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Meet the Chamber Staff
Paul Hicks (Member Services), Gina Ackerson (Marketing Specialist),
Missy Anderson (Administrative Assistant), Lisa Workman (President),
LeeAnn Barnett (Events Assistant). -
Lisa Workman, President
Lisa Workman has served as the President of the Fergus Falls Area Chamber of Commerce since February 2007. Stillwater, Minnesota is her hometown and she graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in Mass Communications and French. Prior to the Chamber, she was the Marketing Manager at Nelson Auto Center and served on the Chamber Board of Directors. Lisa has worked diligently to lead the business sector of Fergus Falls to become an incredible place to create and conduct business. When Lisa’s not working hard to find out how the Chamber can best serve their members, she can be found spending her spare time with Troy and their son, Eric, fishing, boating or road tripping. When the boys aren’t around, Lisa enjoys scrapbooking, quilting, photography, cooking and shopping locally.
Lisa believes that in order to make the most of your business each and every day, you must make sure to answer the door to the opportunities that knock. She lives this philosophy out by keeping her office door open to welcome new suggestions, ideas and volunteers.
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LeeAnn Barnett, Events Assistant
LeeAnn Barnett has been the Chamber Events Assistant since July 2010. LeeAnn had the unique opportunity of serving on our Board of Directors before coming on staff and has used this previous experience to help her better cater to our member’s needs. LeeAnn can be seen mostly at our Chamber events which she works diligently to coordinate donations for. In addition to aiding in office support, LeeAnn spends much of her time at the Chamber connecting with Members over the phone giving friendly reminders and sharing the news of various events they can anticipate. LeeAnn invests her time and heart not only in the Chamber, but also in her husband, Joe, their kids and grandkids. On sunny days, LeeAnn will be lost in her garden or found in her kitchen concocting fresh salsa. We took a vote amongst our staff members, and it was unanimous: LeeAnn makes some of the best pickles in town! LeeAnn’s unmatched warmth and hospitality is something she extends to all of our members, so next time you’re downtown, be sure to stop in our office to experience it yourself!
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Gina Ackerson, Marketing Specialist
Gina joined the Chamber in January 2022 as an Administrative Assistant and was promoted to Marketing Specialist in 2023. This role is a great fit for her because she enjoys being creative and provides great customer service. Her prior experience before joining the Chamber has been in office management, marketing and human resources. She has also enjoyed volunteering throughout her career, at the school, at church, the United Way, and even one of the local nursing homes doing nails and visiting the residents.
Gina and her husband, Jeff, moved around a little bit before settling in Fergus Falls. She has lived in North Dakota, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. Since she is originally from Minnesota, it feels good to be back in her home state and closer to family.
Gina loves spending time relaxing at the lake, enjoying a great cup of coffee, trying new recipes, and spending time with her husband and three children.
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Paul Hicks, Member Services
Paul Hicks joined the Chamber staff in September 2022 in the new Members Service position. After working in the Ethanol field for more than 10 years. Paul and his wife Amy decided to jump headfirst into the world of self-employment. Having successfully flipped multiple homes across Fergus Falls the decision was made to steer towards another form of self-employment. This was when the clothing store Dandelion and Burdock was born. Opened just after the pandemic eased restrictions, it offers Men’s and Women’s clothing for young adults and all ages up. As a small business owner and now a part of the Chamber staff, Paul is excited to be part of the growing business community. Since starting Dandelion and Burdock Paul has become active in trying to bring people to the downtown area of Fergus Falls. He also helps coach the girl’s soccer team for the Otters. Having that connection to the high school helps keep him driving to do better for the town.
