greater owensboro chamber of commerce
Vol 19/Issue 4
CHAMBER MATTERS 2021
Susan Elkington to speak at April Rooster Booster The Chamber invites you to join us for this Thursday’s Remote Rooster Booster, sponsored by New Beginnings Sexual Assault Support Services. Our program will feature an interview with Susan Elkington, President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, by the 2021 Chamber Board Chair Clay Ford. This virtual Rooster Booster program will stream on the Chamber’s Facebook page and on Zoom starting at 7:30 a.m.
Join us! Join us via Facebook Live @gochamber To register for the event via Zoom, fill out a registration form on www. chamber.owensboro.com.
As president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Ken- ident at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana (TMMI). tucky, Inc. (TMMK) since 2018, Elkington oversees an She currently serves on numerous charitable and $8 billion operation, which employs more than 10,000 corporate boards, including the Prichard Committee people, and in a year, can produce as many as 550,000 for Academic Excellence, is a member of the Kentucky vehicles and more than 600,000 engines. TMMK Chamber of Commerce board and its executive is Toyota’s largest production facility globally, procommittee, and a member of the board of trustees ducing the Camry, Avalon, Lexus ES 350 (includof the University of Evansville. She is also a noning hybrid versions of all three), and RAV4 Hybrid; executive member of Toyota Motor Corporation plus, four-cylinder and V6 engines, in Georgetown, Australia’s (TMCA) Executive Management ComKentucky. mittee (EMC). Elkington joined TMMK in January 2017 as Throughout her career, Elkington has been senior vice president, overseeing the plant’s manurecognized as a leader in the automotive industry. Susan facturing and administrative functions. Prior to this Elkington She was included in Automotive News’ 100 Leadrole, she served as general manager, Production ing Women in the North American Auto Industry Control Division at Toyota Motor Corporation’s (TMC) (2020), is an inaugural inductee into the Women in Manuglobal headquarters in Toyota City, Japan, supporting facturing Hall of Fame (2020), a STEP Ahead Honoree Toyota’s 53 manufacturing plants worldwide. (2014), and an ATHENA of Southwest Indiana Award Elkington began her career with Toyota in 1998 in Finalist (2013). Princeton, Indiana, as an assembly engineering specialist. Elkington earned her mechanical engineering degree By 2013, she held the position of manufacturing vice pres- from the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana.
n o b b Ri ings t t u C
APR.
In 1978, a group of concerned citizens recognized the need for rape victim advocacy in the OwensboroDaviess County area. This group called itself Citizens Against Rape and launched a court and medical advocacy program. In 1979, the fundraising campaign commenced, and various sources provided the program with temporary limited funding. When these funds were depleted in 1981, Green River Comprehensive Care Center and the Owensboro City Commission agreed to fund the program for a few months. By late 1982, the Rape Victims Services program had received more funding from the Owensboro City Commission and became an autonomous program under the umbrella of the Owensboro Spouse Abuse Center (now known as OASIS). With the help of the City of Owensboro and the Daviess County Fiscal Court, funding made it possible to hire a fulltime Director in that year. In the fall of 1985, United Way of Owensboro also agreed to fund the agency, making it possible to grow even more. On July 1, 1988 RVS declared itself an independent agency. In 2000, the agency changed its name to New Beginnings Sexual Assault Support Services to be more inviting to the public. The name change was also more inclusive of the services we provide and what we hope to offer the people we serve, a new beginning. We provide free therapy, crisis intervention services, legal and medical accompaniment, and prevention programs for all ages. Our volunteer advocates continue to be a critical part of the agency, providing advocacy after business hours to our 4 regional hospital locations. As of 2021 the agency employs 19 staff members, has relocated to a professional office building purchased in 2006 and serves the entire seven county Green River Area Development District. We also have offices in Henderson and Ohio Counties.
Last month, we celebrated two great new additions to the Chamber and to our Greater Owensboro community. On March 5, we hosted a ribbon cutting for the newly re-named Merchant Centre Court: Owensboro Daviess County Tennis Association. Their tennis facilities are unmatched in our region and are accessible to everyone from beginners to championship teams. On March 19, we celebrated a brand-new addition to our downtown scene with a ribbon cutting at Mile Wide Beer Co. Located at 119 East Second Street, Mile Wide was founded in Louisville and recently opened their second location in Owensboro. Whether or not you are familiar with tennis or craft beer, we hope you will check out these incredible new Chamber Members and continue to support our local businesses and organizations.
Left: Merchant Centre Court is located at 2965 Bittel Road. Learn more about their programs and facilities by visiting their Facebook page @OwensboroDaviessCountyTennisAssociation. Right: Pictured left to right are Noel Clayton, Merchant Centre Court general manager; Minga Trogdlen, Chamber Ambassador and Assistant Vice President/Treasury Management Officer at Independence Bank; Altaf Merchant, naming sponsor
Left: Mile Wide Beer Co. is located at 119 East Second Street in downtown Owensboro. Visit their taproom or www.milewidebeer.com to check out their entire beer selection. Right: Pictured left to right: Michael Vanover, Chamber Ambassador and Agent at Helton Insurance Group, Inc.; Scott Shreffler, Mile Wide Co-Founder; and Kyle Tazares, Mile Wide Co-Founder