Joliet Chamber reflects on milestones reached during 2024

The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry showcased numerous events and activities during its special 110th year in 2024.

Everything the organization did during this milestone anniversary continued to make the Joliet Chamber relevant to the business community.

The organization’s mission remains basically the same as when it was established in 1914, i.e., to make business more profitable whether through legislation at the state and federal levels, or targeted workshops and seminars to work with the city and other local organizations to improve the quality of life for residents.

Kicking off the anniversary year, Joliet Chamber members received an economic outlook report from Doug Pryor, president/CEO of the Will County Center for Economic Development, showing that the region is strong in multiple areas.

They hosted the 2024 Annual Awards Dinner and Celebration of 2023 Success, which honored the following:

Three nominees in the categories of:

• Retail services (Internode Greenery & Home, Popus Gourmet Popcorn, C & C Vision Gallery)

• Financial services (Busey Bank, Abri Credit Union, Elevate Private Wealth Management)

• Social services (Greater Joliet Area YMCA, Senior Services Center of Will County, Easter Seals Joliet Region Inc.)

• Professional service (Wermer, Rogers, Doran and Ruzon LLC; Emediate Cure Quick Care; VNA Health Care)

• Education (Lewis University, Governors State University, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet)

Popus Gourmet Popcorn; Abri Credit Union; Greater Joliet Area YMCA; Wermer, Rogers, Doran and Ruzon LLC; and Lewis University came out on top.

• Ambassador of the Year: Melissa Helfert, area director of sales, Posh Hospitality Group

• Large Employer of the Year: IKEA Customer Fulfillment

• Small Employer of the Year: Heritage Corridor Destinations

• New Business of the Year: Larson Steel Products

• Young Professional of the Year: Colleen Lyons

• Brother James Gaffney Award of Excellence: the Pritz family

• Rabbi Hershman Community Service Award: Rodney Tonelli

Nominations have now been received for the 2025 Annual Awards Dinner & Celebration of 2024 Success to take place in February.

The Chamber presented a Women’s History Month Panel on March 7 through the Council for Working Women. And with its Education Committee, the Chamber honored more than 20 Great Teachers for the excellent work they are doing in our classrooms.

They completed the 47th class of Community Leadership School with 27 participants who met on a weekly basis for 10 weeks.

The group was split into four groups to work on community service projects for area nonprofit organizations. In addition to weekly sessions, they enjoyed a Joliet bus trip and a train trip to Springfield.

Chamber members welcomed Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Omer Osman on March 20 for a presentation on current and future projects in the region. Then, they participated in Chamber Lobby Day on April 10, meeting with other local chambers of commerce, four leaders of the House and Senate, as well as elected officials in the state Senate and House of Representatives.

Members also were joined by former state Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi, president and CEO of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association, as he spoke about the state of health care in Illinois.

The Chamber delivered good news to almost 40 schoolchildren in the Joliet region in grades four through eight: they’ll be receiving a $1,000 scholarship in their name for when they are ready for post-high school education.

Chamber members heard from Mike Veeck, co-owner of the Joliet Slammers, along with actor Bill Murray and son Night Train Veeck about his life story and expectations for the team in Joliet. Then, banners from the downtown Joliet street banner advertising program were put on display. This annual program offers members a unique opportunity to promote Chamber member businesses and always sells out.

The Chamber held an informative legislative recap session with its two local state senators and four state representatives reviewing the most recent budget and other additional topics of interest for the state. Then, they went on to successfully host the Annual Golf Outing held at Mistwood Golf Club for more than 140 golfers.

The annual New Orleans North Music Festival moved to Joliet Slammers Stadium on Friday, Aug. 16.

Shortly thereafter, on Sept. 10, the Chamber celebrated 110 years with a luncheon at the Renaissance Center in Joliet. Special guests David Kaplan of ESPN 1000 Radio and Crane Kenney, president of business operations for the Chicago Cubs, conducted a fireside chat focusing on the economic development around Wrigley Field.

The Chamber held the second year of Community Leadership School “Continuing Ed,” which is the next step for graduates of CLS. Two sessions each were held in September and October.

The Chamber announced the 37th recipient of the Athena Award, given annually to a woman in business. The celebration event took place Sept. 18, honoring Kelly Rohder-Tonelli from Joliet Junior College. The Chamber also presented the annual State of the County address with Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant on Oct. 24.

The Council for Working Women arranged the annual Martinis, Mistletoe & More fundraiser Dec. 2. Proceeds from the event benefit the CWW scholarship program for working women or recently unemployed women training to advance in their business field, begin a new career or reenter the workforce.

In partnership with the Joliet Park District, the Chamber revived the Santa Shuffle 5K on Dec. 8 with a sold-out race of 450 participants.

This year, the Chamber proudly co-hosted more than 15 ribbon-cuttings, and Chamber Ambassadors continue member outreach, both in person and through phone conversations, as well as assisting at events such as ribbon-cuttings, after-hours and special events.

The Business Builders Referral Group hosted about 45 weekly meetings every Friday morning.

Committees such as Education, DEI Council, New Orleans North Planning and Government Affairs continue to go strong. The Joliet Area Young Professionals and the Council for Working Women continue to soar with opportunities and influence.

The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry is looking to expand services to better cover small business and nonprofit organization needs in 2025, including additional seminars and webinars along with business roundtable discussions. And a new page on JolietChamber.com has been added to assist those looking to begin a business.

Member testimonials have been refreshed, and the Chamber invites all members to contact the office if they have interest in providing a written or video testimonial. The Joliet-area profile book/member directory and Connect program remain useful productions for the area, and the Chamber is looking forward to bringing back a print map in 2025.

In the new year, the Chamber also be making an announcement regarding a brand-new initiative that will affect areas such as leadership development, education and scholarship.

• Sarah Palya-Rees is the director of marketing and events for the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry.