Fort Chamber hosts its 122nd Annual Dinner

By Kim McDarison

Members of the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce Wednesday gathered for the organization’s 122nd Annual Dinner. The event was held at the Fireside Dinner Theatre in Fort Atkinson. 

During the dinner, the chamber’s officers, installed earlier this year, were formally introduced. They are chamber President Chris Scherer, president of 2020 Evolve, a small-business consulting agency, and president of the Fort Atkinson City Council; chamber President-Elect John Kutz, vice president, director of sales with MSI General, a building design and construction company, and chamber Treasurer Tammy Garlock, a partner with Business and Tax Systems, LLC. 

Members of the chamber’s leadership team were also acknowledged. They are Erin Patterson, Paddy Coughlin’s Pub; Nova Jiongco, Crimson Salon and Spa; Michael Wallace, Fort HealthCare, and Ryan Klopcic, The Fireside Dinner Theatre, along with chamber staff members Tourism Manager Katie Carey and Executive Director Carrie Chisholm. 

Also included within the leadership team, but unable to attend the dinner, were Mike Hamby, Green Bay Packaging, and Chris Martin, PremierBank.

New members were also introduced to the group. They are: Marianne Bardenwerper, Cappy Fabrics; Jason Marin, Fairway Independent Mortgage; Jonathan Kooiman and Andrew Disch, PK Contractors; Meghan Barthel, Ruby Rose Gallery; Nathan Russell and Tim Edwards, Vance and Russell Law Office, and Bryan Spangler, who recently became the new owner of Fort Ace Hardware.

State Sen. Steven Nass was among the evening’s guests. 

The evening’s speakers included Steve Bench, founder of Madison-based Generational Consulting, and Mother Mindy Valentine Davis, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, who delivered the invocation. 

Outgoing chamber President Mike Ehlers shared comments from the podium. He recognized outgoing chamber ambassadors and spoke about the chamber’s ambassador program. 

“Our ambassador organization serves as a public relations extension of the chamber. They keep us informed about new businesses in the area and invite them to join us in growing our community,” Ehlers said. 

Through a “friendly competition each year,” Ehlers said, ambassadors team up and work to recruit new members and attend events, activities through which they can earn points. 

This year, he said, with 220 points, the winning team was that of Tom Dehnert, Badger Bank; Brandon Housley, Artisan Graham Real Estate; Becky Romens, Remedy Intelligent Staffing; Diane Rue, Johnson Financial Group; Jennifer Stafford, Bender, Kind, Stafford Dental; Marissa Weidenfeller, School District of Fort Atkinson, and Mary Kay Weston, Day Insurance. 

Individually, he said, the top point-earner of 2021 was Rue, who earned 43 points.

Ambassadors leaving the organization included Romens, who was not in attendance, and Jim Vance, who died in September. 

Of Vance, Ehlers said: “There aren’t many in our area who have not heard of Jim Vance. A lawyer and owner of Vance Law Offices, Jim had a long tenure with the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce. He served as board president in 1967. He was a member of the Industrial Development Committee which earned him the chamber’s highest honor, the Economic Contribution Award, in 2001. He was an ambassador for nearly 50 years and recruited countless new members. Jim was a founding member of our annual golf outing, sponsoring his own winning teams as well as the beverage cart, ensuring everyone had a good time. On weekends, Jim would come trim the chamber’s evergreens because he wanted the entryway to our downtown to be presentable. Jim loved Fort Atkinson. He gave freely of his time and resources to many of the foundations, committees, and programs in the area, and was positive and good natured until his passing last September. The ambassadors will be planting a tree at the chamber in his honor and hope it lives up to his landscaping standards.  Jim’s presence is already dearly missed. It took three new ambassadors to fill his shoes.” 

Ehlers next introduced Scherer as the 2022 chamber president. 

Said Scherer: “I am excited to be standing before you tonight. This certainly has been a journey, from being dropped off at my first chamber event by my parents because I didn’t have a driver’s license yet to now serving as your Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce president. On top of it all, it’s a milestone year for me as I can officially say that I have now been a member of the chamber for half of my life.”

Scherer cited changes within Fort Atkinson and its business community which had taken place over the years. 

He also pointed to what he saw as “constants,” including a strong chamber membership base, which he said, is 351 members strong; dedicated staff to start and adapt programming, and quality leadership “that has foresight to ensure our longterm viability.”   

Scherer emphasized the value of becoming a chamber member, saying: “Our chamber will continue to ensure the value of membership by building on the accomplishments of prior boards. Our current board has identified the need to undergo strategic planning to create an executable plan for the next 5-10 years.

“The exact form of this planning is still being determined, but we feel it is important to create a plan that emphasizes impact.”   

Scherer continued, saying: “Fifteen years ago when I started my first business I knew joining the chamber of commerce was important, but I wouldn’t have been able to tell you why. Today, I can tell you the value of my membership is being part of a collective group of businesses — businesses that want to work together and want to continue building a thriving and prosperous community. I’m looking forward to what 2022 has in store for us as we start this process and increase the impact that can be had by the Fort Atkinson Area Chamber of Commerce.”

Economic Contribution Honorees

Scherer next introduced the chamber’s Economic Contribution Honorees.

“These last two years have been difficult ones for businesses looking to expand, but we’ve not been without some notable investments,” Scherer said. 

He cited Kwik Trip and U-Haul, which, he said, “had newsworthy projects,” and transitional successful enjoyed as Ace Hardware underwent a change in ownership. “Carla’s Catering opened her own venue, and our downtown welcomed The Bridge, Good2Go, and Piper Mae. Highland Dental also broke ground on its new north side clinic; Jones Dairy Farm implemented an onsite solar farm, and Jellystone Park began developing Silo Ridge, a 55-and-older retirement complex. Riverstone Premier Event Center remodeled their facility to better cater to the wedding and special event market, and the former Shopko was purchased to be converted to temperature-controlled storage,” Scherer said. 

Still, he said, the majority of investments came from the community’s nonprofit sector. 

Said Scherer: “Opportunities, Inc., invested in the former Badger Group manufacturing facility, completing a $55,000 buildout in only three weeks and expanding its operations to further serve its many constituents, while adding 30 additional jobs. Madison Area Technical College (MATC) completed a $2.4 million dollar addition to their metal fabrication lab, intended to train students in the high-demand skills of welding, construction, and maintenance.” 

The city of Fort Atkinson also made investments. Scherer cited the renovation and addition made to the wastewater treatment plant. 

Other projects, although not yet completed, will enhance quality of life. He cited Crown of Life Christian Academy, a project, he said, that is utilizing over 300 local tradespeople.

Collectively, Scherer said, the nonprofit sector had invested $22.5 million in Fort Atkinson last year. 

During the dinner, Scherer invited representatives from Opportunities, Inc., Madison Area Technical College, Crown of Life Christian Academy and the city of Fort Atkinson to the podium.

Also recognized at the dinner was The Fireside Theatre. 

Chamber Associate Director Anna Jensen announced that the Wisconsin Restaurant Association selected Fireside Operations Manager Chris Ott for its 2022 Best of House – Back of House Award for Region 5, and Ryan and Kristi Klopcic for its Innovation Award, recognizing creative thinking during the pandemic shutdown. 

The chamber extended thanks to Spacesaver for helping to sponsor the evening’s event, and Humphrey Floral and Gift which provided centerpieces for the tables.