With the new year comes a new face to the Checotah Chamber of Commerce Mrs. Haley Howell. Haley is married to Dustin Howell, Associate Director of Public Works, and together they stay busy working and keeping up with their children’s school schedules and extracurricular activities as well.
Finally getting someone in the Chamber office hopefully will be a win for the community as Haley says she is ready for the public.
“I’m excited to get started and see what I can bring to the table,” Haley said. “Growing up in Checotah and graduating from here I know a lot of the people but it’s not about me. The Chamber should benefit the whole community. That’s why we are here.
“I’ve always preached to my family how we were meant to volunteer and be active. I think that’s the biggest thing in a small town, and you have to train up your children to understand that as well. At a young age, I learned that everybody does something. So I took my children to their first volunteering event right before Thanksgiving, the Checotah Turkey Dinner Drive, when Rob Underhill along with several businesses and donors helped to provide all the fixing for a Thanksgiving dinner for 212 families. My children and I stood out in the cold and in the rain as we helped hand out boxes of food to families in need. They did it all day and by the end of it, they were so excited that they had helped someone else.
I said, ‘There’s something about giving and we are a family of servants. We’re all servants. So we all serve. That’s why we’re here.’ So we’re going to try to help at as many events as we can. That’s what it means to be a part of the community and to give back to the community.”
As the new office manager at the Chamber, Haley hopes to also collaborate with the local schools, businesses and churches on their upcoming events because a lot of times there are several different events all going on at the same exact time. She hopes to offer feedback and to get the City of Checotah, the Chamber and the schools working together for the better of the community.
“Our calendars should be more cohesive because it benefits each event to not be in competition with another event going on at the same time. Whether it’s regular scheduled monthly meetings or private or public events, the more spaced out everything is the better the attendance.
I know our kids are so active in sports and other things that it’s hard for us to even go to practice and then run to an event. When it’s football season you usually know that certain things are happening on these certain days so I might need several separate calendars for myself but I’d like to put them all together for the public to know what’s happening as a whole. Of course, that’s why we want to utilize the local newspaper, pass out fliers and also use social media. My hope is by collaborating together the Chamber will help everyone in the community.
“By doing some of these little things I believe it will benefit the community as a whole because we want to be all about our community. And we want to be part of that community. It may be rough for the first few months of just trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t. I’m going to attempt to do the best I can where I can.”
Haley’s dad also runs a couple businesses, so she helps manage those businesses, including an apartment complex in Warner that she runs for him. She has also worked in the school setting and has kept her kids busy with extracurricular activities as well as just taking care of her family as a whole.
Recently when her husband became sick Haley stated she wasn’t sure what all she would need to do for him so she had to step back and look at what she could do personally and professionally.
“With Dustin being sick and having to go through surgery we didn’t know what all we would have to go through and I didn’t want to be somewhere else when he needed me. I wanted to be available. That’s always been my biggest thing for my family and even my faith – to just be available at all times. Even when Dustin used to work off, we were always available for each other. I think whether it’s being available for your family or your community, we should prioritize what we do to be readily available. Being available says a lot. So whether it’s family or work or after school activities just be available. I get that it’s sometimes hard because work can pull you one way and school can pull you another but stop and take that phone call from your parent or spouse, make sure you are on the sidelines for your kids’ events and also do your best at work. Life is a balancing act. It’s about family. It’s about community and it’s about being a servant to help others along the way. When my husband and I were kids we were in all kinds of extracurricular activities and all those friends became like family. That’s one of the benefits of living in a small community. We want our kids to experience the same thing. We know that when our son grows up, some of his football, baseball or wrestling buddies will be part of who he is. So we know the importance of nurturing that network. Dustin or I could call any one of the people we grew up with and they’d show up if we needed them. Whether we talk to them every day or not, they’re still going to show up. I want that for my kids. I want that for other people’s kids. I think that’s what makes a good community and we have to get back to that. We have to build our own village and be available. Then everything else will just work out.”
Haley can be reached at the Checotah Chamber of Commerce by calling 918-473-2070 or by emailing her at| checotahchamber@ windstream. net.
