Welcome New Members since the last luncheon!

• Firefly Dreams of Southern Illinois, Stephanie Mings
• Straight Up Solar, Tisha Kosco

Welcome New Representatives of New 2024 Members! 

• Michael Fossali, Saluki Sports Properties
• Stevie Young & Thomas Campbell, Jenmar Services

Upcoming Projects

• Please remember to share your eclipse related events with the office or post on the Chamber calendar. We will share them with regional partners to best inform visitors to our region. Eclipse glasses can be reserved through the Chamber office. Limited quantities available.
  
  
• The 12th annual Chamber Foundation Bass Tournament will take place on Sunday, April 28th at the Lake of Egypt. We have spots for 2 person teams and opportunities for team sponsorship. Thank you to plaque Sponsor First Southern Bank and ‘Big Bass’ Prize sponsor, Vernell’s Interstate Service, Interstate Tire Pros Auto Service, and Williamson County Treasurer Ashley Gott. Join us for volunteer and sponsorships opportunities for this event which benefits the Chamber Foundation and the Scholarship Program.
  

• Don’t miss out on next week’s Duck Spree event on the 20th. The ducks on the tables are still available to take part in the event. Will our 2023 winner, ‘Quack-meister’, take home the gold? Perhaps it will be Goldilocks, SeDUCKtive, King Midas, Ritz Quakers or Duck,Duck,Goose!! There is only way to find out - join us on the Lazy River at the Hub. Funds from this event will go toward this year’s Grad Spree event. Special thanks to our event sponsors, Banterra Bank, AES Solar, First Southern Bank, and United Medical Response.
  
  
• The Marion Graduation is scheduled for May 16^th, and we would like to invite you to support this year’s Grad Spree event. Grad Spree has been hosted by the Marion Chamber for nearly 40 years and provides a safe space for graduations to celebrate their accomplishments in supervised and substance-free zone. We are excited for you to participate through volunteering at the event or donations to the Marion Chamber Foundation to help cover entertainments and prizes for the attendees. This event is free to all participants, and we are grateful to everyone who takes part to make it happen. The next planning meeting is Feb 26^th at noon.

• We are in the process of planning the Sister City Kanie Delegation visit in late August. There will be lots of opportunities for interact with our Japanese visitors and students, but right now we are looking for host families for the junior high age students. To learn more, please reach out to a member of the Sister City planning committee (ask them to raise their hands) or host family lead TJ Cowan. Our next meeting will be March 20th at 9 am at the Chamber Office.
  
  
• This year’s Chamber Day is April 10^th in Springfield. This is a great opportunity to hear presentations from officials across the state on issues that will impact our region. If you are interested in attending, please contact the Chamber office or look on the Chamber calendar for registration and hotel information.

• Don’t miss out on the next Sexual Harassment Training opportunity on May 23rd at the Pavilion. Last month’s training included representatives from the food service industry, the non-profit sector, and businesses that provide services and interact directly with the public. Great discussions took place, and we invite you to the next hour-long training session based on Dept of Labor standards and receive a certificate of completion for your employee file. Employees in the restaurant industry can take advantage of additional training and certification. Our first training session will be February 22nd at 8 am here at the Pavilion.

• We would also like to announce the 2024 officers of the Marion Chamber Foundation. President Ashley Gott, Vice President Jared Garrison, Secretary Mindy Reed, and Treasurer Toni Perkins. Additional members of the board include Chamber Executive Committee members Matt Carnaghi, Bill Cox, Michelle Hamilton, Kimberly Walker, Karen Mullins, and myself!

• Fall event planning is already underway! Registration is coming soon for the Golf Tournament on September 20th, and we are accepting Speaker RFPs for this year’s APOGEE Professional Development Event on October 24th!

• If you are interested in mentoring the leaders and employees of tomorrow, the MHS business department is building a contact list of potential shadowing sites for local students. Check last week’s e-News for the contact form link or log onto MarionIllinois.com under “Marion” and “Mentorship” 

Today’s educational programs offer unique opportunities through specialized curriculum, 

apprenticeship, financial training and workforce planning. Regional programs offer opportunities for

students who are striving to open/own their own businesses and young adults who are entering the 

local workforce year after year. These opportunities include a vast spectrum of the workforce, 

including but not limited to sales, construction, manufacturing, nursing, trade skills, general labor and 

more. How can these programs benefit your business? Today’s Panel Includes:

• Chris Egelston, Community Engagement Leader, Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship
• Leslie Bradley, Director of Student Career Services, Vienna High School
• Dallas Terry, Career Education Director, Carbondale Community High School

For those who were interested in our Mentorship program, please sign up HERE!