Chamber welcomes new CEO/president!

Chamber welcomes
new CEO/president!
Getting to know Bridgette Bise, new Chamber leader
The Board of Directors of the Atchison Area
Chamber of Commerce
announced on June 5
that Bridgette Bise has
been named president
and chief executive officer of the Atchison Area
Chamber of Commerce.
She begins in her new
role on July 16, succeeding Glenda Purkis, who
resigned last November
after serving 15 years in
the position.
Bise is a marketing
professional with almost
15 years of experience
in marketing, public
relations, management,
fund-raising and event
coordination in both the
private sector and nonprofit organizations. She
has earned the reputation of a top marketing
and branding specialist
in tourism. Bise also has
several years experience
in organizational and vol-
unteer management.
For the last year,
Bise has served as director of the Elk City, Okla.,
Convention and Visitors
Bureau, which she was instrumental in developing.
Among her accomplishments in this position
was the creation of a new
brand for Elk City consisting of a new website,
and new visitors guide.
She strengthened events
with strategic marketing
plans and increased event
revenue an average of 72
percent. One of her main
areas of focus was targeting motor coach and
group tours and marketing Elk City as a tourism
destination.
“Bridgette brings to
the chamber a great deal
of enthusiasm and energy
that will be instrumental
for the Atchison Community going forward,”
said Todd Caudle, chair-
Chamber Calendar
Meetings
July 5 – YAP Steering committee, Santa Fe Depot, 5pm
July 6– Retail meeting, Marigold Bakery & Café, 8am
July 10 – Leadership Development Council, Sante Fe Depot, Noon
July 12 – Golf Classic committee, Santa Fe Depot, 8am
July 13 – Holiday Festival committee, Santa Fe Depot, 8am
July 18 – Beautification Council, Santa Fe Depot, 4pm
July 25 – Ambassadors, Muchnic Art Gallery, Noon
Aug. 2 – YAP Steering committee, Santa Fe Depot, 5pm
Aug. 3 – Retail meeting, Marigold Bakery & Café, 8am
Aug. 10 – Holiday Festival committee, Santa Fe Depot, 8am
Aug. 14 – Leadership Development Council, Sante Fe Depot, Noon
Aug. 15 – Beautification Council, Santa Fe Depot, 4pm
Aug. 22 – Tourism Council, Santa Fe Depot, 8:30am
June 27 – Ambassadors, Hoof and Horn at the Riverhouse, noon
Chamber Events
July 6 – YAP networking event, Hoof and Horn at the
Riverhouse, 5:30pm
July 13 – Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Raven Liquor,
1800 Main, 12:15
July 20 – Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Ferrellgas,
13531 W. US Hwy 59
Aug. 18 – YAP putt-putt golf tournament, Raven Rock
Adventure Park, 6pm
Aug. 24 – Music and Melons, Riverfront, 7pm
Bridgette Bise
man of the chamber’s
Board of Directors. “Her
strengths in marketing
will be a boost to tourism
efforts, which we feel will
help all local businesses.
We feel that the extensive work that the search
committee has done over
several months, has been
rewarded with an excellent fit for the Atchison
chamber. Bridgette’s
marketing experience
will allow the chamber to
consolidate the marketing director’s position
(vacated by Stan Lawson
last month) and CEO position. This streamlining
will benefit our membership long-term.”
Jacque Pregont, who
has served as interim
president of the chamber
during the search process, said,
“It has been a long
process, but we are so
excited to have Bridgette
accept this position! The
search committee was
impressed with not only
her credentials, but also
her enthusiasm. She will
bring tremendous energy
to the chamber.”
As Executive Director
of Grand Lake Association in Grove, Okla., from
1998 to 2001. Bise’s
enthusiasm for growth in
tourism earned her team
the highly esteemed Red
Bud Award in Tourism
Excellence three consecutive years for visitor
guides, website development, outstanding events
and sponsorship promotions.
She credits a majority
of her skills to her position as marketing and
promotions director at
the Oklahoma Aquarium
in Jenks, Okla., which
she held from 2005 to
2006. As Oklahoma’s
number one tourist attraction, the aquarium
hosts over 600,000 visitors annually.
