Downtown Pumpkin Patch
October, 2013
Wapakoneta Area
Chamber of Commerce
30 E. Auglaize St.
PO Box 208
Wapakoneta, OH 45895
Telephone 419-738-2911
Fax 419-738-2977 chamber@wapakoneta.com www.wapakoneta.com
Officers (Executive Committee)
Brian Schlosser
President
Josh Little
First Vice President
Bonnie Berry
Second Vice President
Stephanie Shutt
Treasurer
Dan Lee
Past President
Board Members &
Committees
Member Services
Josh Little*
Kathy Mathews
Josiah Osborn
Bonnie Berry
Dawn Miller
Tourism
Josh Steinke*
Deb Zwez
Tom Schlenker
Greg Myer
Judy Dubois
Josh Schoolcraft
Sheena Behr
Legislative/Education
Stephanie Shutt*
Jeff Brumbaugh
John Poppe
Jason Neumeier
Manufacturing
Dan Lee*
Greg Myers
Andy Walters
WAEDC Representative
Jeff Brumbaugh
Summer Moon Festival
Brian Schlosser*
* Chairperson
Staff:
Dan Graf, Executive Director
dan@wapakoneta.com
Josh Hines, Assit Director josh@wapakoneta.com
Lindsay Zielonka
Administrative Assistant
lindsay@wapakoneta.com
Chamber Director Announces Retirement
Dan Graf, the Chamber’s Executive Director, will retire at the end of the year. Dan had informed the Board of his desire to retire in July. At that time the Board hired Josh Hines as Assistant
Director on a part-time basis with the intention to hire Josh as the new Executive Director beginning January 1. Josh has been working with Dan since July to become familiar with the operation of the Chamber. Josh is a former president of the
Chamber’s Board of Directors and chairman of the Summer Moon
Festival.
Dan was hired as the Chambers Executive Director in
November, 2001. Dan had completed a thirty year career in education with twenty-two years as an administrator prior to coming to the Chamber. During the past twelve years under Dan’s direction, the Chamber has made great strides to better serve its members and the Wapakoneta community. Under his leadership the Chamber has become financially sound. The membership has grown 50% to over 325 members. Its programs have expanded to include services to its members and activities for the community.
When Dan came to the Chamber, its office was isolated in a location on the second floor of Chase Bank. Through his guidance and hard work, the Chamber purchased and renovated a 21,000 sq. ft, three story building providing modern and assessable offices for the Chamber, an impressive boardroom, and a group assembly room. Now at street level, the Chamber better serves the community with business and visitor information. It also provides a home for other organizations providing services to the community. The
Chamber owns and operates the building debt free with a positive balance sheet.
(Continued on page 2)
Calendar of Events
October
Crazy Creative Pumpkin Display @ Aug Co. Library; (419) 738-2921
Adopt a Shelter Dog Month @ Aug Co. Humane Society; (419) 738-7808
H
Entry forms ARADE
Oct 24
10 Chamber Board of Directors , noon, Astro Lanes
13 Tri-County Coin Show @ Fairgrounds, Expo Bldg; Lee Clausing (419) 394-3070
16 Adult Wellness Checks @ YMCA, 9 am; Sarah Finkelmeier (419) 739-9622
17 Pumpkin Night – Decorate Your Pumpkins @ Aug Co Library, 6 pm; (419) 738-2921
18 Halloween Family Night @ YMCA; Melanie Schnippel (419) 739-9622
18 Optimist Pulled Pork Dinner @ St. Pauls Parking Lot; Terry Blosser (419) 738-6069
19 Boy Scout Community Food Drive @ Mercy Unlimited/God’s Storehouse, Peggy Prater (419) 738-7456
Noon Optimist Craft Show @ Wapakoneta High School 9am-3pm; Connie Krites (419) 657-6983
24 Halloween Parade, 6:30 @ Downtown; Chamber of Commerce (419) 738-2911
26 KAPOW Zombie Walk @ Downtown, 2 pm; Mark Selvaggio (419) 738-5676
26 Howloween Bowling Bash @ Astro Lanes 9pm; Aug Co Humane Society (419) 738-7808
28 Monster Dash 5k @YMCA; Sarah Finkelmeier (419) 739-9622
29 Boo! On the Moon @ Armstrong Air and Space Museum 5:30pm; Chris Burton (419) 738-8811
31 Cash2Smash Pumpkin Drop @ Aug Co. Library 6pm; Beth Steiner (419) 738-2921

