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Agenda
01.16. 2025
Pine Hills Country Club Welcome by Prevea
Annual Board Meeting & Voting
State of: Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce
State of: City of Sheboygan Falls
State of: Sheboygan County Break
State of: City of Sheboygan
State of: Town of Sheboygan
State of: Village of Random Lake
State of: City of Plymouth
State of: Sheboygan Economic Development Corporation
Kristin Stearns
2024 & 2025 Chamber Board President CEO, Lakeshore Community Health
Andrew Bowman - Chief Administration Officer, HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital
Ryan Neville - President Northeast Market, Froedtert Holy Family Memorial Hospital
Pat Rusch - Operations Manager, Rockline Industries
Nikeshia Gardner - Owner, Take Flight Events
Beth Borgen - President, Lakeland University
Nellie Weiss - Business Services Specialist, United One Credit Union
Transitioning off the Board: No Vote Needed
Thank you for your Service!
Dana Dunton - Owner, Mainstream Boutique
Lindsay Harrison-Eirich - Owner, Engaged Marketing Co.
Justin Selle - AdHoc Member
Returning Board Members: No Vote Needed
Claudia Krepsky - HR Manager, Rohde Brothers
Kristin Liphart - Vice President of Advancement, Lakeshore College
Kristin Stearns - CEO, Lakeshore Community Health
Paul Griffin - Associate Manager of Training & Outreach, MilliporeSigma
Paul Kuplic - Senior Vice President-Business Banking, Oostburg State Bank
Sam Spurney - Attorney, Steimle Birschbach, LLC
Nicole Miller - Director of Spas, Kohler Waters Spa
Steve Schouten - Vice President/Market Manager, Midwest Communications
Teresa Van Horn - CEO, Van Horn Automotive Group
Mohamed Attia - Vice President of Strategic Sourcing, Sargento Foods
Deidre Martinez, CEO
Deidre Martinez, Chief Executive Officer, Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce. Deidre Martinez transitioned to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, from Crystal Lake, Illinois, in late 2017, bringing with her a wealth of experience in community engagement and organizational leadership. Prior to her current role, Deidre served as the Membership Development Manager for the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce and spent many years in higher education, leading admissions teams to help students achieve their educational goals.
In 2017, Deidre was honored as a "Best Under 40" recipient in McHenry County, Illinois, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the business community and her dedication to volunteer efforts.
Deidre married Judge Samuel Melei in 2021, and together they share a blended family of six children, aged 28, 24, 20, 20, 17, and 15.
An active leader in her community, Deidre serves on several boards, including:
• Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Executives (WCCE)
• Inspire Sheboygan County
• Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation
• Harbor Centre/Business Improvement District
• City of Sheboygan’s Redevelopment Authority She is also a proud member of the Economic Club of Sheboygan.
Deidre earned her graduate degree from Lakeland University in 2023, focusing on leadership and organizational development with a minor in finance. In her free time, she enjoys biking, hiking, and spending quality time outdoors with her family.
Presented by Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce
Deidre Martinez, CEO
Thursday, January 16, 2025
56.6% of organizations expect their workforce will grow in the next 12 months. Remained the same over the previous year
Top Three:
Business Management
Finance/IT
Construction/Trades
Level of Education/Training needed to fill 2025 open positions
86 % of respondents would likely recommend a friend or family member move to Sheboygan County.
This has gone up more than 3 points over the previous year
Expected percentage of wage increases this year
GROWTH: REPORTED SALES INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR
2024: 64% Increase
2023: 56% increase
2022: 64% increase
2021: 74% increase
2020: 44% increase
2019: 62 % increase
2018: 76% increase
2017: 76% increase
2016: 66% increase
2015: 64% increase
How do you believe YOUR BUSINESS will perform over the next 12 months?
More than 78% believe that Sheboygan County's economy will improve in 2025
Compared to 67% in 2024
…and 60% in 2023
Government
Health
Costs
What areas would you like to see the State of Wisconsin provide additional support?
Our Impact:
•Successfully relocated new community members to Sheboygan County through our transition specialist and relocation funding.
Expanding Talent Pipeline:
•Leah’s outreach efforts:
• Visiting 2-4 career fairs in different states/communities monthly.
• Returning with multiple resumes of job seekers eager to relocate for the right opportunities.
Community Engagement:
•Hosting Newcomer Welcome Events quarterly to:
• Foster connections among newcomers.
• Help them build relationships and plant deeper roots in Sheboygan County.
Campaign Evolution:
•December meeting with local CEOs to review the Make Your Mark campaign:
• Celebrated successes.
• Identified opportunities for improvement.
• Acted on feedback to refine programs and ensure greater flexibility in marketing efforts for quick, impactful changes.
