For the start of 2024, the Panora Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new Coordinator.

Lakeside Massage and Bodyworks Owner Erica Matthies says that she’s looking forward to working with the Chamber in a different capacity. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio why she decided to apply for the coordinator position.

“Well, recently we moved out to Panora about four years ago, and I moved my business here. And so I wanted to be locally involved, making sure that the Panora business district continues to grow and thrive. We have two young kids, and so we plan on being here for a long time and want to see positive changes, and if I want to be a part of that, then I’ve got to step up and do something for it.”

Matthies mentions that she and her husband decided to move to Panora from Des Moines during the Covid Pandemic, as it was a smaller community and a place she had fond memories of from visiting her grandparents when she was a child. She adds that she looks forward to working with the other Chamber members on the events coming up in the year.