Jasper Chamber holds 70th annual luncheon, Christian Blome awarded community excellence award

The various endeavors, groups and accomplishments listed by Ruger Kerstiens began to sound familiar to VUJ Dean Christian Blome during the Jasper Chamber’s 70th annual luncheon held Thursday at the Calumet Lake Events Plaza.

As the outgoing president of the chamber board, Kerstiens had the honor of naming the most recent recipient of the Jasper Chamber President’s Community Excellence Award.

Blome was attending the luncheon with the VUJ staff. When Kerstiens named the Evansville-based Student Christian Fellowship as one of the organizations the as-yet-named individual receiving the award volunteered with, Blome cocked his head to the side as if to check that he had heard correctly.

He was completely caught off guard as the annual luncheon that he had helped plan in previous years as a member of the Jasper Chamber board of directors became a moment in which he would be honored for his dedication to service.

After accepting the award from Kerstiens, Blome stepped up to the podium and noticed his wife Emily and two children, Carter and Lainee, had snuck in the back.

“It just occurred to me since I have helped plan this before that ‘oh my gosh, my family is back there,'” Blome gushed.

The family discussed the ruse they had used to keep Christian in the dark. Emily had known her husband was going to receive the award for about a month. Heading to work early today to ensure her patients’ needs were met before coming to the luncheon, Emily had to tell her husband she was curling her hair because they were taking staff photos. Lainee had even seen her dad at school where he was teaching Junior Achievement today. She maintained the surprise on the award with a simple “See ya later, Dad.”

Blome thanked everyone for the nomination and noted that all of his involvement in the community happens because of the support of his wife, Emily, and the staff at VUJ.

“Sometimes I come home with new opportunities wondering if there are too many things that I am involved in, and she will say, ‘Wow, why wouldn’t you do that? That sounds amazing,'” Blome said. “I couldn’t do what I do without her at home cheering me on.”

Blome moved to Jasper in 2017 to take on the role of the dean at the Jasper campus as well as the assistant vice president of Vincennes University. Since then, he has dedicated himself to not only the betterment of VUJ but also the city he and his family now call home.

“Christian is an exceptional leader,” one nomination letter stated. “He is hardworking, compassionate, and serves as a positive role model for those who work beside him on and off-campus. He is always willing to go the extra mile and inspires others to be the best version of themselves.”

The length of the list of organizations and community endeavors he has volunteered with throughout his career is evidence of Blome’s service-oriented heart.

Since moving to Jasper, he has been involved in more than 20 organizations and committees. Some of those organizations include Rotary Club of Jasper (president in 2020), Jasper City Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, Hub-19 Advisory Committee, Junior Achievement teacher, Redemption Church Local Missions Committee, Dubois County Juntos 4-H Advisory Committee, Regional Opportunity Initiative Team and Committees, Current Blend/Blended Coders Advisory member, Strassenfest Schuhplatter performer and half pot volunteer, Junior Achievement Dubois County Business Hall of Fame Selection Committee Facilitator, IN 15 Regional Planning Commission Economic Recovery and Resiliency Plan Task Force, 100 Men Who Cook, ALASI. He has also volunteered for numerous athletic teams at Jasper Middle School.

“He is well respected by all who know him, and because of his positive demeanor, people gravitate to him. Christian is the first to jump in to help a cause or to improve an organization, and he always does it with a full heart,” the letter continued.

Overwhelmed at the award, Blome’s words came from his heart.

“I love this place so much, and I feel like you all are friends. I feel like we’ve done so much,” Blome told the crowd. “I’m so proud of Dubois County for the incredible innovative spirit and drive that we have. You all make me a better person.”

Blome stated that the innovative spirit of Jasper is what brought VUJ here. He pointed to those business and community leaders who decided a college was necessary for continuing the innovation and growth necessary to compete in the global economy.

“So they made it happen,” Blome said. “What community just makes things like that happen? It’s Jasper that does that.”

Blome joins a list of 33 individuals honored since the first President’s Award was presented posthumously to Alvin C. Ruxer in 1991. Other award winnings include Bob Siebert, Anne Heeke, Jim Stenftenagel, Ed Rumbach, Bob Gramelspacher, Patty Cox, Bob Steffe, Rich Eckerle, Norbert Eckerle, Leon Fleck, Dave Buehler, Dan Mundy, Lynn Krodel, Ken Sendelweck, Ken Sternberg and Maureen Braun, Donnie Lichlyter, Dr. Nancy Otte, Gervase Schwenk, Joe Rohleder, Bernie Vogler, John Siebert, Becky Beckman, Mike Jones, Mike Ackerman, Dan Fritch, John Seng, Dean Vonderheide, Bob Bleemel, Kim Lottes, Dr. Dean Beckman and Laura Grammer.

Along with announcing the President’s Community Excellence Award, Kerstiens handed the reins of the board over to incoming board president Diedra Church, the director of Memorial Hospital Foundation.

In recognizing the successes of the Jasper Chamber of Commerce, Executive Director Nancy Eckerle stated that the chamber had finally added its 400th member and was on target to cut at least 40 ribbons for new businesses and endeavors in the city this year.