In her role as marketing and promotions director, Bise coordinated
all marketing and promotion materials and also
served as interim supervisor for the aquarium’s
education department,
which hosts over 50,000
children on field trips
every year.
As a member of the
marketing team at Helicomb International,
Inc., in Tulsa, Okla., from
2002 to 2004, Bise was
responsible for new marketing campaigns and
over $1 million in sales
in both domestic and
international markets.
She earned outstanding
recognition at The Im-
age Group in Joplin, Mo.,
where she went from her
starting position as media
placement specialist in
1993 to director of advertising and public relations
in only four years.
Bise also possesses
several years of experience in working with state
legislatures on tourism
issues. At both the state
and grass roots level, she
has organized campaigns
to strengthen tourism appropriations.
She has conducted
hospitality seminars for
businesses in which she
educates owners and
managers on the significance of tourism in a
community’s growth and
prosperity.
“I’m very excited
about the opportunities in Atchison as we
continue on a successful
path for the chamber of
commerce,” Bise said.
“We will progress toward
the future, developing
tourism, growing membership, strengthening
events and building partnerships with local and
state legislators.”
Bise is a graduate of
Pittsburg (Kan.) State
University, where she
earned her bachelor of
business administration
degree.
For questions on Bise, 367-2427
We’ve got it going on
at the Depot!
120 golfers participate
in Chamber Golf Classic
1st Place Teams:
Atchison Family YMCA
The 9th annual Chamber Golf Classic was held
June 1 at Bellevue Country Club. Monies raised
will be used toward the
purchase of the RiverCity
Coach.
Special thanks to our
2007 Golf Sponsors!
Hole-in-One
sponsors:
• Atchison Casting
• Blish-Mize Company
• Golden Star, Inc.
• Phalen Motors
• Shell
• Wal-Mart
Eagle Sponsors:
• Berger Company
• MGP Ingredients
BKD, LLP
Berger Company #1
Committee Members:
• Buck Alberts
• Reed Berger
• Dona Domann
• Mick Hundley
• Nancy Madden
• Maria Miller
• Jacque Pregont
• Jerry Sanders
• Beckie Seager
• Rick Sumpter
• Mike Surritt
• Bernadette Urban
“After Hours” in the Forest
A crowd of around 50 gathered at the May business
“After Hours” to learn about the International Forest
of Friendship celebration in June. The 2007 theme of
the celebration is Flying, Forests and the Future--Youth
and education programs.
Thank
you!
When I began this
journey 8 months ago,
I never dreamed that
it would last this long!
I don’t think any of us
on the Search Committee did. But here we are,
anxiously awaiting the arrival of Bridgette Bise and
new leadership for our
Atchison Area Chamber
of Commerce!
Although it took longer than we anticipated,
it was worth the wait and
the extra commitment of
time, because we’re sure
we have found the best
person to take the reins
and lead us on a path of
growth with some exciting new ideas!
I want to say a huge
THANK YOU to the
staff for their hard work,
dedication and support
throughout this transition. An “interim” is
never an easy situation,
and they have all worked
diligently to make sure
we finished projects effectively and successfully.
THANK YOU to the
executive committee, especially Noel Rueb, who
had the confidence to ask
me to fill the position,
and to Todd Caudle, who
took the Presidency in
January and has been so
easy to work for.
I also need to say
THANK YOU to the
Search Committee who
spent hours reading
resumes, doing phone
interviews and meeting
to try to make the best
choice for the Chamber.
All of them are busy
individuals and were
very generous with their
time to help ensure that
we made a good hire. I
appreciate all the kind
words from everyone
Jacque Pregont
in the community and
your help in making sure
things ran as smoothly as
possible in the interim. I
have a new appreciation
and respect for our community leadership! We’re
so fortunate to have so
many strong business
leaders in Atchison!
THANK YOU to all the
membership. I have enjoyed the ride!
Come enjoy the 11th
Annual Amelia Earhart
Festival with me as I get
back to my real job!!
