Leadership

Vision Statement

An Organization Rich In History

The Vandalia Chamber of Commerce was organized on April 3, 1914. The first elected officers were Charles Evans, president; Herbert Sonneman, vice president; and N.C. Gochenour, secretary-treasurer.
Charter members included the 13 people present at the first meeting: Mayor C.A. Janett, Judge George T. Turner, J.V. Waddell, Joseph C. Burtschi, Ira D. Lakin, P.T. Denny, J.S. Ritter, Nathan Levin, H.H. Sonnemann, J.S. Carp, George A. Kurtz, N.C. Gochenour and C.A. Evans.

Since its founding, the Vandalia Chamber of Commerce has been led by more than 75 different individuals – with some serving more than one year. R.O. Hasler was president for seven one-year terms in the late 1950s and early 1960s!

The first woman president was Marie Bristow, serving in 1978. Other women presidents include Jean Stombaugh, Bunny Brosman, Sandra Michel, Michelle Sarver, Kendra Craig, Pam Apke and 2009 president Joanna Helm.

In the early years, the chamber’s role included classic functions such as the recruitment of business and industry to Vandalia, but it also was heavily involved in the town’s civic and social functions. The method for electing officers was changed to the succession system in 1965.