Photo by Barb Jeffers
The Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce (LACC) has a new executive director with a very familiar face. Melissa Vander Plas has accepted the position following the resignation of her predecessor, Andrzej Zalasinski, who had served in the position since 2019.
“I’m very happy to be here, and I think it’s going to be a good experience,” states Vander Plas.
Vander Plas was promoted to executive director of LACC on June 12, 2023, after accepting the interim position on April 17. However, she was knowledgeable about Lanesboro Chamber business prior to that, as she originally began working under Zalasinski as an office administrator in September 2022.
“Then I started working more with Andrzej with his projects and taking on more responsibility, so I was kind of becoming his assistant. It was actually very good training for the position,” notes Vander Plas.
Before starting her employment with LACC, Vander Plas served as executive director of the Harmony Area Chamber of Commerce for almost three years. She was also the editor with the Bluff Country Newspaper Group for 25 years before it combined with the Fillmore County Journal in 2020 and she continues as a staff writer with the Fillmore County Journal.
Many area residents already knew Vander Plas from her time being out in the public with her previous employment and her work with the newspaper. Those who had not yet had a chance to meet her are now getting to know her and appreciate the work she is doing to promote the Lanesboro and Whalan area.
“In the past few weeks I’ve been attending some meetings and just the overall response has been very positive, very accepting. And since I started even in September, people were very complimentary and excited that I was here, which of course gave me confidence in my ability to promote Lanesboro,” Vander Plas comments.
“Lanesboro is a very welcoming community and I found that right away,” she adds.
As executive director, Vander Plas has a strong team behind her which includes Jonathan Levine, office administrator and membership coordinator and Ann Thacher, visitor center coordinator. The Chamber is also fortunate to have many volunteers and community ambassadors as well, which are greatly appreciated.
When asked to describe what her new job duties entail, Vander Plas mentioned a few of the many job details that the general public may not realize.
“Overall, with my team, which includes Jonathan and Ann, we promote Lanesboro for visitors to come here to create a positive visitor experience for them when they are here, but also, we support the needs of our members and the area businesses in ways that maybe we don’t even know; but we help find the answer,” explains Vander Plas.
But it’s also ad design, marketing, sales, public relations, sharing information, finances, and more.
“I always say it’s the Chamber’s job to get people in Lanesboro and it’s the businesses job to get them in their stores. We get them to the sidewalks; they’ve got to bring them in. But if there is a way that we can help them do that, of course we will,” states Vander Plas.
When asked if she has plans to make any changes, she shared one important addition.
“The biggest one we did right away was to implement the newsletter again. We’ve been doing that weekly. We just really want to promote the sharing of information,” she said.
“I think I will be attending council meetings and EDA meetings and business promotion meetings. I want to kind of serve as that connectivity. If we are in the know and we can put that in the newsletter and help other people be in the know, it’s only going to benefit the entire community,” says Vander Plas.
Vander Plas brings her broad experience from past employment and a wealth of information that she has learned since beginning at the Chamber to her new position.
“It really is the best of all worlds because I can utilize the skills that I got writing and doing layout in the newspaper. This position has allowed me to take the best of all of those positions and bring them here,” she remarks.
When asked about her favorite part of the new position, it is hard for her to choose one particular thing. “I love the writing, I love the storytelling – it’s really fun for me to work on info- graphics and make something attractive in the newsletter and putting in pictures. And I love visiting with people and talking about different things. As I learn more about Lanesboro and learn about hidden treasures, I like to share those,” states Vander Plas.
Meeting people from all over the world, and assisting them in various ways, means that each day is different which she enjoys.
Vander Plas is very appreciative to Zalasinski for bringing her on board to begin with and for all of his support and confidence in her.
“I was very fortunate to work with him, he was a great mentor. I learned a lot from him, especially with graphic design and branding,” Vander Plas states. “He really helped build my confidence and he set me up for success here,” she adds.
Vander Plas is looking forward to so many exciting things happening in Lanesboro including new businesses opening and other events. “I’m excited about the fall events and the winter – the possibilities of what we can do in the winter,” she states.
“Lanesboro is so amazing in the fact that there is so much community involvement, so much volunteerism, that the event planning lies beyond the Chamber. I love that.
“I think every day is exciting in Lanesboro! There are so many people around,” she notes.
“I am very grateful for the reception I have gotten here and the support that I get from the board and from the businesses. We are looking forward to creating really good service for our members. If you are not a member, you should be!” states Vander Plas.
The visitor center is open seven days a week 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. and is staffed from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily, dependent on staff and volunteer availability. For more information stop at the visitor center, call (507) 467.2696 or email office@lanesboro.com.
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