 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Dennis
Lauver [Email]
President/CEO - Dennis is a native Kansan. He
returned to Kansas in late 2006 to become President/CEO of the Chamber. Dennis previously served as President of the chamber
of commerce in Clinton Iowa, Sarpy County Nebraska and South Sioux City
Nebraska. Dennis began work in the late 1980's at the Sioux
City (Iowa) Chamber of Commerce as the Director, Community & Government
Relations. He is on the Board of Directors of the Kansas Economic
Developers Association. He has been a speaker at two previous
national conventions of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives
Association. In 2008, he is finishing work to be
designated a "Certified Chamber Executive" (CCE). Less
than 500 chamber officials in the world have the
designation.
Dennis graduated from Morningside College in Sioux City, IA and has an MBA from Wayne State College, which is part of the Nebraska university system.
Dennis and his wife have two boys. In addition to spending time with his family, he enjoys being involved with the church they attend in Salina, reading and golf.
Don Weiser
[Email]
Senior Vice President - Don is a Kansas native. Don has been at the Chamber for 32 years. He is a graduate of the University of
Kansas with a degree in Journalism. He is also a graduate of the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management, and has
completed six years of Post-Graduate Institute. Don is Past
President of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce Executives and Past Chairman
of the American Chamber of Commerce Executives Communication Council.
He has served on the Board of Directors of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce
Executives, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the American
Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Don and his wife have two girls and 3 grandchildren. In addition to spending time with his family, he enjoys golfing.
Sandy
Cole [Email] Sandy
studied data processing at the North Central Kansas Technical College, and
is a graduate of the US Chamber Institutes for Organization Management
curriculum and Leadership Salina. She
and her family live in Bennington, just north of Salina, which counts her
among the many in Salina workforce that commute from ‘bedroom
communities’ daily. Sandy is a member of the Noon Network AMBUCS club, and will serve as their
President in 2008. She shares her talent as a pianist in her church’s Praise Band.
In her spare time, she enjoys music, movies, needlepoint, and is an
avid reader. David
Bossemeyer [Email] After being recruited by the United States Department of
Housing and Urban Development, David accepted a position in Colorado.
Since returning to Kansas, he has worked with the Eastern Kansas
Economic Development Certified Development Group as a Grantsman; Junction
City/Geary County Economic Development Commission as Executive Director; the
Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce as President /CEO, and the Salina
Area Chamber of Commerce as Director of Business Retention & Expansion. He is a
former Mayor and City Commissioner of Junction City, KS, which gave him
additional insight into all aspects of procedures, protocol, and
administrative responsibilities of municipalities.
David is certified through the National Development Council as an
“Economic Development Finance Professional”, as well as, certified
through Business Retention and Expansion International as a “BR&E
Project Coordinator”. Aaron White [Email] Aaron is a native of Iowa and a United States Marine Corp
Infantry veteran. He has a B.A. from Buena Vista University in Storm
Lake, Iowa, with a double major in Political Science and Psychology.
He earned his MBA from Kansas Wesleyan University. He spent 14 years
in production agriculture and agribusiness, working in merchandising,
sales and marketing , and logistics. Aaron and his wife have two
daughters. He enjoys woodworking, motorcycling, and is an avid
outdoorsman.
Accountant
- Sandy joined the staff in 1989.
Her primary responsibilities include accounts receivable
and payable,
membership database management, monthly financial reporting and budgeting
for the Chamber and Visit Salina. Sandy
serves as staff liaison for the Finance Committee as they provide fiscal
oversight and management of the organization’s assets.
Business Retention and Expansion - David is a native
of Hutchinson, Kansas. David
has worked for the Kansas Department of Commerce & Housing.
As a Field Representative, his duties included: organizing
community leaders and preparing them for economic development.
In addition to working directly with businesses to assist with their
expansion needs.
David holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Masters of Business
from Fort Hays State University.
His favorite hobbies include yard work and restoring old cars.
