About Us · De Pere, Wisconsin
131 years of showing up for De Pere.
One community. One chamber. Since 1895. The story, the people, and the mission behind De Pere's business network — and a door that's open to yours.
Who we are
The “Area” in our name does real work.
“Developing the De Pere Area by bridging connections and educating its businesses and citizens.” That's the chamber's mission, exactly as written — and the job since 1895. The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce (DPACC) is a membership organization serving businesses from solo operators to the area's largest employers, with networking, advocacy, visibility, and education.
Our core focus is De Pere, the Town of Lawrence and the Town of Ledgeview. Our membership reaches well past that — across Brown County and beyond — because our members' workforces and customers don't stop at a municipal line. A regional chamber serves dozens of towns from a distance. We go deep where we're rooted, and we go wherever our members are.
How we're funded
A member-funded organization
Membership dues fund the chamber's work and are deductible as an ordinary business expense. Charitable giving runs through the affiliated DPACCF Foundation — the separate charitable route.
City endorsement
“The front door to our business community”
That's the City of De Pere's own description. We're the first call a new business makes — and we make sure the community answers.
Affiliated foundation
DPACCF — Five program pillars
Community, Youth, Faith, Women-in-Business, and Veteran-Owned Businesses. Chair: Emily Jacobson. Learn more →
Milestones
The road to today
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1895The founding
De Pere Chamber of Commerce established
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Mid-centuryTwo banks, one community
East and West — the river divides, the mission doesn't
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2001Reunification
De Pere Business Alliance — one chamber again
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2007A new name, the same roots
Rebranded: De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce
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2026Today
Leading with Value — year 131
Our people
Run by De Pere people, for De Pere people.
The chamber isn't a corporate HQ three counties away. It's a small professional staff and a volunteer board of local business owners — people who live here, hire here, and have skin in this community's game.
President & CEO
David Vander Bloomen
David grew up in De Pere. That's not a talking point — it's the reason the chamber's leadership understands this community from the inside. When David says “Leading with Value,” he means it for the businesses he grew up watching, the streets he knows by name, and the neighbors he sees at Art in the Park every June.
Have a question about membership, a committee, or what the chamber can do for your business? Ask — the answer comes from a real De Pere person.
Contact the chamber
Foundation Chair
Emily Jacobson
Emily Jacobson chairs the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation (DPACCF) — the chamber's separate charitable foundation — which runs five active program pillars: youth development, veteran support (including Fairways for Veterans & Youth with VFW Post 2113), women in business, community faith, and civic connection.
Learn about the Foundation and its five pillars →The chamber is governed by a volunteer board of local business owners and community leaders — people whose names you'll recognize from storefronts, job sites, and school events around De Pere. The full board roster and bios are published at /our-people/.
- Ambassador Committee
- Events Committee
- Youth Committee
- Advocacy Committee
- Foundation Committee
Committee membership is open — ask us.
Partners & sponsors
The businesses that invest in De Pere's future.
These organizations don't just write a check — they show up at ribbon cuttings, sponsor the events that fill Voyageur Park, and put their name next to ours because they believe in what we're building.
Champion Partner
The chamber's presenting-sponsor seat — highest recognition across every event
This seat is open. One organization's name alongside the chamber's on 25+ events a year, every stage, every banner, every program.
Talk to us about the Champion seatCatalyst Partners
Year-round program and event sponsors
Connector Partners
The businesses behind chamber events all year long
Draco Property Management
Green Bay Rockers
New member ribbon cuttings
Your first day as a member should feel like a celebration.
Ribbon cuttings are how De Pere welcomes its newest businesses — chamber leadership, neighbors, and your community, showing up on day one.
Join the ChamberMember voices
Isn't the chamber just for big companies?
Two De Pere business owners. Different industries, different sizes. Their words, not ours.
