June Cheatham Monday, December 7, 2020, at Eyecare Associates in Tyler. (Les Hassell/News-Journal Photo)

Longtime volunteer June Cheatham embodies the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce’s new slogan: “Live Love Tyler.”

Cheatham helped create the catchphrase and its logo during her October 2019-September 2020 term as chair of the chamber’s board of directors.

“Little did any of us know, last year at this time, what we would be challenged with,” she said during a speech at the Tyler chamber’s annual meeting Nov. 5, 2020, at the Green Acres Baptist Church Crosswalk Conference Center.

“Yet what an awesome opportunity to experience our fabulous community and bring ‘Live Love Tyler’ to life! Last year I stated that ‘to love Tyler is to love its people, to commit to its people.’ This is what and who we have celebrated today — those who are committed to the people of Tyler!” she said, according to a copy of her speech.

The Tyler chamber has more than 2,000 members — businesses, organizations and individuals who support the business community. It works to improve the area’s business environment, economic well-being and quality of life.

Its biggest challenge this past year was “keeping unity and accomplishing goals while being restricted by COVID, maintaining some sense of normality while existing in an absolutely abnormal world,” Cheatham said during an interview.

“I enjoyed the challenges in trying to bring a sense of calmness in the midst of the pandemic, whether to staff or members,” she continued.

“I am a very positive person. … I don’t want to dwell on the negative. Let’s focus on what our community and its leaders have done to overcome the challenges, to navigate the uncharted waters,” Cheatham said.

The chamber had a successful annual Business Expo in January 2020. But by spring, meetings and events such as ribbon-cuttings for new businesses had been canceled, she said. Instead, committees met and voted via Zoom.

This did not keep the chamber from conquering multiple challenges this past year, Cheatham said. Tourism-oriented Visit Tyler moved to the Plaza Tower on the downtown square, where it opened a gift shop with Tyler-themed items. The chamber also remodeled the Genecov Room, its board and community meeting room in the historic Blackstone Building, the chamber’s home.

And it found a successor for retiring President/Chief Executive Officer Tom Mullins, named to that position in 1992. Cheatham was on the search committee to replace the longtime community and economic development executive; Mullins also had led the Tyler Economic Development Council since 1989.

Chamber staff “exhibited great stick-to-itiveness and did what needed to be done,” Cheatham said.

“You just can’t help but love (the chamber staff and volunteers). Everyone is so supportive. It’s a fabulous community to be a part of, and I’ve loved every minute of it,” she said.

“It was an awesome opportunity and an experience that I will always cherish, and I will always remember,” Cheatham said, adding that her employer, EyeCare Associates of East Texas, supported her chamber activities.

Cheatham became the medical firm’s administrator in 1999 and began volunteering with the chamber to “get our name out there.”

“I knew there would be rewards for community work,” she said. Cheatham oversees patient services at EyeCare’s four locations and surgery center.

She was an integral part of the chamber’s Senior Resource Committee for more than a decade, serving as chair. The committee works to attract retirees to Tyler and ensure they have opportunities to contribute to the chamber’s mission: improving the area’s business environment, economic well-being and quality of life.

Cheatham helped start the chamber’s Medical Committee, which promotes and supports the medical industry in Tyler and Smith County, chairing that committee for several years. The chamber honored her as volunteer of the year in 2007-2008.

“I’m a worker bee. I get in there and get it done. In all of these committees, I worked really hard,” she said. Her efforts spurred several former female chamber chairs to recruit her as chair.

Cheatham said the five women who have led the chamber were her mentors: former Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass; Mary Elizabeth Jackson, vice president of government affairs and community relations for Christus Trinity Mother Frances; Tyler City Councilmwoman Linda Sellers; Rosemary S. Jones, an attorney at the Ramey & Flock law firm; and Felicity Reedy, vice president of finance for the Genecov Group.

When asked what keeps her going during tough times such as this past year, Cheatham referred to a part of her speech at the chamber’s November meeting.

She thanked her “wonderful, quiet and very supportive husband, Tracy,” and the “awesome management team of EyeCare Associates who kicked in extra the many times I was busy with chamber activities. …

“I give my greatest appreciation to the Lord Jesus Christ who displayed the ultimate commitment of love, and where my daily strength lies,” Cheatham said in her speech.