Culinary Bootcamp

Rendered joined the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber of Commerce in September, and on Monday I went to Culinary Bootcamp, its new-member orientation, at Brightly Senior Living in Glen Carbon. The chamber commits to the bit: the benefits come as a Menu of Services, and you leave with an action plan that asks you to mark the three to five you'll actually use.

Dawn Mushill speaks to new members beneath a globe chandelier, with a Business Referrals slide on a TV nearby. — Dawn Mushill walks new members through business referrals.

Dawn Mushill, who leads the chamber, walked a room of new members through all of it, with help from Emily Gretak and Sami Holshouser. When someone calls the office looking for a roofer or a caterer, a member gets the referral, and the ad space on the chamber's website, the Chamber Pulse newsletter, and the member list are all there for the asking.

The view from a seat at a black-draped table toward the presenter at the front of the room, with the table in the foreground out of focus. — The view from my seat.

Dawn Mushill gestures toward the room while speaking, in front of a potted tree in a macrame basket. — Dawn Mushill at Culinary Bootcamp.

One slide had nothing to do with business. The chamber runs Troy's Hometown Heroes banners with the city, and they aren't only for veterans: any Troy resident who has made a real difference can be nominated. Dawn has one of her own, a surprise from her board of directors on her 25th anniversary with the chamber last year.

Dawn Mushill looks up at a slide titled Troy Hometown Hero Banners, showing three banner portraits of local servicemen; her own Hometown Heroes banner, with her portrait and her title, President/CEO of the Troy/Maryville/St. Jacob/Marine Chamber, is laid alongside the screen as an inset. — Troy's Hometown Heroes banners on the screen at Culinary Bootcamp, and Dawn's own banner on the right, from the chamber's Hometown Heroes page.

It was a lot to take in, a bit like drinking from a fire hose, and I left with my three to five marked. Thanks to Dawn, Emily, and Sami, and to Brightly for hosting and Firehouse Subs for lunch.

You can catch Dawn and the chamber team next at the 2026 Women's Conference on November 4 in Edwardsville, where she's one of the speakers.

Notes, by email