ELMHURST CHAMBER ELECTS NEW DIRECTORS
ELMHURST, Ill., October 30, 2003 – Seven members of the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry were elected by their peers in October to serve three-year terms on the Board of Directors—including all five incumbents on the 11-person ballot.
“Our Chamber is blessed to have so many qualified candidates willing to serve on the Board of Directors,” said Chamber President John Quigley. “Even if we eliminated the five incumbents, we still had quality people to fill six of seven Director positions.”
The new Directors will be installed during the Board’s regular monthly meeting at the Chamber conference room, 113 Adell Place, on Wednesday, November 12, at 7:30 a.m. The meeting date was pushed back from November 11 due to Veterans’ Day.
The 24-member Board is comprised of 21 elected Directors serving three-year terms and three Ex-Officio Directors. Directors are limited to serving two consecutive elected terms, not counting years as an appointee or duties as a Past Chairperson.
Newly elected Directors are (in alphabetical order):
Ken Bartels, Vice President for College Advancement in the Office of College Advancement at Elmhurst College190 Prospect Avenue);
Colleen Callahan, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Elmhurst Park District (225 Prospect Avenue);
Tom Cathcart, Senior Benefits Manager at Motorola;
Jason Janes, Investment Representative with Edward Jones Investments (115 West Vallette Street);
Don Meyers, Founder and President of Vital Signs USA, Inc. (469 Spring Road);
Val Stewart, Director of Community Relations and Publications at Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 (130 West Madison Street); and
John Zawaski, Founder and President of Dependable Business Forms (P.O. Box 400).
Following is a brief biography for each of the Directors:
Ken Bartels
Ken Bartels is a former Chamber Director (1992-94), reserve member of the Chamber Ambassadors and Presidential Service Award recipient (1997) who has served on the Elmfest Steering Committee for more than a decade.
Bartels also was a two-term member on the Board of Directors of the Elmhurst Economic Development Corporation (EEDC), including service as Vice Chairman (1999-2000) and then Chairman (2000-01), and remains active in the not-for-profit organization’s Marketing Committee.
He is well known to cable television viewers as the “voice” of Elmhurst College athletics and Elmhurst’s Memorial Day Parade.
Bartels’ 29-year career in college advancement at three institutions of higher education includes the past 22 years at Elmhurst College, where fundraising has consistently improved to now record levels under his leadership.
It was through his mentorship that Chamber President John Quigley first became active in the Chamber a dozen years ago while working for Bartels at the College.
A sought-after speaker in his professional field and as a Master of Ceremonies, Ken is a participant at the Harvard University Institute of Educational Management and Indiana University Executive Leadership Institute.
Bartels, a 22-year resident of Elmhurst, also is a member of the Board of Directors of Community Bank of Elmhurst, an associate member of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra’s Board of Directors and a member of the Rotary Club of Elmhurst.
Colleen Callahan
Colleen Callahan, who will begin her second elected term as a Chamber Director, has served on the Ways and Means Committee since 2001 and is a reserve member of the Chamber Ambassadors. The Park District’s organizational role and participation level in Elmfest increased greatly over her years of service on the Elmhurst Steering Committee.
Callahan also is a Director and Vice President for the American Marketing Association’s Chicago Chapter, and a member of the Illinois Parks & Recreation Association, People for Elmhurst Parks (PEP) Foundation’s Board of Directors and Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst. She is familiar to cable television viewers as the “voice” of Elmhurst’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Her marketing experience has helped the Park District expand grant and sponsorship support for its award-winning facilities and programs. She has lectured and conducted seminars in Illinois, Florida and New York on marketing promotions and market research.
Prior to joining the Park District in 1990, Colleen worked for Donnelley Directory as a Direct Marketing Specialist.
Tom Cathcart
Tom Cathcart, who will begin his second elected term as a Chamber Director, is a second-year member of the Executive Committee and third-year member of the Chamber Ambassadors.
During 2003, Cathcart served as 2nd Vice Chairman and Chair of the Membership Committee. His service to the Executive Committee includes being Treasurer and Chair of the Ways and Means Committee in 2002.
Cathcart has been a member of the Membership Committee for four years and Elmfest Steering Committee for three years, and he served on the “Tee Off for Toche” Golf Outing Committee in 2000.
