Chamber News
June 2022
Shank Open Rescheduled to August 26th
The 12th Annual Shank Open Melinda Otto Memorial Golf Outing, originally scheduled for this weekend, is being rescheduled to Friday, August 26th.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and are grateful to the Nicolet Country Club for working with us.

If you registered for the June date, we have issued refunds.

We hope you will join us at the August event! Click here to register online.
Chamber Welcomes New Administrative Assistant
On Monday, we welcomed Jessie Schreiner to the Chamber office as our new Administrative Assistant.

Rian Schaible left our organization last week, and we wish her well in her future endeavors.

We have resumed our regular office hours of Monday thru Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

If you have a moment, please feel free to stop by and say hi to Jessie!
Spring Raffle Tickets Available
Volunteer at the Crandon International Off Road Raceway
Every year, the Crandon International Off Road Raceway offers the Chamber the opportunity to earn $3,500 in exchange for working at the Forest County Potawatomi Brush Run June 25th and June 26th, and the Polaris World Championship Off Road Races September 2nd thru September 4th.

We need your help to make this happen! It's fun, and you get to meet the thousands of visitors who come to our county. Each volunteer will receive a weekend wristband, food and drink tickets, and an invite to the year-end party. Volunteers who work both events will have their name entered in a drawing for a side-by-side given away at the year-end party.

To volunteer for one or both events, email us or call (715) 478-3450. We sincerely appreciate your support, and are very grateful to the Crandon International Off Road Raceway for their generosity!
Tourism Grants Available to Promote Area Events
The Forest County Tourism Commission (FCTC) is now accepting applications from area groups and organizations for grants to advertise and promote their events.

The FCTC established this program to encourage and promote the expansion of tourism in Forest County. Area groups and organizations that hold events within the municipalities which have room tax in place are eligible to apply. This includes:

  • City of Crandon
  • Town of Hiles
  • Town of Laona
  • Town of Lincoln
  • Town of Nashville
  • Town of Wabeno

Applications are reviewed as needed at the Tourism Commission meetings.

Eligible events must have regional appeal and attract visitors from outside the local area, with the goal of creating revenue through overnight stays. Advertising must be targeted outside of Forest County.

Applicants are required to disclose their advertising plan, budget and source of funding to be considered.

The Forest County Tourism Commission will only consider applications that are fully completed, and reserves the right to modify or deny requests.

Events selected will be notified of the award, and will be required to complete a short follow-up form and provide supporting information following the event. Reimbursement will be issued promptly following receipt of these items.

Click here to view the application, or you may pick up an application at the Forest County Chamber of Commerce office.
Update from the Chamber Board of Directors
We recently discovered that a former Chamber Board Member allegedly withdrew a substantial amount of money from the Chamber’s checking and savings accounts at CoVantage Credit Union without authorization or approval.

Following discussions with the Forest County Sheriff's Department, a special closed session board meeting was held on May 18, 2022, to accept the Board Member’s resignation and to pursue legal action.

At this time, we are not able to provide any additional information as this is now a legal matter. We can say that full restitution has been made.

We are greatly saddened and disturbed by this situation, and we have taken measures to ensure the Chamber and our Members are protected:

  • We are communicating with the Forest County Sheriff's office.
  • We are communicating with CoVantage and our insurance agent.
  • We formed a Finance Committee to provide greater oversight on the Chamber's financials, and the Committee and the Board are reviewing all accounting procedures and policies.

As always, we remain committed to ensuring the Chamber continues to serve you and our county. Our mission remains being dedicated to serving as a primary advocate, voice, resource and partner in the success and economic development of our county and citizens.

We maintain our commitment to ensure that Chamber operations remain uninterrupted, and we are continuing our work to hire a new Executive Director and plan for our upcoming events.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact any Board Member.
Sincerely,

The Forest County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Leslie Meyer

Amy Paikowski

Brian Schultz

Kim Swisher

Melissa Widucki
Upcoming Events
Forest County Potawatomi Veteran’s Powwow – June 18th and June 19th at the Potawatomi Community Center.

Sokaogon Chippewa Community’s Strawberry Moon Powwow – June 18th and June 19th at the Powwow grounds.

Forest County Potawatomi Brush Run Off Road Races – June 24th thru June 26th at the Crandon International Off-Road Raceway.

Wabeno Area Players Sister Amnesia’s Country Western Nunsense Jamboree – June 30th thru July 3rd and July 7th thru July 10th at the Wabeno High School.

Forest County Festival – July 1st thru July 3rd at the Crandon International Off-Road Raceway Grounds.