After four years as both Chamber of Commerce and Washington Fair assistant, Amanda Griesheimer has been promoted to a newly created position within the organization — marketing director.
Jennifer “JB” Giesike, president of the Washington Area Chamber of Commerce, made the announcement. Giesike recently assumed the role of president, CEO and Fair manager, after serving as Fair coordinator for the past 12 years.
Griesheimer and Giesike are used to working with one another on the Fair and the women will continue to do so in their new roles.
“After I became president, we began talking about who would replace me and whether there were any changes or restructuring we wanted to make,” Giesike told The Missourian.
“Since I will continue with many of my duties with the Fair, I felt, and so did the staff, that we needed a marketing director who would work both with the Chamber and the Fair,” she said. “Amanda was already doing a lot of the marketing duties, and we felt there was enough there to create a full-time position.”
Griesheimer will work on the redesign of the Chamber and Fair websites, already under way, and take the lead role in managing all social media, including Facebook, for both groups. She also will oversee the Fair catalog, brochure and supplement, and focus on promotion of the Chamber’s many events.
A detailed job description was created for the new position. Other duties will include handling media and public inquiries, create and distribute all press releases, newsletters and emails, prepare and design/or supervise the design of all printed promotional materials, develop webinars for Chamber members and supervise the Washington Farmers’ Market.
“We are very excited to have Amanda in this new position,” said Giesike, who first discussed the restructuring to the Chamber board in November. The board approved the creation of the new position last week and the promotion of Griesheimer to that role.
The Chamber will now seek a replacement for Griesheimer’s position. Applicants are being sought now.
Griesheimer said she’s excited about the new opportunity.
“I was already doing a lot of marketing, but I will be able to take it even further,” she said. “As a staff we had a lot of discussion about the shift in roles and everyone had input on what a potential marketing director would do. They also all were very supportive of me stepping into that position.”
Griesheimer joined the Chamber in June 2008 and has worked through five Washington Fairs to date. She is a graduate of Calhoun High School, Hardin, Ill., and attended Southeast Missouri State University. She and her husband Aaron have two children, Dayton and Tucker, and reside in Washington.
“There’s nothing better than working for the Chamber,” she remarked. “I work with such great people and there’s always something new and new opportunities which is great.”
The Washington Chamber has 560-plus members and is the second-largest, budgeted Chamber in the St. Louis Metro area.