Business Retention and Expansion - Aaron has joined the staff of the Salina Area Chamber of
Commerce. He will be responsible for identifying and
advocating the retention and expansion of existing businesses in the
Saline County area.
Maureen
Toll [Email]
Workforce Program Development - Maureen
has been the Director of
Workforce Program Development at the Chamber for ten years.
Her responsibilities include custom-designed workforce training,
assessments, and other human resource and business services for regional
businesses and industries; a national workforce recruitment initiative for
the Salina Chamber’s 1200 member companies; labor market research, policy
and analysis; staffing assistance for the Leadership Salina program;
coordination of workforce-related task forces; and representation on several
national, state, and local boards related to workforce issues, legislation
and funding.
Dr. Toll has experience - from both corporate and academic perspective - in the design, implementation and assessment of corporate training, secondary and post-secondary technical programs, Tech Prep, School to Career, Welfare to Work, the Workforce Investment Act’s One-Stop Services, the US. Chamber’s Workforce 2020 program, and the Synchronist economic development research and analysis system. Before coming to the Chamber, she was an Assistant Dean for continuing education, allied health, and business and industry training at a community college.
Dr. Toll holds a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS, as well as, a bachelor’s degree in art and education from North Park University in Chicago, Illinois.
Dr. Toll and her husband,
Doug, own a large farming operation north of Salina.
Their outside activities revolve around their four children, seven
grandchildren, church and their interests in fine and applied arts and in
discovering new and interesting challenges.
Amy
Hall [Email]
Information Technology and Economic Development
Research - Amy has been at the Chamber since 2006. Her responsibilities
include managing the network and all technology, as well as, extensive economic
development research. She is also
responsible for this awesome website!
Amy is a graduate of Kansas State University at Salina with a Bachelor of Science degree in Technology Management and an Associate of Science degree in Applied Business. She is also a 2007 graduate of the Leadership Salina program.
Some of her favorite hobbies include volunteering for not-for-profit agencies, spending time with friends and family, and being outdoors.
Delta
Bryant [Email]
Administrative Assistant - Delta has been at the Chamber since 2000.
She is the friendly voice you hear when you call the Chamber. Some
other responsibilities include general office duties, school to career
placements and farm show booth rentals.
Delta attended design school in Colorado. Prior to the Chamber, Delta worked as a floral designer.
Some of her favorite hobbies include counted cross stitch, relaxing, and watching classic movies.
Donna
Smith [Email] Prior to joining the Chamber in Sept 2000,
Donna was a sales/service manager for a
local manufacturing facility. Donna is a life long resident of Salina and Sylvia
Rice [Email] Sylvia is passionate about tourism and about the
role Salina plays in creating the Kansas product.
She represents Salina in many regional coalitions and partnerships,
including the Kansas I-70 Association, Kansas Adventures Times III, North
Central Kansas Tourism Council, and the Travel Industry Association of
Kansas (TIAK), having just concluded her term as 2007 TIAK President.
Sylvia attended Kansas Technical Institute, is a graduate of the US
Chamber Institutes of Organizational Management, and has earned the TIAK
designation of Kansas Destination Specialist. Sylvia enjoys classic movies, theatre, concerts and
cooking, but her most treasured down time is spent exploring Kansas with her
grandchildren – tourism promoters in the making! Tiffany
Benien [Email] Tiffany
also works closely with the staff at local facilities including the Salina
Bicentennial Center, The Salina Parks and Recreation, and USD #305. Tiffany
has experience working with several sports events held in Salina on an
annual basis. Examples include
Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) championships for
baseball, basketball, football, softball, volleyball, and wrestling; the
NJCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship-the Salina JUCO Basketball
Blast; KS ASA Softball Tournaments; Triple Crown Sports Youth Baseball and
American Legion Baseball tournaments, golf tournaments, conventions and
more. Tiffany
began working for the Chamber in 1995. Prior to the Chamber Tiffany attended
Kansas Wesleyan where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business.
Tiffany is a native of Salina, she attended high school in Bennington.
