Ben King and his family recently opened a specialty grocery store, The Grazing Board, in downtown Washington.

TLC MO Events is a new Craft & Vendor gift shop on Jefferson Street.  There are currently over 15 featured vendors offering a variety of items.  For more information, visit ​tlcmoevents.com.

A new tradition was started at this year's Annual Banquet - recognizing members that have reached their 50th Membership Anniversary with the Chamber.  A "Chairman's Circle" award was created to honor these long-term supporters of our organization.  Each year, members reaching that milestone will be recognized at the banquet, and we had a great group to start with!
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​Members who reached their 40th, 30th, and 25th anniversary of membership were also recognized with an anniversary decal to display on their membership plaque.
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AQM, a commercial and residential IT provider,  originally opened in Union in 1993, and recently expanded with an office in Washington at 802 Rainbow Drive. 
​For more information, visit their website at  aqmcomputerhelp.com

Alex Demczak will deliver the keynote address at the March 26 Chamber Banquet.  Other agenda items include presentation of the Missourian's Washingtonian Award, as well as a report from the Washington Town & Country Fair and selection of 2022 Fair Queen Sponsors.
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Alex Demczak is a former SEC quarterback for the Missouri Tigers, who graduated with a degree in Communication and a minor in Business.  He is an inspiring communicator, facilitator and trainer who challenges businesses, schools, sports teams, and non-profits to maximize their potential and make a difference.

Alex is the author of Thrive U, an inspirational collection of stories from 100 collegiate and professional athletes from across the country. The book has been used by many youth groups, schools, and businesses as a resource to help others maximize their platform and thrive rather than simply survive.

Alex is a top keynote speaker and trainer for the Jon Gordon Companies. He frequently delivers keynotes and conducts training programs based on The Power of Positive Leadership and The Power of a Positive Team with the goal of helping leaders transform their teams and change the world. He is the Executive Director of the Touchdown Foundation which raises money to build water wells in 18 third world countries. Alex is an innovative entrepreneur that has a knack for starting new ventures such as Thrive U, Coach's Corner, MU Courtesy Carts, Thrive Speakers, Ignite small groups, and collaborates with multiple startups.

Alex is passionate about helping high performance leaders take the next step in their leadership journey and has worked with some most successful companies across various industries. Some of Alex’s past clients include The Cincinnati Reds, Bridgestone, Cintas, Veterans United Home Loans, OneCoast Retailers, O’shea Builders, and many others. Alex's mission is to help people increase their performance, enhance their leadership, and maximize their life.

The Washington Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Don Grahl (The Creek Grill & Sports Bar) and Scott Mentz (Mentz Foundations) to the Board of Directors.  They were chosen through a membership-wide ballot that included four nominees, selected by a committee of past board chairs. 
 
“We are excited to add Don and Scott to our Board!  Both have a built great businesses in our community and have been wonderful supporters of our Chamber.  We are thrilled they have volunteered to serve our community in this capacity,” said Chamber President, Jennifer Giesike.  Board members typically serve two, 3-year terms on the board, although if selected by fellow directors to the Executive Board, additional years can be served.  Grahl and Mentz replace Dan Cassette (Cassette Electric) and Craig Mueller (Imo’s Pizza, Sugarfire Smokehouse), whose terms ended on December 31, 2021.
 
Don Grahl moved to Washington nearly 20 years ago and considers it, without a doubt, the best decision he and his wife, Donna, ever made. The move here has served their family exceptionally well, both personally and professionally.   Donna works at St. Francis Borgia High School, and together they own and operate The Creek Grill and Sports Bar, which just celebrated its 12th anniversary serving this community. Don and Donna have three adult children, including two that reside in town and work in the area. Don has one granddaughter and another on the way.
Don would consider it an honor to serve on the Washington Area Chamber Board of Directors. It would allow him to give back to this great city a fraction of what he feels it has given him and his family.
 
