De Pere, Wisconsin · Founded 1895
One community. One river.
founded 1895, reunified in 2001 — 131 years and counting.
Founded in 1895. Split by the Fox for most of a century, reunified in 2001, renamed in 2007 — and still here, one chamber for one community. This is that story.
The chamber's own record
The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1895.
Headquartered today at 1120 Employers Blvd, Suite #335 in De Pere, Wisconsin, the chamber has served this community continuously since that founding — through four names, two riverbanks, and every generation of business owners in between. It is one of Brown County's oldest civic institutions.
One river. Two sides. One beginning.
The story of the De Pere Area Chamber is inseparable from the Fox River. When the original De Pere Chamber of Commerce was established in 1895, the community it served was already shaped by the river that bisects it — a natural boundary that would define the chamber's own evolution over the next century.
In the decades that followed, the single organization gave way to two associations representing the two banks: the East De Pere Businessmen's Association on the east side, the West De Pere Business Association on the west. Both traced their lineage to 1895 — same community, same commitment, different riverbanks.
They stayed separate through most of the twentieth century, each building its own networks, events, and relationships. The river between them was never a wall — but reunification took time, as it does in communities that take local identity seriously.
Reunified. Rebranded. Still here.
In 2001, the East and West associations came together as the De Pere Business Alliance — a joint venture between the De Pere Development Corporation and the De Pere Area Business Association. One community, one organization again, for the first time in generations.
In 2007, the Alliance was rebranded as the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce, reflecting a service area that reaches past the city line into the neighboring communities that share De Pere's workforce and customers.
Today, under President and CEO David Vander Bloomen — a De Pere native — the chamber works under the banner Leading with Value: every dollar of membership coming back as something a business owner can name. That's what this many years in one place earns the right to say.
- 1895 De Pere Chamber of Commerce
- Mid-century East De Pere Businessmen's Association · West De Pere Business Association
- 2001 De Pere Business Alliance
- 2007 De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce
The full story, in sequence
How did one chamber become this chamber?
Four confirmed milestones and one unbroken thread — the organizational history of the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce, founding to today.
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1895The founding
De Pere Chamber of Commerce established
The original De Pere Chamber of Commerce is founded in De Pere, Wisconsin — the organization that would become today's De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce. The founding predates many of the region's institutions, making it one of Brown County's oldest civic organizations.
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Mid-centuryTwo associations
East and West serve both sides of the Fox River
The single organization becomes two, reflecting De Pere's natural geography: the East De Pere Businessmen's Association on the east bank and the West De Pere Business Association on the west. Both trace their roots to the 1895 founding — two organizations, one history.
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2001Reunification
Reunified as the De Pere Business Alliance
The East and West associations reunify as the De Pere Business Alliance — a joint venture between the De Pere Development Corporation and the De Pere Area Business Association. After decades of parallel operation, De Pere's business community speaks with one voice again, and the river that separated it becomes the symbol of what it shares.
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2007Rebranded
Rebranded as the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce
The Alliance becomes the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce, a name reflecting a service area that reaches past the city line into neighboring Brown County communities. The chamber earns recognition from the City of De Pere as “the front door to our business community.”
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131Years on
Leading with Value — today
Under President and CEO David Vander Bloomen, a De Pere native, the chamber works under the banner Leading with Value. Its charitable foundation runs five program pillars, its events fill the community calendar, and its member directory is the living record of who does business here now.
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 five-year estimates.
Community, not just commerce
Why does the chamber still cut ribbons?
Because a ribbon cutting is a public promise between a business and the place it opened in — and the De Pere Area Chamber has been holding the scissors since 1895. New members get an orientation, an introduction to the Ambassador Committee, and a ceremony that puts them on the map here from day one.
More than a century of showing up means the chamber was here before any current member opened their doors, and intends to be here for whoever opens next. That kind of institutional depth is what makes a local credential worth carrying.
Developing the De Pere Area by bridging connections and educating its businesses and citizens.
The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce mission · the same work since 1895
Frequently asked
Questions about the chamber's history
Answers straight from the organization's own records.
When was the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce founded?
The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1895 as the original De Pere Chamber of Commerce in De Pere, Wisconsin. It has operated continuously in this community for 131 years under several names, making it one of Brown County's oldest civic institutions.
What was the chamber called before it became the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce?
The organization has operated under four names:
- De Pere Chamber of Commerce — the original name, 1895
- East De Pere Businessmen's Association and West De Pere Business Association — two parallel organizations serving opposite banks of the Fox River, mid-twentieth century
- De Pere Business Alliance — 2001, when the East and West associations reunified
- De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce (DPACC) — 2007 to present
When did the East and West De Pere associations reunify?
In 2001, as the De Pere Business Alliance — a joint venture between the De Pere Development Corporation and the De Pere Area Business Association. Both predecessor associations traced their lineage to the 1895 founding, and the reunification brought both banks of the Fox River back under one organizational roof for the first time in decades.
Why is the chamber's history tied to the Fox River?
The Fox River runs straight through De Pere, and for most of the twentieth century the business community organized around that geography — one association per bank. The 2001 reunification is the moment that stopped being the organizing principle. Today the river is the city's shared front yard: the riverfront parks, the historic lock, and the downtown on both sides.
Who leads the De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce today?
David Vander Bloomen serves as President and CEO — he grew up in De Pere, the same community the chamber has served since 1895. The chamber is governed by a volunteer board, with additional staff and five active committees; the Our People page has the full team. The affiliated charitable foundation is chaired by Emily Jacobson.
What is the difference between the chamber and its Foundation?
The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization — advocacy, networking, visibility, and events for member businesses, funded by dues that are deductible as an ordinary business expense. The De Pere Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation is a separate affiliated charitable organization running five program pillars, including youth programs, veteran recognition with VFW Post 2113, and women in business. Details are on the Foundation page.