Janessa Calderon is resigning as executive director of the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Her last day on the job will be Thursday, Oct. 31, the chamber leader announced.
“I am stepping down to focus more on my growing family. It is hard to say goodbye to a community and membership that has meant so much to me,” Ms. Calderon wrote in an open letter sent to Hispanic Chamber members dated Friday, Oct. 25.
She added that the Hispanic Chamber Board of Directors is now searching for a new executive director and “is committed to finding someone who shares our vision and values, ensuring that we remain focused on serving our community effectively in 2025 and beyond.”
In 2020, Ms. Calderon was named the chamber’s executive director. At that time, she was 26 and the youngest person to hold the post. Before becoming executive director, she has served several leadership roles for the Hispanic Chamber since 2018 — beginning as the programs and events manager and growing into the membership engagement coordinator in 2019.
“Over the past six years, I have had the incredible privilege of working alongside many dedicated individuals who are passionate about opening new businesses, reviving established ones, and making an impact in the community through their organizations,” she wrote. “We have been able to achieve remarkable milestones through collaborative efforts in marketing, networking events and educational programming.”
At the Hispanic Chamber’s annual gala celebration in April, Ms. Caledron highlighted many of those milestones. Ms. Calderon added that the gala has three main functions: highlight business success stories from last year; offer a chance for area business people to network; and it is the GQCHCC’s largest fundraiser of the year.
“I encourage you all to continue supporting The Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in any way you can,” she wrote in her farewell letter. “Your involvement has been, and will continue to be, crucial as we move forward together. By volunteering your time, attending events, and spreading awareness about our mission, you continue to build on the strong community foundation already in place. … While this is not goodbye forever, as I plan to stay connected with many of you in different capacities, it is certainly a farewell to this chapter of my life.”
She graduated from St. Ambrose University, Davenport, with a bachelor’s in strategic communications, then earning her master of organizational leadership degree from the College of Business in 2019.
Founded in October 2008, the GQCHCC has a mission to support, promote and enhance the growth and success of local businesses and to leverage the community’s assets, contributions and unique Hispanic cultural identity to generate new business. With about 300 members, the Q-C Hispanic Chamber supports members through networking, advocacy and leadership. The group not only includes businesses, but area nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and individuals of any background in the greater Quad-Cities region.
