UWEC, E.C. Chamber of Commerce Honored by UW Board of Regents
Regents Business Partnership Award granted for ongoing collaboration
V1 Staff |

The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 110th annual meeting Thursday by giving out awards, as well as by receiving one.
The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents presented the Regents Business Partnership Award jointly to the Chamber of Commerce and UW-Eau Claire “in recognition of their ongoing collaboration and service to the region,” a media release stated.
Regent Karen Walsh president the award to Chamber of Commerce President/CEO David Minor and UWEC Chancellor James Schmidt during the annual “Eau What a Night” event at The Sonnentag Center.
“This award recognizes the deep and lasting relationship between UW-Eau Claire and the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce,” said Walsh, whose idea led to the creation of the Business Partnership Award in 2023. “Businesses in the Chippewa Valley are hungry for talent and UW-Eau Claire is producing more than 2,000 career-ready graduates every year.”
Added UW President Jay Rothman, “The collaboration between UW-Eau Claire and the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce is just one of many critical partnerships between our universities and businesses across Wisconsin.”
Schmidt stated that the relationship between the university and the Chamber of Commerce has been critical to numerous regional initiatives. “UW-Eau Claire is so fortunate and grateful to have a trusted partner in the Chamber, and the strength of our collaboration with their team has helped the community move forward,” Schmidt said. “Dave Minor’s vision and support over the past decade has been invaluable to our community’s success.”
In the media release, Minor noted that his organization and UWEC have a long history of collaboration. “The Chamber is proud to be a community convener that helps the stakeholders in our region collaborate to envision a brighter future for our world, and UW-Eau Claire is an invaluable partner in that work,” he said. “From our founding to the present day, strong higher educational opportunities have been central to developing our community and workforce. We are honored by this recognition from the Board of Regents.”
Past recipients of the Regents Business Partnership award include Mayo Clinic Health System, Kwik Trip, Haribo, Sentry, and 3M.
The Chamber of Commerce also honored the winners of several of its own awards at the celebration:
- Glassbrenner-Klinkhammer Spirit Award (awarded to the person who has demonstrated the highest level of commitment to the Chamber Ambassador program): Bonnie Krahn of Atmosphere Commercial Interiors.
- Outstanding Young Professional of the Chippewa Valley (in appreciation of adhering to the core values of the Young Professionals of the Chippewa Valley): Dustin Johnston of Northwestern Mutual.
- Young Professional Networker (in appreciation of outstanding engagement, networking, and active participation in YPCV events): Taylor Wilkins of the Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association.
- Young Professional Community Involvement Award (in appreciation of exceptional dedication to improving the Chippewa Valley and active involvement in YPCV and community volunteering): Jeni Thorpe of the Eau Claire Energy Cooperative.
- Public Employee of the Year (personal and professional development qualities that contribute to the spirit of progress between the public and private sectors – dedication, concern, productivity, quality of work, and a problem-solving attitude): Kristel Tavare of Chippewa Valley Technical College and Kimera Way of UW-Eau Claire.
Learn more about the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce at eauclairechamber.org.