Israel is chamber president

Anissa Israel, advertising manager at The Eunice News, has been named the new president of the Eunice Chamber of Commerce.
“With the wisdom and experience of our great Chamber Board team, I look forward to doing my part in service for our business community,” Israel said.
Israel thanked her fellow chamber members and urged them to attend grand openings, Business After-Hours events, political forums and even the World Championship Crawfish Etouffee Cookoff to meet and welcome new business owners, leaders and their staff.
“It’s our responsibility as community leaders to set the pace and lead by example in all things,” she said.
Israel has been with The Eunice News for 19 years, and she has been a chamber member since 2010. The new president’s history with the Eunice business community began at the newspaper when she was just a pre-teen.
“I began working for The Eunice News at the age of 12 years when the then-owner, Sarah Vernon, decided to show a young girl from a very poor family how to work for a living,” she said. “She had them set me up with a step stool so I could reach, sort of, to be able to insert the sales circulars into the newspapers. And when the newspaper work was complete, I’d get to clean the creepy old building and walk home when I was finished.”
Israel added, “We laugh that my story sounds like my grandparents telling us how they walked miles in heat, rain and snow to get to work or to school, but Miss Sarah was a blessing to me in so many ways that as a such a young girl I didn’t understand until later in my life.”
Israel has been a member of the chamber’s board, and she has served under past presidents Michelle DeRouen, Don Mayeau, Dr. Jason Smith and current president Kelly Pitre.
As president of the chamber, Israel said she plans to continue with several things the chamber already has in place, including two scholarships, one for a St. Edmund student and one for a Eunice High student, the chamber web site and growing existing relationships like those with LSUE and Acadiana One and building new relationships in the community.
“We set the atmosphere,” Israel said. “Please help us to encourage our citizens, our business members and each other. Buy into the dream and vision of the greatness that Eunice can, does and will continue to represent. Together we are the strength that produces success.”
Israel said, “I believe it’s evident to anyone paying attention — our beautiful city of Eunice is entering a fresh, new season. Where there used to be so much negatively spoken about us, concerning us and our future, things they are a changing. The many new businesses opening and our core businesses thriving, hope is once again alive and well here in Cajun country.”
For more about the Eunice Chamber, visit www.eunicechamber.com