The Iola Area Chamber of Commerce has a fresh, new face in its office with Sarah Bowser, 21, who took on as assistant director at the end of October, the beginning of the Chamber’s busiest time of the year.
Despite the whirlwind start, she said the community’s warmth has made the transition easy.
“I love the Iola community,” Bowser said. “Everybody here is so kind and welcoming.”
Bowser grew up in Colorado Springs before moving to Salina at age six. She now lives in Le Roy.
Bowser claims the fit with the Chamber was clear from the moment she interviewed.
Bowser said she had been searching for a new opportunity since July when she came across the opening at the Chamber. “I was like, you know, this is a sign — I’ll take a chance,” she said. “I didn’t think I was actually going to get it, but I love it.”
Her move to the region came after meeting her partner, Caleb Wolfe, an employee with Mid-Continental Restoration of Fort Scott. “He left his number on my vehicle, and it’s been written in the stars ever since,” she said with a laugh.
Bowser’s professional background includes sales consulting with Messenger Clothing Company in Salina, where she worked with businesses on branding, apparel, and promotional items. Before that, she served as an administrative assistant at Salina Area Technical College — a role she credits with shaping her passion for helping others.
AT THE Chamber, Bowser’s responsibilities center on communications, outreach, and day-to-day operations. “I’m mostly in charge of the social media side of things,” she said, noting she enjoys the challenge of creating posts that engage rather than get lost in the scroll. She also handles many of the organization’s phone calls and emails, which she said has introduced her to the wide range of questions the Chamber receives. “It’s obviously very important for me to know all the things that are going on in Iola, because we receive many calls,” she said.
She has been equally impressed by Chamber Director Kelly Sigg’s leadership. “Kelly is amazing. She has a great personality and is a great boss,” Bowser said. “I’m most excited to learn everything that I can from her. Everybody knows her as a friendly face. I love that.”
Bowser said her larger goals revolve around becoming an active, recognizable part of the community. “I would love to be a staple in the Iola community, somebody that’s known,” she said. “I would love to be known as a resource.”
In her short time at the Chamber, Bowser has already stepped into work on major holiday events, including Friday’s Christmas Block Party and the return of the Christmas parade on Saturday — something she noted differs from her hometown experiences.
“In Salina, we have a parade for every season,” she said. She and Sigg are also coordinating projects like the Santa House repairs and the wire-frame snowman decorating competition.
OUTSIDE OF work, Bowser’s personal story is one of resilience. She was adopted at age 16 by her grandmother and her grandmother’s husband after losing her father during her freshman year of high school — just before the COVID-19 shutdown. “It was absolutely terrible for my family,” she said. “But, I believe he is in a better place.”
Faith remains an important part of her life, and she said kindness is central to how she tries to move through the world. “I really do think that even just smiling at somebody could change their entire day,” she said. “You have no idea what anybody is going through.” Through her role at the Chamber, Bowser hopes to pass that outlook on to others.
Bowser is in the Chamber office Tuesday through Friday and encourages residents to reach out anytime. “If you have questions, somebody is always there to answer them,” she said.
