New Officers, New Focus for Tecumseh Chamber of Commerce

Mark Celesky of Ceresco, owner of the Tecumseh Outdoor Store on the west side of the business square, came into the first Chamber of Commerce meeting of the year ready to begin his duties. He told those in attendance that he would like to focus on promotion, networking between Chamber members, and support. Celesky said that what he most likes about Tecumseh is the people and his goal as the Chamber president is “to promote local commerce and community to build a strong and prosperous community.”
New vice president, Mike Harris of Sterling, with Burrows Tracts Real Estate on the west side of the square, said, “I like knowing people by name – clients, local business owners, city officials. There is trust here and that matters most.” His goal as a Chamber officer is “to strengthen relationships with local business leaders while positioning myself as a trusted resource for prosperity, business growth, and community development.”
Joe Oswalt of Burr, who with his wife Amy owns Adeline’s Bakery in Burr, is the new Chamber secretary. He has already begun a review of the Chamber’s By-Laws with an eye for improvements and invites the other members of the Chamber to do the same. Carol Sisco agreed to be a member of the committee.
“The ball fields, the city park, the new water park, the businesses that are coming to town and have been in town for years and/or decades; these are all great reasons to be proud of Tecumseh,” Oswalt said. “The potential for this city is incredible and I've always been intrigued by the potential of the downtown (square) area.
“As secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, I want to provide complete and accurate information about the Chamber to include specific minutes of meetings.  Working with the president, vice-president and treasurer, I would like to develop strategies to get more businesses involved with the Chamber and be more active with promoting Tecumseh to those that are looking for a great town start a business. The Chamber needs to provide businesses with a platform to promote their business AND understand what being a member of the Chamber can do for their business.”
Kerri Miller of Tecumseh returns as Chamber treasurer. She works with the City of Tecumseh as deputy city clerk and also represents Assemble, located on the west side of the business square. She said, “I most enjoy collaborating with Chamber members and community partners who share the common goal of making Tecumseh a better place. It is especially rewarding to see our efforts succeed through well-attended events such as the Easter Egg Hunt, Trunk or Treat, Christmas on the Square, and concerts at the band shell.” Her goal as a Chamber officer is “to continue promoting and strengthening both the Chamber and the Tecumseh community by building on past successes and continually evaluating how we can improve each event for the following year.”
Discussions at the 2026 opening meeting included reviewing the Chamber by-laws, setting up a committee for a Membership Drive with co-chairs being Amy Oswalt and Tiffany Clifton, and discussing Chamber events for the year. The big concern for upcoming events was to brainstorm alternate locations to use after the Downtown Revitalization begins and the business square is under construction. Not knowing when construction will start made it necessary to come up with ideas and put further planning on hold until more information is available.
The next big event for the Chamber is the Easter Egg Hunt. The previous committee chairs have other obligations this spring, so a new committee chair was asked for. Carol Sisco and Mike Harris agreed to work on this event, conferring with the previous chairs, Maddie Moran and Kerri Miller, to build upon the success they have already had with the event. The Easter Egg Hunt will be Saturday, April 4. Further details will be available closer to the date.
The Chamber Facebook page already has three administrators, but the website needs someone to administer content there. Mary Brown and Tiffany Clifton agreed to work on the website, tecumsehchamber.net