Becky Cox - Four Rivers Area Family YMCA
My name is Becky Cox.  I am devoted and proud wife and mom.  My husband, David, and I have two children who are our greatest joy.  Drew is 13 and Kate is 8.  Our kids have taught us many lessons about patience, love, and working hard to overcome obstacles.  We are a church-going, bedtime story-reading, bike-riding, homework-procrastinating, fun-loving family.  
I am the executive director at our Four Rivers Family YMCA where I get to help people and serve our wonderful community every day.  I volunteer with several service groups including WINGS, Kiwanis Club of Washington, Rotary Club of Washington, and Our Lady of Lourdes. 
I appreciate the opportunity to serve with the Washington Chamber of Commerce if you find me to be a good fit.  

​Erin Freese - hth companies, inc.
Erin Freese was born and raised in Washington, MO.  She’s a proud graduate of Washington High School and bleeds black and gold for her alma mater.  Erin graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia with a Masters of Accountancy degree.  Upon graduation, Erin was employed by PricewaterhourseCoopers (PwC) in St. Louis working in their assurance practice.  After five years at PwC, Erin moved back to Washington, MO to raise her family in the community that raised her.  Erin has been employed at hth companies (hth) for more than 7 years.  Today, Erin is the V.P. of Outsourced Services at hth companies.  She sits on hth companies’ executive team and is responsible for outsourced accounting activities and various human resource functions.  In addition, Erin is the President of Sieve Contractors, where she is actively involved in the company’s day to day operations.    
Erin is the mother of two young, energetic boys.  When she’s not at work, Erin is cheering for her children from the sidelines of the soccer field or sitting the bleachers at her boys’ baseball games.  Erin volunteers at Clearview Elementary and facilitates the head room mother role in her son’s classroom.  In addition, Erin is also a member of one of the local P.E.O chapters.  Erin believes in the importance of a strong community, which is the primary reason she and her husband moved back to Washington.  It take a village to raise a family, and Erin loves the village in which she is part of.  She would be honored to be a member of the Washington Area Chamber Board.  

Greg Johnston - WashPC
Greg Johnston has been a resident of Washington, Missouri since 2007. He is also the owner of WASH PC and AiroNet. Greg holds an associates of science degree in network engineering and has obtained a series of credentials and certifications throughout the years. He started his entrepreneurial journey in 2009, and has become a trusted and devoted part of this community. Through hard work, dedication and the support of his staff, and clients, his business has grown substantially throughout the years. Greg, along with his employees, has made WASH PC and AiroNet very reputable and dependable local businesses. He has a strong desire to build professional and long-lasting relationships with fellow business owners and community members. He resides in Washington with his wife, Jodie, and three children, Gus, Mack and Mazie. 

Joe Maniaci - Performance Food Group
Joe Maniaci has been a Washington resident since 1985.  He and his wife, Karen, have two adult childrne - Olivia (Haddox) and Sal.  Joe is an Area Manager and has been with PFG Middendort for 15 years.  He served 12 years on the Washington Town & Country Fair board, and served as chairmas in 2017.  He’s also a member of the Elks Lodge, Knights of Columbus, and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.

Tanya McCormack - Mercy
Tanya (Jones) McCormack was born and raised in Washington and attended St. Francis Borgia through high school. She started the Audiology Division at Patient’s First Health Care in 2007 and has been expanding the practice since with Mercy.  She has been featured on the Morning Show “Ask the Doctor” Segment on KLPW, volunteered at Homestead, traveled on two medical missions to Honduras, and has been a guest lecturer and mentor with Health Occupations.

She and her husband, John, live in Washington with their three children, Emily (11), Kellen (9), and Brynn (6).  Tanya has been heavily involved in the Clearview Parent-Teacher-Student Organization for the past 5 years, co-chairing the School Dinner Auction for two years, and currently serving as the vice president. She has also been involved in the United Way Power of the Purse for the past 4 years.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and dogs, playing golf in the Ladies Scramble League at the Country Club, shopping at the local stores, and enjoying the local eateries and amenities. Coming from a long time of family members highly involved in the betterment of the community, Tanya is truly honored to be given the opportunity to become a Chamber of Commerce Board Member. She will bring positive energy and fresh ideas. She looks forward to giving back to the community that has given her so much. 

