It's Your Business: Ellettsville Chamber dedicated to delivering value to its members

As a new year begins, the Ellettsville Chamber continues to work diligently to develop new ways to bring value to its members.

The Chamber holds a significant position within the greater Ellettsville area, serving as the representative voice for local businesses and a steadfast community supporter.

We advocate for economic development and community projects that positively impact residents and businesses. We facilitate connections among businesses, government entities, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to create a positive business environment and address common challenges.

We will present several events this year that will allow for networking and education, where members can share knowledge, collaborate and build professional relationships.

On Jan. 19, we will hold a solar eclipse panel. The Ellettsville Chamber has organized this panel event to help businesses know how to prepare for the influx of people that Monroe County will experience during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

Our panelists include Jamie Neibel, director of Monroe County Emergency Management; Mike Cornman, emergency management coordinator for IU Health, South Central Region; Michael Farmer, Ellettsville town manager; Chris Clouse, deputy fire chief, Ellettsville Fire Department; Lt. Zach Michael, Ellettsville Police Department; and Mike McAfee, executive director of VisitBloomington. We take pride in assembling these experts to share their knowledge and address inquiries from our members.

As Ellettsville undergoes significant growth and development, our Chamber is actively expanding its membership base. The increasing focus on Ellettsville's progress aligns with the growing interest and participation within our Chamber community. The Chamber's board of directors is responsible for providing leadership, ensuring good governance and guiding our organization to fulfill its mission of promoting the interests of businesses and contributing to the community's overall well-being.

Once again, we have a strong board of directors ready to lead the Chamber this year. Our 2024 board president is Christa Curtis. She has worked in marketing and communications for over 20 years in several industries, including media, tourism, wellness and healthcare.

For the past 13 years, Curtis has held various marketing and communications leadership positions within Cook Medical. She serves as vice president of marketing and communications and on the Cook Medical Executive team. Her responsibilities include global oversight and direction over Cook's marketing and communications activity, including brand strategy, creative services, corporate communications, product marketing, events management and digital marketing.

Curtis has lived in Ellettsville for 15 years with her husband, Todd, and their kids, Cameron and Emma. She serves on the Envision Ellettsville board and has been on the Ellettsville Chamber board of directors since 2019.

Other executive committee members are board vice president Liz Irwin, government and community relations manager for Duke Energy; board treasurer Gary Brinley, executive vice president and chief financial officer at The Peoples State Bank; and board secretary Clark Greiner, business development director for the Bloomington Economic Development Corp.

Our board is comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds, spanning construction, finance, insurance, real estate, broadband, utilities, economic development, healthcare, personal care and education.

The Chamber's mission is to advance the general welfare and prosperity of the greater Ellettsville area so that its citizens and all areas of its business community will prosper.

The Ellettsville Chamber's board and staff are committed to achieving this mission. For additional information about the Ellettsville Chamber and upcoming events, please visit Ellettsvillechamber.org.

Jill Thurman is an administrator with the Greater Ellettsville Area Chamber of Commerce.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Ellettsville Chamber offers events to network, collaborate and more