About | Chatham Chamber

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is be composed of 11 elected members, five of whom shall be elected in alternate years to the other six. The directors are elected for a term of two years. The government and policy-making responsibilities of the Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce are vested in the Board of Directors, which controls its property, is responsible for its finances and directs its affairs.

Tracy Formea, President

Formea Insurance Group, Inc., 217-483-1536. Tracy Formea is a graduate of Glenwood High School and Illinois State University. In 2003, she founded Formea Insurance Group, Inc., an independent insurance agency, in Chatham. Since opening her business, she has been an active member of both the Chatham Area Chamber and the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. Her involvement with the Chatham Area Chamber has included volunteering on all event planning committees along with a member of the Board of Directors. For six of those years on the Board, she has also been a member of the Executive Board serving as President, Past President, Vice President, Secretary, and currently President for a second term. Her volunteer work with the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce includes ten years as an Ambassador. Tracy is a member of the Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois, Local First, Pi Beta Phi, and Chatham Christian Church, where she teaches Sunday School. Tracy and her husband Chad are the proud parents of Reagan and Cooper.

Michael Murphy, Vice President

HeplerBroom, LLC, 217-528-3674. Michael is a partner at the law firm of HeplerBroom, LLC. His primary focus is environmental litigation, but he has experience litigating many other types of cases in both federal and state courts, including personal injury, property damage, employment law, contractual disputes, and insurance coverage. Michael has also briefed and argued appellate cases in several appellate districts in the State of Illinois as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He additionally counsels clients with environmental compliance questions involving federal and state environmental statutes and regulations, and assists clients in permitting, rule-making, and regulatory relief proceedings. Michael was the valedictorian of the class of 2004 of the Southern Illinois University School of Law, was named one of the 2015 “40 Business Leaders Under Forty” by the Springfield Business Journal, and has been recognized as an Emerging Lawyer by Illinois Leading Lawyers and a Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers. His complete practice profile can be viewed at https://www.heplerbroom.com/michael-murphy.html. He and his wife have four children who attend Ball-Chatham schools.

Jon Sturgeon, Treasurer

Bank of Springfield, 217-483-6525. Jon Sturgeon is currently an Assistant Vice President for Bank of Springfield. He joined BOS in October 2007 and has held a variety of positions including Personal Banker, Chatham Banking Center Branch Manager, Mortgage Loan Officer, and most recently Mortgage Market Leader. Jon oversees several teams in the mortgage production area and assists with investor and vendor relations within the mortgage division. He started his banking career in 2001 as a teller after graduating from Springfield Southeast High School. He obtained his Associates Degree from Lincoln Land Community College. In addition to being the Treasurer for the Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce, Jon serves on the Village of Chatham Planning Commission, is Clerk for the Chatham Township Community Building Board of Managers, as a Board Member for Chatham Friends of the Parks, as an affiliate member of Capital Area Realtors, and has served as Treasurer and Scholarship Committee chair for the Chatham Jaycees. He and his wife, Casey, moved to Chatham in 2005 and have one daughter, Cayleigh.

Dr. Becca Lamon, Secretary

Ball-Chatham School District, 217-483-2416. Dr. Becca Lamon is currently the Superintendent of the Ball-Chatham CUSD 5 and an adjunct professor at Purdue University – Fort Wayne. She also currently serves on the board of the Capital Area Career Center (CACC) and the Regional Office of Career and Technical Education (ROCTE). Her educational leadership and passion center around curriculum, instruction, and the integration of technology into the classroom. Her daily focus is to ensure that every BCSD student receives an outstanding education and is successful after graduating from Ball-Chatham. Dr. Lamon is active in many community organizations including the Chatham Jaycees, the Chatham Chamber of Commerce, Titan Fuel, and the Ball-Chatham Education Foundation. Her husband, Ward, is the Director of Special Education for Springfield 186, and her son, Morgan, is a senior at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, IN.

Jay Rogers, Past President

Bank & Trust Company, 217-483-3343. Jay earned degrees in Business Administration and English from North Central College, a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Illinois-Springfield, and also completed studies at the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado. Along with his wife Karen, Jay has enjoyed the great experience of having his daughter Lindsay and son Michael obtain their educational foundation via the Ball-Chatham school district. A life-long passion for the sport of distance running has earned Jay NCAA All American honors, four Hall of Fame Inductions, and a 14 year tenure as a Glenwood High School cross country and track coach from 1999 to 2013. He is now in his third decade as Race Director of the Scholastic Challenge 5K that has donated over $140,000 to local high school distance running programs in central Illinois.

