Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce announces new hire and promotion within business advocacy team

The Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce recently hired Marissa Vargas as business advocacy manager and promoted Misty Helm to business advocacy specialist.

Vargas is responsible for staffing the Chamber’s newly formed Hispanic Business Council and helping to implement the council’s mission. In this role, she will help ensure the successful creation and expansion of Hispanic businesses in the greater Indianapolis region, manage and support volunteers engaged in those initiatives, work with public officials to develop and implement policy, and assist local business alliances and community organizations on policy and program initiatives.

Vargas brings extensive knowledge of the Hispanic community to her new role, having most recently worked for WIIH-Univision Indiana, an affiliate of the United States’ leading Spanish-language media company, as director of community relations. She holds bachelor degrees in international studies and Spanish from Saint Louis University in Missouri. In addition, Vargas has studied abroad in Spain, Brazil and Mexico, and speaks fluent Spanish.

Helm, who has been with the Chamber since July of 2004, works with the Chamber’s business advocacy team to assist them in day-to-day operations. In addition, she interfaces with the Chamber’s multiple volunteer committees and maintains contact information on area elected officials. Helm’s new duties also will include coordinating business advocacy efforts with a newly hired administrative assistant and assisting the Chamber with its newly formed Hispanic Business Council.

Prior to joining the Chamber, she was a financial administrator for Midwest Periodontal and Oral Reconstruction. Helm holds an associate degree in business administration from Indiana Business College.

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Founded in 1890 by Colonel Eli Lilly and a group of Indianapolis business leaders, the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce is the voice of the central Indiana business community. Today, with a membership of nearly 4,000 businesses, the Indianapolis Chamber is still a voice of progress and improvement, bringing together businesses for a thriving community. For more information on the Chamber, visit indychamber.com.