Stephanie Klett, president and CEO of Visit Lake Geneva, the community’s chamber of commerce and official visitor and convention Bureau, has been appointed to the board of directors for Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Executives.
This is the first time a Lake Geneva chamber president has served on the board in its 103-year history.
WCCE, a division of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, is a professional non-profit association of 130 local chambers of commerce that trains and supports chamber professionals in their work of promoting and enhancing the economies of communities around the state.
In her new board role, Klett will help advise the WMC on the needs of the industry and work with chambers of all sizes in supporting their efforts at the local level. She’ll also participate in the WCCE annual conference in late September, a three-day event where chamber professionals learn how to be more effective community leaders.
September is Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Month, recognizing the efforts of chamber professionals in advancing tourism, economic development, entrepreneurship, workforce development and community events.
“This is an organization that works so effectively behind the scenes to grow our state’s economy, and a board position was on my wish list the moment I accepted the VISIT Lake Geneva position earlier this year,” Klett said. “It’s a chance for me to help my colleagues as we all work to keep our local economies in the plus column.”
Klett’s term runs through the end of 2020 and she’s eligible for a second term, with elections by membership taking place at the annual conference.
Robert Moses, president of the WCCE board of directors, noted Klett’s rich tourism experience in welcoming her to the board. That experience includes her previous role as cabinet secretary for the Wisconsin Department of Tourism and, before that, Emmy-award winning host of the long-running travel show “Discover Wisconsin.
“Stephanie was a win-win nomination by the executive board, she knows the state and so many businesses, she’ll be a tremendous asset,” Moses said.
He added that the leading issue for the organization’s members is workforce development.
WMC was founded in 1911 and is considered the state’s Chamber of Commerce and largest business trade association representing employers of every size and from every sector of the economy.
Kurt Bauer, WMC president and CEO, explained that WMC’s mission is to promote a strong business climate while WCCE focuses on professional development.
“Each chamber has distinctive goals, objectives and challenges, and we work with local chambers to make the state more attractive for economic development,” Bauer said. “We want Wisconsin to be a great place to live, work and play.”
For more, visit www.VisitLakeGeneva.com.
