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The Temple Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 2022 Board of Directors and Officers, including three new members. Gayle Kiger, of KCEN TV Channel 6, will serve as Chair of the Board, succeeding Drayton McLane III of McLane Group. Robert Jones of BancorpSouth has been named First Vice-Chair. “The past 18 months have proven the strength and relevancy of the Temple Chamber of Commerce,” said Gayle Kiger, incoming Chair of the Board. “I look forward to following the excellent leadership from Drayton McLane III, Rick Kasberg, and others who served unselfishly, with a focus on advocating for our community by preserving, protecting, and promoting a business-friendly environment.”
The 2022 Board of Directors will focus on critical issues for the Temple Chamber of Commerce membership and business community, including providing valuable resources for member businesses, keeping members informed, connected, and prosperous, advancing community excellence, and maintaining organizational sustainability. Bo Harvey of Treno Pizzeria & Taproom will continue to serve as Treasurer. Other Officers for the 2022 Board of Directors are Drayton McLane III of McLane Group, Immediate Past Chair; Claire Hartman of First Community Title, Vice-Chair of Organization Improvement; Mike Pilkington of Bell Contractors, Vice-Chair of Governmental Affairs; Kim Langston of 3 Texans Winery & Vineyard, Vice-Chair of Membership Services; and Elliot Germany of Panel Specialists, Inc., Vice-Chair of Business and Community Development. The three joining the Board of Directors for a three-year term beginning on January 1, 2022, are Everett Boutwell of McLane Company, Kayla Landeros of West, Webb, Allbritton & Gentry, P.C., and Ken Reeves of Performance Foodservice Group ROMA. “Business leaders who agree to serve on the Chamber Board share a commitment to creating an environment where all can thrive,” said Rod Henry, President, and CEO of the Temple Chamber. “We will continue to build upon the strength of the previous year, with the knowledge and experience our Board provides. Continuing to effectively lead to preserve, protect, and promote a business-friendly environment.”
The 2022 Temple Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors: Everett Boutwell | McLane Company Adrian Cannady (Ex-Officio) | Temple Economic Development Corporation Bill Galinsky | Baylor Scott & White Health Elliot Germany* | Panel Specialists, Inc. Shannon Gowan | Ronald McDonald House Claire Hartman* | First Community Title Bo Harvey* | Treno Pizzeria & Taproom Robert Jones* | BancorpSouth Gayle Kiger* | KCEN TV Channel 6 Rick Kasberg | KPA Engineers Kayla Landeros | West, Webb, Allbritton & Gentry, P.C. Dana Lange | R.T. Schneider Construction Kim Langston* | 3 Texans Winery & Vineyard Drayton McLane III* | McLane Group Bobby Ott | Temple ISD Mike Pilkington* | Bell Contractors Ken Reeves | Performance Foodservice Group ROMA Shelton Rhodes | Greater Zion Church of God in Christ Casey Simpson | Oncor Electric Delivery Jessica Walker | Lengefeld Lumber Company *Indicates Executive Board Member
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Summer Sizzle was on Friday, August 6, 2021, at the Santa Fe Plaza! Summer Sizzle consisted of a free community block party that featured a job fair followed by an evening of live music, food trucks, an outdoor market, and fun for the entire family. We are proud to say we had 19 companies work with 210 job fair attendees. The community event drew 4 food trucks, 20 vendors, and a crowd of 300. Thank you to our sponsors that helped make this event successful! American Legion Post #133, Cedar Crest Hospital & Residential Treatment Center, Hill & Wilkinson General Contractors, Security Bank Temple, Workforce Solutions of Central Texas, KCEN Channel 6, iHeart Media Waco/Temple/Killeen, Reynolds Consumer Products, Amos Electric, Datamars, Inc., PacTiv Evergreen, Lamar Advertising, and Ludwick, Montgomery & Stapp, PC. A special thank you goes to Niagara for donating water! Arthur Murray Temple offered a group dance lesson and Dapper & Dashin’ Salon offered haircuts from their booth. We had a variety of food trucks: Check Point Germany, KG&D Mobile Foods, and Rossler’s Blue Cord Barbecue. We also had an assortment of vendors offering treats like Boozzy Cakes, FoxDog, Kona Ice, and Texas Style BBQ. Market vendors that had their products for sale included Golden Poppy Boutique, Old Stumps & Scrapwood, Simply Smith’s Homemade, Simply Gracie Girl, Vixen Muscle, and West 40 Woodworks. Various Chamber Members set-up to visit with Sizzle-goers: the American Legion Post #133, KCEN Channel 6, Pearl’s Place, Reliant, an NRG Company, Reynold’s Consumer Products, State Farm - Veronica Logan, T3 The Gym, Total Men’s Primary Care, and Workforce Solutions of Central Texas. Temple Fire Department handed out fire hats to kids.  2020 has been a year unlike any other. