Chamber director leaves a wealth of knowlege

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July 30, 2011 - 12:00 AM

Jana Taylor will use skills she has honed from her role with the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce to embark on a new career.
Taylor, 31, will step down as executive director Aug. 12. From there she plans to develop a marketing and image consulting business. A good share of her promotions will be Internet-based, she said.
“For people of my generation, the first place we go is to the Internet,” to search for anything from products to services to prospective jobs, she said.
“If a company doesn’t have some type of Web presence, it can really hurt its business,” she said. “It’s important to know how to drive customers to your site.”

IN HER 3½ years with the Chamber, Taylor has greatly enhanced its Internet presence, including weekly updates that keep Chamber activities front and center of its 170 members.
Other “feathers” in her cap include development of two organizations that tap into the area’s younger generations.
First is the Allen County Young Professionals geared for those this side of 40 to meet and interact with others their age. Whether they’re returning home to the area or are “transplants,” ACYP is a great way for young folks to get connected with the community through specific activities, Taylor said.
One such activity is the “Trunk and Treat” each Halloween where participants park their cars along the east side of the square and hand out treats from decorated back ends of their cars to young ghosts and goblins.
In only its second year, the activity drew double the children. “Last year we had 300 kids,” Taylor said
Taylor also helped implement Allen County Together, a countywide leadership program that taps the talent of potential decision-makers. The Chamber teamed up with Thrive Allen County, Allen County Community College and USD 257 to develop the program that works to expand the county’s leadership base.
Participants learn about public and private enterprises of the county and how they can develop skills that will help foster growth.
Of course, that’s right down Taylor’s alley.
“As a community, we’ve learned that we can’t sit and wait for businesses to come knocking at our door,” she said. “We can’t be reactive to possible calls; we must be proactive and make those calls ourselves.
“Iola Industries — there’s nothing like it around,” Taylor said of the local group that works to attract new industries to town and is now in the beginning stages of having a countywide presence.
Taylor thinks someone specifically trained in economic development would be a boon to the county’s retail and food service market.
Only two weeks ago she was approached by a party interested in opening a coffee shop in Iola, she said. Taylor said she can give such interested parties a brief overview of Iola and its many amenities, but not the expertise needed to see if their particular business plans would meet with success.
“That’s where an economic development director would come in handy. All I could do is refer them to the Kansas Small Business Development Center based in Pittsburg, and they’re spread so thin,” she said, her voice trailing off in wonder if the follow-through ever happened.
“It’d be nice to have someone deal with prospective businesses in a timely fashion,” she said. “Folks are interested in locating here. We need to be better able to see it through.”
As the Chamber’s executive director Taylor wears many hats, including putting people in contact with necessary resources, promoting Iola, and scheduling tours for visitors, which may include rides on the Molly Trolley, visits to museums, arranging lodging and meals.
She’s also in charge of coordinating four annual events: Farm-City Days in mid-October; the Christmas season including the Santa House, Gingerbread Walk and the Jingle Bell Jog; the Chamber Expo around the first of the year; and then the Chamber’s annual meeting which includes a dinner and guest speaker.

KEEPING people interested in annual events takes creativity, Taylor said.
She cites the increasing turnout for the Charley Melvin Mad Bomber Run for Your Life event each July and how new attractions help keep people interested.
“They’re very good at adding new pieces each year,” she said.
Oftentimes the camaraderie from participating in various walks and events reminds people of the rewards of turning out. “I hear lots of people say they haven’t seen a friend since the previous year’s activity,” she said. “This interaction is what helps Iola be a friendly town. It’s also important to remember to open your arms to new people in the community. Lots of folks didn’t grow up here and would appreciate being included into your network of friends.”
Taylor and her husband, John, and their two children, Taylor, 12 and Thomas, 8, intend to remain in Iola.
“We love this community,” she said. They moved to Iola from Chanute four years ago. John works in sales support for B&W Trailer Hitches in Humboldt.
Taylor looks at her departure from the Chamber philosophically.
“Every organization needs change. Fresh perspectives, new ideas. This is as great an opportunity for the Chamber as it is for me.”

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