Coming March 14, 2025: Career Fair, Community Tours & Cocktails!
We will host our first Make Your Mark career and community fair, with the goal of bringing out of town job seekers to Sheboygan County,
What you can expect:
• Out of town job seekers will be given the opportunity to stay over night
• Job Fair
• Onsite Interviews
• Community Tours highlighting SCEDC housing developments, recreation, culinary and more!
• Evening Newcomer Welcome Event for Job Seekers, Participating Employers, and Newcomers to Sheboygan County.
Welcoming New Residents:
Continued mailing welcome letters to new residents, recognizing the value of a warm introduction to the community.
Engaging Young Talent:
Summer Internships: Hosted 93 interns and co-ops, organizing activities to: Showcase Sheboygan County. Foster relationships among young professionals.
JR. Leadership Sheboygan County: Year 2:Involved 11th and 12th graders across the county in a 10-month leadership exploration program.
Inspiring Future Generations:
Explore Your Future:
Connected 1,200+ 7th and 8th graders to local job opportunities and self-discovery workshops.
STEAMFest:
Engaged 1,600 4th and 5th graders in learning about STEAM fields.
Launched financial literacy programs for high school students in collaboration with education partners.
Crucial Conversations
The official Crucial Conversations curriculum, led by a trained-facilitator in a 2-day workshop.
Integrity Service
The official Integrity Service curriculum, led by a trained-facilitator in a series of 4, two-hour sessions.
Making the Transition from Individual Contributor to Leader of Others Team members are often promoted because they excel at being individual contributors and have a high degree of technical expertise. Neither are necessarily required to lead other people and unless we are intentional about developing the leadership skills of highproducing staff, they will become frustrated, disillusioned and be less than stellar in their leadership role. This does not have to be the reality we face in our organizations.
Achieving results starts with effective goal planning including the use of SMART goals, setting of expectations and consistent communication focused on achieving or surpassing those expectations. Alignment with personal values, daily work objectives and organizational mission ensures that goals become results and employee satisfaction remains high. In addition, the ability to “coach” employees through the use of proactive Development Planning relying on the 70-20-10 model of learning supports continual professional development.
Leadership has less to do with title and everything to do about the choices we make and how it impacts our behavior. Understanding the, “position myth”, 360 Degrees of Leadership, where influence/power are traditionally seen as coming from, our different behavioral styles and the mindset needed to create a “WE” vs. “me” focus will all be explored during this session.
Leadership 101 –Building a Leadership
Basic tenets of leadership and followership will be explored during this session.
Leadership 201 –Reflections for Experienced
Building off the experiences of mature leaders, this session will ask leaders to self-reflect, share and learn from and with other attendees in their session.
Growing partnership with the Wisconsin Hmong Chamber of Commerce. (Hosting joint events and canvassing as a team).
Unique opportunity with the Discover WI team highlighting quality of life in Sheboygan County
Growing Partnership with the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce and the Latino Chamber of Commerce SE Wisconsin to provide additional opportunities to businesses in Sheboygan County. (Hosting joint events).
Serving on the Board of the Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Executives (WCCE).
Financial Literacy Reality Days supported through our Business and Educators’ Partnership Committee, which date back to 2006.
Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge
We remain committed to workbased learning initiatives continues through our formation and continued support of INSPIREWi and Youth Apprentice programming.
We understand the importance of collaboration and continue to grow the partnership between the Chamber, Government, SCEDC, City of Sheboygan Business Improvement District, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, and other community organizations, specifically on the growing Workforce Development needs and Advocacy issues.
Randy Meyer is honored and privileged to serve as the Mayor of Sheboygan Falls and is in his 21st year as Mayor. Randy delivers motivational talks across the country under his Meyer Motivates brand. Recently elected 1st Vice-President of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities, Randy is on track to be the President of the League next year. Randy is married to Tammy, has a daughter, Natasha, son-in-law, Terrence and grandchildren, Tatyana, and Diontay, along with his reliable guide dog Hank. Personal keys to success include goal setting, cooperative teamwork and always believing more is possible. His campaign slogan from the beginning is “it doesn’t take sight to run a community, it takes a vision”.
1) Vision Business Park: Specht Electric complete, Sign Me Up complete, Alferi Laboratories started, and SSL Industries coming soon.
Subdivisions: Founders’ Pointe, Summer Field Estates, and Falls Meadows.
