Many well wishers — from city staffers and chamber members to family and friends — made their way to the shelter house in Wiese Park at midday Friday to help celebrate the six years of Bob Wilson’s leadership of the Perry Chamber of Commerce.
The farewell cookout lunch attracted employees from every city department, and Wilson, surrounded by his family, was clearly touched by the celebration.
“Thanks. It’s been a blast,” he said. “If you have any complaints, they now go to Chrissy.” Chrissy VonBehren Danger is the current president of the Perry Chamber of Commerce.
VonBehren Danger flipped some quips of her own when she presented a gift to Wilson in gratitude for his service to the Perry commercial community. Along with a plaque, Wilson received tickets for the whole family to the Omaha Zoo.
While Wilson’s full-time employment is ending, he said he will stay around on an hourly basis to assist the chamber in its transition to a new executive director.
Wilson took up the leadership of the Perry Chamber in 2011 after studying commercial photography in Santa Barbara, Calif., and also doing a stint as a vintner in west coast’s wineries. He eventually returned to Perry and took up the chamber position.
The motto on his plaque had a camera theme: “Life is like a camera,” it read.
Focus on what’s important.
Capture the good times.
Develop from the negatives
And if things don’t work out,
Take another shot!
Wilson will soon begin work in the business development department of AccuJet Iowa, a local Perry firm that also hired VonBehren Danger in 2015, who was previously employed as the Perry Chamber of Commerce programming director.
[…] The point of the spear in any retailing rebirth in Perry will probably be the executive director of the Perry Chamber of Commerce, a position vacant since last summer with the departure of six-year director Bob Wilson. […]