Good morning Chamber world! Today is going to be a GREAT day!
Illinois Chamber Call for Nominations for the 2015 Edie Awards
Illinois Chamber Call for
Nominations for the 2015 Edie Awards, Sponsored by ComEd
Is there an economic development
project in your area that deserves recognition? Tell us about it!
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is
once again teaming up with the Illinois Economic Development
Association (IEDA) to present our seventh annual awards program for economic development
in Illinois - the Edies. We're excited to have ComEd on board again this year
as the sponsor of the Edie Awards. Given the company's long-time leadership
position in economic development in Illinois, it's a natural fit!
The Edies honor those who imagine,
design, invest and build in Illinois, and by doing so bring jobs, growth and
prosperity to our communities.
We believe it is important to take a
moment and showcase these accomplishments -especially when they have translated
into increased economic opportunity and vitality for our state. Read more: Illinois
Chamber
As part of Walmart's additional $1 billion investment in its workers this year, Walmart is giving pay raises to 15,149 associates in Indiana for the pay period starting April 4th. With the raises, associates earn at least $1.75 an hour above the federal and Indiana state minimum wage. The full-time average hourly wage in Indiana is now $12.81.
This is the first company-wide increase in wages since its announcement in February to provide even more opportunity for its workers. As of April 4th, all Walmart associates earn at least $9 per hour and by February 2016 all current associates will earn at least $10 per hour. Walmart is also raising the floor and ceiling of its in-store pay bands in most stores and is providing raises to associates earning at the maximum of their pay band.
"Watching one of the state's largest employers make additional investments in Indiana's workforce is great news for our economy," said Indiana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kevin Brinegar. Read more: MarketWatch.com
Chamber interest: Gov. Asa Hutchinson Wants More Private Venture Capital in Arkansas
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he'd love to see the continued evolution of private venture capital in Arkansas to meet the growth of the state's tech startup ecosystem.
Hutchinson spoke Wednesday afternoon at the Venture Center in downtown Little Rock, where he helped welcome about 30 entrepreneurs and startup leaders, some from as far away as Connecticutt, for a forum on startup ecosystems. Joining him were Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola and Jay Chesshir, director of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The Venture Center launched in May 2014 with a $500,000 grant from the state, and since then has launched programs such as Pre-Flight, a pre-accelerator course where early-stage startup ideas can be fleshed out and developed; Code IT, an interactive workshop featuring national tech founders; and Build IT, a fireside chat-themed discussion with a prominent local startup founder.
In January, it moved into Little Rock Tech Park space on East Markham in downtown Little Rock.
Hutchinson noted the progress of the state's tech startup scene, especially the establishment of several private VC funds in northwest and central Arkansas. Read more: Arkansas Business
Put a group of local executives together to talk about their hiring needs and it probably won’t be long before the phrases start to fly.
“Talent gap.”
“Skills gap.”
“Talent drought.”
While the words they use may vary, local employers are nearly universal in calling it a “problem” that could stall West Michigan’s economic growth.
Last month, for example, a group of local manufacturing executives voiced their concerns at a breakfast event hosted by the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. Read more: MiBiz
Greater Louisville Inc., the metro chamber of commerce, has joined One Southern Indiana, the chamber of commerce for Clark and Floyd counties, in support of the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative, which could bring increased business investment into Southern Indiana.
GLI officials visited the Indiana General Assembly on Wednesday to push for full funding for the initiative, an economic development and population growth effort that is centered on talent attraction, regional development and regional collaboration.
“The vision and specific initiatives to spark population growth in the Southern Indiana region would be stymied should the Indiana legislature decide to withhold full funding,” GLI stated in a news release. “This allocation would allow the state of Indiana to be a financial partner with regions that develop a strong vision, plan and partnership to facilitate significant investment in the region." Read more: Louisville Business First
Volunteer Oxford is naturally busy this week. According to Sarah Ball, director of Volunteer Oxford, events planned for the organization are a pantry food drive, a Memory Makers project and a McLean Institute project in Quitman County. Just this past Sunday, Volunteer Oxford teamed up with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Sardis Lake to help clean up the shoreline.