Her favorite hobbies include softball, volleyball and travel to
destinations where palm trees are plentiful. Jo
Ann McClure [Email] Prior
to joining Visit Salina she worked for many years as a
Sales/Marketing Executive at the Salina Journal, and several years in the
hospitality industry. Jo Ann is a native Kansan but enjoys traveling.
She became involved in travel through many clubs and organizations she
belonged to at her alma maters: Cloud County Community College and
Kansas Wesleyan University. Andi
Pahl [Email] She is a proud Salina native, and is our ‘unofficial
historian’ on staff. If
it’s a question about Salina, she either knows the answer, or knows the
person who does! She often
represents Visit Salina at consumer travel shows such as the Kansas Sampler
Festival and Kansas State Fair. Andi graduated from Salina High School and Brown Mackie
College. She returned to Salina
in 1998 after 20 years in New Jersey, where she was an editorial assistant
at Financial Executives Institute, Morristown and executive assistant at
Metro Commercial Real Estate, Mount Laurel. In her leisure time, Andi explores for antiques, is a
great cook, and likes to travel. She
also enjoys Chamber events and First Thursdays! Cindy Lamer [Email]
Cindy’s business background is banking and insurance,
and she is a
long-time Visit Salina volunteer.
Accounting Assistant-Donna assists in compiling and recording financial data and maintaining fiscal
records according to established accounting procedures. To quote Helen Keller: "...it is my chief duty to
accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble."
Director -
Sylvia joined the Chamber’s Convention and Visitors Bureau staff in 1991,
first specializing in the convention market.
Years of experience in hotel sales, operations and management
instilled a strong commitment to great customer service and providing a warm
welcome to our visitors, the basic tenants upon which the Visit Salina
program is built today. Her
primary responsibilities include marketing, advertising, publications,
administration, staff development and the group/leisure markets.
Sylvia works with Salina’s hospitality industry – hotels,
attractions, retail, restaurants and events – to develop and promote the
“Salina Experience”.
Sports and Special Events Coordinator - Tiffany is responsible for
servicing and securing sports and special events that attract visitors into
Salina. She is passionate that
Salina is a great city to promote as a destination for new and existing
sports and special events, she strives to ensure that the sports market will
continue to attract visitors and create a significant influx of new dollars
into the Salina community. Tiffany often evaluates and estimates the
economic impact that events hosted in Salina provide to the community. Vital to her staff are scores of community volunteers, which
Tiffany recruits, directs and builds strong relationships with so that
Salina’s events can be successful.
Convention Sales-Jo
Ann joined the Chamber’s Convention and Visitors Bureau – now known as
Visit Salina - as the Convention Sales and Service Manager in
2004. Her primary
responsibility is to market Salina as a convention and meeting destination,
working closely with Salina’s varied meeting venues and lodging facilities
to attract and successfully service groups of 15 to 1500!
Jo Ann has a strong commitment to meeting and exceeding the
expectations of meeting planners that chose Salina. Since joining our staff, she has enjoyed working with MANY state and
regional associations, reunion groups, and has been instrumental in hosting
significant events that include the Kansas Unmanned Aerial Systems Symposium
and the upcoming Hawgsmoke 2008.
"There
are two things I enjoy most about traveling: experiencing the
"local" flavor of the city I visit and coming home to
Kansas!" - Jo Ann McClure
Administrative Assistant- Andi keeps Visit Salina running like a
well-oiled machine! Her primary
responsibility is the distribution of visitor information - promotional
brochures, quarterly magazine, requested visitor information packets,
responses to advertising inquiries, and calendar of event information to
name a few. She supports the
Visit Salina staff in coordinating volunteer schedules, arranging customized
services for conventions and events that might include transportation,
registration, welcome packets and programming.
Program Specialist- Cindy’s Visit Salina
work is primarily in sports, special events
and marketing.
She and husband Brad
have lived in Kansas
and Colorado. She is the mother of two grown children and enjoys reading, hiking, camping
and spending time with her grandson.
|
|||||
