We’ve supported Ste. Genevieve-area business for 102 years.

Mission Statement

Our Mission is to serve as an umbrella organization, striving to promote local businesses, arts and education while improving the quality of life by maintaining and developing the economic and historic environment of Ste. Genevieve and the surrounding area.

Who We Are

Since its establishment in April 1924, the Ste. Genevieve Chamber of Commerce has worked to support, promote, and educate local business owners in the region. The Chamber has a history of advocating for businesses as well as the area as a whole. From donating land in the 1950s for the city to build a library and park to promoting new-business ribbon cuttings and running the Summer Music Series, the Chamber works to enhance the opportunities of businesses and bring a larger market to the area.

First and foremost, the Chamber’s goal is to support its members and provide opportunities for success. Quarterly meetings are a great place for members to network and share ideas. The Chamber also provides professional development courses. Many of our local enterprises are single-owner businesses, and we understand the challenges those owners face. We offer access to continued education courses on tools like Facebook and Photoshop that can be used for marketing, Microsoft Office that can be used for record keeping, and more.

We also understand the importance of courting visitors to the area, so the Chamber has a voice when it comes to tourism. We supported the Tourism Department’s creation of the trolley service that shuttles visitors from our wonderful wineries to our historic downtown, providing the opportunity for winery-goers to also check out our fantastic business scene within the city limits. In 2008, the Chamber drove the effort of Ste. Genevieve’s participation in the Tour of Missouri, a road bicycle race held across the state over seven days. We’ve also worked to increase tourism signage around the area and near interstate exits to attract more visitors. Having a close relationship with the Tourism Department benefits our community, our businesses, and us all. 

With a creative and industrious spirit, the Chamber has a track record of engaging the community in memorable ways. Like in the 1930s, when the Chamber devised a clever way to drive support to local business—with a cow raffle. Everyone who shopped at a local business received a raffle ticket, and after a drawing on the town square, the winner took home a cow! Supporting the greater good in the community as a whole is another duty that we take seriously. Historically the Chamber has worked to put on events for landmark anniversaries for the city itself, as well as other community events like the Christmas parade, other holiday events, and more.

Due to the close relationships that form between the Chamber and its members, we witness firsthand the hard-working spirit of the Ste. Genevieve business community. We love to acknowledge that hard work at our annual Gala with our Community Service, Small Business, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. The Chamber also provides scholarships—one for Ste. Genevieve Schools and one for Valle Catholic Schools—for local students as a way to invest in the future of our people.

For more history about our great city and region, read more from our friends at Visit Ste. Genevieve. 

Board Members

Executive Officers

Justin Donovan, County Home Center
President
jdonovan@countydoitcenter.com

Roxanne Joggerst, MLC
Vice President
REJoggerst@MLC.com

Sara Opperman, Basler Funeral Home
Secretary
sara@baslerfuneralhome.com

Kathy Vaughn, Lakenan Insurance
Treasurer kvaughn@lakenan.com

Dena Kreitler, Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director

dena@stegenchamber.org

Board of Directors

Dr. Paul Taylor, SG RII School 
ptaylor@sgdragons.org

Amanda Schwent, Cedar Ridge Design
hello@designontheridge.com

Steve Bahr, Bloomsdale Bank
Steve.Bahr@bloomsdalebank.com

Adam Basler, Freedom Security
abasler@freedomsecurityusa.com

Rebecca Monia, Sara’s Ice Cream
rebecca.monia@gmail.com

Mary Oberle, SG Trolley
maryoberle0330@gmail.com

Samantha Kertz, Ability Network
skertz@abilitynetwork.org

Nick Oberle, First State Financial
noberle@fsfmonline.com

Brad Arnold, IDC Vice President
bradleyjarnold@gmail.com