A decade of community connection: Andrea Kuipers named Tea Chamber’s Citizen of the Year

After a decade in service, the Tea Chamber named President, Andrea Kuipers Citizen of the Year.

With a passion for community connection, Andrea Kuipers joined the Tea Chamber in 2016. 

“My background is in social work and the part of the job that I enjoy most is the networking. The Tea Chamber offers me those same opportunities, and I feel I really get to know people on a personal level here,” Kuipers said.

Owner of Squealers Smoke Shack Bar & Grill, Andrea enjoys the challenges she faces in the industry. 

“I never imagined my career would bring me to the restaurant/hospitality industry, but it was one of those things where I get to use all my skills every day. Whether it’s a customer, employee, or vendor, I feel like my social work really helps me to improve the overall experience and have great daily relationships to make staff love coming to work and keep things running smoothly,” she said.

Growing the business from a food truck, Kuipers found value in being a chamber member. 

“We built such good relationships with everyone in town, and we have learned that if we need help, all we have to do is reach out and there is a community willing to be there,” Kuipers said.

Being there for their customers through the good and the bad is what makes Squealers a staple in the community. 

“Building relationships with our customers is second nature and we are thrilled that we are able to provide a space to host events to meet the goals of any group and large enough to let the town shower them with like and support like we are famously known for,” she said. 

A member from the beginning, Kuipers has made the chamber a priority in her life. 

“At the time I was approached I owned two businesses, I also ran a daycare, and I knew I would be a great fit. I sat on the junior achievement board for a few years and was active in making connections and friendships within the city which has allowed me to get to know more people and get them interested in bringing their new business ideas to town,” Kuipers said.

Since becoming Chamber President three years ago, Kuipers has been working on bringing community members together and new potential customers to town. 

“In 2025 we wanted chamber members to see the value in their memberships, so we worked to start Saturdays in the Park, which is trying to pull the community into the business community. We are letting people know there are different businesses that may not have a storefront, but a presence in town, whether big or small and grew that into an event that got everyone outside to enjoy each other’s company and get to know each other,” she said.

New under her presidency, the Chamber has hired an employee to run day to day operations. 

“We hired Liz Carrol as an employee for the chamber as we were struggling to get our administrative work completed by the board of volunteers. Liz had to vacate her seat as a chamber board member, but has done a wonderful job with her roles in social media, membership work, ribbon cuttings, and making everything flow as well as it does,” Kuipers said.

Being named Citizen of the Year was a complete surprise to Kuipers as staff hid every detail in plain sight. 

“They put me to work writing the script. I wrote a whole speech for the night to make sure everything went smoothly, and had great material for who I thought was the winner,” Kuipers reported. 

Thinking back, Kuipers couldn’t believe she didn’t notice their plan. 

“They even let me order the plaques, and when I went to pick them up, they told me they weren’t quite ready, so I had to make arrangements for another member to pick them up, and at no point was anything adding up in my head,” Kuipers laughed.

Upon finding out the news, Kuipers began to put everything together. 

“I was completely shocked. I am very uncomfortable being the center of attention as I’m not the kind of person that needs credit for things, but hearing everyone say all the wonderful things they had to say was truly amazing and humbling and the whole night was a great celebration and a sigh of relief at the end of my term in an unforgettable way,” Kuipers said.