 Scott Mentz ​​ owns and operates Mentz Foundations, Inc., a small business specializing in concrete constructions.  He has been a leader in that field for over 35 years.  Scott is a hardworking, detail-oriented individual with strong managerial and organization skills. 
Scott is currently a Director at Heritage Community Bank.  He previously served nine years on the Washington Town & Country Fair Board and was President of the Franklin County Construction Industrial Council for three years.
Scott and his wife, Lisa, have two adult daughters, Stephanie and Taylor.  He loves spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, and enjoys coaching youth sports, playing golf, farming, and traveling.
 
Grahl and Mentz will join 14 others on the 2022 Board of Directors.
 
Executive Board

• Andy Robinson (School District of Washington) – Chairman
• Jay Nowak (Bank of Washington) – 1st Vice Chair
• Steve Strubberg (Horn Architects) – 2nd Vice Chair
• Tanya McCormack (Washington Hearing Center)
• Karen Timpe (Legacy Embroidery & Screenprinting)
• Paul Brune (MFA Co-Op #2) – Ex-Officio

Board of Directors

• Jon Ballmann (Past Fair Chairman)
• Josh Brinker (Bank of Franklin County)
• Becky Cox (Four Rivers Family YMCA)
• Scott Hillermann (Hillermann Nursery & Florist)
• Joe Maniaci (PFG Fox River Foods)
• Luke Meyer (Citizens Bank)
• Tricia Piontek (The Magnet Group)
• Kevin Richardson (Zick, Voss, Politte & Richardson, P.C.)

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Nicole Desmond is employed at Deppe Farms, a family-owned business established right here in Washington in 1950.  She is a graduate of Washington High School earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Economics from the University of Missouri before returning to the family farm.
Nicole enjoys being involved in the community and volunteering her time. She served 9 years on the Washington Town and Country fair board and still continues to volunteer her time there whenever needed. She coached basketball for 12 years, served 5 years on the Athletic Board, and volunteered on the Auction Committee at St. Gertrude School.  Currently, Nicole is serving on the board for the FFA Foundation which helps all our surrounding High School FFA chapters. She has joined the Washington High Athletic Association auction committee and is in her 2nd year as an assistant coach for the WHS girls varsity basketball team.
Nicole is married to JJ Desmond. They reside on the family farm with their 5 kids. Nicole enjoys spending time with her family and friends.  Her hobbies include gardening, spending time outdoors, and cycling.

Logan Diebal owns and manages First Choice Facilities, one of the largest national snow and ice management companies in the nation, with over seven branches across the country.  He is especially proud of creating a company that offers some of the best benefits, culture, and facilities to its employees in our area.  First Choice Facilities is headquartered in Washington and has made contributions to many local charities and initiatives.
Logan has always enjoyed leadership and problem solving and believes his strategic business sense would be an asset to the Chamber Board.  He wants to be involved in the community to ensure the town offers things that will keep younger generations here permanently.
Logan and his wife, Emily, currently live in Gerald.  In his free time, Logan enjoys traveling and trying new foods.  He loves outdoor hobbies, like skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and hiking.  His favorite local spot is the Riverfront Trail.

Don Grahl moved to Washington nearly 20 years ago and considers it, without a doubt, the best decision he and his wife, Donna, ever made. The move here has served their family exceptionally well, both personally and professionally.   Donna works at St. Francis Borgia High School, and together they own and operate The Creek Grill and Sports Bar, which just celebrated its 12th anniversary serving this community. Don and Donna have three adult children, including two that reside in town and work in the area. Don has one granddaughter and another on the way.
Don would consider it an honor to serve on the Washington Area Chamber Board of Directors. It would allow him to give back to this great city a fraction of what he feels it has given him and his family.

Scott Mentz ​​ owns and operates Mentz Foundations, Inc., a small business specializing in concrete constructions.  He has been a leader in that field for over 35 years.  Scott is a hardworking, detail-oriented individual with strong managerial and organization skills. 
Scott is currently a Director at Heritage Community Bank.  He previously served nine years on the Washington Town & Country Fair Board and was President of the Franklin County Construction Industrial Council for three years.
Scott and his wife, Lisa, have two adult daughters, Stephanie and Taylor.  He loves spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, and enjoys coaching youth sports, playing golf, farming, and traveling.