman, said there were a
bunch of familiar and fresh
faces in the room, which
she noted was still packed
despite a handful of others
besides the mayor also out
sick.
She likewise mentioned
the seeds and growth as
she added the board continues
to listen to the business
owners as it moves away
from what doesn’t work and
to what does. To that end,
she said a greater focus was
being placed on the directory
the chamber sends out
each year to everyone in the
community. The 2018 version
is due out next month,
highlighting members and
their local businesses.
“We used to have the
expo, a business forum
where [chamber members]
rented a table, and we had
it at the school,” Morrison
said. “We heard from our
members that they really
didn’t want to do that, so
instead, we are doing other
events for networking and
elevating our directory.”
In doing so, she said those
who used to do the expo
were credited for the directory
guide in an effort to
streamline things and stay
business-oriented, keeping
the spotlight on members
and their businesses.
In terms of membership,
she said 2018 was already
showing positive signs.
“It’s only the third week
of January, and we have
had people who hadn’t been
members in years come
back, and they’re excited,”
Morrison said. “We are excited
about reaching out to
people.”
Another initiative the
board will continue to focus
on this year is helping business
owners along 159th
Street, according to Hart
and Larry Killmer, a past
chairman who was installed
as a director on the 2018
board.
Killmer told those assembled
that construction on
159th Street would not be
complete until 2019, though
the south lane is scheduled
to reopen mid-summer, encouraging
support of those
affected in the meantime.
Hart echoed those thoughts
afterward, and he said the
chamber would be meeting
with the impacted business
owners along 159th Street
soon to keep working with
them on the issue and figuring
out new ways to give assistance.
“We’ll be inviting them
all to a gathering with the
chamber,” Hart said. “That’s
going to be an initial starting
point that is coming in
the near future. … We have
some plans and are working
to support them more so
they can survive and thrive
in a difficult time with all
that construction.”
Elsewhere, Hart — who
has been part of the chamber
for five years and was on the
board for three years prior
to his installation as chairman
— said goals were to
maintain and strengthen ties
with the Village and Township
to best serve chamber
members and the community
as a whole, have things
planned every quarter for
training business owners
and seek out ways to educate
people on regulations
and business practices.
A main function of any
chamber is to network,
and the Homer Glen Area
Chamber of Commerce
will have its normal morning
mingles, business after
hours and annual events,
such as a summer golf outing
and Madrigal performance
in December. Also
to be held this year are a
St. Patrick’s Day party and
a new networking event at
Rubi Agave Latin Kitchen
in September.
Another highlight of the
evening was the introduction
of the Larry J. Killmer
Community Service Award,
which was presented to
Killmer in its first year in
recognition of all his years
involved with the chamber
and elsewhere in the community.
Hart and Morrison were
emotional in presenting the
award to Killmer, as were
some seated. Hart called
Killmer the perfect example
for what the community and
chamber are about with his
dedication and service. The
award will be presented
Meet the board
The 2018 Homer Glen Area Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors
Chairman: Mitch Hart, Boisset Collection Wines
Vice Chairman: Amber Morrison, ISU Coverall
Insurance Group
Treasurer: Jodi Adelman, Bellside 7
Secretary: Sue Gram, Illinois American Water
Director: Ruben Pazmino, Rubi Agave Latin Kitchen
Director: Michael Valek, STE Corporation
Director: Lynn McGary, Booster/Emeritus
Director: Lana Logan, Logan & Associates
Director: Maribel Guerrero, First American Bank
Director: Jonathan Lesarzyk, Homer Tree Care
Director: Jack Lebert, Booster/Emeritus
Director: Larry Killmer, Past Chairman
each year going forward at
the installation dinner.
Killmer thanked everyone
for the honor and said he
enjoys working with youth
through the Homer Stallions,
as well as those with
the chamber.
“I always try to help out,”
Killmer said. “I believe that
what goes around comes
around.
“You help somebody out
when you’re in need, somebody
will come and help
you.”
Afterward, Killmer —
who did not know about
the award in his name or
that he would be receiving
it — said it was a “kind of
neat” surprise, but that he
didn’t give of his time for a
reward.
“I was always taught to
help somebody out,” he reiterated.
Damian Sichak and Renee
Saban also received
awards for their years of
contributions to the chamber.
With the new timing of
the dinner, it’s a celebration
of the New Year and less
disjointed, Morrison added.
“Now, it has a nice, even
flow, so we have the last
month-and-a-half before this
as more of a tandem [for predecessors
and successors on
the board working together],”
Morrison said.
The challenge remains
to appeal to a number of
different business owners,
from those who are seniors
to those who fall in the
millennial age group, and
who have varying types of
businesses. But the encouragement
remains from the
board to members to get
involved and attend events,
pass out business cards and
look to join some of the
chamber committees, which
Morrison said have been
consolidated in another
example of the streamlining
taking place to make it
easier to stay active.
Jesse Barajas, the owner
of Viper Transport in Homer
Glen, just recently joined
the chamber after moving
his business to town from
Lemont. He said he enjoyed
himself at the dinner
and had a favorable early
impression of the chamber,
calling the mingling he has
done so far “amazing.”
“We are just hoping for
a great year,” Barajas said.
“We expanded a little bigger
this year.”
Like the chamber, Barajas
hopes 2018 will remain full
of one thing — growth.
For more information
on the Homer Glen Area
Chamber of Commerce,
visit www.homerchamber.
com.