Hello Lake City!

I am so happy to be here. My first few weeks have been filled with learning the ins and outs of the office and getting briefed and starting work on all the great events coming up. I’ve been able to meet many of you, but I’m looking forward to getting to know all of Lake City’s business community in the weeks and months ahead.

I’ve taken a long life’s journey to get to Lake City. I’ll spare you the details, but for most of the past 15 years I have been a small business owner myself. I founded Ed’s (no name) Bar, Boat House Restaurant, as well a small marketing contracting business in Winona, MN. I also own a commercial building there that’s rented to an arts production organization. In 2019 I successfully sold my pub and restaurant and contracted for a while with the destination marketing organization, Visit Winona. Now I am four full weeks into this position at the Lake City Chamber of Commerce and couldn’t be more excited about the potential that exists in this gorgeous little city.

I tell you all this to introduce myself to you, but this position is not about me, it’s about YOU. My job is to assist the Chamber members to the best of my abilities, to promote Lake City businesses whenever I get the chance, to bolster tourism to the area, and to always be on the lookout for ways to improve the business climate and quality of life in Lake City. I feel well poised to do this via my own experiences as a business owner and community volunteer. I know first hand how challenging it is to run businesses, and how much harder yet it is to do it successfully. My hat is tipped to all of you, especially in the wake of such a difficult and stressful year. Let’s hope 2021 is much better for everyone.

Speaking of 2021, there are things happening on the horizon that bode well for hopefulness in Lake City. While, as I mentioned in my opening paragraph, much of these first few weeks of my tenure have been straightening out the office and learning some basic clerical things around here, I have also been meeting with the committees and immersing myself in the planning of Girls Day Out, Tour de Pepin, and Water Ski Days. I am happy to report that these events are moving forward. How the final products will look is still somewhat blurry due to seemingly ever changing Covid-related restrictions and the summer construction project at Ohuta Park, but regardless, the shows are still slated to go on! Stay tuned to our website and Facebook page for more details.

Soon, as Covid continues to subside, and I get settled into my position here, we will relaunch many of the communications and activities the Chamber has been known for. Look for more regular e-newsletters, Lunch and Learns, Business After Hours, and other seminars and networking events coming down the pike soon.

To close, I’d like to say thank you to the community for welcoming me to Lake City with open arms. My personal mission is to forge many partnerships and collaborations with your various businesses and organizations, and to help facilitate even more partnerships and collaborations between yourselves. Working together will make our community stronger and bring us all together as one robust, connected, and healthy Lake City.

My door is always open. Let’s talk.

Sincerely,

Ed Hoffman

Executive Director, Lake City Chamber of Commerce