Chamber President & CEO Norma Lansing Announces Retirement

The Effingham County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors announces the upcoming retirement of President & CEO Norma Lansing, effective April 30, 2021.

Lansing has served as President & CEO since 1988. During her tenure, the Chamber has nearly doubled in membership size, became a county-wide chamber, and introduced many key programs including the Chamber Community Scholarship Program that has awarded over $200,000 to local students, the Business Outreach Center which serves local entrepreneurs and business owners with counseling, services, and the Cooperative Energy Buying Program, offering business savings on their commercial energy needs. 

Under Norma’s leadership, the Chamber has won numerous state, regional, and industry awards, including being named national Chamber of the Year in 2020 and the Illinois Chamber of the Year in 2016.  Lansing has built relationships between business, education, and government that have resulted in programs such as Effingham County CEO, Effingham County Vision 2020, and Effingham Regional Career Academy.

She has been the recipient of a leadership award from the Illinois Workforce Partnership, Distinguished Illinois Chamber Executive Award by the Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, Outstanding Leadership in Community and Economic Development by East Central Illinois Development Corporation, and the Vocational Excellence Award by Effingham Noon Rotary. She is an accredited Illinois Chamber Executive and graduate of the Institute for Organization Management, Basic Economic Development Course, and Dale Carnegie Training.

In announcing Lansing’s retirement, Chamber Board Chairman Jeff Speer of ReMax Key Advantage noted, “The Board of Directors and I appreciate the 30 + years of service that Lansing has contributed to the growth and success of the Chamber.  At every meeting, my appreciation of Norma’s leadership and admiration for how much she loves our community grows.

“We understand that finding Lansing’s replacement will be difficult, but we have been working on this succession plan for nearly two years and are confident that we will attract an experienced and capable individual to lead the Chamber in its role as the leading business development organization in Effingham County”, Speer concluded.

The Chamber Board has retained Ottsie, LLC, Sally Rutledge Ott, ACE, NFPC, to conduct a search for the next Chamber President & CEO.  For more information, email Sally at effceochamber@gmail.com.