CHAMBER EVENTS

March Coffee Cup Connections

March 14, 2023

March’s Coffee Cup Connections was hosted at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Belleville in their newly restored Heritage Hall. This is a gorgeous space with many amenities, and is available to the public if you are looking for somewhere to hold your next event. We also learned so much about the rich history and architecture of the church. Thank you St. Paul’s and thanks to all of our members that were in attendance! For more info on the Heritage Hall, call 618-233-3303.

BELLEVILLE SCHOOL’S DRIVE AWAY HUNGER

A big thank you to our Chamber members that brought in items for the Belleville School’s Annual Drive Away Hunger service project. Your donations will help our area food pantries and the individuals and families struggling to make ends meet. This was a great opportunity for all of us to collectively make a difference in our community. Thank you!

73RD ANNUAL ENLISTED DINNER HONORS MEN & WOMEN OF SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE & FOUR VETERANS

The Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce’s Belle-Scott Committee hosted their 73rd Enlisted Dinner on Thursday, March 9th at St. Clair Country Club to honor the enlisted men and women of Scott Air Force Base and thank them for their bravery, commitment, and sacrifice to our nation. This is an annual event that reminds the community each year of the important role Scott Air Force Base plays in the metro-east.

The Belle-Scott Committee, once known as “The Belleville Plan”, has been in existence since 1950 working to promote good relations between Belleville and Scott Air Force Base. The plan was announced at the First G.I. Pal Dinner (later known as the Belle-Scott Enlisted Dinner) which was held November 29, 1950, at the U.S.O. Canteen in Belleville.

The dinner included remarks from Mayor Patty Gregory (City of Belleville), Chairman Mark Kern (St. Clair Co.) and Lt. Col. Amy Morgan (932nd Air Force Reserves). A special response was also given by MSgt Amos Reed (932nd Air Force Reserves).

During the event, two U.S. war veterans were honored as special guests including Mr. Charles Botula III and Mr. Shelby Ellis Hamilton. Belle-Scott committee members, Bob Dintlemann and Scott Givens assisted the committee doing interviews with veterans and composed biographies of the honorees. Mike Leopold, Civilian Chair, presented during the event.

Leadership Belleville Business Day

The Leadership Belleville Class of 22-23 spent a day exploring current businesses in our area and were informed of the issues the businesses face. The class gained understanding of past and present challenges faced and of the current business trends. The group started at Eckert’s and heard from Business Service Panel contibutors, Lee Reese (St. Clair County IGD), JoAnn DiMaggio-May (SBDC) and Julie Siebers (Belleville CEO Program). From there they took a tour of Chelar Tool & Die followed by panel disscussions by Lacie Loose (Sawdust & Glitter), Kevin Pesko/Ron Stephens (Bank of Belleville), Russ McCullough (McCullough Flooring) and Kevin Bouse (Bouse Properties). The group visited Old Town Mall then wrapped the day up with a tour of The EDGE,