BestChamber Practices: Four chambers that showed what pro-activity can accomplish!; Flint and Genesee County Chamber News; Chamber future: Oklahoma higher ed chancellor: No better investment for state; Chamber In tune: Woodbury teen singing for Minnesota; Chamber Partnership: Governor's Quality Awards Go to 28 Arkansas Organizations; Madison Wisconsin Chamber partnership: Conference helps businesses explore trade with China; ACT chief innovation officer to keynote Iowa City chamber banquet; Chamber event: Winfield selected to host 2016-2017 Kansas Sampler Festival;

Getting in front of an issue can pay huge dividends

After the passage of a green energy bill in 2008 the Council of Smaller Enterprises, the small business partner of Cleveland’s chamber of commerce transformed itself into one-stop energy efficiency shop for its members. It connected them with energy audits and retrofitting services — often provided by other companies in the organization — as well as rebates for efficiency upgrades. According to a report by the Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy, which helps local business groups profitably employ green technology, members of the Council of Smaller Enterprises saved $13.4 million on their energy bills in 2012. Read more: Boston Globe

Flint and Genesee County Chamber of Commerce seeking employers seeking young, new hires in the area

The Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce is aiming to find businesses and employers interested in hiring people from the ages of 18 to 24 who have graduated from the chamber's TeenQuest program.

The program focuses on teaching students the basics of teamwork, business etiquette, work ethics, communication, goal setting and conflict resolution. Potential employers could have costs subsidized for a 50 percent reimbursement for 90 days through a Ruth Mott Foundation grant. Read more: M Live

Chamber future: Oklahoma higher ed chancellor: No better investment for state

Oklahoma’s Complete College America (CCA) goal is to increase the number of degrees and certificates earned in this state by an average of 1,700 per year, resulting in a 67 percent increase by 2023.
Gov. Mary Fallin recently announced that in year two of the CCA degree completion initiative, Oklahoma’s public and private institutions and career technology centers surpassed the annual goal, conferring 3,577 additional degrees and certificates. This achievement follows resounding success in the first year of CCA deployment, during which the number of degrees and certificates earned in Oklahoma increased by 2,945.  Read more: NewsOK.com

Chamber In tune: Woodbury teen singing for Minnesota

Minnesota Sings is a statewide competition that will see representatives from 48 cities face off in a vocal competition.
“It will provide a big-time, small-town opportunity for everyone in the state,” said event producer Kelly Casey.
The first place winner will receive $2,500 in addition to a $250 cash prize for the winning city’s chamber of commerce. Read more: Woodbury Bulletin

Chamber Partnership: Governor's Quality Awards Go to 28 Arkansas Organizations

Twenty-eight Arkansas companies and organizations were presented Arkansas Governor's Quality Awards by Gov. Mike Beebe Monday night at the Governor’s Quality Award Program.

The goal of the Governor’s Quality Award Program is to encourage Arkansas organizations to engage in continuous quality improvement, which leads to performance excellence, and to provide significant recognition to those organizations.

Created as a nonprofit, the program partners with the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and is dedicated to assist in building a strong infrastructure for Arkansas businesses. 

                                                                       

The program chairman is Cole Williamson, president and CEO of American Data Network. Organizations and companies interested in participating in the program should contact Governor’s Quality Award Executive Director Sue Weatter with the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce by calling 501-372-2222 or visit Arkansas-Quality.org. Read more: Arkansas Business

Madison Wisconsin Chamber partnership: Conference helps businesses explore trade with China

Midwest business leaders will get firsthand advice about the world’s largest economy at University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Global Business Series: China Conference, which will be held Oct. 22 at the Fluno Center on the UW-Madison campus.
The China Conference is offered in partnership with UW-Madison China Initiative/Division of International Studies, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, Madison Region Economic Partnership, and these UW-Madison offices: Continuing Studies, Corporate Relations, and Center for International Business Education and Research. Read more: PostCrescent.com

ACT chief innovation officer to keynote Iowa City chamber banquet

ACT Senior Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer Miguel Encarnação will keynote the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce's Annual Banquet on Feb. 19, 2015, at the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.
Encarnação will speak about innovation in the workplace to more than 550 business, nonprofit, education, industry and government leaders attending the event. Read more: Iowa City Press-Citizen

Chamber event: Winfield selected to host 2016-2017 Kansas Sampler Festival

The Kansas Sampler Foundation announced Tuesday that Winfield will be the host for the 2016-2017 Kansas Sampler Festival. The event is designed to provide the public a sample of what there is to see, do, hear, taste, buy and learn in Kansas.
El Dorado was the other finalist. The host selection committee interviewed both potential hosts on Sept. 22 and visited their proposed festival sites. Read more: Winfield Daily Courier


Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations: (Attitude)

“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.”

Wayne W. Dyer