His family has been active in the Chamber since its founding in 1918. Cathcart’s grandfather, Thomas O. Myers Sr., and uncle, Thomas O. Myers Jr., both served as Board Chairman (then President), while his father, William, was a Board Treasurer.
Cathcart, a 42-year resident of Elmhurst, became active in the Chamber while employed at Keebler Company (1999-2003), where he followed in the footsteps of Terry McGill, a Past Chairman of the Chamber’s Board.
His career includes human resource and legal work with Keebler, United Airlines (1990-97) and other prominent companies.
Jason Janes
Jason Janes, who will begin his first term as a Chamber Director, joined the Chamber two years ago and has served on the Membership Committee since 2002.
This past year, Janes was nominated for The Business Ledger’s 2003 Young Businesspeople Awards, and served as a Chairman of the Elmhurst Chapter of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.
At Edward Jones Investments, Janes is licensed by both federal (Series 7) and state (Series 63) agencies in the field of investments.
Janes, a resident of Romeoville, serves as a mentor of college students at Elmhurst College’s Center for Professional Excellence, and is a college classroom lecturer.
He is a member of the Elmhurst Jaycees and serves on the not-for-profit organization’s Board of Directors.
Don Meyers
Don Meyers, who will begin his second elected term as a Chamber Director, has been a Board member since 2000, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy.
Meyers has been a member of the Ways and Means Committee for three years and currently is serving on the Reaccredidation Committee’s Governance Subcommittee.
His Chamber sponsorships includes special event such as Elmfest, “Tee Off for Toche” Golf Outing and the “Taste of Elmhurst” at the Annual Meeting/Silent Auction.
Meyers, a 20-year resident of Elmhurst, also is a member of the Board of Directors of the Elmhurst Economic Development Corporation (EEDC), with service as Board Secretary and Chairman of the Marketing/Recruitment Committee.
His community involvement includes membership on Elmhurst: College & Community, Immaculate Conception Grade School’s Fundraising Committee and the Rotary Club of Elmhurst.
Vital Signs USA, a commercial sign company, outgrew its South York Street location and recently moved into a larger space on Spring Road.
Prior to founding Vital Signs in 1997, Meyers worked as the Chief Financial Officer of a Northbrook-based national magazine publisher and distributor, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Val Stewart
Val Stewart, who is completing her first elected term as a Chamber Director, has been a member of the Board and Marketing Committee since 2000, when she was appointed to fill a vacancy.
Her Chamber involvement includes committee work on educational programs such as the award-winning Blueprint for Success Program and Leadership Elmhurst Institute, and special events such as the New Teachers Luncheon. In 2000, she was a member of the Governmental Affairs Committee.
Prior to joining the School District in 1996, Val has served as Executive Director (1993-96) of the District 205 Foundation and Volunteer Coordinator (1990-93) for the Elmhurst Park District.
Stewart, a 19-year resident of Elmhurst, also is a member of the Elmhurst Visitor & Tourism Advisory Committee, Elmhurst Youth Commission, Elmhurst Community Effort (ECE) Red Ribbon Committee and Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst, and serves as the District 205’s Liaison to the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra’s Board of Directors.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Elmhurst College.
John Zawaski
John Zawaski, who is completing his first elected term as a Chamber Director, has served on the Membership Committee since 2001 and is a 11-year member of the Chamber Ambassadors who has twice received Ambassador of the Year awards (1996 and 2000).
A Chamber member since 1985, Dependable Business Forms has worked on the production of the Chamber’s recruitment brochures, window decals, business card holders, name badges and other membership-related items.
He also is a member of the Board of Directors of the Elmhurst Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) and serves on the not-for-profit organization’s Membership Committee.
Zawaski is a member of the Scholarship Committee, Immediate Past President and No. 1 recruiter for the Rotary Club of Elmhurst, with service as Treasurer, Secretary, Vice President and the President. He also serves on the Fundraising Committee (2000-03) of the Elmhurst Family YMCA, and was Nation Chief for the Indian Guides and Trailblazers.
He resides in Villa Park.
Established in 1918, the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry is a voluntary organization of business and professional men and women who have joined together to promote the civic and commercial progress of the community.
The Chamber also serves the needs of its members through services, programs and events that provide opportunities for networking and referral, business education, development and promotion, governmental representation and community involvement.
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