Chamber Announces Marla Flowers As Director of Community Engagement
Terre Haute, Ind. – The Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce has announced an exciting addition to the staff, as Marla Flowers is hired as the Director of Community Engagement.
No stranger to the Terre Haute business community – or the Chamber – Flowers will oversee the implementation of the “See You In Terre Haute Community Plan”. The role will use Flowers’ skills and business knowledge to move the Community Plan forward, while managing the plan’s goals and six task forces. Flowers will also work to establish the plan regionally within West Central Indiana (including Clay, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo counties.)
While serving in a part-time capacity at the Chamber, Flowers will continue to provide support, in a more limited capacity, as a Project Engineer with Garmong Construction Services.
“It is a privilege to join the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce staff to advance the hard work and energy that has already gone into the development of the Community Plan. There is undeniable positive momentum since the launch of the plan and I look forward to jumping right in and working with each task force to keep them tracking toward their goals. Each task force will play a key role in the success of the plan and my objective is to help coordinate their combined efforts to ensure cohesion with the ultimate, desired outcome…a more diverse community along with a halt in population decline and increase per capita personal income.”
Before joining Garmong in 2019, Flowers spent 36 years at Hulman & Co. and Clabber Girl. It was with both companies that Flowers developed a vast business knowledge and cultivated relationships through decades of active community engagement.
“You’d be hard pressed to find someone in West Central Indiana that hasn’t worked with Marla in some capacity; whether in business, non-profit work or volunteering on a committee,” says Chamber President Kristin Craig. “At the Chamber alone she’s spent countless hours working as a board member and event chairperson. I cannot wait to collaborate with her in this role as we continue to work on realizing this community’s full potential.”
Craig explains that with years of experience serving in a volunteer leadership role at the Chamber, Flowers already has a great knowledge of the organization. As a longtime member of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, she served as Chair in 2017 while also working as the chair of the Chamber’s largest event, the Annual Meeting. Additionally, she currently serves on the Vigo County Historical Society Board, the Union Hospital Finance Committee and is a member of the Miracle on 7th Street Board of Directors. In the past Flowers served on the board of both the Indiana United Way and the United Way of the Wabash Valley. She is a past recipient of the Athena Award, the United Way of the Wabash Valley Richard Newport Award and the Junior Achievement Business Person of the Year Award. She is also a Wabash Valley Women of Influence recipient as well as a 2014 Terre Haute Dancing With the Stars champion.
Flowers will begin this new role at the Chamber immediately.
About the See You In Terre Haute 2025 Community Plan
The Community Plan was launched in August 2019 with the goal of aligning the public and private sectors. The plan addresses the hardships of the community through resource alignment, new programs and strategic funding sources, all while advancing Terre Haute and Vigo County’s growth opportunities around tourism and business development.
The plan, made up of six pillars and task forces, is currently addressing two major goals; to halt population decline and increase the individual per capita income.
More information on the plan and the six pillars can be found at terrehautechamber.com/seeyouinterrehaute.
About the Chamber
Established in 1913, the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce has been and always will be, committed to creating a community that is a great place to live, work and do business. Its mission is building business, building communities.
For more information, contact Katie Shane, Director of Membership and Communications at kshane@terrehautechamber.com or (812) 232-2391.
