New president, new year for Du Quoin chamber

The Du Quoin Chamber of Commerce will be meeting Wednesday at The "W" Restaurant. The board will meet at 6 p.m. with dinner and members' meeting at 6:30 p.m. If you plan to eat dinner please contact Stacy Hirsch at the chamber office at 542-9570 quickly. Cost of dinner will be $15 per person.

Robyn Laur Russell, native and returned-to-hometown resident of Du Quoin, is a graduate of is a two-degree graduate and 23-year employee of Southern Illinois University. Russell is currently the Director of Business Development & International Trade in the SIU Office of Economic & Regional Development. Russell has worked various positions in both business and education with one pointed focus: Small Business Development. Whether it be Chamber of Commerce work helping businesses or citizens, training individuals on business processes, assisting businesses with startup and/or expansion, helping a client protect their intellectual property, or helping entrepreneurs to start exporting as an additional revenue stream, her work all has one common goal--to help the people of Southern Illinois to move beyond the hurdles inherent in a rural region.

Russell serves on the Board of Directors of the Perry County CEO program for youth entrepreneurship, the Du Quoin Chamber of Commerce, and most recently just completed two terms with the Board of the Du Quoin Education Foundation.

She was a 2014 Graduate of the Delta Leadership Institute.

Russell sees a wealth of good and prosperous qualities in the Southern Illinois region, and works hard to make sure businesses can get to the outside world in the global marketplace, so in turn, the outside world learns more about the good quality of life and attributes inherent in the Southern Illinois region. Russell is married to Leo Russell, Jr., of Elkville, IL, and they have three daughters: Molly Clark, 20, and Maya and Malayna Russell, 13 and 10, respectively.