Brewing Connections: Decorah Chamber Kicks Off 2025 Networking Series

Strong communities start with trustworthy reporting—give to local news now! DECORAH — The Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the first of two 2025 Networking Coffee Hours on Thursday, March 6, at The Landing Market. This casual yet impactful event, sponsored by Thrivent - Quadrant Financial Advisors, saw a great turnout with its aim to connect business professionals who are new to Decorah or newly appointed to their roles. Jessica Rilling, the Chamber Director, commented on the collaborative efforts between the Chamber and local economic development groups to enhance the community. "A big part of our job at the Chamber is to work on quality of life. We're great team players with economic development; they work hard to recruit businesses that may not know anything about the town. Once people get here, the Chamber does a lot to connect them with their peers and the community, helping them feel like this is a vibrant, happy, and safe place to live and work," said Rilling. She emphasized the importance of hosting events like this, which bring together various sectors of business and offer a space for professionals to meet and network. "In a small town, sometimes it's hard to build out that network of people, and events like this help with that. At the heart of it, you need a strong community to recruit new professionals, and Decorah is very good at that." Among the new faces at the event were Patti Hetrick, the newly appointed Vice President for Finance and Administration at Luther College, and Ben Garrett, a partner at Tailwind Capital Partners LLC, a real estate development and consulting firm. Both shared their personal stories of what brought them to Decorah and what they love about the community. Hetrick, who graduated from Luther College and previously lived in Minneapolis, shared that her decision to return to Decorah was driven by its "magical" qualities. "The people, the geography… It's the whole package. Decorah is just the right size, and coming back here as a Luther grad feels like coming home. The community works very well with the college, and once you're here, you'll never be bored," she said. Garrett, a native of Waukon, Iowa, had lived in Des Moines before moving back to the area. "There's a vibrancy here that's pretty unique for a town this size," he remarked. He also highlighted the accessibility of the river and trails, which is something that larger cities can't always offer. Currently renting a long-term Airbnb while deciding where to settle, Garrett sees significant opportunities in the local housing market. "From a real estate standpoint, there's a lot of opportunity here, especially in developing apartments and other types of housing," he added. Looking ahead, the Chamber is excited to host its second 2025 Networking Coffee Hour on Thursday, August 28. This future event will focus on new businesses and new business owners. To learn more about upcoming events, visit the Decorah Area Chamber's website at www.decorahareachamber.com Unlock a world of knowledge! Sign up for free DecorahNews.com newsletters and receive local news, local events and everything that is happening in and around Decorah.