​Jeff Trentmann  - Hochschild, Bloom & Co.
My name is Jeffrey Trentmann and I graduated from St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in 2006. I received my Bachelor’s in Science with a major in Accounting in 2010 and my Master’s in Business Administration in 2011 from Southeast Missouri State University. I received my Certified Public Accountant license from the State of Missouri in 2014 and am currently employed at Hochschild, Bloom & Company, LLP in Washington as a Supervisor. I have been a member of the Washington Jaycees since 2014 and the current the President of the organization. I enjoy volunteering and performing community service, watching and playing sports and spending time with my wife, Johanna, and daughters, Camilla and Lucille. 

The 14th Annual Soup Day for United Way will be held on Tuesday, October 23 at Otis Campbell's (216 W Front Street).  Orders include soup, bread, and a cookie for only $7!  There are 23 soups to choose from.  For a pre-order form, please click here.  Pre-orders must be submitted by 10:30 a.m. on Monday, October 22. 

​The 2018 market season will come to a close at the end of October, and we are celebrating another wonderful year!
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One of the great successes of the market is the Kids Club - SPROUTS - that was started in 2016. We love seeing these sweet kids at the market each week. The club is making a positive impact on members in a variety of ways, from trying new healthy foods, to learning important lessons in money management, and making new friends!

If you would like to help support the market and the Sprouts Kids Club, or if you just want an awesome new shirt to add to your closet, please fill out this form and return it to the Chamber Office by Friday, October 12.

Fifteen individuals have been selected to the 2018 class of Outstanding Young Professionals, sponsored by The Missourian and the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce.  This year, the selection committee received more nominations than ever before in the 6-year history of the awards!  Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination!  The 2018 OYP Class includes:

Recipients of the OYP Awards will be honored at the Chamber's Member Luncheon on Monday, September 24. 
Reservations can be made by contacting Cheryl (636-239-2715 x102) by Friday, September 14.  Tickets are $12.  More information on the Member Luncheon can be found here.

This year, the event will be catered by Droege's Catering Company.
Menu:
Fried Chicken
Red Potato Salad
Green Beans w/ Ham
Rolls & Butter
Assorted Cookies & Brownies
Tea, Lemonade, Water
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The program will include the presentation of the Outstanding Young Professionals Class of 2018.  Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate someone.  We had a lot of qualified candidates!  A representative from the Young Ambassadors, a new joint steering committee formed by the Chamber, Downtown Washington, and the City of Washington, will report on upcoming plans for the Young Professionals networking group.

Tickets to the Member Luncheon are $12/person. Please RSVP to Cheryl (636-239-2715 x102) by Friday, September 14 if you would like to attend the luncheon.  Payment is due Monday, September 17 and can be brought to the Chamber Office (323 W Main Street) or mailed to PO Box 752, Washington, MO  63090.

Franklin County will be celebrating its 200th year in 2019.   As a member of their marketing committee, I wanted to share their website and facebook page.  Additionally, we are working to come up with a variety of marketing/promotional campaigns.
 
Marketing ideas are coming together, so I wanted to reach out each of our members to let you know about one idea  …a public art project.  Some of you may be familiar with the St. Louis 250th birthday cakes.  If not, these were fiberglass cakes placed throughout the St. Louis region as far out as Franklin County.  The cakes were a huge success, drawing tourists, art lovers, and people who enjoy a good scavenger hunt.  We are considering doing something similar, but on a smaller scale, and instead of cakes, kites! When you think of Ben Franklin (for whom our county is named), you think of the kite experiment.  Also, the kites would be made of stainless steel, to withstand the elements.
 
The kites will be approximately 5-feet tall, including the tail, and can hang on a building or they can be free-standing (with the proper equipment.) We are wanting sponsors who will display a kite painted by themselves or by a local artist. These kites will be on display from approximately March through the end of 2019, which is the county’s bicentennial. Similar to the St. Louis cakes, people will be looking to find all of the kites throughout the county. The sponsors will have the opportunity to use this as a draw to their business or destination. At the end of the year, prizes will be given to “hunt winners”. The sponsorship is a $200 investment, but we believe the marketing value will certainly out-weigh the cost. We hope this county-wide bicentennial project has piqued your interest and will want to participate when the kites become available!

Mary Beth Rettke
Washington Tourism Director