ValpoMag12-19-2011_3

hrough economic upswings
and downturns, triumphs and
tragedies, the Greater Valparaiso
Chamber of Commerce has
been there. This June, the Valpo
Chamber turns 100. The yearlong
celebration has already begun and
there’s so much to look forward to
in 2012. The fun begins with a look
back at the Chamber’s origins and
some of the incredible leaders who
have contributed to this… our first
Century of Success.
Just Getting Started
The Chamber continues to evolve,
to empower its members, and
to contribute to the community’s
quality of life. “The Chamber has
an incredible legacy behind it, but
we’re just getting started,” says
Rex Richards, Chamber President.
“People belong to the Chamber
because they make a voluntary
choice to get involved,” he says.
“We provide a benefit to the
community and our members are
the reason.”
Today, the Chamber includes
more than 700 members,
dedicated to ensuring the
community’s quality of life by
providing information, advocacy,
networking opportunities, and
member services.
To tell the Chamber’s own story,
former Board Leaders of the
organization share their insights.
the Chamber’s
first leader
John Sievers, 1912
The Chamber’s forefather left his
guidance in a special column he
wrote in the Vidette newspaper
on March 18, 1937. Words from
that original manuscript reveal
thoughts of the times. In 1937,
he writes:
“Those of us who were
instrumental in organizing
Valparaiso’s first Chamber
of Commerce back just 25
years ago, have many happy
memories.” He writes “…as
we did not have much money to
operate on, we had to make up
for this handicap by putting our
shoulders to the wheel and make
things go by teamwork: And
that is just what we did do. As a
matter of fact, if I had my choice
between having a lot of money
and having a group of men who
would work together and pull
together, I would take the latter
every time.”
< John Sievers, 1912
From the start, cooperation
was key. Sievers owned the
building in which the Chamber
would begin its meetings – the
Ryan livery stable on South
Franklin. “Our headquarters were
papered and painted by a group
of painters and paperhangers
who donated their labor and the
Heineman & Sievers Drug Store
contributed the wallpaper and
paint,” said Sievers. “We did not
have much of a budget to work
on – dues I believe were five
dollars per year.”
Sievers goes on to describe
the proceedings: “Our old
Chamber of Commerce used
to have meetings, usually with
big dinners with businessmen
doing the cooking, the serving
and even washing the dishes,”
he recalled. “We had every
business and professional man
pulling for Valparaiso.”>>
Coming together, past and present
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1. Carolyn Hartley, 1989
2. Len Ellis, 1967
3. Gus Olympidis, 1990
4. Dee Haklin, 2008
5. Todd Etzler, 2006
6. Harley Snyder, 1973
7. Jim Hutton, 1978
8. Dale Clapp, 2009
9. Norm Jacobs, 1983
10. John Shroat, 1986
11. Jim Jorgensen, 1999
12. Bill Wagner, 1981
13. Jon Schmaltz, 2012
14. Chuck Worden, 1998
15. Larry Raber, 1992
16. Brian Hurley, 1995
17. Robert V. Coolman, 1980
18. Paul Von Tobel, 1979
19. Dick Blastick, 1991
20. Fred McNulty, 2003
21. Larry Daly, 1988
22. Martin Sonnenberg, 2011
23. Nick Sommer, 2010
24. Dick Panton, 1996
25. Dave Rose, 2007
www.valparaisochamber.org
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