BY: RACHEL WUMKES

I know it sounds super cliché, but did I blink, and another year passed? Were we not just basking in the warm, sunny weather, watching fireworks over the Lake for our fabulous 4th of July Extravaganza?

Seriously.  Time needs to slow down a bit.

We are now in that strange time frame between Christmas and New Year’s where I’m not sure what day it is, and I’ve only eaten snacks and junk food for the past week.  I do, however, love the barrage of lists produced to commemorate the end of the year.  It’s interesting to see the recap on various topics.

I will say, we did have another fabulous year in Clear Lake.  The highlight, as always, was our many amazing events attended by both locals and tourists.  We can always count on incredible attendance and participation in this town, and I love it!

Our Queen Bee, Trish Fundermann, spent the year doing what she does.  Planning, organizing, securing sponsors and hashing out all the logistics for each and every event the Chamber puts on.  I’m convinced she has some sort of superpower where she never sleeps, just works all day and night!

Libbey spent the year being the best cheerleader for Clear Lake.  Her incredible networking skills drum up tourism not only for our town, but all North Iowa.  She attended many trade shows and produced another spectacular Visitor Guide to promote our slice of Heaven.

Christina continues to hold it all together at the front desk.  She has officially put in her first full year at the Chamber and is already a pro at being the keeper (and knower) of all the things.

Rachel (that’s me) continues to write as many words as possible about this awesome little town.  Every now and then I go back through the blog archives and am amazed at how many articles have been published over the years!  It’s still a rush when people learn my name and say, “Oh, you’re the one that writes the blogs for the Chamber!”  It’s nice to know they’re being read.

We started the year with Tim at the helm of this crazy ship, but he decided to hang up his Captain’s hat and retire.  Mid-year, we welcomed Stacy Doughan as our new President and CEO.  She is the perfect fit in the Chamber puzzle, providing a breath of fresh air to our organization.  I can’t wait to see what direction she takes us in the upcoming year.

With another year under our belt, we look forward to 2020 with anticipation of so many amazing things to come.  The splash pad renovation is underway, the new hotel and conference center looks to be a promising addition to our community, our schools are thriving, and the Surf Ballroom just keeps on rocking.

And you can rest assure we will have all your favorite events and activities in the upcoming year.

I’m not sure how paradise can get any better, but it’s looking like 2020 might shape up to be our best year yet!

Thank you all for another wonderful year at the Lake.  We couldn’t do what we do, day in and day out, without the support from our fabulous community.

Happy New Year!