(Continued from page 1)
With Dan’s leadership, the Chamber’s programs expanded. Within the Chamber’s new facility, a space was reserved as a business incubator to help new businesses. To date, three new businesses for Wapakoneta have been successfully developed. Dan put new energy into the Chamber’s festival. Acquiring the city’s support, the festival was moved downtown and rescheduled to coincide with Armstrong’s walk on the moon. The Summer
Moon Festival now provides the Chamber strong financial support and the community with a great number festival activities. The annual Progress Awards were created to provide recognition for the successes of
Chamber members. The annual Administrative Professionals Luncheon was created to say Thank You to office staff. Dan spearheaded the design and fundraising for the Heritage Parkway construction and began the popular
Party in the Parkway concerts. These concerts have been great fundraisers for our service clubs. He was instrumental in bringing the Council on Aging’s Senior Center Annex to Wapakoneta. Dan started the
Chamber’s travel program with its first destination to China and planning an Ireland trip in 2014. Activities such as the Bowling Bash, Golf Outing, State of the City, Schools & County Luncheon, VALU Leadership programs became strong activities for Chamber members during his tenure.
Mr. Graf served the community and represented the Chamber as a member of the Boards of the Downtown
Wapakoneta Partnership, the Auglaize/Mercer Convention and Visitors Bureau, Armstrong Air & Space
Museum Association, and Wapakoneta Sister Cities. He also serves on Wapakoneta City Schools Business
Advisory Council, the advisory boards of Wright State Business Enterprise Center and the Area Agency on
Aging. He kept the Chamber connected to the community as an active member of the Wapakoneta Rotary,
Sertoma, Breakfast Optimist, Eagles, American Legion, and Veteran’s of Foreign Wars.
The Wapakoneta Chamber presented $1000 checks to the Wapakoneta Antique & Specialty Shops for the
Discover Wapakoneta billboard located south of
Wapakoneta on I-75. The Chamber also presented the
Decorative Arts Committee of the Downtown Wapakoneta
Partnership a $1000 check for its fundraising project to purchase new Christmas Holiday street decorations for the downtown area. Pictured are Josh Hines presenting the check to Londa Tomlinson of the Wapakoneta Antique and
Specialty Shops and Dan presenting the check to Laura
Chementz of the DWP’s Decorative Art Committee.
The Auglaize Leadership program began in September with its first session at the Minster Machine Training
Center. The session included a number of activities related to leadership skills plus a presentation on leadership by
Robin Elston of Elston Consulting.
Greg Myers gave an historical overview of the county. Randy Fisher completed the day addressing the value of VALU class. October’s session will focus on the functions and services of local government.
First row: Jessica Dingledine- Auglaize Co United Way, Brittany Powell – Evening Leader,
Abbey Lang – Auglaize Acres, Danielle Morris – Auglaize Council on Aging, Meredith
Enkoff – Wapakoneta Daily News
Second row: Lindsay Zielonka – Wapakoneta Chamber of Commerce, Lauryn Bertke – New
Bremen Foundation, James Williams – Midwest Electric, Stephanie Burkard – Southwest
Auglaize Chamber of Commerce, Sean Wintzer – G A Wintzer & Son
Third row: Marcus Wintzer – G A Wintzer, Russ Hunlock – Wapakoneta Police Department,
Ron Meyer – Minster Bank, Ben Miller – Garmann/Miller, Steve Raterman – Ruese Insurance

3 Willipie St, Wapakoneta, OH 45895
1737 Allentown Rd, Lima, OH 45805
Website www.ccrrealtors.com
Contact: Dominic Guagenti
Ph 419-222-0555
Real Estate dealing in residential and commercial real estate
PO Box Bellefontaine, OH 43311
Contact: Rhonda Sheldon
Ph 419-234-1361
Therapy of Physical, Occupational, and
Speech Services
Chamber Chat
O
W
A
L
S
PONSORED BY
F RIEND
No winner last month,
Vern Peake, Midwest Metal Fabricators, not present.
Next drawing October 10.
$10 added to the pot !
S
The Chamber’s discount group Workers Comp provider

Wapakoneta Area Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 208
Wapakoneta, OH 45895
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Wapakoneta, OH
Permit 129
T
I
Learn about the Chamber’s exciting trip by attending the informational meeting Wednesday, November 6 at 6:30 PM in the Chamber Assembly Room.
Friends and companions welcome to attend.
Complete details posted on Chamber website…. www.wapakoneta.com
Chamber Chat ~ October, 2013
6:30 PM
Children's costume contest at 6:00 PM prior to the parade downtown in front of judges’ stand sponsored by KAPOW Club
:
 Executive Director Announces Retirement
 Calendar of events
 Chamber Supports Local Efforts
 VALU Leadership Starts
 Optimist Pulled Pork Dinner
 New Member Welcome
 Business After Hours
 Alpha Café After Parade
Wapakoneta Festival of Trees
Athletic Club Weight Loss Challenge
Cancer Association Spaghetti Dinner
Personalized Signs for Students & Alumni
st
6:00-7:30 PM