By Thomas Clapper
FPS Staff Writer
The Minerva Area Chamber of Commerce has a new executive director, Nathan Meadows, who was approved by the board to take over the role from Denise Freeland.
“I feel like Denise has left such big shoes to fill that my concern is not falling flat on my face right away,” said Meadows with a laugh. “The Chamber Board has been more than gracious and has told me not to be afraid to reach out if I need anything.”
Meadows joined the chamber and has been working as an assistant to Freeland since the end of May 2023 to help with community events and Second Friday events. He is a few months short of having worked 26 years at Grinders Above and Beyond in the kitchen and has been head kitchen supervisor for the last 16 years. He has also served on Minerva Council as a councilman since 2020 and is currently deputy mayor. He also directs school plays and directs and sometimes stars in plays held at The Roxy Theatre downtown.
“I discussed this with council, and I am allowed to stay on as long as I abstain from anything that would pertain to the chamber,” said Meadows.
While Freeland is stepping down to accept a grant writing job at the Stark County Sheriff’s Office, she will remain part-time at the chamber, helping with day-to-day office duties. She will also assist Meadows in getting situated in the role.
According to Freeland, the opportunity with the sheriff’s department came up unexpectedly, and she had been looking into more opportunities to do grant writing.
“I think Nathan is going to do a great job,” said Freeland. “He has been involved with chamber events and community events outside of the chamber for years. He has a real heart for the community, and he is going to do really well.”
“I have been at Grinders so long it has become a safe space, and then this new opportunity was available, and I am ready to welcome change,” said Meadows. “The board and everyone involved were glad that someone was already out there in the community and working for the chamber. So, the bridge was not too far apart for me to integrate into this role. I will say I have been previously getting up every day at 4 a.m. to prep the kitchen and get the food ready at Grinders, so this will be an experience to get used to.”
The first main goal Meadows would like to tackle as director is outreach. He stated the chamber has between 140 and 150 members, and to him, they are all equally important, regardless of the size of the business.
“I know the smaller, less involved businesses don’t always get a nod, but I would like to reach out more to businesses and make them realize they are more appreciated in the community than maybe they think they are at times,” said Meadows. “I would like to put a spotlight on more smaller businesses. We all have to help each other; every business involved is equally as important as the rest.”
He would like to encourage more of these smaller businesses to potentially host business after-hours events, luncheons, and meet-ups.
“I know being in a small area, a lot of us know each other, but there have also been a lot of new small businesses opening,” said Meadows. “I would like to help every business grow and become stronger. I really want to get a hold of every member and introduce myself, let them know I would love to sit down and talk with them, and get acquainted with their business. I will listen and learn about ideas these businesses may have.”
Meadows said that despite Freeland being there to help, the role will involve a lot of give-and-take and learning. A large part of the role includes planning and booking events.
He said the chamber has recently started to ramp up bookings at The Roxy Theatre. A variety of bands, classic movies, plays, musicals, and more will be coming to The Roxy.
Upcoming Minerva Area Chamber of Commerce events include:
-Celtic Show of Irish Music and Dance, March 22
-Women of the Rock Hall Tribute Band at The Roxy, March 29
-Silver Springs Fleetwood Mac Experience, April 4
-Floyd Live, April 29
-Jazz Fest, May 17
-Minerva Homecoming, June 11-14
-Odd Mall, July 12
There will be additional events in between and coming up.
For more information on these events, including exact times, visit the Facebook page or website at https://www.minervachamber.org.
“I understand not everything is going to be a home run out of the park, but I want to try my best and live up to the standard Denise has set for the last 12 and a half years,” said Meadows. “I will do my best to expand on the good that has already been put in place.”