“I remember my first day as President of the Grand Haven Chamber of Commerce. When I arrived, I was fortunate enough to have met a board member who provided me a place to live until I found a home. I got up in the morning and experienced the beauty of the lake and all its glory, then drove into work and met the most amazing people who worked here. I came into this office and looked out the window and said, ‘Wow’: there were boats in the harbor and there were so many people walking around. So when I made the decision to come here, this was where I had planned to stay and retire.

Over the last 24 years since, so many things have happened. Out the window is the Lyne Sherwood Riverfront Stadium. IT used to be bleachers that blocked your view and basically cut off the vision of people walking on the boardwalk in the waterfront of the downtown. This was just redone about four years ago, and it’s now become this open space where people gather and hold concerts, and the connectivity to the downtown is so much better to Main Street. Main Street has been reborn as well, as the community made an investment in streetscape and heated sidewalks, and businesses started to improve their exteriors. New businesses were added downtown. The dynamics over the years have been very carefully planned, but they’ve been done in a way that’s been very thoughtful of the environment and the visibility that residents and visitors have of our wonderful waterfront.

You can live here and wherever you are, you’re only probably two or three miles away from a body of water, so it’s just such an amazing environment and Ottawa County has done such a great job with our park systems. We’re a great place to find a job and our school system is phenomenal. So, from the standpoint of it being a destination to live, work, play, and learn, there is no place better in the state of Michigan, as far as I’m concerned.

Well, we’re really one of those very, very lucky communities that you don’t see the primary driver of our economy, which is manufacturing. Folks visit here, and it’s like, ‘Oh, wow, this is a great place for tourism. This economy has got to be driven by tourism.’ But the primary driver is actually manufacturing, so we have a year-round economy here. I’ve seen transitions, like everyplace else, where there’s less local ownership of local manufacturers, but they’re still here. They’re producing goods and services. They’re contributing to the economy. They’re growing the tax base. We have a lot of local entrepreneurs that have started new businesses, and they’ve grown exponentially. We’re unique in that we see stores and restaurants stay open in the wintertime, restaurants are open in the wintertime.

We’ve built an amazing adult leadership program. We have our Early Bird breakfasts for networking and being connected to the community. We run the farmers market, do the Jingle Bell parade at Christmas, I’ve been able to be involved in the sand sculpture contest. I’ve been involved in economic development projects.

If you don’t have a strong community, you don’t have a strong chamber, so we come at things from a holistic perspective. Finding ways to get engagement by citizens and for businesses and citizens to engage with each other and become involved is really critical to the long-term success of any community. That’s why we do all of the things that we do, to get everybody connected. B

I have loved my time with the Chamber. It’s been such a great opportunity to be involved in so many diverse things. So, you know, I know in my retirement, I’ll find other ways to be engaged and involved. But I mean, I’ve had such a full 24 years, it’s been amazing.”

—Joy Gaasch, former president of the Grand Haven Chamber of Commerce

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Phil Eich: Mark, did you grow up here?

Mark Allen: Not here in Grand Haven, but in West Michigan. But even as a child, like this is where we would come to go to the beach. So then, you know, through high school and college and now in my adult life with my wife and children, like this has been our place. We would rent for many years. We would rent condos for weeks at a time to stay, you know, during Coast Guard or Fourth of July or, you know, Joy mentioned how the vibe kind of changes based on what’s going on, and it’s so true with the sidewalk sales or on the waterfront, the city just transitions, and it’s always different, which I think is very unique for a community to be able to accomplish that and still keep people coming back for more.

Phil Eich: Yeah, so where’d you go to college?

Mark Allen: I was at Grand Rapids Community College, Davenport University. Business. It was a lot of business administration, and then I took a little time off, went back, and finished up and got my business administration degree.

Phil Eich: After college, what did you do?

Mark Allen: So between, you know, we, I went back to college after being married and two and a half kids at that point, with one on the way. I decided, “Oh, this is a great idea. I’m gonna go back to college.” Right? It’s great timing, take care of all this. So, you know, and I think that, you know, that focus on business in my education has really helped me understand businesses from entrepreneurship, the startup companies, on up to the larger organizations and the needs and the challenges that they have. So I bring with me 14 years of chamber experience from the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, I was an ambassador here, so I’ve known Joy for probably 18 to 20 years. And so through my involvement in this community and my previous job when this was my market, before my chamber experience, and then that was 14 years at the Grand Rapids Chamber, and us working together as a community and collaboration, my desire to be here grew and grew and grew. And I’ve told Joy many times, like, “I want your job.” I didn’t think she was ever gonna give it up, though.

