The Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce is now among the top 1 percent of chambers nationwide. In its first attempt to become accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the West Coast Chamber was awarded with the highest possible rating, a 5-Star accreditation. It is now one of only 89 chambers to hold that rank and one of two in Michigan (the other in Battle Creek).
The final determination is made by the accrediting board, a committee of U.S. Chamber board members and chamber CEOs from across the country.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.
“We want to make sure we stay among their ranks,” said Jane Clark, president of the West Coast Chamber. Read more: Holland Sentinel
Iowa City Chamber Announces Best in Business Award Recipients
The Board of Directors at the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce will recognize the best in business in seven categories at “A Toast to Our Communities” awards breakfast on November 20, 2014. Recipients announced today include:
Ambassador of the Year – Jessica Wittman, Corridor Radiology
Sponsored by Corridor Radiology
Honored Farm Family Award – Bill & Denise Maier and family
Non-Profit of the Year – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County
Sponsored by United Way of Johnson & Washington Counties
Spark Leadership Award – Rick Fosse, Iowa City Public Works Department
Sponsored by HR Green
Impact & Innovation Award – Sculpt, LLC
Sponsored by Willis & Willis Real Estate Attorneys and Security Abstract Company
Eliot Keller Small Business of the Year – McCrossen Consulting
Sponsored by KZIA Z102.9 and KGYM 1600 ESPN
Volunteer of the Year – Jim Conard, West Bank
The Chamber is excited to announce the addition of a new award this year – Ambassador of the Year. Read more: Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce
Greater North Dakota Chamber Leader on Legislature
Top legislative priorities seem to be repeated across the state: housing, childcare and infrastructure.That's what Greater North Dakota Chamber CEO Andy Peterson has noticed while touring the state.
Today Peterson met with local legislators and community leaders at the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee meeting. He says the business community continues to thrive, however, many regulatory and tax issues will be presented during the legislative session.
Peterson says the legislature also needs to look at way to invest in education -- both at the K-12 and higher ed levels.
He says education is the cure to the work force shortage in the future. Read more: KX News
Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace seeks input from small businesses
The Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace encourages representatives of small businesses to take a minute to support Arkansas’s business community, the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, and their own business by completing a survey to help build a successful small business health insurance exchange.Recently, the Marketplace board voted to launch a state-based small business health insurance exchange (SHOP) in 2015, offering coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2016. The Marketplace is soliciting input from small businesses across Arkansas (100 employees or less) as it seeks to build the capabilities necessary to serve them.
Each business that participates will have a chance to win a $1,000 donation made in their name to the charity of their choice. Additionally, if the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce has at least 50 member companies participate, it will receive a $1000 donation to assist in business support efforts.Read more: The Log Cabin Democrat
Chamber Tweet of the Day: Indy Chamber
Indy Chamber
Warrensburg (Missouri) Chamber selects executive director
The Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce selected Suzanne Taylor as executive director starting Dec. 1.
Chamber President Rick Solomon said a careful search resulted in the chamber finding a new executive in house.
"There was a process that was put together by a member, John Yost, who produced a grading system, and that grading system gave us the answer," Solomon said Friday.
The
evaluation process started with collecting resumes, narrowing the
number to five and grading applicants based on how well they fit the
chamber's mission, and from that process Taylor emerged as the choice,
Solomon said. Read more: The Daily Star-Journal
State official to address Superior Chamber Thursday
The luncheon, which will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Conference Center on the WITC-Superior campus. For more information about Secretary Newson and for more details about the Thursday, Nov. 20 event, please visit BusinessNorth.com
Elmhurst Chamber Elects Officers for 2015
The Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry Board of Directors elected three officers and approved an appointed Treasurer for its six-member Executive Committee for 2015 at its regular monthly meeting held November 18 in the Hammersmith Community Room at Community Bank of Elmhurst (330 West Butterfield Road).
Elected/appointed to serve one-year terms on the Executive Committee were:
Chairperson-Dee Longfellow, Editorial Coordinator for Rock Valley Publishing, publisher of the Elmhurst Independent (240 North West Avenue);
First Vice Chairperson-Michael Himmes, newly-hired as Vice President-Commercial Lending at Suburban Bank & Trust Co. (150 East Butterfield Road);
Second Vice Chairperson-Tim Gurrie, a Pampered Chef consultant since 2010; and
Treasurer-Charity Ahlgrim, Vice President and Business Development Officer at Community Bank of Elmhurst since 2005;
Longfellow, Himmes, Gurrie and Ahlgrim will be joined on the Executive Committee by Immediate Past Chair Julie Miller, Office Manager and Paralegal at Patrick T. Sheehan & Associates, Attorneys at Law (314 North York Street) since 2000, and ex-officio member John Quigley, Chamber President and CEO since 1999.
Longfellow is only the ninth female Board Chair in the Chamber's 96-year history, all of them since 1982, but the seventh during Quigley's 15-year tenure.
Preceding Longfellow as female Board Chairs were Virginia "Ginny" Harmon (1982) of Unique Travel Service, Nancy Phillips (1988) of York State Bank, Gloria Duarte (1999) of Café Las Belles Artes, Cathy Bajkowski (2003) of CB Health Insurance, Dare Messina (2006) of L.W. Reedy Real Estate, Debra Klosterman (2007) of Guaranteed Rate, Jennifer Speaker (2013) of SMB Advantage Group and Miller. Read more: Chicago Tribune
Pratt (Kansas) Chamber events kick off holiday season
The Northeast is buried in snow and the Midwest is recovering from frigid temperatures. A high in the mid-50s is predicted for Saturday, just what Chamber of Commerce Director Kimberly DeClue ordered for an Old Fashioned Christmas celebration.The event will take place this year in Lemon Park, from 4 to 6 p.m. on Nov. 22, moving from previous locations downtown and on the Courthouse Square.
“Lemon Park lights are magical,” DeClue explained. “It’s just Christmas in Pratt. It’s a great place for an event. We’ll start a new tradition.” Read more: Pratt Tribune
Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations: (Giving thanks and gratitude)
“Never, ever forget to
thank people. Failing to express gratitude is no better than being ungrateful.”
– Glenn Shepard
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