ELMHURST CHAMBER BOARD CHAIR FETES BARTELS
ELMHURST, Ill., December 17, 2009 – Ken Bartels, former member of the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Board of Directors, will receive the 2009 Chairman’s Award at the Chamber’s 91st Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner in the Presidential Room at Diplomat West Banquet Halls in Elmhurst on Friday, January 15, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Bartels, Senior Vice President at Community Bank of Elmhurst (330 West Butterfield Road), completed a two-term tenure (2003-09) as a Director in November and first served as a Board member from 1992-94.
“It is a honor to receive the Chairman’s Award as it has been an honor to serve the Elmhurst Chamber and its members,” stated Bartels.
Added Bartels, “The Elmhurst Chamber is an active, productive, and well-run business organization. The Chamber Board and Staff are responsible for that, and even in these difficult days, the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry is succeeding in its mission.”
Traditionally, the annual award is given to a member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors for his/her outstanding service to the Board, Chairman and President/CEO, or to a non-Director for praiseworthy contributions or performance.
Outgoing Chairman of the Board Jason Janes of Edward Jones Investments (115 West Vallette Street) will present the award to Bartels.
Bartels is a member of the Board’s Ways and Means Committee and previously served on the Governmental Affairs Committee. He also served on the Elmfest Steering Committee for most of the community festival’s 26-year history. He is a reserve member of the Chamber Ambassadors and a Presidential Service Award recipient (1997).
Bartels joined Community Bank in September after completing a 35-year career in higher education administration, including the last 28 years at Elmhurst College (190 Prospect Avenue), where he excelled in external relations and advancement. During his tenure, the College experienced unprecedented success in fundraising and friend-raising, helping the institution gained national acclaim educationally and programmatically.
Through his mentorship, John Quigley, Chamber President and CEO since 1999, first became active in the Chamber 18 years ago while working for Bartels at the College.
“Ken is as respected as a mentor and he is cherished as a friend,” said Quigley. “He’s is a person of whom others to say, ‘I wonder what Ken thinks about this.’ It’s not unlike to old E.F. Hutton commercial…when Ken Bartels talks, people listen.”
Bartels also was a two-term member on the Board of Directors of the Elmhurst Economic Development Corporation (EEDC), including service as Vice Chairman
(1999-2000) and then Chairman (2000-01).
In 2007, Bartels was honored as the 56th recipient of the Elmhurst Jaycees’ Distinguished Service Award.
A sought-after speaker in his professional field and as a Master of Ceremonies, Bartels is a participant at the Harvard University Institute of Educational Management and Indiana University Executive Leadership Institute.
Bartels is a member of both the Board of Directors of Community Bank of Elmhurst and Associates Board of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, a Trustee for the ESO Endowment Trust and a member of the Rotary Club of Elmhurst.
A 29-year resident of Elmhurst, Bartels is a graduate and alumni award recipient of Carthage College.
Established in 1918, the Elmhurst Chamber is a voluntary organization of business and professional men and women who have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic and commercial progress of the community.
The Chamber also serves the needs of its members through services, programs and events that provide opportunities for networking and referral, business education, development and promotion, governmental representation and community involvement.