We’re excited to welcome four leaders to the Lancaster Chamber Board of Trustees. These individuals will serve a three-year term from 2022-2025.
Please help us in welcoming Timbrel Chyatee, Owner and Designer of CHYATEE, Jocelyn Engle, Publisher of Engle Printing & Publishing Co., Inc., Genise Wade, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Chief Human Resources Officer of The Wenger Group, and Eric Wenger, CPA, MST, Managing Partner, Lancaster Office RKL LLP.
We asked the four new members of the Lancaster Chamber Board of Trustees, Timbrel, Jocelyn, Genise, and Eric, to answer a few questions so you can get to know them better. Check out their answers below!
Timbrel Chyatee – Owner and Designer of CHYATEE
What is something about you we can’t find out from your bio?
When I finished college, I moved to India at the age of 24 because my parents really wanted me to become an engineer, since I couldn’t follow through with med school. I did get a computer engineering degree, but I also volunteered as a house mother for an orphanage. I was raising 14 young children, ages 4-15. I also taught English part-time at a local school that my father started and was later asked to be the school’s principal after I finished my computer engineering degree. During the short 2 years of being a principal, I helped many local students receive scholarships where they could continue their education after 7th grade. Now many of these children have gone on to become college graduates with degrees in English, Hindi and engineering. The first of their families to go to school and secure stable jobs and education. These children, now young adults, are still in contact with me, and I am thrilled to see them grow and thrive in society. I enjoy imparting my wisdom and support to the next generation, something my Father and Grandmother taught me to do.
What is one piece of advice you’d give a young entrepreneur in Lancaster County?
Be fearless in your journey, bold in your vision, and innovative enough to pivot and conquer.
Entrepreneurship is not an easy sail on calm waters, but it is an adventure that will take you through so many ups and downs and help you grow and learn.
What are 5 attributes that are most important to you in a leader?
1. Being transparent about my mission and procedures. That includes communicating my needs and
2. Building meaningful relationships with my staff that are genuine—knowing that each employee from my team comes from different walks of life, and I need to be more understanding and open-minded about their needs, culture and traits.
3. Lead by example, something my father taught me at a very young age, and I actually loathed when I was younger, but now I understand the importance of leading by example. It is important to show your team that you are willing and capable of doing all the things that you ask of them, which will bring more respect from them and also a better work mindset. If you do it, and they see it, they will understand and follow.
4. Try and challenge yourself every 90 days to do something different and out of your comfort box. Challenging yourself as a leader will help you grow and learn something new to share with your team, peers and neighbors.
5. Be the voice of reason and strength for the many who were not given the same opportunities as you were given. Being their voice will eventually give the voiceless a voice and the strength to stand for what they believe in. Use your voice for good, and never let your voice hurt another. Whether in anger, stress or complications.
What is your favorite thing about Lancaster County?
Where do I even begin? I have so many favorite things. I love that I can walk less than half a mile and find a plethora of cultural cuisines to match the country I want to visit for the day. The large city spirit and small-town demeanor make Lancaster so easy to maneuver and explore. I love seeing so many small businesses that made their first break in Lancaster and grew to be national and even international, which is a great testament to the Lancaster work ethic and thinking beyond the box.
Jocelyn Engle – Publisher of Engle Printing & Publishing Co., Inc.
What is something about you we can’t find out from your bio?
I’m an avid runner and enjoy finding races that are new destinations to visit. My goal is to run a marathon in different states – hopefully hitting all 50 before my running ‘career’ is over.
What is one piece of advice you’d give a young entrepreneur in Lancaster County?
Don’t give up and feel like a failure is an end. It’s part of your journey. Keep picking yourself back up, finding new ways and solutions to trying the things you are passionate about. Be OK with changing direction when something unexpected ignites you.
What are 5 attributes that are most important to you in a leader?
Vision, Consistency, Empathy, Grit, and Humility
What is your favorite thing about Lancaster County?
Connection. I love running into people I’ve grown up with and had the pleasure of meeting at networking events and other opportunities I’ve been involved with over the years. Lancaster County has a very special community of these deep roots while being such an inviting place for fresh faces to move into our county.
Genise Wade – Chief Human Resources Officer of The Wenger Group
What is something about you we can’t find out from your bio?
I have been blessed by relationships with many great managers, mentors, and community leaders from which I have learned and been able to shape my own leadership style and practices. I am very grateful to have been able to pass those learnings on while helping other young professionals who are developing in their careers.
What is one piece of advice you’d give a young entrepreneur in Lancaster County?
Be confident but stay humble. There is always something to learn from other people and their experiences. Humility is realizing we don’t know what we don’t know, and it opens us up to really listening in to learn and understand.
What are 5 attributes that are most important to you in a leader?
Humility – good leaders realize they aren’t always the smartest people in the room, and they can always learn something from others.
Patience – we’ve all made mistakes, and others will too. It’s important to help people learn how to overcome errors.
Courage – leaders need to be prepared and able to sometimes make unpopular or difficult decisions.
Resilience – learning how to bounce back after a failure, mistake, or rejection can build a leader’s character and teach others by example.
Trust – empower others whenever possible. Involve them in decision-making and include them in decisions that affect them.
What is your favorite thing about Lancaster County?
I am often in awe of the beauty of Lancaster County. From the quaint towns to the amazing farmscapes to the scenic waterways and trails, Lancaster has beauty everywhere you look. Every time I travel, I love coming home and appreciate it even more.
Eric Wenger – Managing Partner, Lancaster Office RKL LLP
What is something about you we can’t find out from your bio?
I guess you could say it’s in my blood to love Lancaster County! I am the 10th generation “Wenger” who has lived in this county. My Swiss ancestor Christian Wenger settled on a homestead in Groffdale (near Leola) in 1727. He and every generation since that time (including my dad) have been dairy farmers. I broke the tradition when I became a first-generation college graduate and entered the world of public accounting! I continue to value the business and life lessons I learned from growing up on a farm.
What is one piece of advice you’d give a young entrepreneur in Lancaster County?
Don’t go it alone! Build relationships with fellow business owners and advisors. Ask questions and learn all you can. We live in an incredibly supportive, pro-business region, and there are so many people and organizations ready to guide you through thick and thin.
What are 5 attributes that are most important to you in a leader?
Integrity, Humility, Motivation, Innovation and Empathy
What is your favorite thing about Lancaster County?
The changing seasons, sense of community and an all-around great place to raise a family.
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