Slate of Candidates

Election for Board Directors

The Greater Ellettsville Area Chamber of Commerce will hold an election during the Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on Thursday, October 26.

Three Board Directors are up for reelection and one new Board Director

Christa Curtis - Cook Medical

Christa has worked in Marketing and Communications roles for more than 20 years in several industries, including media, tourism, wellness, and healthcare.
For the past 13 years, Christa has held various leadership positions within Marketing and Communications at Cook Medical. She currently serves as Vice President, Marketing and Communications for Cook Medical and serves on the Cook Medical Executive team. Her responsibilities include global oversight and direction over Cook’s marketing and communications activity, including brand strategy, creative services, corporate communications, product marketing, events management, and digital marketing.
Christa has lived in Ellettsville for 15 years with her husband Todd and their kids, Cameron and Emma.

Valerie DeWar - Hoosier Family Eyecare

Valerie DeWar and her husband, Dr. Lloyd DeWar, have owned and operated Hoosier Family Eyecare in Ellettsville since 1977. Valerie also has her own business as a milliner, making custom-designed hats. She is active in Boy Scouts and with the Ellettsville First United Methodist Church.

Valerie has served on the Ellettsville Chamber Board for many years. She attends Town Council meetings as a member of the advocacy committee to keep The Chamber engaged on local issues.

Valerie and her husband live in Monroe County. They have three sons, one daughter, and four grandchildren.

Savanah Whittaker - Edward Jones

Savanah Whittaker is a Financial Advisor in the Ellettsville area who works with individuals and small businesses to meet their financial goals; she has been with Edward Jones since 2017.

Savanah and her husband moved to Monroe county in 2018 and quickly became involved in the community.

Savanah has served as a member of the Edgewood Dollars for Scholars Board, Bloomington Sunrise Rotary Board, and held leadership positions on the Auxiliary Board to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington as well as the Ellettsville Lions Club.

Savanah previously served as the leader of the Ellettsville Chamber Ambassador program before taking on the role of Vice President of the Board of Directors in 2022.

Tyce Carmichael - Weddle Bros. Construction Companies

Director of Development and Technology –
Tyce is a graduate of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University with a BS in Marketing and Management. He excels at learning and applying new technologies, then working to implement best practices across groups and organizations. Tyce has worked in Marketing, Business Development, and Technology throughout his career giving him unique insights into business opportunities and lifecycles. He has a passion for the community and future health of the area, serving on the Executive Committee for the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation and as a previous Board Chair for Youth for Christ. Working in Construction also gives Tyce insights into key aspects of development and business retention, attraction, and expansion. Tyce grew up in Ellettsville, is a proud product of the Ellettsville/Edgewood school system, and currently resides in Ellettsville.