Young Professionals and Rotary Connect
This week, the Ottawa Rotary Club and the Chamber’s newly revitalized Young Professionals group united over lunch on Tuesday. The result was a packed PrimeTime Grille party room and really great fellowship (pictures here). The Young Professionals group aims to help younger members of our county’s workforce develop personally and professionally. They do this through educational, social, and volunteer opportunities. Their attendance at Rotary combined the educational and social aspects of its mission, as they soaked in what it meant to be a Rotarian. They also connected with each other and the members of this local civic club—two birds, one stone! If you would like to host YP members or become a potential member, please contact our Community Liaison, JieJie (email here).
Rotary’s speaker on Tuesday was the Ottawa Library, as they touched on their O-Town Reads program. Their team has not sat around since their purchase of 500+ books, as they continue to disseminate and create programming around the themes of this story. You can check out all of their upcoming programs on this flyer here (view that flyer here). If you haven’t already picked up a copy, don’t let the work at City Hall keep you from snagging one for yourself. Head downstairs at 101 S Hickory for your copy of The Midnight Library.
City Commission Appoints Thatcher Moddie as City Manager
Welcome to Ottawa, Thatcher Moddie! The City of Ottawa’s new City Manager (full press release here). It’s great to hear the excitement from our five Commissioners at Wednesday’s meeting about what they saw in Thatcher throughout the interview process, and their hopes for what they see under his leadership moving forward. This week finishes a month’s worth of interviews, which were superseded by several months of work searching for the City’s newest manager, with the help of recruiters, SGR. Of the forty original candidates, this group was significantly narrowed through virtual interviews, and the process concluded with three final applicants for in-person interviews. Out of those three, Thatcher rose to the top for his desire to strengthen our city, its employees, its economy, and ultimately, all the citizens who make it up.
Over the last three years, Thatcher has been sharpening his skills in Herrington, Kansas. If you’re unfamiliar with this small town, you can find it by heading straight west on the Flint Hills Trail (FHT) for nearly 100 miles. A town not originally on the trail, but was expanded to Herrington through efforts supported by his leadership. I imagine his familiarity with trails is just one of the many reasons why he was selected to lead the City of Ottawa. From my brief run-in with him before the Commission meeting, I can see his hunger for this role and this community. I, for one, am extremely excited to see what is yet to come!
A Taste of Colombia at This Year’s Cultural Breakfast
One of my favorite Ottawa Memorial Auditorium events each year is the Cultural Breakfast, hosted in partnership with Ottawa University. This entails highlighting an international student, allowing them to share their culture with our community, and recreating local delicacies for breakfast. This year’s speaker was Alejandra Herrera, a senior from Bogotá, Colombia, who plays tennis and studies finance at Ottawa University (pictures here). Alejandra did a splendid job of giving participants a glimpse into her home, childhood, and culture. But before we moved upstairs for her speech, we were able to take our taste buds to South America with a traditional Colombian breakfast (pictures here).
She started her presentation by going back in time, sharing how Colombia began, and leading us to where it sits now in present-day South America. She shared that Colombia has undergone one of the grandest transformations of the 21st century, having faced immense struggles in the late 20th century. For a long time, headlines were dominated by violence, drug cartels, and internal conflict. Entering the 21st century, the country has advanced major security measures, pursued peace efforts, driven economic growth, and expanded its sharing of culture, creativity, and natural beauty with the world. Cities like Bogotá have invested in public spaces, transit, arts, and tourism, and there’s been a noticeable push to reclaim the narrative. Alejandra used an analogy, stating that viewing Colombia through this past is like looking at a masterpiece painting through a dusty keyhole. You might get a glimpse of what lies beyond the door, but one can’t fully appreciate it without opening it and seeing the full picture.
Some aspects of Alejandra’s presentation that stood out were the geographical significance of Colombia. Sitting on the equator, the country as a whole has an extremely consistent climate. The real change in weather depends on a city’s altitude, making it one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Though you might feel significant temperature changes from city to city as you move around Colombia, what you’ll find in the homes of those who make up the towns will be extremely similar. Alejandra shared that families are close-knit. So much so that it’s common to see extended relatives all come to live together under one roof. This rings true for her, as a dozen or more family members, including grandparents, aunts/uncles, and more, share a closeness that is slightly foreign to us here in the USA. This trait is one of the many things that Alejandra thinks make Colombia very special. It was evident that Alejandra has great pride in her home country, and we were blessed to share this glimpse of home with her here in Ottawa.
A Familiar Face Leads American Family Insurance Forward in Ottawa
For over three decades, the local American Family Insurance presence in Ottawa was anchored by Steve Norris, who operated out of 215 S Main Street. Around 2022, the agency underwent a change following Steve’s retirement and relaunched under Dee Jay Flummerfelt who opened a location at 116 S Main Street. Dee Jay was able to retain two amazing representatives from Steve’s office, Diane Carswell and Stephanie Valencia, who helped run the Ottawa office over the last few years. Towards the end of 2025, Dee Jay announced his retirement. Once again, this office would undergo a change, but this time with a very familiar face. We’re excited to have Stephanie Valencia, a longtime American Family employee and new Agency Owner, take ownership of this downtown business! Having worked in her father Steve’s location at 215 for many years, she is no stranger to insurance or the American Family flagship. When Dee Jay announced he would step out, Stephanie stepped up and is now the proud local agent providing our community with home, auto, life, and other coverages offered through American Family.
This morning’s Ribbon Cutting had strong community support, as we filled Stephanie’s office to learn more about her, the change, and the services she provides (pictures here). Throughout her story, her desire to give back to our area was evident to all who listened. Though this transition has been a lot of work, she’s so glad she can follow in her father’s footsteps and provide these necessary services to our community—and we are, too! One of the last things she touched on was how she started at American Family and where she is now. What began as a job after college became a passion for working with her clients. She said that if the people she worked with were anywhere else, she’d work there too! It’s obvious that when you stop in 116 S Main Street, you’re going to be met with a smile and taken care of. The Chamber is excited to see Stephanie lead this branch forward, alongside longtime coworker Diane Carswell and Sales Specialist Jason Schwab. Congrats, American Family team!
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T-minus one day till Valentine's Day! If you have not already done your shopping for your significant other, you’re not out of luck yet. Many of our local establishments can help you out, but you'd better act quick. For all those who plan ahead, good on you! I hope that, whether you’re a planner or a procrastinator, you have a great Valentine’s Day with your special someone. Talk to you soon,
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
