New director of Aurora Hispanic Chamber aims to repair relationships
By Stephanie Lulay slulay@stmedianetwork.com September 4, 2012 5:10PM
Jerry Campagna is the new interim executive director of the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Updated: September 6, 2012 12:19PM
AURORA — At a Rotary Club meeting last week, Jerry Campagna had two words for the community: “Lo Siento” — I’m sorry.
Campagna, the new interim executive director of the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said there has been a lot of damage done to the Hispanic Chamber’s relationships with the larger community in the past.
“Our Chamber has not been as active as it should. Our Chamber has not partnered with others in the city as it should. The Chamber has not held up its obligations in many areas in the past as it should,” Campagna said.
“And I can commit to you that that’s changing now.”
The Hispanic Chamber is “actively looking” to fill five board spots now, he said.
Campagna, who started at the Chamber in July, said the Rotary Club will be the first service club to pay and partner to be at the Fiestas Patrias celebration in Aurora later this month.
“We’re committed to doing the same when you have events, also. This is not a one-way street,” he said.
Campagna, who grew up in Elgin and lives in Bartlett, is the former publisher of Reflejos, a bilingual newspaper. His marketing firm specializes in Latino outreach and his time with the Hispanic Chamber will be spent rebuilding its board and connections with the community, he said.
“I’m an ardent believer that our community needs to step it up — to take stewardship, not dictatorship,” he said.