Chamber Statistics
Relocation packets distributed:
May – 16
June – 2
Gift certificates processed in March, April and May:
Issued – $18,575 Redeemed – $24,730
Number of registered visitors at the Visitors Center in the
Santa Fe Depot: April – 920
May – 1,796
Number of trolley riders: May – 260
June – 529
Chamber staff has provided assistance to the following tour
groups in May and June:
Hiawatha Elementary School, Hiawatha, KS – 71
International Association of Operative Millers,
Leawood, KS – 36
Union State Bank, Winterset, IA – 45
Plaza Heights Baptist Church, Blue Springs, MO – 30
Bank Iowa, Clarinda, IA – 56
Metro Community College, Omaha, NE – 44
St. Paul’s Lutheran School, Leavenworth, KS – 21
Bank Iowa, Clarinda, IA – 53
Retired Men and Women of Abilene, Abilene, KS – 20
SAFEBASE/USD 257, Iola, KS – 130
Vintage Chevrolet Club of American, Olathe, KS – 60
The Atchison Trolley and/or the RiverCity Coach has been
chartered by the following groups:
May 12 - Brynac Group
May 15 - Bank Iowa, Clarinda, IA
May 22 - Benedictine College
May 24 - Bank Iowa, Clarinda, IA
June 7 - Rita Everson Group
June 7 - SAFEBASE/USD 257, Iola, KS
June 8 - Benedictine College
June 14 - KS Assoc. of Counties Governing Board, Topeka, KS
June 16 - International Forest of Friendship Celebration
June 23 - Border Raiders Bicycle Tour
June 22 - Benedictine College
June 23 - Rice and Buckley Wedding
June 23 - Duitsman-Katzenmeier Wedding
June 23 - Juneteenth Celebration
July 23 - Benedictine College
July 28 - Brundgardt-Callahn Wedding
It’s happening
around town
We welcome our
newest members:
All Faith
Counseling Center
Peg Montgomery
1225 N. 2nd St.
Atchison, KS 66002
(913) 367-0105
All Faith Counseling
Center offers licensed
counselors with a faithbased premise.
Emerald City Salon
& Boutique
Tamera Bennett
5325 Rawlins Rd.
Atchison, KS 66002
(913) 367-2186
Emerald City Salon &
Boutique offers a variety of salon services,
retail items and beauty
care merchandise.
Riverbluff Investments LLC
Jess Reynolds
907 Commercial St.
Atchison, KS 66002
(913) 367-1393
Riverbluff Investment
LLC specializes in new
home construction (custom and spec). They
also provide remodeling work and have a
lumber salesman and a
woodwork specialist.
USD #377
Steve Wiseman
506 6th St.
Effingham, KS 66023
(913) 833-5050
USD #377 serves all of
Atchison County except the Atchison City
School District.
Atchison Outfitters
Rick Dillon
2000 W. US Hwy 59
Atchison, KS 66002
(913) 367-6312
Atchison Outfitters offers outdoor hunting
clothes and merchandise.
Chamber Ambassadors recently held the following ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking ceremonies:
MGP Ingredients, Inc. celebrates
the opening of two new buildings
headquartered at the Cray Business
Plaza, 100 Commercial.
Ferrellgas
Bobby Hensley
13531 W. US Hwy 59
Atchison, KS 66002
(816) 579-5614
Ferrellgas was founded
in Atchison in 1939. It
has since grown under
the leadership of Jim
Ferrell to become the
third largest propane
company in the world.
They offer propane
sales and services.
Renamed and newly renovated
Raven Rock Adventure Park,
601 S. 9th. Call 367-1472
The Atchison Art Association
and Chamber Ambassadors began
the festivities of the 42nd annual
Riverbend Art Fair with a ribboncutting ceremony.
Dr. William
Geisendorf, DDS
111 N. 5th St.
Atchison, KS 66002
(913) 367-6214
Dr. Geisendorf has
joined the team of the
Atchison Dental Associates.
CellularOne
Authorized DealerSmith Enterprises’
Chamber Ambassadors and the
Atchison Art Association
helped Dorothy Maginn open
her exhibit at the Muchnic Art
Gallery, 704 N. 4th.
The Atchison Globe at their new
office, located at 308 Commercial.
