Des Plaines Chamber director to lead Schaumburg Business Association as her mother did

Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce & Industry Executive Director Andrea Biwer has been appointed the sixth president of the Schaumburg Business Association, where her mother, Laurie Stone, became the founding president 23 years ago.

Biwer will succeed Lisa Gilbert, who left the SBA a week ago for a membership position with the Chicago-based Illinois Restaurant Association. Gilbert had been with the organization for 11 years, becoming president in 2018.

Before her nearly eight years with the Des Plaines Chamber, Biwer was director of strategic partnerships for the Daily Herald Media Group.

The Mount Prospect resident previously served as vice president of business development at the Greater O'Hare Regional Business Association, program and event director at the Schaumburg Business Association, manager of Choose Chicago at the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, and regional director of sales for Hampton Inn Hotels at Innkeepers Hospitality in Schaumburg.

During her first year in Des Plaines, Biwer spearheaded the creation of a Veterans Back to Work Boot Camp program, which has so far raised more than $1 million to support hundreds of veterans in finding fulfilling careers.

She describes the program as a perfect example of connecting the dots between a community’s need and the resources to provide it.

“My biggest skill set is just connecting the dots,” Biwer said. “My mission is I want to learn the culture and what the business community wants. When you’re involved in a mission that’s greater than yourself, that’s magic.”

When she went to Des Plaines, Biwer said she had to transform an agency whose previous director had passed away six months earlier. In contrast, the SBA is already in perfect position to take the next step.

“I’m super-excited!” she said of her Oct. 22 start. “I’ve heard wonderful things about the team. There’s so much happening!”

SBA Chair Patrick Panayotov of Proceed Innovative in Schaumburg explained how Biwer rose to the top during the search process.

“From the strong candidate pool, Andrea Biwer stood out as the best fit for the role,” he said. “Her experience leading a chamber through the challenges we faced the last eight years, along with other roles in our community that matched our needs helped establish Andrea as a top candidate. To solidify her as the one for this role, Andrea brought new ideas to the table along with examples of initiatives she has implemented in her current role, all which highlight her ability to actively lead a chamber into the future.”

Marketing and Communications Manager Christina Cox is serving as interim president during the transition.

With more than 800 members, the Schaumburg Business Association’s success began under the less-than-ideal circumstances of launching in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Stone was recruited from the well-established Greater O’Hare Association to serve as the first president through her retirement in 2010.

Founding Chairman Brian Burke saw Stone as the key to making the new organization click.

"We knew if we hired her, we'd have instant credibility," he said at the time of her retirement.

Biwer said she’s looking forward to carrying on that family connection in her own way.

“I’m definitely different from my mom,” she said. “I’m not the same person. But I’ve had eight years to show what I’m made of.”