Ball said, “This is the first (lake clean up) for Volunteer Week. We have partnered with the Corps of Engineers of Sardis Lake for a Make a Difference day project last year.”
Seven volunteers, all representing Starbucks, joined the Sardis Lake park rangers that Sunday. Read more: HottyToddy.com
There have been efforts by many organizations towards regionalism over the years, but the reality was that living well off ever-growing defense spending provided no real incentive to work together.
Today, Department of Defense-related income represents only 42 percent of the regional economy, down from 49 percent — and still falling.
That’s a problem for the entire state of Virginia, because as Gov. Terry McAuliffe said, “When Hampton Roads is healthy, Virginia is healthy.”
One of the most important things I’ve learned over the years — as a former chief executive officer of a manufacturing company, a former senior U.S. military officer, and now as president and chief executive officer for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce — is that nobody can achieve success on his or her own. Success requires collaboration and partnership.
The time has come for wholehearted, purposeful regional planning and collective action. Too often today, municipalities compete, rather than cooperate. Read more: Tidewaternewsdotcom
Hudson Area Chamber & Tourism Bureau Announces New President
Blake Fry of River Falls, WI has been appointed
as the next president of the Hudson Area Chamber & Tourism Bureau and will
assume his responsibilities on April 23. Fry is succeeding Kim Heinemann, who
retired in December after a 12-year tenure as president.
For nearly a decade, Fry has held a variety of positions at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, including his current role as director of communications and external relations. Beyond UW-River Falls, Fry is president of the Pierce County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors and chair of the Momentum West Economic Development Committee. Fry previously served as chair of the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education, a not for profit professional association serving over 600 higher educational professionals in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Fry has been actively engaged in the Hudson community and Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau activities for several years, including the establishment and initial operation of the UW-River Falls Hudson Center.
Dowell Management conducted the search for the Chamber over the last several months. Their address is 380 Jackson Street, Suite 287 Saint Paul, MN 55101
Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation (Attitude)
"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible." Doug Larson
Chamber interest: Pay Raises for More Than 15,000 Walmart Associates in Indiana Go Into Effect This Week
As part of Walmart's additional $1 billion investment in its workers this year, Walmart is giving pay raises to 15,149 associates in Indiana for the pay period starting April 4th. With the raises, associates earn at least $1.75 an hour above the federal and Indiana state minimum wage. The full-time average hourly wage in Indiana is now $12.81.
This is the first company-wide increase in wages since its announcement in February to provide even more opportunity for its workers. As of April 4th, all Walmart associates earn at least $9 per hour and by February 2016 all current associates will earn at least $10 per hour. Walmart is also raising the floor and ceiling of its in-store pay bands in most stores and is providing raises to associates earning at the maximum of their pay band.
"Watching one of the state's largest employers make additional investments in Indiana's workforce is great news for our economy," said Indiana Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Kevin Brinegar. Read more: MarketWatch.com
Chamber interest: Gov. Asa Hutchinson Wants More Private Venture Capital in Arkansas
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he'd love to see the continued evolution of private venture capital in Arkansas to meet the growth of the state's tech startup ecosystem.
Hutchinson spoke Wednesday afternoon at the Venture Center in downtown Little Rock, where he helped welcome about 30 entrepreneurs and startup leaders, some from as far away as Connecticutt, for a forum on startup ecosystems. Joining him were Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola and Jay Chesshir, director of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The Venture Center launched in May 2014 with a $500,000 grant from the state, and since then has launched programs such as Pre-Flight, a pre-accelerator course where early-stage startup ideas can be fleshed out and developed; Code IT, an interactive workshop featuring national tech founders; and Build IT, a fireside chat-themed discussion with a prominent local startup founder.
