Andy was born in 1983 and moved to Princeton with his family when he was one. He graduated from Princeton High School in 2001 and from Eastern Illinois University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in business science. He is the third-generation owner of his family’s business, A&M Products here in Princeton, that was started in 1969. He has been married to his wife, Brittany, for seven years and is the father of two, John (5) and Leah (2). In his free time, he has been a volunteer coach for the Princeton Youth Soccer League. Andy thinks that he would be a valuable board member because he feels that he would have a different perspective on the events, being from a business in town that is not directly affected by tourism type events. He considers himself very good at problem solving and finding alternative solutions in a time-based scenario. Tracy has been in the banking industry for 30 years, currently serving as Community President for First State Bank in Princeton. Over the years, she has developed a broad background in retail and commercial banking and enjoys building relationships while serving customer financial needs as a trusted advisor. Tracy has served as Past President of the Rotary Club of Princeton and Past President of the Gateway to the Future Foundation. In addition to finishing her first term on the Chamber board, she currently serves as a Trustee to the Greenfield Trust and is Assistant Governor for Rotary working with 5 local Rotary clubs. In her free time, she enjoys shopping, traveling, and going for walks. Tracy and her husband Scott reside in Princeton and have two grown daughters Kenley, Jenna, and son-in-law, Jacob. Lynn Olds is the Administrator for Greenfield Retirement Home in Princeton. She has several years of experience in business management and administration. Lynn believes it is important to serve the community she lives and works in. She is currently serving in a vacant seat on the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. She is, also, the Vice President for the Bureau Valley Board of Education CUSD #340 and a Group Leader for C5 Rural. In addition, Lynn is an active member of Princeton Rotary Club, Dementia Friendly Princeton, Wyanet Community Club and the Lion’s Club Christmas Parade Committee. In the past, Lynn has served in numerous other organizations including president of the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Club. Pam’s dad was a “Navy” guy, so she spent much of her younger childhood growing up in different states. She moved to Nashville, Tennessee when she was five years old, which explains her “southern” accent. She still has people, to this day, ask her what did you say? She has three grown children – Paul, Rachel, and Blake. She has two grandsons, Greyson and Lukas, who are her greatest joy. She moved to Bureau County in June of 1993. She fell in love with Princeton, and its small-town charm. She knew she wanted to make this small town her home for the rest of her life. She worked in the travel and tourism industry in Nashville with Gaylord’s Opryland Entertainment Group and spent many Saturday nights behind the scenes at the Grand Ole Opry. Recently, she retired from the newspaper business after 17 years in sales. In 2010, she was named Illinois Press Association Sales Associate of the year in the state of Illinois. In 2004, she was honored as the Business Associate of the month, at the Business After Hours event, sponsored by the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce. She has served as a Princeton Chamber Ambassador for 13 years and was chosen as Chamber Ambassador of the year in 2022. She is also involved with the Rotary Club of Princeton, serving on the Board of Directors. She has had the pleasure of working with such a great group of Rotarians for the past 6 years. She believes in giving back to your community. She truly loves Princeton and would be honored to serve on the Chamber Board. Lex Poppens is the Executive Director of the Bureau County Historical Society based in Princeton, Illinois. Poppens has had a career in the entertainment industry in seven states as a marketing professional for performing arts centers and producing organizations including The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Chicago, IL), Ruth Eckerd Hall (Clearwater, FL), the Overture Center (Madison, WI), the Omaha Symphony (Omaha, NE) and others. In addition, he was the first Director of Public Relations at Urban Gateways in Chicago promoting the importance of arts-based education for young people. Poppens is a third generation Princetonian and is thrilled to be “home” again. Dave was born and raised in Tiskilwa and worked through high school at various Main Street businesses in Princeton. He has been a resident of Princeton since 1982. Dave is the father of Brent Yepsen, Erin Klein and Josh Morris and has five grandchildren. He worked for Sullivan’s Foods from 1978 until 1995. From 1995 to present, Yepsen has owned Comprehensive Insurance Services, The Yepsen Agency in Princeton. He has always been active in the Princeton community within various organizations and offices, including Board Member of the Logan Junior High Sports Booster Club, Board Member of the Bureau County Red Cross, Board Member of the City of Princeton Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals, for several terms, Board Member of the Princeton Main Street Design Committee and also served as a former Chamber Ambassador Club Member for the Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce.
This year’s Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Election will take place online. There are 6 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 March 1st and conclude at the end of business on Friday, March 31, 2023. Thank you in advance for your time and participation!
Andy Austin
Nominee
Tracy Grimmer
Seeking Re-Election
Lynn Olds
Currently Serving in a Vacant Board Seat
Pam Pratt-Marsh
Nominee
Lex Poppens
Nominee
Dave Yepsen
Nominee
