There are plenty of reasons to love our area. The County is a beautiful place to live, work, raise a family. Central Aroostook is where neighbors become friends, friends become family and you can always count on a friendly face and a helping hand when you need it most. Central Aroostook County has given me so much to be thankful for that it’s only natural that I want to give back.
That’s my main reason for being part of the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. To do what I can for others and maybe encourage those “from away” to understand what it is to be a part of our area, our culture, our family.
Shawn Lahey (contributed photo)
I started volunteering with the Chamber about two years before I was invited to join the Board of Directors. I’m currently in my third year as a director and nearly half of that time serving as Board president.
In that short time there have been a number of great and positive changes to the Chamber. The biggest was bringing the Caribou area businesses on board. It’s been exciting to get the Caribou area businesses transitioned and has made our Chamber membership much stronger as a unit and further reinforces that our communities and neighbors are all in this together. If you’re interested in the success of central Aroostook, I’d encourage you to get in touch with the Chamber to see how you can help as well.
Being a part of the Chamber has given me a great opportunity to learn about the unwritten benefits the wonderful staff and Board provide as well. Residual effects are often realized by things like organizing and hosting the Crown of Maine Balloon Fest to bring tourists and balloonists to our area to eat in our restaurants, shop in our stores and stay in our hotels.
Things like celebrating our accomplishments with the annual Business and citizen of the Year and Lifetime Achievement awards that really put a spotlight on those that work hard and deserve the recognition and admiration they’ve earned.
Even the simple things like maintaining the baked potato booth at the Northern Maine Fair as a service to the area’s residents while tipping a hat to our rich societal roots in agriculture where our area’s commerce really started. Equally as important is the Chamber’s commitment and dedication to our 20-plus communities’ citizens.
The Board of Directors and the Chamber staff have a true passion for all of our communities and want to see every one of them thrive — from Oxbow to Easton, Blaine to Connor and everywhere in-between. We’ll bring our passion, commitment and dedication in full force to make sure our neighbors, our family, have that friendly face or helping hand when they need it.
Shawn Lahey is a programmer analyst at MMG Insurance in Presque Isle. He takes pride in being a “County boy” from Caribou and an alum of Caribou High School, NMCC and Husson University’s Presque Isle location and now resides in Presque Isle with his family.
