By Kris Leonhardt

MARSHFIELD – Krystal Bowman is the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MACCI)’s new director of programs and engagement, but she is no stranger to Marshfield.

Bowman was raised in Randolph, which straddles the Wisconsin counties of Columbia and Dodge.

“I loved being raised in a small town – although Marshfield is much bigger from where I was raised I appreciate the “small town” community Marshfield embodies,” Bowman said.

“I started at UW-Madison studying psychology and ended at UW-Whitewater getting my degree in Marketing and Communications. I was always interested in both professional development and event planning – something this position offers.  I found early on that networking and community engagement was what I enjoyed and excelled at.

“My first job out of college was a ‘Buy Local Specialist’ for a food distribution company outside of Madison. It was there where my passion of supporting the local economy began.”

Bowman’s husband, Eric, was later offered a job in Marshfield and the couple moved here in 2013.

“Although we enjoyed living in the Madison area after we got married, Marshfield was a perfect fit for us as we knew we wanted to start a family – I had extended family in the area as my dad was born and raised here and would often come to Marshfield for family Christmas, graduation parties or birthday parties so I have always been familiar with the area,” she recalled.

“As we started the next chapter in life, we thought Marshfield would be a perfect fit – family focused, excellent school district, and diverse opportunities for community involvement.”

In Marshfield, Bowman has worked for the school district as a communications specialist and was recently employed as the Marshfield Area United Way communications director.

“It was at United Way where I truly learned how generous and caring our community is. I was fortunate to make several relationships with our business and community leaders,” she added.

“I feel blessed that I can take the relationships made here in Marshfield and apply my passion of supporting the business community in my new position at MACCI.”

Krystal’s husband, Eric, is a Marshfield High School educator and head boys hockey coach. They have a son, Eli, 6, and a daughter, Emery, 4.

“I want my kids to be proud of where they come from. Marshfield has so many great amenities and great people living here – the connections I have made make me proud to say I am from Marshfield. I look forward to providing more opportunities for our local economy and business leaders. I cannot wait to expand on and develop new connections as I work to provide more services and programs for our members and those living in the Marshfield area,” she explained.

“Although 2020 was a challenging year, I believe it brought forth an opportunity for growth. We learned it was okay to try new ideas – some that are successful and some that we can learn from.

“I consider myself a leader who takes initiative, but I also strive to acquire more knowledge and continuously look to learn from the expertise and experience of my peers. Great productivity is a result of coming together as a team to work towards a common goal and the team at MACCI has been great to work with. I look forward to what the future holds for all of us in Marshfield as we continue to grow.”