Elizabeth “Beth” Baker is the new owner of Grant-Johnson Funeral Homes and Crematory here in Princeton and in Bradford. She has been working in the funeral industry for fourteen years as a licensed Funeral Director and Embalmer in the state of Illinois and Missouri. Beth also has her Life Insurance License in Illinois; is a Certified Preplanning Consultant and a Certified Crematory Operator. She is currently a parish member at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Dixon, a member of St. Mary Catholic School Home and School Association, serves as a Chairperson for St. Mary Catholic School Ladies Night Event, is a member of Dixon Elks Lodge 779, and is a member of the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce. Beth is originally from Amboy, IL. She graduated from Amboy High School in 2005. She attended Sauk Valley Community College and transferred to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Science with Mortuary Science and Funeral Service in 2009. She has worked in the funeral industry since graduating. Throughout Beth’s career she has worked for both small and large firms, which has provided her with a wealth of knowledge. Outside of business, Beth is a wife and mom to four children who keep her very busy. Her three youngest children are still in school. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. Beth loves to read and enjoys the outdoors when the weather is nice. Dava, a Tiskilwa resident of 10 years, happily married to Brett, the owner of Klinefelter Electric, and proud mother to Nick and Savannah, is enthusiastic about volunteerism! She has been a member of the Tiskilwa Community Association for seven years and has served on the Princeton Christmas Parade Committee for the last four years. Dava has been actively involved in the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce for the last two years serving as a Chamber Ambassador and also served as the Chair of the Chamber’s Fall Fundraiser in 2023. Her commitment to community involvement reflects her dedication to the growth and prosperity of Princeton. Ryan is a practicing Architect and founded studioK Architecture in 2015 in Charleston, SC and opened the Princeton, IL office in 2016. Ryan grew up in Summerville, SC, a “small” town west of Charleston and graduated from Clemson University in 2004, then joined her Father in the family construction company. In 2006, Ryan worked in the office of Liollio Architecture (Charleston) and after graduating from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC), in 2009, with a Master of Architecture, Ryan began working for Baysinger Design Group in Marion, IL. Ryan returned to Charleston in 2009 and while working remotely for BDG, joined her husband, Matt, to pursue custom residential design/build projects. She expanded her work to include light commercial in 2014, gaining experience in retail, grocery store up-fits, medical offices, and franchise restaurant projects. Ryan has a passion for adaptive reuse and has been involved in many historic building projects in both Charleston and the Illinois Valley area. Ryan and her husband Matt enjoy renovating old buildings and together have re-developed several downtown buildings in addition to several homes around town. Together they have a short-term rental business called The Flats at Elm Place on the north end of town. Since arriving in Princeton, Ryan volunteers her time serving the community through the Princeton Rotary, as the former Chair of the City of Princeton Historic Preservation Commission, was a past hostess for the Homestead Lawn Event, and served as a member of the Bureau County Historical Society Board of Directors. Ryan is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce as the President-Elect and is seeking re-election for a second term. Ryan and Matt have three children and enjoy all that the Princeton community offers. Luke is the Assistant Vice President/Loan Officer with Central Bank Illinois at the Princeton Branch. He has been with the bank since 2018 and enjoys working with the surrounding area and providing services to its residents. Luke is a lifelong resident of Sheffield and is very active within the community. He has served as a member of the Sheffield Fire Department for 20 years, was a former Village of Sheffield Board Member, and is a staunch advocate of small-town life. His free time is spent with his wife, Jordan, and children Sawyer and Cooper. He looks forward to becoming more involved with the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce and helping to connect, promote, and support those individuals and businesses throughout Princeton and the surrounding communities. Michael Stutzke is a civic leader and a passionate restorer of historic downtown buildings in Princeton. Since becoming a Chamber member, Michael has renovated eight Princeton buildings including the Knox Hotel and the old Centrue Bank building. He has led the successful ShrimpFest for Princeton Rotary Club and is a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow. He and his wife, Sue, proudly served on the Homestead Committee for the last 3 years being instrumental in bringing the hot air balloons to Princeton. He is a member of the Princeton Historic Preservation Commission and the Bureau County Zoning Board of Appeals. A native of the Philadelphia suburb of Bryn Mawr, Michael graduated from Villanova University and was an officer in the United States Marines Corp. Michael spent 22 years teaching at the Sebastian River High School in Florida where he taught government and economics in the International Baccalaureate program and also served as the Athletic Director from 1994 until his retirement in 2016. Upon his retirement, Michael was lauded as an “education maverick and passionate advocate for innovation and serving students.” He and his wife now enjoy raising corn and soybeans on their Princeton farm. Michael strives each day to live the motto of Rotary “Service Above Self” and believes that one should offer their time, energy, expertise, and resources when possible to better the community they live in.
This year’s Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Election will take place online. There are 5 candidates running for 4 open positions. Please read through each nominee’s bio and vote for 4 individuals within the online ballot at the bottom of this page. Voting will begin on Tuesday, February 27th and conclude at the end of business on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
Please note: each Chamber member business, organization, or individual is allowed to submit one electronic ballot.
Thank you in advance for your time and participation!
Beth Baker
Nominee
Dava Klinefelter
Nominee
Ryan Keutzer
Nominee
Luke Lanxon
Nominee
Michael Stutzke
Nominee
