Palos Area Chamber’s president committed to local business

By Kelly White

Born and raised in Palos Heights, Todd Probasco takes pride in his roots.

Elected as the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce president in December of 2022, for a two-year term, Probasco is looking forward to helping the community continue to thrive.

“The Palos Area Chamber of Commerce is an amazing origination,” Probasco said. “It is made up of local business people who network, refer business to each other and promote the Shop Local theme that is very important in our community.”

As Probasco said, the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce is committed to promoting the business community and the many wonderful amenities our city offers to both residents and guests and is dedicated to making the Palos area a wonderful and convenient place to live, work, visit and build a business.

Supporting the communities of Palos Heights and Palos Park, along with some of the businesses within the Palos Hills community, is the Chamber’s top priority.

The Chamber was formed originally in 1949 when a small group of merchants joined together for the purpose of advancing economic, industrial, professional, cultural, and civic welfare of the Palos Heights area, and since then, the Chamber has continued to grow and succeed in promoting economic development.

Probasco joined the Chamber in 2020. Prior to his current role, he served as the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce Vice President from 2020 until 2022.

“I became a member because I grew up in Palos Heights, moved back into town and wanted to get more involved with the local business community,” he said. “The Chamber is the voice and ears for the local businesses. We need to help them promote their business, keep them updated on local changes and government plans and continue to promote the Shop Local campaign that we strongly support.”

Probasco, Vice President Mortgage Lending at Lakeside Bank, attended Palos East Elementary School, Palos South Middle School and Carl Sandburg High School.

“Palos Heights is a great community, we have that local small town feel but still close enough to everything the Chicago area has to offer,” Probasco said.

For nearly 70 years, the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce has been dedicated to making the Palos area a wonderful and convenient place to live, work, visit and build a business. The Chamber has remained actively involved in the everyday life of the Palos area, residents and business community, reflecting Probasco’s hometown origins.

“The Chamber has always been that conduit between the businesses in town and the community as a whole,” Bob Straz, Palos Heights Mayor, said.

Probasco has great plans in store for his new role as President, including continuing to promote Shop Local.

“I will also increase the number and quality of our events and be more involved with our local government officials to make sure we are doing everything we can to help our local businesses grow,” Probasco said.