Visit www.atchisonglobeonline.com
Tiffany Thompson
1642 Main St. Suite #3
Atchison, KS 66002
(913) 367-1414
Cellularone-Authorized
Dealer-Smith Enterprises’ offers cellular
services and telecommunications services.
Reinvested Members
(between February 20 and April 26, 2007)
We thank the following businesses for reinvesting in the
Chamber and our community:
• David K. Adams
Ribbon Cuttings
• The Homestead
The new office of Constance
F. Peebles, Atty. at Law, 310
Commercial. Call 367-6300.
Tamara Bennett’s Emerald City
Salon and Boutique, 5325 Rawlins Road, offers a variety of salon
services, beauty products and retail
items. Call 367-2186.
Farewell to Millie, the Molly Trolley. Millie was sold to the Chamber
of Commerce in Iola, KS in April.
ws
Gr eat Ne
about Atchison, Kansas
A newsletter for and about our Chamber members
Hundreds help with “Smash
the Trash” spring-clean up
Major Sponsors:
Monday, May 14th was an exciting day as
the ground-breaking for the new Sports
Complex took place on the site just west
of Atchison Elementary School. Many
county and city officials were on hand as
well as volunteers who worked so hard to
help the bond issue pass.
•Atchison Hospital
• Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans
• Atchison Dental Associates PA
• Atchison Good Neighbor Committee
• Atchison Rotary Club
• Bank of Atchison
• Blish-Mize Co.
• Bunge Milling
• Countryside Home
Sales of Atchison, LLC
•Demaranville &
Kramer CPAs
•Home Team of Kansas
•L&L Construction
• McDonald’s
•Firestone / GCR Tire
•Medicalodge
• Reece & Nichols Premier Realty
•Tate Plumbing
• Unit Rail
• USD 409
• Wal-Mart
Other Sponsors:
Consumer Oil
Courtney Laurie
Joe and Lyn Turner
Board of Directors
Chairman / Todd Caudle, Caudle Financial / tcaudle@caudlefinancial.com
1st Vice-chair / Leslie Gwynn, Pumpernickel / gwynn@lvnworth.com
2nd Vice-chair / Mike Stec, Rox’s Images / roxs@accessus.net
VP of Finance / Beckie Seager, UMB / beckie.seager@umb.com
Past Chairman / Noel Rueb, USD #409 / nrueb@usd409.net
Interim President / Jacque Pregont / ccpresident@atchisonkansas.net
John Bishop, Atchison County
Ryan Champion, Room to Breathe
Kelly DeMeritt, City of Atchison / kellyd@cityofatchison.com
Marianne Estes, City of Atchison / mestes@benedictine.edu
Fr. Maurice Haefling, St. Benedict’s Abbey / mauricehaefling@cs.com
Michael Hundley, Hundley Construction / mikehundley@sbcglobal.net
Ginger Hunninghake, Exchange National Bank / marketing@exchangebankonline.com
Donna McCloskey, Doodlebugs / donna@doodlebugs-online.com
Jonathan Mize, Blish-Mize Company / jonathan@blishmize.com
Chamber Staff
Jill Handke, Business Manager
businessmgr@atchisonkansas.net
Connie McRae, Admin. Assistant
officemgr@atchisonkansas.net
July / August 2007
Maria Miller, Projects Coordinator
projects@atchisonkansas.net
Angela Nguyen, Trolley /Communications
trolley@atchisonkansas.net
Sally Webb, Tourism Coordinator
tours@atchisonkansas.net
Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce
(913) 367-2427 / www.atchisonkansas.net
atchisoncofc@atchisonkansas.net
Thanks to the help of over 300 volunteers and 24 sponsors, this
year’s Spring Clean-up day covered more area than ever before.
Volunteers went to over 60 homes for special pick-ups and over 100
gallons of latex paint was collected on May 5. A special thanks to John
Shaver, Corbin Witt and Michele Malone; you will be missed. Thanks
for your dedication to the Atchison Beautification Council!
Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce
Historic Santa Fe Depot
200 S. 10th / P.O. Box 126
Atchison KS 66002
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
ATCHISON, KS
PERMIT NO. 64