Duneland Chamber Hosts 2016 Annual Meeting At Blue Chip Casino

On Wednesday, the Duneland Chamber of Commerce held their 2016 Annual Meeting at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City. Chamber Board members, staff and members of the business community gathered to take a look back at the accomplishments of 2015, honor incoming and outgoing board members as well as Committee Members of the Year, and to get an idea of what 2016 has in store for the Chamber and the region.

“This will be the 5th year of a six year term,” said outgoing Board Chairman, John Marshall. “We’ve had a great year! This has been the best year financially that the Chamber has ever had. We participated in one of the largest fundraisers we’ve ever been a part of this year which was the Disney Institute at Valparaiso University.”

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“Probably our biggest accomplishment was undertaking the renovation of our offices in Chesterton,” Marshall said. “We built a new executive conference room and updating all the office's furniture and fixtures was a big project. We worked really hard on retention this year. We kept the numbers of our membership up higher than they’ve ever been while maintaining all of our old, solid members so it’s been a really good year for the Chamber.”

Retiring after six years on the Chamber Board of Directors was Bert Miller of Raymond James & Associates. Maura Durham, Duneland Chamber President, spoke about Miller and the impact he’s had on the Chamber over the years.

“Coming back to the Chamber after being gone for a few years, he was the welcoming face that I needed to know that I was back where I belong,” Durham said. “Bert has a huge heart and truly cares about each decision that drives an organization into the future.”

When speaking about outgoing Board Chairman, John Marshall, Durham said, “Reassurance and work/life balance were some of John’s greatest attributes. John is a businessman, but a family man first. Our building renovation project would still be on the agenda if it wasn’t for John's leadership and initiative on the project. We are so lucky to have had his expertise in commercial property management to lean on. I know John would say that there was a lot of work for years to get it to that point, but the difference is that this year he took action. He took the ball and ran away with it.”

At the 2016 Annual Meeting, the Chamber also held the election of the organizations 2016 Board Members and Board Directors. Laura Gerhardt was elected new Chairman of the Board and spoke about her history with the organization and what the future has to hold.

“The Chamber exists for and because of its members, but it operates best because of the staff and volunteers,” Gerhardt said. “My story with the Chamber began in 2010. As a retired hairdresser of thirty years and a Michigan transplant, I was trying to reinvent myself and find a way to serve and plug in to the community.”

“Duneland Chamber is not just a Chamber,” said Gerhardt. “We want to be the Chamber for you and for the community. We would like to your resource and conduit for the surrounding towns and cities as well as the information station for community members and the business climate. Whatever our industry it is easier to survive when we thrive together. As the Duneland Chamber we are your resource to support your needs to find business support, education and whatever enhances your platform. It’s important to feel that you belong, that you are part of the Chamber and something that brings us together to support businesses, partnerships, as well as schools and organizations.”

Presented at the meeting were Committee Member of the Year awards for the Chamber’s Membership and Ambassador Committees. Darlene Cohn of D. Cohn Communications was presented with the Membership Committee Member of the Year award and Donette Heinze of Shelter Insurance received the Ambassador Committee Member of the Year award. Volunteer Committee Members and Members of the Month were also recognized.

To find out more about the Duneland Chamber, go to: http://www.dunelandchamber.com/