2023 Board of Directors and Staff from left to right: Emma Siemen, Sandra Burwell, Shannon Siemen(Treasurer), Billy Costello(President), Kelsie Carlson(Vice President), John Simpson, KC Longly, Jennifer Shorts, Angie Jones(Secretary), and Kelsey Pitts(Staff).
Photo Provided By: Deer Park Chamber of Commerce
This past month has been very busy for the Chamber. The Board has been working hard to get processes in place and set proper expectations for our location at City Hall. Please take note that Kelsey Pitts will be in the Chamber office M-Th from 8am-12pm. If you have any questions or concerns outside of this timeframe, calls and emails will be returned in a timely manner.
The Finance Committee has been working hard to get our finances in order and setting a healthy budget. Given how Covid has provided hurdles over the last few years, the Chamber has been trying to recover and we are finally starting to see some light at the end of tunnel.
The Economic Development Committee met twice in the last month and is coming up with some amazing ideas. Two of the main focuses are “Beautification of Our Front Porch” and “Quality of Life.” The Beautification focuses on enhancing and branding of major corridors and gathering places throughout Deer Park. The Quality of Life focuses on preserving and expanding Deer Park’s resources that contribute to an unparalleled quality of life for all ages. Jennifer Shorts has been doing a fantastic job of leading the charge on this and I encourage you to attend our next luncheon to hear more about what we have in store.
The Fundraising and Events Committee is getting things revved up for the upcoming Sunflower 5K in May. The t-shirts designs are looking amazing, and the event is going to be a lot of fun. Some other Chamber events on the horizon include our gala in the fall and our annual Hometown Christmas celebration. We also know that 2023 is an election year in Deer Park and we have been tossing around the idea of hosting a town hall/debate and inviting the community to hear from all the candidates.
Our next luncheon is scheduled for Tuesday, March 21st at First Baptist Church on Crawford. David Stapp has graciously offered us the space in will be grilling up some burgers. We will have many topics to discuss but our main speaker will be Tiffany Bogle and she will be talking about the DECA program and the upcoming Deer Park High School & Beyond Fair. This fair will be taking place April 18th and is a great opportunity for our business community to network and find potential candidates to hire.
Please make sure you’re following our Facebook page to get the latest updates on what’s happening in our business community.
Sincerely,
Billy Costello
President, Deer Park Chamber of Commerce
Reprinted with permission.
Letters to the Editor are not edited or corrected for content or grammar.
