Joined the Chamber Staff: 1999

Role at the Champaign County Chamber:

While there is a formal job description that includes language like “responsible for establishing and executing the mission and vision of the Chamber under the direction of the board of directors and is responsible for the supervision and control of the business affairs of the chamber including day-to-day operation, staff supervision, organizational image, membership relations, etc …”. I would submit that my role is overseeing the controlled chaos of talented staff; learning new and interesting things everyday from really smart chamber members and “other duties as assigned.”

Favorite childhood book:

As a child, any book by Laura Ingalls Wilder. As a pre-teen Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury

Favorite food:

Any food brought to me that I did not have to prepare.

Favorite Chamber event/program:

I am a big believer that all of the Chamber programs should be aligned with the Chamber mission. When you develop programs simply to generate revenue, you run the risk of mission creep. Having said that, my favorite event is the one that probably the hardest to tie back to our mission – the annual golf outing. We can claim that it is an opportunity to “network” or that deals get done on the course, but the reality is, it is just a day of good fellowship between people who support their association. There are no agendas, it is light hearted and there is something to be said for just kicking back once in a while and not taking life too seriously.

If you could possess any super power what would it be?

Time travel.

Rock, Paper, or Scissors?

Laser gun blaster.

Music preferences?

It’s all over the music spectrum. I have everything from Broadway musical music to Michael Buble to Bruce Springsteen to Human to Pink to Adele to Bruno Mars to Janis Joplin to Hank Williams Jr. to Led Zepplin to Flo Rida. You get the picture. It’s variety to fit my variety of moods.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

It was something my dad said to me once, when agonizing or stressing over a situation that seems like it is the worst thing in the world at the moment; ask yourself “Will this matter in 3-months?”

What I have found is that almost always, the answer is no. So I try to put a stressful situation into perspective and move on.