In January, it moved into Little Rock Tech Park space on East Markham in downtown Little Rock.
Hutchinson noted the progress of the state's tech startup scene, especially the establishment of several private VC funds in northwest and central Arkansas. Read more: Arkansas Business
Chamber issue: Help Wanted: West Michigan employers grapple with shrinking labor pool, skills gap
Put a group of local executives together to talk about their hiring needs and it probably won’t be long before the phrases start to fly.
“Talent gap.”
“Skills gap.”
“Talent drought.”
While the words they use may vary, local employers are nearly universal in calling it a “problem” that could stall West Michigan’s economic growth.
Last month, for example, a group of local manufacturing executives voiced their concerns at a breakfast event hosted by the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. Read more: MiBiz
Greater Louisville Inc., One Southern Indiana calls on Indiana legislature to restore funds for Regional Cities plan
Greater Louisville Inc., the metro chamber of commerce, has joined One Southern Indiana, the chamber of commerce for Clark and Floyd counties, in support of the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative, which could bring increased business investment into Southern Indiana.
GLI officials visited the Indiana General Assembly on Wednesday to push for full funding for the initiative, an economic development and population growth effort that is centered on talent attraction, regional development and regional collaboration.
“The vision and specific initiatives to spark population growth in the Southern Indiana region would be stymied should the Indiana legislature decide to withhold full funding,” GLI stated in a news release. “This allocation would allow the state of Indiana to be a financial partner with regions that develop a strong vision, plan and partnership to facilitate significant investment in the region." Read more: Louisville Business First
Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber, University of Mississippi Celebrate Volunteer Week
This week is the time for all the volunteers to shine! It is the National Volunteer Week and of course Oxford volunteers may be doing a good bit of work this week.
Volunteer Oxford is naturally busy this week. According to Sarah Ball, director of Volunteer Oxford, events planned for the organization are a pantry food drive, a Memory Makers project and a McLean Institute project in Quitman County. Just this past Sunday, Volunteer Oxford teamed up with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Sardis Lake to help clean up the shoreline.
Ball said, “This is the first (lake clean up) for Volunteer Week. We have partnered with the Corps of Engineers of Sardis Lake for a Make a Difference day project last year.”
Seven volunteers, all representing Starbucks, joined the Sardis Lake park rangers that Sunday. Read more: HottyToddy.com
Chamber issue: Hampton Roads and the greater good
by Bryan StephensThere have been efforts by many organizations towards regionalism over the years, but the reality was that living well off ever-growing defense spending provided no real incentive to work together.
Today, Department of Defense-related income represents only 42 percent of the regional economy, down from 49 percent — and still falling.
That’s a problem for the entire state of Virginia, because as Gov. Terry McAuliffe said, “When Hampton Roads is healthy, Virginia is healthy.”
One of the most important things I’ve learned over the years — as a former chief executive officer of a manufacturing company, a former senior U.S. military officer, and now as president and chief executive officer for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce — is that nobody can achieve success on his or her own. Success requires collaboration and partnership.
The time has come for wholehearted, purposeful regional planning and collective action. Too often today, municipalities compete, rather than cooperate. Read more: Tidewaternewsdotcom
Hudson Area Chamber & Tourism Bureau Announces New President
For nearly a decade, Fry has held a variety of positions at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, including his current role as director of communications and external relations. Beyond UW-River Falls, Fry is president of the Pierce County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors and chair of the Momentum West Economic Development Committee. Fry previously served as chair of the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education, a not for profit professional association serving over 600 higher educational professionals in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Fry has been actively engaged in the Hudson community and Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau activities for several years, including the establishment and initial operation of the UW-River Falls Hudson Center.
Dowell Management conducted the search for the Chamber over the last several months. Their address is 380 Jackson Street, Suite 287 Saint Paul, MN 55101
Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation (Attitude)
"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible." Doug Larson
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