from the chair

From the Outgoing Chair

Scott Pohlson

With the end of 2021 came the end of my tenure as the Vermillion Area Chamber & Development Company’s (VCDC) Chair of the Board.

It has been my honor to serve as Chair of the Board these past two years, and to help lead the efforts of the VCDC during a very tumultuous and challenging time. As the outgoing Chair, I cannot express enough gratitude to all my fellow Board Members and to our entire membership and staff for the trust placed in me during a critical time, and for the answers you provided throughout this difficult year.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that adaptability is imperative if a company or organization is going to thrive. I’m proud to say that we’ve done that – we’ve adapted, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. In fact, the VCDC stood out amongst its peers and was gifted several prestigious awards throughout last year. In 2021, to begin the snowball of award nominations and receptions, the VCDC received a Bronze Telly Award for the Standstill Parade of Lights Broadcast in the Live Events category. At the Mid-America Chamber Executives (MACE) Awards in May 2021, the VCDC was nominated for three of six awards: “Resilience in the Face of Adversity,” “Executive of the Year,” and “Public Policy of the Year.” You read that right, folks… that’s half of the awards. To wrap up the year, the VCDC was awarded the “Overcoming Adversity” award in Chicago at the Mid-America Economic Development Council’s annual conference.

These awards symbolize the outstanding efforts that the VCDC was able to make in partnership with the Vermillion community and the surrounding area. I’m incredibly proud of the team at the VCDC, and I am confident that they will feed off the momentum from the recognition they received last year as they move into the new one.

Before I conclude, I want to give a warm welcome to the incoming Board Chair, Jeff Erickson, and recognize his tireless efforts this past year as the Vice Chair. Jeff’s talent and commitment will continue serving the VCDC and our members very well, and I ask that you join me in wishing him the very best for his tenure in 2022.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve in this role. Together, we not only weathered the storm, but we pursued opportunities to position the Vermillion Area for even greater success in the future. It has been a sincere pleasure to be a part of it all.

- Scott Pohlson

Winter 4

“THE VCDC RECEIVED A NUMBER OF PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS IN 2021. ONWARD AND UPWARD FROM HERE!”