Chamber collaboration: High stakes competition could be a game changer for local population growth; Illinois Chamber partner: Business Ledger honors best places to work in Illinois; Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber speaker: State's economic development director says process needs to be streamlined; Michigan House Speaker Cotter Releases Road Funding Plan; Chamber Festival: Virginia gets "A Taste of New Kent"; Former Cardinal turned pilot speaks at Chippewa Falls Area chamber Excellence in Education banquet; Fort Thomas mayor joins Kentucky Chamber trip to Japan, Toyota; Mississippi Economic Council: Blueprint Mississippi

Good morning Chamber world! Today is going to be a GREAT day!

Chamber collaboration: High stakes competition could be a game changer for local population growth

According to Webster, the definition of transform is to “change something completely.”
That’s what Indiana Governor Mike Pence has in mind for two lucky Indiana communities.
“This type of thing doesn’t happen every day, it’s our really once in a lifetime chance to change northcentral Indiana,” said Regina Emberton, President and CEO OF Michiana Partnership.
Indiana’s Regional Cities program is designed to be a game changer—a strategic and bold—if not glitzy and gimmicky way to make those who live in Indiana want to stay here and those who don’t, want to move here.
“The state has really studied those communities across the country that have experienced phenomenal growth and really tried to take some lessons away from that and then put a program together to help fund those things to happen in Indiana,” said St. Joseph County Chamber of Commerce President Jeff Rea.
In this case, consortiums made up of multiple Indiana counties will compete for dollars. The northcentral Indiana group is made up of St. Joseph, Elkhart, and Marshall Counties. Until last week, Kosciusko County was a member, but withdrew to join a consortium of northeastern counties.
At least seven consortiums are expected to compete, but only two will be selected as and funded as regional cities. Read more: WNDU.com

Illinois Chamber partner: Business Ledger honors best places to work in Illinois

by Rich Klicki

What makes a company a great place to work? Engaged employees who enjoy good benefits, flexible work opportunities and a chance to help the communities they live in become a better place.

A daily cup of Starbucks coffee doesn't hurt, either.

A total of 74 companies were honored Wednesday evening during the 2015 Best Places to Work in Illinois program hosted by the Daily Herald Business Ledger. About 370 people attended the 10th annual event at the Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center.

The statewide survey and awards program identifies and honors businesses whose work environments benefit its workforce, business and the state economy. The companies were classified in one of three categories based on number of employees and ranked based on a written survey of the company and interviews with a sampling of its employees.

Best Places to Work in Illinois winners enjoy a high amount of employee engagement, according to Peter Burke, president of Best Companies Group, which manages the awards program. While companies in the U.S. average around 41 percent employee engagement, the 72 companies honored average 91 percent employee engagement.

"That is incredible," Burke said. "You are the cream of the crop, the best of the best." Read more: Daily Herald

Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber speaker: State's economic development director says process needs to be streamlined

Arkansas is home to seven Fortune 500 companies and the eighth could be starting now as a small business, according to the state's new economic development leader.

Mike Preston, the keynote speaker Wednesday at the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Awards Lunch, said small businesses are essential to the state's job growth. He took over as executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission on April 6.

"We have to make sure we are doing everything, as a government, to get out of the way of business," he said. "We don't want to regulate them to death."

New factories or corporate headquarters grab headlines, but small businesses are responsible for a bulk of job growth, Preston said.

Preston was vice president of government relations for Enterprise Florida, that state's economic development organization, for the past six years and was part of a team that helped the state add 728,000 jobs in four years. He said all but about 100,00 of those jobs were created by small businesses.

"It's up to you guys to decide what is best for your community, your region, and then you tell us at the state level how we can help facilitate that," he said.

Three challenges he identified during his first 30 days on the job are lowering the state's income tax, modernizing the corporate income tax and improving workforce training. Read more: NWAonline.com

Michigan House Speaker Cotter Releases Road Funding Plan

House Speaker Kevin Cotter (R - Mt. Pleasant) announced a road funding plan yesterday afternoon. The plan would dedicate an additional $522 million for roads in 2016 and up to $1.05 billion by 2019.

