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.)

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.

On Friday, February 26, Four Rivers Career Center in Washington hosted a signing day ceremony to recognize 33 Youth Registered Apprentices and 10 Apprentice-Elects.  Watch the Ceremony here!  Leaders representing the community, apprentice's parents, FRCC instructors and elected officials, as well as Wade Johnson (Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship) and Commissioner Zora Mulligan (Dept. of Higher Education and Workforce Development) were present to celebrate the students' achievements.  Over the past six months, staff at the career center has worked closely with City of Washington and Chamber Officials to develop partnerships with local businesses and accelerate the youth-focused apprenticeship program.

​Cynthia Walker was hired as the Apprenticeship Coordinator and has been impressed with the way the community has embraced the apprenticeship model.  "I'm amazed at the achievements we can make when we all work together as a team.  The vision of YRA has been a long held initiative for our administration, school board, employers, and our local/state officials, with a purpose to bolster our economy and fill the needed workforce skills gap.  Our FRCC Director, Andy Robinson, has helped put feet to that vision and provided the initiative for the community relationships, the leadership, as well as the many provisions to move this chapter of career and technical education forward."

Governor Mike Parson and Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe, both supporters of apprenticeship and other programs to help narrow the skills gap, were unable to attend the ceremony due to scheduling conflicts.  Gov. Parson has plans to visit FRCC for a tour in the future, and Lt. Gov. Kehoe provided a video address for the ceremony, stating, "CTE (Career & Technical Education) students are a vital resource to Missouri's thriving economy today, tomorrow, and the future because our state needs a strong skilled, and highly motivated workforce to compete in the world's marketplace." 

Wade Johnson of the U.S. Department of Labor/Office of Apprenticeship had wonderful things to say about the greater Washington community and Four Rivers Career Center.  Before presenting the official certification of the FRCC Apprenticeship Program, he stated, "City and Business organizations.  This is the perfect storm in a positive way of things that need to happen to not only develop an apprenticeship program, but to have it be sustainable." 

His words about the students, however, were a highlight of the day, and proof that Four Rivers Career Center is living and fulfilling its mission to provide a quality education with real life experiences and opportunities to achieve a higher standard of living for a diverse student population using authentic hands-on learning modeled by knowledgeable and caring instructors.

Johnson stated, "I wish I was as confident and talented in high school as what I've seen today.  And it's not just the apprentices.  The kids that gave us tours... They were very sure of what they wanted to do and how they wanted to prepare themselves for the workforce, for becoming productive, contributing members of society, forging their own path to the middle class.  It inspires me, and it gives me hope for the future."

Would you like to support any of these events through sponsorship?  We have multiple commitment levels available, so you can choose the amount and benefits that work best for your business!  Learn more on our sponsorship blog post, and then sign-up with our online form.  Thank you!

The Washington Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Tricia Piontek (The Magnet Group) and Kevin Richardson (Zick, Voss, Politte & Richardson, P.C.) 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’re excited to add Tricia and Kevin to our team.  Both have a great appreciation for our community, and we are grateful for their willingness to serve our Chamber 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.  Piontek and Richardson will replace Dave Politte (Zick, Voss, Politte & Richardson, P.C.) and Casey Zastrow (American Family Insurance), whose terms will end on December 31, 2020.
 
Tricia Piontek has been with The Magnet Group since 2002 and currently holds the position of Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Brands Division.  She served on the Our Lady of Lourdes School Board and is an experienced volunteer, helping plan and execute school auctions, parish breakfasts and dinners, and fundraisers for the Washington Junior ROTC Booster Club.  She and her family enjoy supporting local events and businesses.  Tricia and her husband, Allan, have five adult children – Nicole (Brueggenjohann), Holly (Wunderlich), Sydney, Samuel, and Jackson. 
 
Kevin Richardson is a partner and attorney at Zick, Voss, Politte & Richardson, P.C., where he has worked since 2003.  Kevin has served on the Board of Directors for TEMCO, Inc. and the Franklin County Area United Way and on the Parish Finance Committee at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.  He was President of the 20th Judicial Circuit Bar Association, and was named to the Chamber Outstanding Young Professionals Class of 2013.  Kevin and his wife, Sarah, have two children, Audrey and Will.
 
Piontek and Richardson will join 14 others on the 2021 Board of Directors.
 
Executive Board

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

Board of Directors

• Josh Brinker (Bank of Franklin County)
• Becky Cox (Four Rivers Family YMCA)
• Scott Hillermann (Hillermann Nursery & Florist)
• Joe Maniaci (PFG Fox River Foods)
• Tanya McCormack (Washington Hearing Center)
• Luke Meyer (Citizens Bank)
• Craig Mueller (Imo’s Pizza / Sugarfire Smokehouse)
• Jason Unnerstall (Past Fair Chairman)

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, we celebrated a different, but still magical Olde Fashioned Christmas event!  With a small army of volunteers, lights were hung, donated decorations were placed throughout the Main & Elm parking lot and goodies were staged along the route.

