​The city of Bloomington is now interested in purchasing Monroe County’s convention center and possibly other land from the county government, in order to pursue the expansion of the facility.
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That’s the message that was conveyed to county commissioners during public comment at the start of their Wednesday meeting, when Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce president Eric Spoonmore told the commissioners that “a viable path forward for convention center expansion” could “involve a transfer of assets from the county to the city.”

Spoonmore said the city of Bloomington is “willing to reasonably compensate the county.” No dollar figures were mentioned by Spoonmore or by deputy mayor Don Griffin, who followed Spoonmore to the public mic.

Griffin wrapped up his remarks in under a minute, saying, “We’re ready to talk. I’m ready to listen. And let’s move forward.”

The expansion project which was supposed to be a joint venture of the county and city governments, has been stalled since early March 2020, before the pandemic hit.  The county and the city were having trouble coming to terms over the selection of members for a capital improvement board, which could provide governance for the expanded convention center.

If the city were the sole governmental entity undertaking the expansion, that work would not require the kind of close collaboration between the city and the county, which up to now has not been achieved.

​The month of June saw record temperatures and tempers rise throughout the Midwest.   It only seemed fitting to bring in the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce President, Eric Spoonmore.  Having studied and loved the world of politics, Eric knew early on that he wanted to be part of shaping and supporting a community.  He was always interested in working as a City Manager but the State of Indiana doesn't allow that position to exist.   
 
Eric's journey has taught him that the business sector is the stable foundation of your community, not the government, and how important local voting is within your community. This affects everything from tax dollars, roads, services, not just political standings.  His stories of steering the local community through COVID, while serving on the County Council, and his transition into the Chamber demonstrate that hard work and listening to others really does pay off.
 
While Eric might be a bit disappointed that Mirianda Lambert wouldn't be joining us, even though he was playing her latest music while on vacation, this episode has  passion and humor that you don't want to miss.

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce held the Community Conversations: Future of Lake Monroe event Friday.

It featured a presentation from Lake Monroe watershed coordinator Maggie Sullivan and a panel discussion featuring on challenges that may impact businesses, tourism and sustainability.
During her presentation, Sullivan discussed the threats facing Lake Monroe and the 2022 Lake Monroe Watershed Management Plan.

“The big thing I wanted to do was give an overview of Lake Monroe and the top issues facing the lake, which are harmful algal blooms, sediment, nutrients and fecal contamination.” Sullivan said in an interview.
She also wanted to discuss the Watershed Management Plan and the steps it outlines for addressing those problems at the source.
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“By making changes up in the watershed so that those contaminants don't get into our water,” Sullivan said.

Leslie Abshier was brought into the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors effective May 25, 2022. 

"I am honored to join this group of community leaders to serve on the Board for the Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington. The Chamber has a strong history and reputation of supporting nonprofit members and I am pleased to be a part of that continued effort in the years to come." 

Leslie Abshier has served as Resource Development Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington since 2014. She has grown the organization from a $900,000 annual operating budget to a $3.2 million operating budget today. She successfully led an $11 million Capital Campaign for the Club in 2016. She leads a Resource Development Team of three professionals at the Club doing work in fundraising, events, marketing, communications, grants and donor relations.

Leslie has earned national and state recognition for her work in development at the Club. In 2020, she won the Resource Development Professional of the Year for the Midwest Region of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. She also won the Indiana Area Council of Boys & Girls Clubs Professional of the Year in 2021. She has earned awards locally, as well, including the Fast 15 MVP Award in 2021 and the 10 Under 40 Award from the Chamber’s Young Professionals Bloomington group in 2019.

Previously, Leslie worked two years in full-time ministry, and spent two years as Development Director at LIFEDesigns. 
Leslie is a proud O'Neill Alum holding a Master’s of Public Affairs in Fund Development & Nonprofit Management, a Master’s Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship and a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Affairs all from Indiana University, Bloomington. Leslie enjoys giving back to her Alum Mater as an adjunct faculty at Indiana University teaching undergraduate students about the non-profit sector and fund development.

Leslie has lived in Bloomington since 2005 and is very active in the community. She has served on the Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association board, the Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission, Business Networking International (BNI) leadership, and with the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals group. She is also a volunteer staff member and teaching pastor at Genesis Church.
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Leslie has been married to her husband Chris, a lifelong Bloomington resident, since 2011. She has two young sons, Jack and Charlie. The Abshiers like to fix-up their 100-year-old house, go antiquing, attend IU sporting events of all kinds, watch the Colts play football, visit local markets and shops, and are very involved in activities with their children.