If enacted, the plan would put an additional General Fund (GF) dollars to roads, as well as new revenue.

The plan proposes to...
  - Dedicate an additional $350 million of GF next year, $525 million in 2017, and $700 million in 2018 and 2019.
  - Eliminate the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), providing about $117 million for roads.
  - Increase the fuel tax on electric and diesel vehicles, generating about $45 million.
  - Shift economic development revenue to transportation: $75 million in tobacco settlement revenue that currently goes to the 21st Century Jobs Fund, $60 million from tribal gaming compacts, and $50 million from film subsidies.
  - Require competitive bidding on projects, as well as, warranties.

Speaker Cotter laid out the proposal in a document, which can be viewed here. 

More information:  Grand Rapids Area Chamber

Chamber Festival: Virginia gets "A Taste of New Kent"

Visitors got "A Taste of New Kent" and other Virginia wines at last weekend's annual festival held by the Chamber of Commerce.

People from Hampton Roads to Richmond traveled to the New Kent Winery to attend the May 9 event.

"It's a great event," said Jack Walder as he stood in line under a blue sky. he was waiting to sample wines from Cooper Vineyards in Goochland. It wasn't his first time at "A Taste of New Kent," or visiting the winery. After the tasting he bought two bottles of Cooper's wines to enjoy with his family and friends on the breezy winery porch. People gathered at vendor stands to sample wines, sat at large white tables noshing on food truck eats, and shopped at craft and retail tents. Some bought bottles of wine and parked their lawn chairs under trees shading the perimeter of the festival, drinking and enjoying a live performance by the Kings of Swing.

"It's always really great to see people from outside of New Kent come and see what this county has to offer," said Christopher Lindsay, past-president of the New Kent Educational Foundation, as he and his girlfriend prepared to enjoy the festival. The festival brought an estimated 5,000 people to the New Kent Winery, said Chamber of Commerce and Board of Supervisors member Ron Stiers. He helped plan the event, which he said was better than the six festivals before it.

- See more at: Tidewater Review

Former Cardinal turned pilot speaks at Chippewa Falls Area chamber Excellence in Education banquet

When Brian Gienapp answered a phone call from Rebecca Davis, principal of Chippewa Falls Senior High School, he thought he might be in trouble.
“There was a moment of panic,” Gienapp said, explaining that he has a child enrolled at Chi-Hi.
But his emotion quickly changed when Davis asked him to be the keynote speaker at this year’s Excellence in Education banquet, which was Wednesday night at the Avalon Hotel and Convention Center in Chippewa Falls.
“It was such an honor,” said Gienapp, a past recipient of the award.
Each year, the Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes the top 5 percent of the graduating classes from Chi-Hi and McDonell Catholic Central High School. Now in it’s 30th year, the program invites each recognized student to invite the educator who has most influenced them. Read more: The Chippewa Herald

Fort Thomas mayor joins Kentucky Chamber trip to Japan, Toyota

Fort Thomas' Eric Haas went on Kentucky's biggest business trip to Japan in 30 years in April for a chance to schmooze with executives from Toyota.
A group of 30 Kentucky Chamber of Commerce delegates including Haas and four other Northern Kentucky representatives visited the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and sat down with Toyota executives on an eight-day trip ending April 24. president Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing president Wil James Jr. organized the trip because Georgetown is building Lexus ES 350 luxury sports sedans, the first built outside of Japan.
"It was the largest business delegation to go to Japan in more than 30 years, and perhaps ever," said Dave Adkisson, Kentucky Chamber's president.  Read more: Cincinatti.com

Mississippi Economic Council: Blueprint Mississippi

9 Mileposts for Mississippi's Pathway to Progress

Strengthen and Expand Mississippi's Economy
Cultivate a More Robust Workforce in Mississippi
Support Mississippi's Creative Economy
Increase the Educational Achievement Level of Mississippians
Promote Health Care as an Economic Driver
Continually Develop Infrastructure for a Competitive Economy
Cultivate Diversity, Community Cooperation and Racial Reconciliation
Increase the Availability of Financial Capital
Improve Communication and Coordination among Public, Private and Non-Profit Leaders

Source: Mississippi Economic Council