Waukon Chamber of Commerce holds its first ribbon cutting with new Chamber Ambassadors, welcomes Hello Sunshine to its new location
Hello Sunshine ribbon cutting with Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors ... The Waukon Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting event at the new location of Hello Sunshine on Main Street in Waukon, and this ribbon cutting was the first to feature the Chamber’s new Ambassador Program. Pictured above at that ribbon cutting are: Left to right - Front row: Waukon Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Amber Mezera of People’s State Bank, Denise Wullner of Veterans Memorial Hospital and Sandy Halverson of S&D Cafe, Hello Sunshine Owner Lara Berryman, Waukon Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Wendy Bucheit of Veterans Memorial Hospital, and Waukon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors member Paige Cota of FreedomBank; Back row Waukon Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors members David Mark of R.W. Pladsen and Chad Curtin of Waukon State Bank, Waukon Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Jackie Barz of Waukon Family Chiropractic and Adam Hooten of Teddy’s Auto Sales, Colin Berryman of Hello Sunshine, and Waukon Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Jamie Bieber of Veterans Memorial Hospital, Erin Berns of Veterans Memorial Hospital and Barb Shull of FreedomBank. Submitted photo.
The year 2024 is a year of firsts for the Waukon Chamber of Commerce. It is the first full year for Executive Director Mandy Halverson, the first time the organization secured an Iowa Tourism Grant, and it also marks the launch of the Chamber’s new Ambassador program. The Waukon Chamber of Commerce is nearing its 70th year of incorporation, and it’s safe to say that the organization has been a labor of love for the Waukon business owners, employees and residents who have been a part of the Chamber over the years.
In this year of new beginnings for the Waukon Chamber of Commerce, the current Chamber staff and board of directors identified increased visibility and enhanced member interactions as organizational goals. Specifically, the group wanted to improve the celebration of member milestones through more scheduled ribbon cuttings as a way to draw attention to Waukon businesses and community growth in general.
“We’re proud of the strides we’ve been making over the past year,” shared Halverson, “but as we looked to add programming and find ways to make our work more visible, we quickly realized we needed to expand our network of volunteers.”
The Chamber sent out a request for “ambassadors,” or additional chamber-based volunteers who would specifically help with ribbon cuttings and assist with other Chamber events as needed. “We weren’t sure if people would understand what an ambassador program was, but we were thrilled to have 10 people sign up to be these important beacons of welcome, encouragement and community cheer,” shared Amanda Streeper, Chamber of Commerce Project Assistant.
After the great response, the Chamber held its first ribbon cutting of 2024 Friday, April 5 at Hello Sunshine, which celebrated its grand re-opening with expansion to a new space at 7 West Main Street. Business owner Lara Berryman was joined by nine of the Chamber’s new Ambassadors to learn about and celebrate her expansion and move. During the short ribbon cutting, Berryman shared about the start and growth of her business before the Ambassadors gathered around her with the big scissors and gold ribbon (pictured at right).
Watch for more Chamber of Commerce ribbon cuttings this year as the organization works to help recognize moments of community growth in 2024. Anyone who is interested in being a Chamber Ambassador or who would like to schedule a ribbon cutting is asked to contact the Waukon Chamber of Commerce at 563-568-4110.