The De Pere Area Chamber has been crucial to the development of business for myself and the company I represent by affording me opportunities to not only network with other professionals, but to showcase my business and the services we offer as well. Furthermore, the chamber is a growing entity that allows for productive connections to be made through events and other benefits that are provided. I would highly recommend not only membership in the De Pere Area Chamber, but active involvement, to anyone looking to grow their business potential.
Covenant Signs and Graphics has benefited from invaluable networking opportunities for the business that my husband and I own. By participating with our local De Pere Area Chamber's supportive network, we gained access to resources instrumental in elevating our exposure to the community which drove business development that led to our professional success.
Consumers are 80% more likely to purchase from a business they know is a chamber member. Chamber membership is a trust signal your customers can read — one a Google listing alone cannot send.
Independent consumer research by the Schapiro Group — cited as third-party research, not a guarantee of business results.
When was the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce founded?
The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1895 — this is the authoritative date, confirmed by chamber records. Some third-party business databases list an incorrect founding year; 1895 is correct. The chamber started as the De Pere Chamber of Commerce, evolved through two separate riverbank associations (the East De Pere Businessmen's Association and West De Pere Business Association), reunified in 2001 as the De Pere Business Alliance, and became the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce in 2007. It has served one community continuously ever since.
What does the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce do?
The chamber serves member businesses across the greater De Pere area with six core functions: (1) Networking — Morning Business Brew, Let's Lunch, Focus Forum quarterly lunches, and after-hours mixers; (2) Advocacy — direct representation with the City of De Pere, Brown County, and regional partners; (3) Visibility — member directory listing, spotlight and blog options, event presence; (4) Events — a full calendar each year including Art in the Park, the Chamber Golf Outing, and the Holly Jolly Trolley; (5) Education — business resources, expert programming, and committee-level engagement; (6) Charitable impact — the affiliated DPACCF, the chamber's separate charitable foundation, runs five program pillars: youth, veterans, women in business, community faith, and civic connection. The chamber is recognized by the City of De Pere as “the front door to our business community.”
Isn't the chamber just for big companies?
No — the chamber explicitly structures its tiers for businesses of every size, with entry levels built for individuals, solo operators, and small teams. Many members are sole proprietors, and plenty sit just past the city line. The objection “it's just for big companies” is the most common misconception we hear — and it's not true. The ribbon cutting, the directory listing, and the networking events serve a two-person shop the same way they serve a 200-person employer. See the full membership tier breakdown for named deliverables at every level.
How many businesses are members of the De Pere Area Chamber?
Hundreds of member businesses spanning every industry — financial services, healthcare, retail, food and beverage, construction, professional services, nonprofits, and more. The always-current answer is the live member directory, which updates automatically as businesses join.
Are chamber membership dues tax-deductible?
Chamber membership dues are deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense — but not as a charitable donation. If you want a charitable deduction, that comes through a gift to the affiliated De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation (DPACCF), the chamber's separate charitable foundation. Consult your tax professional for your specific situation.
What is the difference between the chamber and the Foundation?
The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization — its job is advocacy, networking, visibility, and events for member businesses. The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation (DPACCF) is a separate, affiliated charitable organization. The Foundation runs five program pillars: youth development, veteran support (including Fairways for Veterans & Youth with VFW Post 2113), women in business, community faith, and civic connection. Membership dues go to the chamber; charitable gifts go to the Foundation. The two organizations share mission and community but are legally and financially separate.
Do I have to be located in De Pere to join?
No — membership is regional, not city-specific. Many members are located just past the city line in neighboring Brown County communities, because De Pere's workforce and customer base don't stop at the limit. If you do business in or near De Pere, or serve the De Pere-area workforce, you're exactly the kind of organization the chamber was built for.
What does membership cost — really, with no runaround?
Every tier and its current price is published openly at /membership/ — from individual and small-business entry levels through the top partner tiers, each with its deliverables named. No inquiry required to see what you get: if we can't tell you what you're buying before you ask, we haven't earned your trust yet.