Chamber Ambassador of the Year Thank You

Photo by Rob Merritt, Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce

This past Thursday, November 10, 2018, I was presented with the 2018 Ambassador of the Year award. It’s a great honor. The event itself was wonderful and as someone who typically sites in those events, I’m thankful that the chamber staff keeps the program running and we can all get off to work. However, I did want to point out a few people who deserve special thanks.

I want to thank my wife, Brook, also the Director of Digital Marketing at William Easton Design, and our two kids. I know she has taken on extra work load, both with WED and with our sons at home, to allow me to go off and engage in ambassador events. I also know that with their current age, time missed with them at this age and point in time isn’t time I’m going to get back. I’m completely aware of this sacrifice they allow me to take and I am grateful.

Next, I really need to thank everyone at the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce. In particular Kim Casko, Tim Carty (now with ICR Iowa) and Allison Yoder. But also Sara Pinkham, Emily Wenzel, Mackenzie DeRoo, Rob Merritt, Jennifer Banta and Ryan Sempf. They are all a pleasure to work with and as the owner of a very small business, the attention they give all members of the Chamber is something they should be very proud of. They are a true asset to the community.

But the most important group that deserves credit is my fellow ambassadors. Both current and emeritus. They are the ones that I get to spend time with, laugh, and generally have a great time engaging with at ambassador events. Without them, I would not have attended as many events or been in a position to win this award. There are so many other ambassadors who are equally deserving of this honor. I find I’m already telling stories about things we have done together and probably will until the day I die. Thank you for being so welcoming and being such a fun group to spend time with.

Finally, I really need to thank the businesses and people behind them: the reason for the ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings we attend. They are the true reason there are ambassadors. A large number of these events represent the culmination of risks by ordinary people who have a dream of opening their own business. I love learning about what challenges they encountered to get to this position and how they overcame them. Some of these businesses include Merge (my first ambassador event), BerganKDV, Dwell Home Furnishings, Vintage Cooperatives, Home2 Suites and many other local hotels, Willowwind School (so cold), McDonald Optical, Hotka Construction, Dunn Brothers Coffee, King & Queen Nutrition, Need Organizing?, Wellfinity, Big Grove Iowa City, Corridor Dental, Roggy Eye Clinic, Stairway5, Pearson, Z’s Catering and BBQ in North Liberty, the Crisis Center, 365 Nutrition, O’Brien McDonalds (Twice!), Shuttleworth & Ingersoll, Back In Line Family Chiropractic, Restore Family Chiropractic, Locals Love Us, Graduate Iowa City, and many, many more. The list just goes on.

Thank you for including us on your special day and I wish you all the best moving forward with your business. I hope to be in your business 20 years from now and see the photo of your ribbon cutting framed on the wall! We can laugh about how cold, hot, rainy, windy or whatever midwestern surpise weather it was that day. As we all like to say, you have made an investment not only in your organization, but in our community. We appreciate your support of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, and we wish you much success.

William Easton
Director of Design & Development
November 10, 2018