Southwest chamber picks new leader

NEW BREMEN - A new executive director will lead the Southwestern Auglaize County Chamber of Commerce beginning Monday.

Board president Lori Rindler announced Wednesday that New Bremen native Logan O'Neill was chosen for the position. Logan will replace Scott Frey, who tendered his resignation effective March 24.

O'Neill, 26, is a 2006 New Bremen graduate and received his bachelor's degree in business and marketing from Bluffton University in 2010.

O'Neill had worked at Lima Memorial Hospital as an on-boarding and marketing specialist for Lima Memorial Physicians, matching new doctors with patients and coordinating advertising and events, Rindler said. He also worked at Cisco Marketing in New Bremen and is a volunteer with the New Bremen Fire Department.

"To work at the chamber, you have to be great at marketing, not only marketing the chamber but helping the businesses that are members," Rindler said. "He has a very strong marketing background and he's very approachable and easy to talk to."

O'Neill has several good ideas for the future of the chamber and for its website, Rindler said.

"He actually went and talked to businesses before his interview to find out what they liked best about the chamber and what they thought could be improved," she said.

O'Neill said the chamber promotes and engages members and their businesses in New Bremen, New Knoxville and Minster and helps promote the communities.

"We live in great communities ... some call it the 'Golden Triangle,' " he said. "There's a lot going on in the communities, and I want to give back and help businesses succeed in a global economy. ... I plan to work to support the growth of companies and the citizens and enhance the lives of the people the chamber serves."

The chamber board received about 15 applications and interviewed seven candidates for the position, Rindler said.