The Jasper Chamber of Commerce is recognizing a resident for her dedication to the community.
Chamber Board President, Rachel Levin of German American Bank, presented the “President’s Community Excellence Award” to Kim Lottes on Wednesday afternoon.
Lottes is currently the president of Hoosier Business Machines and was nominated for the award by Laura Grammar.
Lottes became involved with her family’s business at just 13 years old.
Since then, Lottes has always been known as a “worker bee”. She lives by the rule –no one should ever say “that’s not my job.” This attitude has led her to many positions of leadership in the community.
Lottes began serving the community by getting involved with the Downtown Merchants Association. But it didn’t stop there. She later served on the Jasper Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and then began leading the Jasper Strassenfest Committee as the festival’s chairwoman in 1997.
Lottes then pressed pause on community involvement after having her second child. Lottes and her husband became involved with Boy Scouts, 4-H Shooting Sports, basketball and baseball practices, Holy Family Fundraisers, JHS Boys Golf Booster Club, German Exchange Program, St. Joseph Parish Picnic Committee, and much more.
After a few years passed, Lottes stepped back into community service and served as a board member on the Jasper Chamber of Commerce between 2008 and 2010.
Because of her involvement with the Strassenfest and German Exchange Program, Mayor Schmitt appointer her to the Jasper Partnership Commission in 2009. This is the official liaison between Jasper and their Sister City, Pfaffenweiler, Germany.
In 2010, she was asked to become a Board Member for Redevelop Old Jasper Action Coalition. She has been the coalition’s secretary ever since.
Then in 2013, she was asked to become a member of the V.U.J.C Foundation Board.
In 2019, she returned to chair the 2020 Strassenfest and led the discussion on the huge decision of canceling the festival because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The President’s Community Excellence Award is presented annually to a resident who has contributed his or her time, energy, and talent towards improving the Jasper community.
The award is given to all walks of life and honors those who give what they can in order to make a difference.
