Greensburg — I have known Jennifer Sturges, the executive director for the Greensburg/Decatur County Chamber of Commerce, for many years. We have come to self-proclaim ourselves as twins: our birthdays are just a week apart; she and I were equally successful in the same events in track during our high school tenures; and of course, we have the same first name (which has been a source of confusion for many people who already think we look alike). Of late, Jennifer and I have also had the Greensburg/Decatur Chamber of Commerce in common.

My involvement with the Chamber is relatively new. I am a volunteer member of the board of directors, having served the organization for only the last two years. Jennifer, of course, has served as its executive director for the past seven. But as many in the community are aware, Jennifer will soon be stepping down from her role in order to attend law school.

While the Chamber's board of directors is undoubtedly sad to see her go, we are certainly proud of what she has accomplished. During her tenure, Jennifer spearheaded the inaugural Women in Business conference, the now-annual event which averages more than 200 attendees from throughout southeastern Indiana. The Ag Conference was initiated under her reign last year, and the Business Expo saw a return, as well.

Jennifer can also be credited with revamping the chamber's focus on technology. She worked closely with ETC's web division to redesign the Chamber website, making it a very information-rich product full of events, business listings, demographics and other useful statistics. It's now a very user-friendly site, especially for anyone looking to move to the Greensburg/Decatur County area. As part of that site renovation, Jennifer envisioned developing a means for Chamber members to create their own simple yet affordable web pages, utilizing the Chamber as an anchor site to branch off of. From this unique idea and ensuing meetings with ETC's web department, the Web Biz program was born.

Another technology card that Jennifer has played utilizes Facebook. She has used Facebook as a tool for growing awareness about the Chamber and its many events. It has also been an ideal way for current and former Greensburg residents (and even a past executive director who relocated out-of-state) to keep in touch with this community and its goings-on.

Member networking is another area that has been at the forefront of Jennifer's and the Chamber's goals. Many members have requested additional networking opportunities and, as a result, Rainmakers was introduced to the Decatur County area during Jennifer's tenure. Likewise, training and continuing education opportunities for chamber members have been a big part of her agenda. She has worked closely with small business owners to educate and prepare them for the challenges and successes of owning their own businesses. Small business grants and loan programs; business plan outlines; and even a small business development center have all been important additions to the Chamber's offerings under her leadership.

Administratively, Jennifer has worked to ensure all of our policies and procedures are in place, and that the Chamber is running as efficiently and smoothly as possible for its members. She is a careful planner and a mindful steward of Chamber funds.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, we have been very proud to have Jennifer associated with our organization. She has been a very reliable, capable and well-spoken representative of not only the Chamber, but of Greensburg and Decatur County as a whole. Her love and dedication for this community is evident in all that she does, as is her drive to see us grow in a smart and productive manner.

Succeeding Jennifer is Jeff Emsweller, whose own love for the Greensburg community is also evident. When the proverbial baton is passed to him on August 6, he will certainly have big shoes to fill. But with the continued commitment of the board and Chamber members alike, we look forward to watching the Greensburg Community grow. In the meantime, on behalf of all of Greensburg/Decatur County's Chamber members, we wish Jennifer all the best, and look forward to having her eventually re-join the Chamber - this time as a member - when she heads her own law practice right back here in the town she loves.