Jeff Dillman, Director

MASCO Packaging & Industrial Supply Co., 217-744-0339. Born and raised in Decatur, Illinois. Jeff came to Masco Packaging with over 20 years in State and Federal Government. He takes satisfaction in helping his staff and customers. He is very active in the local community serving on various boards and helping locally owned businesses. He is a proud member of the Springfield Elks Lodge, Eagles Lodge, and the TRN Club. Jeff recently served as the Chairman of the Ambassadors for the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and was the Ambassador of the year in 2018 and 2019 and the Ambassador Chair for the Chatham Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the following boards: Local First Springfield, Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, Family Service Center, the Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce, and Board member and Fundraising/Vice Chairman for the Salvation Army. Jeff is married to his wife, Mary Beth, and he enjoys relaxing in their outdoor oasis, cooking, hunting, fishing, and spending time with their boxer, Otto.

Jane Hay, Director

Jane Hay Sales & Staging- The Real Estate Group, 217-414-1203. Jane is a full-time real estate broker and partner with The Real Estate Group serving both sellers and buyers in the Chatham and Springfield areas. Her real estate business model is based on excellent customer service, cutting edge marketing and free home staging for every listing. Prior to her career in real estate, Jane’s professional background includes work as Project Assistant for the Secretary of State’s Office, Executive Staff Member for Illinois State Treasurer’s Office, and Office Administrator/Paralegal for Wolter, Beeman, & Lynch Law Offices. Jane enjoys community service and promoting local interests. She currently serves on the Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Chatham Area Public Library Foundation Board, member of the Village of Chatham Planning Commission, Vice Chair of Ball-Chatham Titan Fuel Board. Born and raised in nearby Taylorville, Illinois, Jane moved to Springfield 1989. She and her husband, David made Chatham their home in 1998. David works at Chatham-Glenwood High School where he is a teacher and Head Football Coach.

Jonell Hembrough, Director

HSHS Medical Group, 217-787-8870. Jonell Hembrough, RN, BSN, is a full time Practice Manager for HSHS Medical Group and started her career as a Registered Nurse at HSHS St John's in 1989. Jonell graduated from St. John's School of Nursing in 1992 followed by her BSN from HSHS St. John's College of Nursing. In her current role with HSHS Medical Group, Jonell is managing multiple outpatient specialty care practices. Jonell has enjoyed living in the Chatham community since 2014 along with her husband, Chris Hembrough. Chris is the Chief Operation Officer of Peerless Cleaning and Restoration Services. Jonell and Chris have four adult children who all attended Chatham schools and have greatly enjoyed the Chatham community.

Stephanie McDannald, Director

Emerson Press, 217-628-3441. Stephanie is Sales and Marketing Director for Emerson Press since 1989. Emerson Press is a full service commercial printer, specializing in single-to full color printing, larger format items as well as promotional products. Please see emersonpress.net for a full list of products. Prior to working for Emerson Press, Stephanie worked for Southwest Graphics in St. Louis, MO. Stephanie earned her marketing degree from Millikin University in 1988. She served on the boards of the Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Women in Leadership, Women Entrepreneurs, and The Divernon American Legion Auxiliary. Stephanie resides in Divernon with her husband Doug and their son Colton.

Zach Thornton, Director

Crowne Plaza, 217-241-7144. Zach Thornton was born and raised in the Chatham community, and is currently the Catering Sales Manager at the Crowne Plaza Springfield. After graduating from Glenwood High School in 2010, he continued his education at Western Illinois University, where he studied Hospitality Management. He then returned to the Chatham area to begin his career in event planning at Panther Creek Country Club. Zach is very involved in the local community; he is a member of the Rotary Club of Springfield in Chatham and the Glenwood Athletic Boosters, and gets involved in numerous other volunteer organizations and events throughout the year. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, spending time with family and friends, and giving back to the community.

Marcie Williams, Director

The Tap Room, 217-697-1942. Marcie Williams is the manager for The Tap Room in Chatham, and began working there in 2019. Her passion started from a love for craft beer and she quickly became interested in whiskey and bourbons. Marcie previously lived in Arizona and was a franchise owner for The UPS Store and then worked as an Independent Logistics Manager. Being involved with The Tap Room has allowed her to meet many people in Chatham and become more active in the community. Marcie’s adult children both graduated from Glenwood High School. She currently resides in Chatham.

Ambassadors

Chamber Ambassadors act as liaisons between the Chamber and membership. The Ambassador position is crucial to the maintenance of membership of the Chamber.

They are:

Educators: Inform members and prospective members about the Chamber and its services and benefits.
Communicators: Keep the information channels open between members and the Chamber, acting as a sounding board to gather ideas and suggestions for improving member programs and services.
Motivators: Encourage members to be involved with the Chamber events and programs and inspire members to grow and more fully benefit from their investment in the Chamber.
Mentors: For new members.
Cheerleaders: for the Chamber, assisting in ribbon cuttings, networking, and socializing.

Network News

The Chamber's Weekly Newsletter

The Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce's weekly newsletter, the Network News, is available via email to anyone! If you'd like to sign up to receive our weekly newsletter, email coordinator@chatham-il-chamber.com.

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By-Laws

Chatham Chamber Bylaws