About Us
In October of 1893, a group of civic-minded businessmen incorporated the Citizen’s Improvement Association of Pekin. The organization was formed for the purpose of “advancing the business interest and promoting the commercial growth of the City of Pekin.” The five directors that were selected to control and manage the corporation for the first year were: Everett W. Wilson, George Herget, Jesse B. Cooper, Henry Block, and Joseph V. Graff. These men banded together with a goal: systematic activity to secure new industries for Pekin. Everett W. Wilson was president of the group.
A second business association, the Pekin Retail Merchants Association, was organized in 1900 with Ferd Pauley as President and Fred Helm as Secretary. The purpose of this organization was to promote better business practices and systems.
In 1904 the Citizen’s Improvement Association of Pekin changed its name to the Commercial Club of Pekin.
In 1911 Commercial Club of Pekin and the Pekin Retail Merchants Association merged, retaining the name of the Commercial Club of Pekin.
Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director
Amy Whiting-McCoy
Amy Whiting-McCoy has held several positions in her career spanning over 20 years in the insurance industry, including agency ownership and management. Amy was named Executive Director of the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce in March 2020.
Amy received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Western Illinois University. She also holds Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) designations.
Amy has been recognized for her community service and leadership many times. Amy has been a participant in the St. Jude Memphis to Peoria Run since 2004 and co-coordinator of the Macomb to Peoria Run from 2001 to 2003. Amy was the Memphis to Peoria Runner of the Year in 2018 and she currently serves as a Director on the St. Jude Runs Board. Amy has served on the Parent Board of the Dragon Aquatics Swim Team and is a Past Board member and volunteer for Pekin Main Street.
She is a 2002 graduate of the Pekin Area Chamber Leadership Academy and a Class of 2009 Peoria Area 40 Leaders Under Forty recipient. In 2017, Amy was honored as a 25 Women in Leadership by the Peoria Chamber and WEEK TV. She also recently received an Outstanding Achievement Award in Community Service from the YWCA of Pekin at their annual Women’s Recognition Day Luncheon.
Amy is active in the community and has been a Kiwanis member since 2001. She is a Kiwanis Club of Pekin Past President and Board Member, as well as a Kiwanis Division 20 Past Lt. Governor.
Amy was honored with the Kiwanis Hixson Award in 2011. Amy has served on the Pekin Marigold Festival planning committee since 2005, and chaired the Pekin Marigold Festival in 2019. Amy currently serves on the Board of Directors for Camp Hope presented by the Dax Foundation, the St. Jude Gala Committee, and will be awarded Volunteer of the Year at the 2021 St. Jude Gala.
Amy is married to Mike and has three daughters, Molly, Samantha & Claire. She enjoys running, vacations, and time spent with her family.
Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
The Chamber’s leadership comes from a Board of Directors, elected by the membership. The Board meets on the second Wednesday of each month, at 4:00pm. Objectives of the Board shall be in accordance with the purpose, as stated in the by-laws, and the Board shall set the policy and direction for the Chamber.
The Executive Committee is comprised of the officers of the Board of Directors, and meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 4:00pm. All officers are directly accountable to the Board of Directors. Objectives of the officers shall be in accordance with the purpose, as stated in the by-laws, and the responsibility of seeing that the organization runs properly and remains financially sound.
Officers elected April 2023 to April 2024:
Laurie Gruse
President
Pekin Insurance
Dr. Danielle Owens
Vice President
Pekin Community High School
Todd Benton
Treasurer
ALTO Ingredients
Chris Deverman
Past President
Deverman Advertising, Inc.
Directors elected April 2021 to April 2024:
Eric Hill
SNH Investment
Jason Proehl
Kuhfuss & Proehl
Anthony Howard
UnityPoint Health
Directors elected April 2022 to April 2025:
Mike Shrier
Excalibur Seasoning Co.
