Board of Directors


	Penn Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors The Board is composed of nine (9) members, three (3) of whom shall be elected annually. In addition the President may appoint two (2) associate members who will serve for a term of one (1) year only. All serving Directors are volunteers. Each year in August new Directors are elected by the membership and following that election the newly seated Board elects Board Officers who will serve a term of one year.

		2009 - 2010 Board of Directors President Joe Imel Joe Imel has 33 years of experience in Nevada County in sales, management and floor covering installation. Motivated by his upbringing, to always do the best at anything he did, he and his brother founded Imel Flooring, Hardwood, Tile and Stone Center in 2000. What Joe like best about owning his own business is that he is able to treat his customers the way he believes a customer should be. Joe strives to provide the best possible product and service and this same standard of care can be found in his volunteer service in our community. Email: Imelflooring@yahoo.com Vice President Ed James Ed James – He’s impressive…no doubt about it. Ed has a master’s degree in civil Engineering and is a registered Civil Engineer in California. He worked as a civil engineer for several cities in Southern California and became the Director of Public Works in Burbank. Ed moved his family to the Bay Area where he became the assistant City Manager in Sunnyvale and ultimately for 11 years the City Manager of Concord. He retired in 2005 and in 2007 Ed and his wife, Sue, moved to Penn Valley. Ed and Sue have two daughters and one granddaughter. Their love of outdoor activities, especially fishing, led them to the Penn Valley area. We are grateful that both Ed and Sue volunteer time to our community. Treasurer Jeff George Jeff enjoys living and working in Penn Valley because it has such beautiful scenery all year round. Owning his architectural illustration business for over 27 years, Jeff works as a freelance artist for his clients, most of whom are architects in Sacramento or the San Francisco Bay Area. Jeff especially enjoys participating in the “signature” Penn Valley events such as the Daffodil Run, the Penn Valley Rodeo, and Smokin’ in the Oaks BBQ Cookoff. “When you get involved with these projects, you meet some great people and make some wonderful friends.” 432-9334 E-Mail: jmgeorge@ix.netcom.com Secretary Sherry Strong Sherry Strong has been in our community for 14 years, and boy is she involved! Sherry left a career in banking, thinking she was going to retire….little did she know how busy she was going to be. Sherry is the office manager for the Chamber of Commerce, our volunteer coordinator as well as the Board Secretary and Board Member. Sherry is also very involved with the Rodeo Association, serving on their board, and coordinating volunteers. You will find her at the Rodeo, and works in her spare time at the Tack Room. Sherry and her husband Tim enjoy camping, when they can get away. Director Murray Arnold Murray is the personification of positive energy. Not only is he an active member of the Chamber Board, he volunteers at the Nevada County Sheriffs Department and its Search & Rescue Program and serves on the 2006 Penn Valley Rodeo Association Board. Earlier this year Murray received the “President’s Volunteer Service Award”, an award given to those volunteering over 500 hours of time to community service. Secretly, to protect his lovely wife Marilyn from worry, Murray celebrated his 80^th birthday with his first skydiving jump. Need I say more?! 432-4530 E-Mail: marilyn@onemain.com Director Chuck Glahn Chuck and his wife Leila selected Penn Valley as the ideal location in which to live the life of carefree retirees. However it didn’t take long for Chuck to become deeply involved in community service activities here in Penn Valley. Even prior to retirement, while he was engrossed in his successful career in the pet food industry, Chuck made a commitment to be involved in his community outside of work. “I’ve always believed it is important to give back to the community in which I live and work.” Chuck explains. Not only has Chuck served as a Director and today is the Vice President of the Chamber, he is also the President of the Penn Valley Community Foundation. The foundation is comprised of a group of citizens whose mission it is to build a community center in Penn Valley. As if that is not enough, Chuck is also a member of the Penn Valley Hi-Graders Lions Club.273-2353 E-Mail: clglahn@jps.net Director Susan George Susan and her husband Jeff have owned their home at Lake Wildwood since 1992 and they made Penn Valley their home in 2002. Susan has been a Realtor for 33 years and also volunteers time to the Penn Valley Area Chamber, the Nevada County Joint Chambers of Commerce and the Gold Country Visitors Association. She feels community service is especially rewarding when community organizations pool their resources to host events, promote Nevada County and collaborate on projects that benefit the community. 432-9334 or 432-5735 E-Mail: sugeorge@earthlink.com Director Gaynl Mandle Gaynl knows football better than the rest of us because she worked many years for John Madden…the famous football personality. When she lived in Pleasanton, Gaynl was Mr. Madden’s personal assistant. Her experience includes setting and managing schedules, bookkeeping and property management.We are very fortunate at the Chamber to have the benefit of Gaynl’s multi-faceted experience and fun, upbeat personality.Email: gmandle@aol.com Director Sara Laurin Sara Laurin has lived in Penn Valley for 12 years with her husband and two children. She has successfully opened and sold a bakery/deli in Grass Valley, Summer Thyme’s. Currently she and her husband own Caleb’s Creamery & Coffee, where she has the opportunity to be in relationship with a large part of the Penn Valley community. Knowing and trusting the people who live in her community is a top family value priority. Although very busy with her children and business, Sara enjoys giving time to the Chamber, her children’s school, and other non-profits. She believes that if it’s not the community that reaches out and volunteers, we wouldn’t have such a wonderful place to live in. Advisory Director Lori Jayne Lori’s goal with the Chamber, as well as with her role with Citizens Bank, is to promote business in the area, so we can assure that our future generations will have not only ‘a way to make a living’, but the rural quality of life that she and her family continue to enjoy. You can reach Lori Jayne at 530-470-2839. E-Mail: of2coz@yahoo.com Advisory Director Louie Osterude Talk about a grass-roots activist, Louie is it. He is everywhere in Penn Valley, quietly working behind the scenes, lending a helping hand to many. Louie and his wife Joyce have owned Empire Fence for over 23 years and Penn Valley Fence Supply for nearly 9 years. Together, they became involved in community service activities to meet people and promote their businesses. “Today, that (community service) is just who I am”, explains Louie. It is no surprise that many organizations have honored Louie for his outstanding service to our community. 432-1955 E-Mail: empirefence@jps.net