Five Minutes With Orland Chamber Director And New President

Amy Coghill will follow in her father’s footsteps next week as she’s seated as the 2011 President of the Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Coghill, 31, events coordinator at Silver Lake Country Club, has served on the board for seven years, though her involvement with the chamber spans decades. Her father, John Coghill Jr., served as president in 1995.

As a girl, she remembers attending the chamber’s networking events. Her goal, as incoming president, is to strengthen the social atmosphere amongst the current business owners, while enticing potential newcomers to set up shop.

Earlier this week, Patch spent five minutes with Coghill and Keloryn Putnam, the chamber’s executive director, about what’s needed in the year ahead and how to aid the village in its recovery, providing local businesses with a cooperative edge over other areas.

JM: Orland Park administrators told us this fall, while putting together the budget, that the number of construction permits has dropped significantly. What might you do, as president, to help?

AC: I think just by making Orland a great business community, making it vibrant. That’s the thing that’s going to be bring business in here. It’s not like I can ask people or force them to (come here). The village is probably in a (better) position where they can give subsidies or TIFs (tax incremental financial districts) or whatnot to invite people.

I think just by promoting Orland as the place to do business and the place to spend your dollars, that’s probably the best thing. Probably more advertising, and by the businesses…continuing to provide great customer service and value to their customers.

I understand the seat you assume next week was once held by your father. Will your outlook or, say, governing style differ from your father’s?

Absolutely not. I am my father’s daughter to a T. I think it’s just a lot of thinking positive, so you have the clarity to see the place you need to go instead of focusing on the things that are beating you down.

What’s your first task on the job?

One of the things I want to do is bring the fun back to the chamber. I grew up in the chamber and it was literally something fun that I did with my family. It was a great opportunity—we were making friends and all these connections...in turn, they’re all well connected people that ended up bringing golf outings to their friends, the Coghills. So I think just bringing back the social aspect to the chamber and that, in turn, builds the relationships that’ll help people do business.

Another thing that we’re looking at doing is the leader cast, which is awesome and we did last year. It’s going to be a huge fundraiser for us. It’s a simulcast John Maxwell puts on, and he gets ten amazing speakers and we broadcast it over at Moraine Valley, and the public is welcome to come. It’s a one day event, but from that we try to get groups going afterward to focus on their business, think big, bounce ideas off each other and help their businesses grow.

Is there something you need to accomplish to consider your one-year term successful?

Just not screw things up too much. (Laughs)

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JM: How has Orland Park and Orland Hills compared to other areas during this recession?

KP: Pretty similar to other areas. I mean, the southwest suburbs are bearing, I think, a little bit better than some of the other more industrial suburbs. But everybody’s taking a hit. It’s been really tough for everybody.

What can the board do in the coming year to aid the village in its recovery and entice businesses to come here?

Basically what we want to do is to try to provide opportunities for education and training for our members. I’ll let them know if there’s anything coming up in terms of tax incentives, and things like that, that they can apply for. Pretty much a lot of our businesses are small businesses, so one owner is wearing, you know, 12 hats and trying to find ways to help them partner together with one another, to make their lives easier.

I’ve seen more and more of them start up (and) when (they need) errands they do hired help. For somebody who can’t really hire more employees, they can shop the work out to these smaller businesses, and that’s what they do. Our main thing is to…connect members together who can help each other.

Orland Park Area Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization that serves the business needs in the Orland community and surrounding suburbs. Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin will install the chamber’s 2011 Board of Directors on Jan. 27 at the Silver Lake Country Club. All are welcome to attend. The cost for the evening, including hors d’oeuvres and drinks, is $45 per person. Reserve a seat by calling 708-349-2972 or by visiting www.orlandparkchamber.org.