Business notebook: Cape chamber deals with a chunk of changes

It has been a summer for change at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber's former vice president, Tim Arbeiter, departed for Lee's Summit, Missouri. Shortly thereafter, the chamber announced its move to a new facility in the carriage house of the Marquette Tower later this year to share space with the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

And now, the most recent announcement: the promotion of two longtime employees of the chamber and the introduction of two new ones.

On Sept. 1, Shad Burner and Kim Voelker officially stepped into their new roles at the chamber. After two years as the chamber's business-development specialist, Burner is serving as vice president of business development.

Likewise, after more than three years as membership-development specialist, Voelker became the vice president of community development.

Burner will work alongside John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, on business recruitment, business retention and workforce-development issues.

"Tim [Arbeiter] used to be my right-hand man on that. Now Shad will be filling that role," Mehner said.

Kim will work on the community-development efforts for the chamber. She will continue working with initiatives such as the Women's Network and Leadership Cape, plus carry out some business-retention efforts, "especially in areas she has expertise, like finance and not-for-profit," Mehner said.

When Arbeiter left, Burner and Voelker took on many of his duties. And having lost an office manager recently, Voelker said those duties had to be covered as well.

"We've been wearing many hats," Voelker said.

This is not the first time the chamber has had two vice presidents, and Mehner said now is the time for Burner and Voelker.

"Kim and Shad have certainly earned their vice-president roles," Mehner said, "and the responsibilities that go with them."

Two new employees will be joining the chamber staff. Dana DeBrock will join the team Thursday as the membership and event specialist after three years as a financial-services representative with First Midwest Bank in Cape Girardeau. DeBrock will work under Voelker and primarily be responsible for the membership recruitment and implementing a full membership- retention plan, Mehner said, and having primary responsibility for chamber events.

"I have had the privilege of witnessing the chamber be a success in our community," DeBrock said in an email. "Seeing the teamwork, communication and collaboration the chamber staff portrays has always been something I have admired, and I am excited to now be a part of."

In that spirit of teamwork, DeBrock will work closely with the chamber's new office manager and member-relations specialist, Michele Litzelfelner, who joins the team after serving as development officer with the SoutheastHEALTH Foundation and after a 20-year career in the banking and finance industry in Cape Girardeau.

"My role will allow me to work closely with each person on our team to ensure that we are meeting and exceeding the needs of our membership," Litzelfelner said in an email.

"She will ... help keep all of us in line," Mehner said of Litzelfelner.

With a rejuvenated staff lineup rounded out by bookkeeper Wilma LeDure, membership coordinator Lori Trepasso and Janice Voss working in the capacity of the MAGNET, the focus of the chamber is to move into their new facilities they will share with the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Mehner looks forward to "[feeding] off the synergies we're going to have with everyone being in the same building."

"I couldn't be more excited to have an opportunity to be involved with the things going on in Cape Girardeau that are going on here," Burner said. "There's really exciting stuff going on here, and I feel really excited to be a part of it."

"We have so many things on the horizon, and we're looking forward to it," Voelker said.

"It's exciting. Not just the structure, but the team is phenomenal," Mehner said. "The stuff we've been able to do with these folks is great, and the new ones are just going to make us stronger."

Mondi Jackson marks worker anniversaries

Mondi Jackson LLC recently recognized these employee anniversaries:

25 years: David Stoll

10 years: Randy Lichtenegger

Five years: Maik Hach

The company also named lamination operator Robert Puckett of Chaffee, Missouri, its employee of the month for September. Puckett has been with Mondi since August 2006.

Wood & Huston Bank earns accolades

Wood & Huston Bank announced an independent ratings firm, Deposits Online LLC, has ranked it as one of the top 100 healthiest banks in the United States.

Deposits Online is an independent financial information services firm that annually analyzes all 14,000 federally insured banks and credit unions across America. It analyzed and graded banks on factors such as capitalization, deposit growth and loan-to-reserve ratios to determine an health score. Wood & Huston Bank ranked in the top 100 with an A+ health rating.

"We are proud to be recognized once again by an independent organization as one of the Top 100 Healthiest Banks in America," Mark Thompson, president and CEO of Wood & Huston bank, said in a news release. "However, our greatest pride comes from providing quality personal and business banking services to the people living and working in the Missouri communities that we serve."

Business licenses

• Cape Rock Cycle Maintenance and Repair is a home bicycle repair shop owned by Jerry Stovall. The anticipated opening date is Oct. 1.
• Stress Free Massage and Bodywork is a home massage-therapy business owned by Austin Bissonnette. No anticipated start date was listed.
• ASAP 24-Hour Towing and Roadside Assistance, 1410 S. Sprigg St., is a towing and roadside assistance business owned by Joshua Petry. The anticipated opening date is Oct. 1.
• McAlister's Deli, 244 Mount Auburn Road, changed owners. Southern Rock Restaurant LLC, owned by David Blackburn, bought the business from Southern Deli Holding LLC.
• Style Madness, 2112 William St., is a hair and nail salon owned by Dmitri Bell. The business was bought from Nancy Heffner, and the anticipated opening date was Aug. 31.
• Brickwood Boutique, 605 Broadway, is a clothing and accessories store owned by Christen Edmonds. It opened in April.

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630