Phil Eich: Yeah. It’s interesting that you bring up that business part and really understanding businesses of our different scales at a foundational level—everything from “This is my first business, and I’ve been open for two weeks” to something that is a very large corporation, a very large manufacturer. Something like that, you will being able to understand them on a foundational level, I think, is such an asset from the chamber perspective because you’re more than just a talking head President. Like, you understand the needs of a business. What does it take to make this business successful? What does it take from a community’s perspective to make a successful business? And how does Grand Haven offer that to businesses?

Mark Allen: So, I think the first part of that is getting to know those businesses and really sitting down and having a conversation with them, where they’re at in their business, and what are those specific needs. And on the backside of that, having a wealth of knowledge and the resources, the people, and the other organizations that we can connect them with. And Joy mentioned the economic development work that the Chamber does. This community is so fortunate that their chamber is both the business and a community chamber, not one or the other. And then you throw in that economic development part of it. So I will get to know, but the staff already knows the businesses and where they can point those small startup businesses or if I’m a larger business and I’m having a talent issue. Well, what are some opportunities in the community where we can show them? “Hey, you can do some training of your current staff and help bring them up to speed or enhance their skills or partner organizations with colleges and universities for specific intern programs, educational opportunities,” and things like that. So just getting to know the community. And for me, having worked this as part of my market in my previous role in the staffing industry, reconnecting with those businesses, seeing how they’ve grown and changed, and what their needs are today compared to what they were before, and then putting then my chamber hat back on from the last 14 years, and how do we connect them with people and resources? And that’s one of my passions, is that learning. I always say, “If I go to a business and I get to go on a tour and I’m given a pair of safety glasses at the front door, I know I’m in for something pretty cool.” And then how do I take that back out with me and find those resources that they need to connect with? So my passion is learning about businesses, helping them grow. And to do that, you have to be able to find the opportunities and make those connections.

Phil Eich: I love that. Talk to me about this. This is bad interview practice, asking two questions at one time. But talk to me about what is my advantage of being a business and becoming part of the chamber? How does that help me? Because not every business is part of the chamber. So what is the value to me if I buy a storefront here? What is the value to me becoming part of the chamber? And then the second part of that, and you can punt this, and I’ll remind you after. What is the benefit of the chamber to the rest of the community? How does the chamber make my life better if I’m just a citizen with a manufacturing job?

Mark Allen: So, the first question—oh, gosh, and now you have to refresh me on the first one.

Phil Eich: What is the business? What do I stand to benefit from joining the chamber?

“When a business joins the chamber, they’ve just added 10 people to their team who are out there in the community and working on their behalf, advocating for their success and their growth. It’s keeping an eye out for people they should be connected to, or potential future clients. Members also have access to all of our events and programs throughout the year like our Early Bird breakfasts and the adult and youth leadership programs, the Adult Learning Program, and the Youth Leadership Program. So there are so many things that they can take advantage of through that membership and investment in the chamber, alongside us helping them connect, grow, and be successful.

I’ve admired Joy Gaaschg for many, many years. And watching her grow this organization and build the teams that she’s assembled over the last 24 years. And to be part of that, but the opportunity to learn from her. So I’m taking in all I can this week and next week from her. And

I think the other thing is just my passion for this community and having been connected to it for so many years. And, you know, as we’ve come into our adult life, spending more time here consecutively. We live here all summer long. In the winter, we live in Annville (?unsure if town name is correct) because we have kids and responsibilities there. But this has always been our end goal. And so now that’s in fast forward motion, and I hope to be here sooner rather than later on a long-term basis and really, then not just be part of the community from that business standpoint but really as a resident. My wife and I—well, I’m here now, she works downstairs for an organization. Two days here, three days in Grand Rapids for them. So it’s all coming together. It’s been our dream.

Joy Gaasch: I want to go back to the question you asked about what does it mean for the community as a

Phil Eich: Oh, there are, that’s uncommon.
gh our economic development contracts. We serve all businesses, not only members, so it’s a little different.

Phil Eich: Yeah. Oh, I love it. Well, you guys are absolutely delightful. I bought this camera. I’m so glad that we did this.

Joy Gaasch: What’s been good for Tim. Yeah, he really doesn’t. You know, you’re new to Yeah, no. Well,

Phil Eich: I told him that, too, when we were talking about prepping for this day. When I go into communities sometimes, sometimes directors will tag along. Sometimes they’ll say, “Hey, just text me or call me if you need anything.” And I go around independently, and he right away was like, “This is a great opportunity for me to sit and just kind of listen to people’s stories. And if they get to meet him if they have not, and he gets to know them in a deeper way than maybe like, ‘Hey, I run the breakfast place.’ ‘Hey, I’m Tim, the assistant city manager of New Cool, we’ll talk soon.’ Like, you really get to know, like she’s from Arizona, and she loves this place and she loves that it’s progressing and all of these things, and so it’s really a cool opportunity for him as well. So for us to be…