Participants received an event booklet with activities and a coloring sheet, crayons, and candy canes early in the line, and then received hot cocoa or cider and sugar cookies as they pulled in front of the Farmers' Market.  A take-home craft packet was given to children as they drove through the decoration display, and after driving past the live reindeer and Mr. & Mrs. Claus, children had a chance to leave a letter for Santa at the North Pole Post Office.

Olde Fashioned Christmas is always a free event, but this year we did encourage participants donate canned goods.  In total, 208 items and $135 were taken to Loving Hearts Outreach after the event.

Our traffic plan worked well for the 300 cars that drove through the event and we saw many excited and grateful smiles. 

​Thank you to everyone that helped make this event a success!

Steven P. Kuenzel Jr. “Steve”, is a Partner at the law firm of Eckelkamp Kuenzel LLP, Washington Mo.  He has worked full time as an attorney at Eckelkamp Kuenzel LLP since 2009, having previously clerked there beginning in 2005.  In addition to his law degree from Saint Louis University, he also received an MBA from Saint Louis University in 2010.  He attended the University of Missouri-Columbia for his undergraduate degree, graduating Magna Cum Laude, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Finance and Banking in 2005.
Outside of work, Steve is a member of the Franklin County Bar Association, American Bar Association, Washington Elks, Rotary, Knights of Columbus, and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.  He was a recipient of the Outstanding Young Professional Award, class of 2015.  Steve is also involved in a variety real estate projects and developments throughout the county.  He is married to Colleen M. Kuenzel, who he met in law school and who also received her law degree from Saint Louis University.  They currently reside in Washington with their four daughters, Bailey, Darcy, Samantha, and Rory.
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Carrie Maune has been a resident of Franklin County most of her life.  She grew up in Union and earned a degree in chemistry and biology from University of Central Missouri.  Carrie worked at Romer Labs in Union for 12 years before starting Trilogy Analytical Laboratory with two business partners in 1999.  Trilogy is an analytical chemistry laboratory focused on food and feed safety.  In 2015, Carrie sold her shares in Trilogy, but remains as a Vice President, working in several areas of the company.
Carrie and her husband, Mick, live just outside of Washington, close to Campbellton.  They have been married for 38 years and have enjoyed the many benefits of living in this community and have found it to be a wonderful place to raise their family.   Carrie and Mick have two children - a 27-year old son and a 21-year old daughter.
Carrie is a member of New Life Church in Washington and is active on the Elder Team and Outreach Team.  She has volunteered for a number of groups/events, including Washington FFA, Sheltered Reality Drumming group, marching band functions, and more.  At Trilogy she has worked with East Central College, Washington High School,, and Four Rivers Career Center on Industry-specific projects and education events.  She has also served on the Biotechnology Steering Committee at ECC and the advisory committee for the FRCC health and science groups.
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Tricia (Mohesky) Piontek was born and raised in Washington, Missouri and attended St. Francis Borgia Regional High School.   She and her husband, Allan, live in Washington and have five children.   Jackson (19), Samuel (22), and Sydney (23) are currently completing or have just completed their college careers and are well on their way to putting their stamp on the community; Holly Wunderlich (35) and Nicole Brueggenjohann (36) are both married with families of their own, working on their own successes locally.
 Tricia has risen to the position of Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Brands Division at The Magnet Group.  She began her career as a Customer Service Rep at TMG in 2002 after time as a legal secretary, assistant to an Investment Rep, and physician's office assistant.
Tricia has served on the Our Lady of Lourdes School Board and volunteered for the planning of school auctions, parish breakfasts and dinners.  She helped with many fundraisers for the Washington Junior ROTC Booster Club, helping grow a successful organization.  Giving back to the local community was a priority for her family growing up and a characteristic she and her husband continue to instill in their children.  As a family, they volunteer for local Knights of Columbus events and are members of the American Legion Post 218.  Supporting local events and activities, such as the Annual Relay for Life, Farmers' Market, Sunset on the Riverfront, and Art and Wine Festival, and supporting local organizations such as the United Way and March of Dimes are important the Piontek family, helping to maintain the small town they love so much and giving back to anyone in need.   The Chamber of Commerce seems to be a natural next step and Tricia truly appreciates the opportunity and consideration for this role. 
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​Kevin Richardson is a named partner and attorney at law firm of Zick, Voss, Politte & Richardson, P.C., located in downtown Washington, where he has worked since 2003.  He graduated with Honors from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History.  He received his Juris Doctorate from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Kevin has been a board member of the Franklin County Area United Way, serving as both the Campaign Chair and President of the Board of Directors, has been the President of the 20th Judicial Circuit Bar Association, was named to the Washington Outstanding Young Professionals Class of 2013, has been a member of the TEMCO, Inc., Board of Directors, and has served on the Parish Finance Committee at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.  Kevin enjoys playing golf, attending his children’s numerous activities, and following Notre Dame sports.  He is married to Sarah and they have two children, Audrey and Will.