ASHLAND — The Ashland Chamber of Commerce announced new programs and new board officers for 2023 at its annual meeting on Thursday.
Starting next year, the chamber will start a grant matching program for small businesses to use for improvements, the chamber’s Director of Operations Amy Daubenspeck said.
“Keep that on your radar if you’re a small business owner in 2023, there will be opportunities for matching grants to improve your business. So we’re very excited about that,” she said.
The grant matching program was made possible by the chamber’s large growth in the past few years, Daubenspeck said. Currently, the chamber has around $539,000 on hand, according to treasurer Scott Fickes.
Daubenspeck later announced that the chamber is partnering with Bryan Media Strategies to launch a monthly podcast starting in January.
The chamber also voted to switch up its board officers for 2023, a process that happens at every annual meeting.
Last year, former board chair Jim Cutright of the Ashland County Community Foundation passed the role onto Dan Lawson of Ashland University. On Thursday, Lawson passed it on to Angela Ringler of Advantage Marketing, Inc.
“I’m excited to be a part of the board and see where we go from here,” Ringler said.
The complete list of board officers for 2023 is as follows:
- Angela Ringler, Chair
- Jody Allton, Chair Elect
- Dan Lawson, Immediate Past Chair
- Scott Fickes, Treasurer
- Bryan Finger, Secretary
The chamber also gives out awards to individuals and businesses every year. This year’s winners are:
- Spirit of the Chamber Corporate Award: Central Ohio Group Insurance Agency, Inc.
- Spirit of the Chamber Individual Award: Joe Baumgard, Schmidt Security Pro
- Ashland Young Professionals Rockstar of the Year Award: Heather Claybaugh, Charles River Laboratories
- Jim Lingenfelter Service Award: Dennis Miller, Sutton Bank