Revolving Loan Fund
Historic downtown is full: notable new businesses: Sip and Story, Surprises, and Glowed Up Fun Zone
Oostburg State Bank a new welcomed addition, and Falls Edge Dental under construction
Alayne Krause, County Administrator
Alayne Krause is the County Administrator for Sheboygan County, where she has worked for the past 12 years. During that time, she has had the unique opportunity to work in five different departments in progressively responsible positions giving her a comprehensive understanding of the organization. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from UW-Oshkosh and Master’s Degree from Lakeland University. In addition, she completed the Wisconsin Counties Association Local Government Leadership Academy and the National Counties Association High Performance Leadership Academy. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation, Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Sheboygan County, and Habitat for Humanity Lakeside. Alayne was recognized as a Top 10 Young Professional of the Year by the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce in 2023 and the Outstanding Recent Alumni by Lakeland University in 2024.
Sheboygan County has over 875 employees working in 19 departments administering over 200 programs and services.
The total budget for 2025 is $204.1 million, comprised of $53.7 million in property tax levy and the balance coming from state and federal revenue, private pay, and fee or service charges.
The four largest departments are Health and Human Services ($55.1 million), Transportation ($27.7 million), Sheriff ($25.8 million), and Rocky Knoll Health Care Center ($20.9 million) and account for nearly two-thirds of the entire County budget.
The remaining departments include: Building Services, Clerk of Courts, Corporation Counsel, County Clerk, Court Commissioner, District Attorney, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Medical Examiner, Planning and Conservation, Register of Deeds, Treasurer and Real Property Listing, University of Wisconsin-Extension, and Veterans Services.
Ryan Sorenson, Mayor
Ryan Sorenson is the 59th Mayor of the City of Sheboygan. He is the youngest serving mayor in the city’s history, and he is currently the youngest serving mayor in Wisconsin. Prior to being elected mayor, Sorenson served on the City Council and was the Council President. Mayor Sorenson was born and raised in Sheboygan. He graduated from South High School. Sorenson graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and History. While at UW-Milwaukee, Sorenson served as the student body president, and was in the political science honor society. The Mayor is the CEO of the City, and is the head of government. The Mayor is also primarily responsible for managing external relations for the city. Some of Mayor Sorenson’s key initiatives center around improving infrastructure, supporting local businesses, and advocating for housing.
Mayor Sorenson is very active with the US Conference of Mayor, and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. The Mayor serves on the Board for the Great Lakes and St Lawrence Cities Initiative, The Bay Lakes Regional Planning Commission, and is on the Executive Committee for the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation. He also serves on the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Wisconsin Advisory Committee. The Mayor additionally serves on the board for the Wisconsin- Hessen Society.
The City of Sheboygan has been hard at work making our community stronger. Some projects that are underway include:
Downtown:
•State Cycling – Spin class studio
•Weill Center expansion
•Keller Williams office downtown
Old World Creamery Continues to grow and expand. They are a 2nd largest butter producer in the State of Wisconsin.
Burlington Coat Factory is now located in Sheboygan
Partners for Community Development is building 44 Affordable housing units on 14th and Illinois
Jukum Hall Property – Development agreement approved. 33 townhome style
The old Mayline property – Developing 283 units
Van Horn annexed land into the city of Sheboygan and building a new Kia dealership
Housing study update
New senior center, Uptown Social, phase 2 completed
expansion
State of Town of Sheboygan
Dan Hein, Town Chairman of the Board
Dan Hein is a lifelong resident of Sheboygan and graduate of Sheboygan South High
School. Bachelor’s Degree, Business Management, Concordia College
Plant Manager of a Sheboygan Plastics firm for 48 years
Town Chairman, April 1999-Present
Little Elkhart Lake Rehabilitation Commissioner, 12 years
Town Sanitary District No. 3 Water Commissioner, President, 3 years
Town Supervisor, 6 years
Sheboygan County Board Supervisor, 7 years
• Introduction
• Town of Sheboygan TIF district creation
• Completed projects 2024
• Anticipated projects 2025
• Beyond 2025
State of: Village of Random Lake
Michael Sanfelippo, Village Board President
State of Village of Random Lake:
State of: City of Plymouth
Don Pohlman, Mayor
DonPohlmanistheMayoroftheCity of Plymouth. He holds a degree in accounting and business administration from Concordia University. Pohlman was enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a medic during the Vietnam Era. He is a life member of the VFW Post 5612 Plymouth and a 37 year member of American Legion Post 243 Plymouth. He is also a 39 year member of the Plymouth Rotary Club and a Boy Scout Merit Badge counselor. In his spare time he drives part-time school bus in Sheboygan and part-time Tour Coach across the country.
State of: Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation
Brian Doudna, Executive Director
Brian Doudna came to Sheboygan County in October of 2020 after six successful years as the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA), a statewide trade association that trains and represents the legislative interests of economic development professionals in Wisconsin.
