Batavia Chamber Member Insider – Meet Amanda Slaiher

Welcome to the latest installment of our feature – the Member Insider! We are excited for you to learn more about your fellow Batavia Chamber members. We are beginning the series with our hard-working Board of Directors. To gain insight into our esteemed members, we are asking them to answer a total of 20 questions.

This week, we’ll learn a bit more about Amanda Slaiher, the director of philanthropy (chief fundraiser) for Covenant Living at the Holmstad. The Holmstad has been a member of the Batavia Chamber of Commerce for 45 years! Amanda has only been there since 2017, the same year that she joined the board.



Of course, we explored her thoughts about the Chamber. Here are her responses (we love every one of them, so we are sharing them all!):

Question: What makes our organization’s mission powerful for you?

Answer: The Batavia Chamber lives its mission everyday by reaching out to business members to understand how we can best serve them right now. The Chamber is passionate about tackling current business issues and finding creative ways to lift our businesses and highlight our community to new consumers.

Q: What interests you most about the Batavia Chamber?
A: The Batavia Chamber has personality! It seems to be a tradition to lead this organization with humor, humility, and a human touch. 

Q: What skills, connections, resources, and expertise do you offer and use on the behalf of the organization?
A: I hope to lend my experience in fundraising and nonprofit management, as well as my writing and listening skills.   

Q: Why did you join the Chamber’s board?
A:  Because Holly asked, and Margaret let me stay! 😊

Q: What is your favorite Chamber event to participate in and why?
A: I love the BWIB Holiday Luncheon – so much fun networking and celebrating, while raising funds and toys for Batavia ACCESS Toy Drive and Batavia United Way.

Q: If you had unlimited resources, what is the one thing you as a board member would like to do for our business community?
A: If I could, I would pay the rent for everyone until the pandemic has passed.

Q: What does the Batavia Chamber do better than anyone else?
A: The Batavia Chamber sees the people behind the business.

Q: How do you think that the Batavia Chamber impacts the community?
A: The Batavia Chamber is committed to facilitating the success of businesses through building connections between businesses to foster collaboration and attracting new customers to our businesses through creative marketing.

Q: What does "success" mean to you in terms of your work as a board member?
A: Success means putting creative ideas into practice, culminating in the success of our business members.
Next, we asked Amanda about her work life; here are her chosen questions with answers:

Q: What is your favorite thing about your career?
A: I love making connections with older adults. It can be a lovely season of life.

Q: What was your first job?
A: I was a busboy/hostess at Le Peep in Glen Ellyn.

Q: Do you prefer closed-door offices or open-concept layouts? Why?
A: How about open-door policies? I cringe at having to talk on the phone with others in a room.

Q: What job would you be terrible at?
A: Nurse or doctor. I faint at the sight of a needle.

Q: What was the first thing you wanted to be when you grew up?
A: A veterinarian, which is at odds with my relationship with needles. 

So now, we get to the nitty-gritty! If you really want the inside scoop on someone, you need to ask some tough personal questions, too. Ok, maybe not so hard-hitting… Here’s a few more member insider answers from Amanda:

Q: What makes you laugh the most?
A: Sadly, slapstick humor.

Q: What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?
A: A fried grasshopper.

Q: What is one thing you will never do again?
A: Good-bye, rollercoasters.

Q: What’s your favorite quote from a TV show/movie/book?
A: “Believing takes practice.”
― Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time

Q: Is there any product that you couldn't live without?
A: Please don’t take away my coffee!