Winter 2023 Note from the Chair

Let me begin by saying that it’s been a privilege to serve as Chair of the Vermillion Area Chamber & Development Company. My tenure with the board is almost over, so I think it’s fitting to reflect on the role of the VCDC and its board.

The VCDC staff work every day to better the business community, and do a lot of things that have immediate benefits, like hosting ribbon cuttings and marketing our member organizations. The VCDC board is the other side of this coin. Our work concerns the bigger picture and the longer term. We do what we do because we are building for the future residents of Vermillion and the future businesses that will want to move here.

Our work has always been about creating an environment that fosters growth, innovation, and opportunity, thereby improving the quality of life in the Vermillion area. Ultimately, the legacy of the board lies in the improvements we make today and the foundations we lay for tomorrow. There is something incredibly satisfying about watching the growth in Vermillion these past few years and knowing that I had the privilege to serve in an organization that helped make it possible.

But the work of the VCDC is never done, and that’s the best part of it all. We’re not here to make a splash and then rest on our laurels; we’re here to make Vermillion a better place! The VCDC’s is a continuing legacy, and therefore an enduring legacy, because the work doesn’t end when any of our members’ terms are up. Instead, we get new faces and new ideas to elevate Vermillion, and I’m very excited to meet the three new board members that will be elected this year.

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t shout out our final events of the year. I hope you’ll join us for the Eighth Annual Standstill Parade of Lights, which will feature the official Vermillion Christmas Tree lighting by none other than Santa himself. Then, on December 12th, toss on an ugly sweater and join us at McVicker plaza from 4–6 for the VCDC Holiday Party to round out the year.

It has been my honor to lead the board and work with the outstanding VCDC staff. I look forward to the continued growth of this great community as we continue to build it together!

Jeff Erickson

2022-2023 Board of Directors, Chair