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Chair<br />
Les Anderson<br />
Martin County<br />
Farm Bureau<br />
Vice Chair<br />
Sara Pierce<br />
Pierce Accounting<br />
and Tax Services<br />
Deb Barnes<br />
Lakeview Methodist<br />
Health Care Center<br />
Stephanie Busiahn<br />
Visit Fairmont<br />
Zephanie Cole<br />
Align Chiropractic &<br />
Acupuncture, PLC<br />
Dave Cone<br />
Kahler Automation<br />
Corporation<br />
Mission Statement: The Fairmont Area <strong>Chamber</strong> of Commerce is an advocate for promoting a healthy business clim<br />
Board of Directors Officers:<br />
Board of Directors:<br />
Staff:<br />
Past Chair<br />
Kerry Nagel Allen<br />
MRCI<br />
Treasurer<br />
Tom Lytle<br />
Bank Midwest<br />
Brandon<br />
Edmundson<br />
Krahmer, Shaffer<br />
& Edmundson, Ltd<br />
Mandi Kosbab<br />
Edward Jones<br />
Luke Long<br />
Hy-Vee<br />
Steve Pomerenke<br />
Compeer Financial<br />
Ann Terfehr<br />
Dan’s Appliance<br />
Ned Koppen<br />
President<br />
president@fairmontchamber.org<br />
Kandi Menne<br />
Office Manager/Director of<br />
Communications<br />
info@fairmontchamber.org<br />
Benjamin Landsteiner<br />
Marketing & Social Media<br />
Coordinator<br />
benjamin@fairmontchamber.org<br />
Miranda Larsen<br />
Finance Coordinator<br />
finance@fairmontchamber.org<br />
Contact Information:<br />
Fairmont Area <strong>Chamber</strong> of Commerce<br />
323 East Blue Earth Avenue<br />
P.O. Box 826<br />
Fairmont, MN 56031<br />
Phone: (507) 235-5547<br />
www.Fairmont<strong>Chamber</strong>.org<br />
Success is built together<br />
By: Ned Koppen - <strong>Chamber</strong> President<br />
Each year the Fairmont Area<br />
<strong>Chamber</strong> of Commerce has a membership<br />
drive during the months of<br />
October, November and <strong>December</strong>.<br />
That doesn’t mean businesses and<br />
individuals can’t join anytime during<br />
the year, this is just the time<br />
that the <strong>Chamber</strong> makes a concerted effort to attract<br />
new members and continue to renew<br />
the memberships of our current members.<br />
All of us in the <strong>Chamber</strong> office spend time<br />
answering questions about<br />
what the <strong>Chamber</strong> does and<br />
how a member benefits from<br />
being a <strong>Chamber</strong> member. Each<br />
conversation is unique and often<br />
only scratches the surface<br />
of everything the <strong>Chamber</strong> does<br />
and what a membership can offer<br />
a member.<br />
Membership of the Fairmont<br />
Area <strong>Chamber</strong> of Commerce<br />
gives you unique learning,<br />
networking and growth<br />
opportunities. Membership<br />
also gives you visibility in our<br />
community, helps build a stronger<br />
business community and<br />
local economy and gives credibility<br />
to your business. Membership<br />
gives you a voice as we work to inform, educate<br />
and advocate on your behalf. You also increase<br />
your purchasing power through member’s only discounts<br />
and perks.<br />
There is a long list of programs and activities<br />
that the <strong>Chamber</strong> is responsible for as well.<br />
There are many committees that our members can<br />
participate in. They include Agri-Business, Bureau<br />
14 (both offer unique networking opportunities<br />
and informative speakers), Ambassadors (visits<br />
and ribbon cuttings at new businesses and business<br />
anniversaries and milestones), Government<br />
Affairs, Business Education, Glows and Retail. The<br />
Ambassadors give out an annual scholarship to an<br />
“the <strong>Chamber</strong> always<br />
works to be the very best<br />
promoter and advocate<br />
for Fairmont, Martin<br />
County and our business<br />
community. Our<br />
success is measured by<br />
the overall success that<br />
we all have.”<br />
area student and Agri-Business gives out two annual<br />
scholarships.<br />
The <strong>Chamber</strong> raises funds and recruits volunteer<br />
instructors for Junior Achievement which<br />
is going on in our schools right now. We will also<br />
be getting ready very soon for our Area Career Exploration<br />
program where 650 sophomore students<br />
from 12 area schools will come to the Fairmont<br />
Area High School to explore possible careers<br />
with 100 local employers, colleges & Technical<br />
Schools.<br />
The <strong>Chamber</strong> also recently<br />
organized Santa and Mrs. Claus<br />
arriving at the airport to greet<br />
area children and later that evening<br />
there was the 29th annual<br />
GLOWS Parade which is yet another<br />
<strong>Chamber</strong> event. Did you<br />
know that the <strong>Chamber</strong> owns<br />
and maintains the Christmas<br />
decorations that hang from<br />
Fairmont’s light poles? The<br />
Government Affairs committee<br />
of the <strong>Chamber</strong> organizes<br />
and orchestrates the political<br />
forums for local candidate elections<br />
in the fall of election years.<br />
The <strong>Chamber</strong> also publishes the<br />
Visitors Guide, Fairmont City<br />
Map and the monthly <strong>Chamber</strong><br />
Community Connections insert.<br />
The Fairmont Area <strong>Chamber</strong> of Commerce<br />
works with Fairmont Economic Development on<br />
the Fairmont Area Life program which is an effort<br />
to promote our community as a place our young<br />
adults want to come back to after leaving to get<br />
their education and to start their careers. This program<br />
also works to connect our young adults entering<br />
the workforce to employers with great career<br />
opportunities right here in Martin County. There<br />
are employers right here at home who offer training<br />
and/or education assistance to new employees who<br />
can make a great living working a great local job.<br />
Social Media Break- (Continued on page 6)<br />
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