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.

The Quality Coach® is pleased to launch a new professional networking group called the HR Leadership Forum (HRLF).
 
Pre-COVID, we hosted our 5P (Positive People Practices, Plus Pie) networking events. These popular sessions provided a great opportunity to network, learn from each other, and hear from HR experts. We expect HRLF to be a next-level event drawing from a larger geographic area, attracting more special guests, and just what you need when you need it.
 
ECC staff from the Center for Workforce Development will host our first event and serve as our guest speaker sharing some amazing funding opportunities for which your organization may qualify. Local manufacturing, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations along with small businesses, have recently benefited from these new funding sources for potential, new, and, incumbent workers. These programs are more flexible than ever. Come learn if your company is eligible for these training dollars!

On October 27, the Missouri Chamber is bringing together manufacturers from across the state at the first-of-its-kind MFG Summit. This hybrid summit allows attendees to join virtually or in-person at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel. We have an agenda full of the most pressing topics in manufacturing: supply chain resiliency, building talent through apprenticeships, cybersecurity threats, smart factory technologies and post-pandemic manufacturing in Missouri. 

As a member of the Missouri Chamber Federation, we want to offer a discounted rate for the upcoming summit. We’ve created a special promotional code just for you and your members. Use MCF20 when registering to receive 20% off. 

We encourage you to share this information and special promo code with your membership to help connect our manufacturers state-wide! If you need graphics or sample text for your communication, please reach out to Ashley Schwab, Director of Conference Development at the Missouri Chamber - aschwab@mochamber.com  

As an extra incentive to spread the word, forward your MFG Summit promotional email to Ashley to receive one complimentary registration for either yourself or a member of your local chamber staff. 
Brought to you by the Missouri Chamber Manufacturing Alliance. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with top industry professionals and help grow manufacturing in your community. Click here for more information and to register!

After cancellations in previous years for weather and COVID, Pumpkin Palooza will return for 2021!  The free Halloween event will be held Saturday, October 30, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Main Street between Elm & Pine.  The Farmers’ Market will open at regular time (8:00 a.m.) and remain open for the duration of the event.  In addition to favorites like the downtown merchant candy crawl, activity booths, pumpkin roll, costume contest, ghost hunt, and giant pumpkin weigh-in, 2021 brings the return of the Baking Contests, plus BINGO and a Cake/Treat Walk.  Other entertainment includes Story Time, a performance from Babaloo, interactive Safety Town, Pony Rides, and Monkey Bus.  

More information, as well as registration forms and a complete schedule of events, can be found at www.washmochamber.org/pumpkin or on the “Pumpkin Palooza (2021)” Facebook Event.  For additional questions, please contact the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce at (636) 239-2715 or e-mail cquennoz@washmo.org.  

On-site Registration Only:
Pumpkin Roll (register by 11:45 a.m.)
Pumpkin Decorating / Ugliest Pumpkin / Ugliest Gourd  (register by 2:00 p.m.)

Pre-Registration Encouraged:
Baking Contests
Giant Pumpkin Weigh-In

No Registration Required:
Farmers’ Market Cake/Treat Walk
Ghost Hunt
BINGO
Costume Contest

​The Washington Farmers’ Market will host its annual “Craft & Gift Expo” on Saturday, November 20 at the Washington Knights of Columbus Hall.  The one-day event will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.  The expo will feature over 60 booths, including vendors from the Washington Farmers’ Market, as well as other local businesses, direct sales companies, and craft/gift sellers.  There is no admission charge for the event.  Food and drink will be available for purchase.

Interested vendors should register online at www.washmomarket.com/expo.  Questions can be directed to Amanda at the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce (636-239-2715 x106, info@washmomarket.com).  More information on the Washington Farmers’ Market and the Craft & Gift Expo can be found at www.washmomarket.com.  

Protecting yourself and those around you from influenza (flu) will be a little easier this year as Mercy hosts four drive-thru flu shot clinics. The clinics will be held across the St. Louis region over four weeks.
In addition to the convenience of allowing recipients to stay in their cars, the drive-thru clinics will allow for plenty of distancing, an important step in preventing the spread of both COVID-19 and the flu.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends Americans receive a flu vaccine every year as the most important step in protecting oneself from flu viruses. The vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of illness and hospitalization; it also lowers the risk of flu-related deaths in children.
In addition to protecting people who receive the shot themselves, the vaccine allows recipients to help protect those around them, including those most at risk: babies, young children, older people and anyone with certain chronic health conditions like heart disease, lung disease and diabetes.
Mercy will hold the drive-thru clinics on four consecutive Saturdays staring on Sept. 11. They will be provided in four different counties in the region: St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Franklin County and Jefferson County.
All flu shots will be given without appointments on a first come, first served basis. They are available to anyone seven years and older.