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted our business community, and we continue to work hard to recover. Early in the pandemic, the Temple Chamber of Commerce recognized that we had a vital role in helping our community through the crisis. Our focus has been on providing as many resources as possible to support our region’s business community and serve as an information provider. The strength of the Temple Chamber of Commerce is not any particular program or event, but rather comes from the network we have built over our 113-year history. We are the hub of a vast network that includes local businesses, all levels of government, state and national business associations, local organizations, schools, and more. This strength came to the forefront with the turmoil of 2020. The Temple Chamber was in a position to help many local businesses by serving as a mouthpiece for the information that was coming in quickly from our network. This led to the creation of the Temple Strong initiative, a comprehensive webpage that serves as a one-stop experience for businesses seeking the latest information regarding COVID-19, and a multitude of COVID-19 specific email communications beginning in April 2020. The Temple Chamber of Commerce is a membership-driven organization where businesses pay dues to become members, and those members get plugged into the Chamber network. However, the economic vitality of our community can only be maintained with a positive business climate, so the information that was shared was not limited to only member businesses. We had information coming in from the state, our U.S. Senators and Representatives offices, as well as from County and City officials. Everyone needed help, and the Temple Chamber of Commerce was there to help. With continuing uncertainty and state-mandated closures or occupancy restrictions, the Temple Chamber of Commerce created a space on social media for local businesses to inform a larger audience about their operations and offerings. Two Facebook groups, Temple Strong: Takeout, Curbside, and Delivery Options and Temple Strong: Open for Business, were created. The Temple Chamber of Commerce also tapped into our network to provide a morale boost to front-line workers. The U.S. Army Salute Heroes fly over in May 2020 resulted from our outreach to Congressman John Carter and III Corps/Fort Hood. Blackhawk and Chinook Helicopters from 1st Air Cav Brigade/1st Cavalry Division/Fort Hood flew over health care facilities in Temple, Belton, Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Harker Heights, Gatesville, Copperas Cove, and Killeen. The Temple Chamber of Commerce refused to be deterred by the setbacks brought forth by the pandemic. The majority of in-person events shifted to a virtual environment. We provided over 20 virtual programs and have reached more than 1,500 participants. The 36th Annual Military Appreciation Luncheon was reimagined into lunch to go and a virtual presentation. This new platform also allowed us to recognize first responders and front-line workers. We safely served 2,000 to-go meals to show appreciation to those who have and continue to give so much. We were also able to shift our annual Spirit of Santa Fe Wine Festival into a two-week trail that celebrated local craft beverages, wines, and homegrown restaurants. Though there were many struggles, the past year also inspired innovation, strengthened compassion, and redefined the meaning of perseverance. Temple Chamber of Commerce members stepped up to support the community. They provided healthcare workers vital equipment in short supply, helped non-profits with donations, supported the community with various services, and helped keep spirits high during a time of uncertainty. Here are a handful of examples of how Temple Chamber Members helped amid the COVID-19 pandemic:
The Temple Chamber of Commerce is filled with gratitude for our members and the community. Our efforts to support the business community would not be possible without the support of our members. 2020 has shown us that there is no better time to be a member of the Temple Chamber of Commerce. We have a vital role in our local community and are positioned to help preserve, protect, and promote a positive business environment in the greater Temple, TX area in 2021 and beyond.
For those not already plugged into our network, we invite you to learn more about the Chamber on our website or by calling (254) 773-2105. |
