When I was growing up, my parents owned an Amish furniture store in a small Iowa town. For a short

time, our family lived in the apartment above the shop, which meant my younger sister and I literally

grew up in that furniture store.

On weekends, we would help my parents by answering the phone, bagging gift items, dusting

and vacuuming the showroom, and I remember learning how to count back change to customers with

the utmost patience. I loved helping my mom stage the window displays, and to this day hearing Nat

King Cole puts me right back in that furniture shop as a young girl. You could say my fondness for small

businesses stems from my upbringing. I appreciate the hard work and sacrifice (the kind that sometimes

means raising your family in a cramped apartment above your business) that goes into building the

American dream.

Despite being a child of small business owners, my only connection to a chamber of commerce was

a memory from attending a holiday cookie walk hosted by the chamber of that small town. I’ve always

known they were tied to business (everyone knows that much, right?) but until last year I had no idea

how deep the roots of chambers run in each community. The mission of the Norwalk Area Chamber of

Commerce is to promote, connect, and grow member organizations while working to enhance the

quality of life and economic development in the Norwalk area. How do we do that? It comes down to

two priorities:

1. Support Local Businesses through...

...Visibility and Promotion (Did you know that when consumers know that a business is a

member of their local chamber, they are 80% more likely to purchase goods or services from

them?)

...Networking opportunities like membership lunches, events, socials, and committees

...Resources and information like advertising opportunities, roundtable discussions, and

professional development

...Advocacy at the local, state, and national level

2. Support Local Community through...

...Events like the 4th of July parade and Party in the Park, RUNorwalk, and Music Fest

...Volunteerism

...Philanthropic initiatives like our annual food drive for the food pantry, luncheon for new

teachers, and scholarship program

...Public Relations

...Community Development

In short, the chamber is an invaluable asset for local businesses and I am thankful to have the

opportunity to carry out many of the chamber’s priorities on a daily basis. I love connecting our

members to resources, making introductions, sharing information, and promoting our business

community in any way I can. I deeply respect our business owners and chamber members and thank my

parents for instilling in me the appreciation for the world of commerce through watching them own a

small business. It’s led me here, loving what I do!