Prior to joining the SCEDC, Doudna ran county-wide Economic Development Corporations for over twenty-two years including stops in Eau Claire County, Portage County (Stevens Point), Oneida County. He started his career as a Main Street Manager focusing on downtown development and redevelopment efforts. Doudna has a degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and has the Economic Development Finance Professional certification.
January 16
Ribbon Cutting Boys and Girls Club Longfellow Elementary
January 21
Vibe@5 at Sheboygan Lutheran High School
January 23
Informal Business Networking Event
Hosted together with the Hmong Chamber at the Sheboygan Chamber
January 30
YP Social & Tour at 3 Sheep's
February 03
Sales and Marketing Professionals Roundtable
February 05
Non-Profit Roundtable
February 06
Safety Roundtable
February 10
Business Owner Roundtable
February 11
HR Manager Roundtable
February 12
YP Out to Dinner at Arrosto Delicatessen
February 20
Chamber Champions Gala at The Osthoff Resort
March 05
Creative Professional Roundtable
March 05 & 06
Explore Your Future at Lakeshore College
March 11
Leadership Dev Series: Making the Transition From Individual Contributor to Leader ofOthers
March 19
Maximize Your Membership
March 20
Executive Series featuring Mike Kertscher at Pine Hills Country Club
March 25
Leadership Dev Series: Coaching for Success
April 29 & 30
Crucial Conversations (Spring 2025)
May 01
Best Under 40 Awards Dinner at The Village at 170
August 20
Workforce Development Symposium at Pine Hills Country Club
August 27
Annual Chamber Golf Outing at Quit Qui Oc Golf
October 09
OktoberFeast
October 14
STEAMfest at Lakeland University
November 13
ATHENA Awards Dinner at The Berkshire
For More Event Information and to Register please visit Sheboygan.org
Making the Transition from Individual Contributor to Leader of Others March 11 | 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Team members are often promoted because they excel at being individual contributors and have a high degree of technical expertise. Neither are necessarily required to lead other people and unless we are intentional about developing the leadership skills of high-producing staff, they will become frustrated, disillusioned and be less than stellar in their leadership role. This does not have to be the reality we face in our organizations.
Coaching for Success March 25 | 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Achieving results starts with effective goal planning including the use of SMART goals, setting of expectations and consistent communication focused on achieving or surpassing those expectations. Alignment with personal values, daily work objectives and organizational mission ensures that goals become results and employee satisfaction remains high. In addition, the ability to “coach” employees through the use of pro-active Development Planning relying on the 70-20-10 model of learning supports continual professional development.
Maintaining Professionalism Under Pressure May 6 | 8:00 am - 11:00 am
We can’t control the behavior and emotions of others, but we can control our own. Avoiding “false choices”, understanding how we respond when under stress, examining our own relationship with EQ and IQ, properly framing a “problem” and creating a solution mindset are all elements of this workshop.
Influencing without Authority May 13 | 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Leadership has less to do with title and everything to do about the choices we make and how it impacts our behavior. Understanding the, “position myth”, 360 Degrees of Leadership, where influence/power are traditionally seen as coming from, our different behavioral styles and the mindset needed to create a “WE” vs. “me” focus will all be explored during this session.
Leadership 101 June 3 | 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Leadership 201 June 17 | 8:00 am - 11:00 am for any one session, combine any three for $500 $ 249
Basic tenants of leadership and followership will be explored during this session.
Building off the experiences of mature leaders, this session will ask leaders to self-reflect, share and learn from and with other attendees in their session.
Individualized Coaching $99 per hour for non-profit, $199 per hour for profit rate
Based on the specific individualized request (coach, employee, organization), will put together a plan for 1:1 coaching utilizing tools such as Crucial Conversations, 70-20-10 Development Planning, various behavioral and leadership surveys, books and approaches.
Crucial Conversations ® April 29 & 30 | September 30 & October 1 | 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
The official Crucial Conversations curriculum, led by a trained-facilitator in a 2-day workshop. Minimum of 6 (either all one organization or mixed co-hort)
Cost: $1000
Integrity Service ® October 8, 15, 22 & 29 | 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The official Integrity Service curriculum, led by a trained-facilitator in a series of 4, two-hour sessions. Minimum of 6 (either all one organization or mixed co-hort)
Cost: $1000
We eagerly anticipate the celebration of the exceptional organizations, enterprises, and individuals that contribute to the uniqueness of our community.
750 attendees will celebrate the accomplishments of Chamber Champion award nominees with excellent food, tantalizing refreshments, and standing ovations at The Osthoff Resort in beautiful Elkhart Lake. It promises to be an evening to remember, complete with red carpet and fanfare. The Sheboygan County community has many accomplishments to celebrate, will you be there to join in?
February 20, 2025
Thank you to our exclusive event sponsor
Thank you to the participating organizations & communities
