Women Power: Pueblo, CO Chamber Staff Stays Busy All Year
Small group of employees gets many things done
Rod Slyhoff says the eight full-time employees and four part-timers who make up the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce staff is a dedicated group that puts in a lot of hours.
“All of these women are excellent at their job, know how to get things done, and understand hospitality and how to talk with people to make them feel welcome,” says Slyhoff, chamber president and CEO. “They promote Pueblo and make the city a better place to live and raise a family, and they take a lot of pride in that.”
Besides Slyhoff, the chamber staff includes Phyllis Samora, vice president of administration and marketing; Donielle Gonzales, tourism director; Terri Kallish, event coordinator; Ava DeHerrera, membership coordinator; Elaine Gardner, finance director; Destiny Campa Meza, communications coordinator; Kendra Baker, Visit Pueblo associate; A.J. Samora, Visit Pueblo associate; Loretta Rodriguez, administrative assistant; Mariellen Marino, accounting assistant; and Amie Gohn, administrative assistant.
“The staff handles many situations that are so diverse,” Slyhoff says. “There’s always some new program or issue that the chamber tackles to make a difference for the people who live here and who visit Pueblo.”
Traffic Control & Selling Livestock
Slyhoff says when something needs to get done in the community in a positive manner, the chamber often gets the call.
“For example, we assisted with a Congressional Medal of Honor Convention in September 2017 and were asked to arrange numerous road closures during that week so attendees could safely move around Pueblo and get to the different events,” he says. “Not many chambers in America do traffic controlling and street closures, but we do.”
Slyhoff adds that the chamber staff is busy at every major city event.
“At the 2017 Colorado State Fair, we managed a Pueblo information booth, organized a barbecue for legislators, coordinated the State Fair Parade, hosted a Military Appreciation Breakfast for the command staff of installations throughout Colorado, and ran a farmers market promoting locally grown produce,” he says. “We also assisted the Sister City Commission in hosting Sister City officials from Chihuahua, Mexico. To say we always stay busy here at the chamber is a very true statement.”