Newsmakers 2016: Kim Voelker

Kim Voelker has worked at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce for three and a half years, and in that time, one of her most enjoyable projects has been launching a network especially for women.

"It was something we always knew we wanted to do, and to see it come to fruition and be successful right out of the gate is very exciting," she says.

Anyone who's already a chamber member can be part of the Chamber Women's Network, along with any employee of a member business.

Since an evening Power Hour event in June, hundreds of interested women have attended that and related events, setting the stage for more growth in the future.

Voelker, 43, who spent 12 years in the banking and finance industry followed by a stint as campaign director for the United Way, says she's a people person who truly enjoys getting to meet others in her role as membership development specialist for the chamber.

Kim VoelkerLaura Simon

Optimism is one of Voelker's strongest traits, as expressed by a motto on her office wall that reads, "Today is the perfect day for a perfect day."

She says she's probably known best around town for being approachable and outgoing.

"I think that I don't know a stranger. I know a lot of people," she says.

In the next year or so, Voelker says her work at the chamber will be even busier than usual as the organization rebrands and relocates to the carriage house building at the Marquette Tower downtown, where it will share a space with the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

When she's not leading membership activities such as the chamber's First Friday Coffee event, Business After Hours and Leadership Cape, Voelker says she enjoys spending time with her family and, as an avid cook, trying new recipes. She also loves sewing and refinishing old furniture.