Dwain Barker
Reditus Laboratories, AJR Brands
Tiffany White
The Dirksen Congressional Center
Directors elected April 2023 to April 2026:
Baylee Gambetti
RE/MAX Traders Unlimited
Joe Franklin
Pekin Schools District #108
Ryan Cakora
Tazewell Machine Works
Past Presidents
1916 – 1917 William. E. Schurman
1917 – 1919 James M. Rahn
1919 – 1921 Franklin L. Velde
1921 – 1922 William J. Reardon
1922 – 1923 James M. Rahn
1923 – 1924 Elmore G. Heisel
1924 – 1925 Franklin L. Velde
1925 – 1926 James J. Crosby
1926 – 1928 Willis M. Beardsley
1928 – 1929 Louis A. Birkenbusch
1929 – 1931 Arthur E. Severe
1931 – 1932 Paul H. Massey
1932 – 1933 Henry B. Koch
1933 – 1935 George B. Stolley
1935 – 1937 Irving M. Weimer
1937 – 1938 E.M. Marshall
1939 – 1939 Charles V. Frings
1939 – 1940 Robert E. Bryan
1940 – 1941 Albert LaFrenz
1941 – 1943 A.B. Foster
1943 – 1944 George D. Holiman
1944 – 1945 Leslie L. Jones
1945 – 1946 Arthur L. Grob
1946 – 1947 E. Oscar Winkel
1947 – 1948 Eugene P. Maurer
1948 – 1949 Karl E. Stoll / E.E. Lawson
1949 – 1950 Dr. D.W. Turner
1950 – 1951 Harlow R. Summers
1951 – 1953 John C. Kriegsman
1953 – 1954 Morton Bowman
1954 – 1955 A.V. Martens
1955 – 1956 Orville Deppert
1956 – 1957 Thomas H. Harris
1957 – 1958 R.H. “Bud” More
1958 – 1960 Robert Culshaw
1960 – 1962 E.M. Kumpf
1962 – 1963 A.R. Sutton
1963 – 1966 John E. Monge
1966 – 1968 W. Dean McNaughton
1968 – 1970 Charles E. Gagnier
1970 – 1972 Melvin V. Burling
1972 – 1975 Ralph T. Brower
1975 – 1977 Charles F. Wolfe
1977 – 1979 A. Dean Willock
1979 – 1980 Richard Hayes
1980 – 1981 James Johnston
1981 – 1982 Paul Koch
1982 – 1983 Merrill Parsons
1983 – 1984 Larry Wichman
1984 – 1985 Louis Steger
1985 – 1986 Ronald Claussen
1986 – 1987 R. David Tebben
1987 – 1988 Charles H. “Chic” Renner
1988 – 1989 James E. Warning
1989 – 1990 Patrick E. Oberle
1990 – 1991 Dr. Virgil Petty
1991 – 1992 E. Baird Woolsey
1992 – 1993 Carol A. Shields
1993 – 1994 Bill Schade
1994 – 1995 Andrew Sparks
1995 – 1996 A. Richard Kriegsman
1996 – 1997 Robert Moore
1997 – 1998 William T. Fleming
1998 – 1999 Thomas Tesar
1999 – 2000 Perry Soldwedel
2000 – 2001 Vince Udry
2001 – 2002 Patrick Taphorn
2002 – 2003 Cindy Galyean
2003 – 2004 Ron Miller
2004 – 2005 D. Neal “Buster” Hanley II
2005 – 2006 Margaret “Marggie” Seelye
2006 – 2007 Glen Rittenhouse
2007 – 2008 Peggy Collins
2008 – 2009 Dr. Timm Schwartz
2009 – 2010 Mike Vonderheide
2010 – 2011 Althea Geiser
2011 – 2012 Charles “Skip” Schermerhorn
2012 – 2013 Drew Leman
2013 – 2014 Tom Hornstein
2014 – 2015 Aindrea Balagna
2015 – 2016 Gregg Ratliff
2016 – 2017 John Franks, III
2017 – 2018 Becky Saban
2018 – 2019 Scott Kriegsman
2019 – 2020 Dan Pfeifer
2020-2021 Dennis Short
2021-2022 Baylee Gambetti
2022-2023 Chris Deverman
Past Executive Directors
1916 – 1920 Phil H. Sipfle
1920 – 1923 James H. Braucht
1923 – 1925 Leonard D’Ooge
1925 – 1929 Ormond F. Lyman
1929 – 1938 John S. Patterson
1938 – 1941 Francis O Neer
1941 – 1945 Ross E. Anderson
1945 – 1952 Britt B. Blair
1952 – 1953 A.W. Tarter
1953 – 1959 R.J. Lindley
1959 – 1962 Paul E. Burkhardt
1962 – 1970 R.H. “Bud” More
1970 – 1984 Leland S. “Lee” Williams
1985 – 1987 Ralph T. Brower
1987 – 1989 Kevin L. Rosner
1959 – 1993 Willard E. Birkmeier
1993 – 1996 Charles H. “Chic” Renner
1996 – 2001 Carol A. Shields
2001 – 2020 Willam T. Fleming
2020 – present Amy Whiting-McCoy
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