Happy Friday, Chamber world! Today is going to be a GREAT day!
Kentucky Chamber's call for retirement system audit endorsed by legislators
At the monthly meeting of the Public Pension Oversight Board, the legislature’s oversight group for pensions, Sen. Jimmy Higdon said the group should recommend a full performance audit of the Kentucky Retirement System (KRS). He described the call for an audit as a way to “trust, but verify” the information provided to the group by KRS.
Higdon’s call followed testimony by KRS chief Bill Thielen, explaining why a recent report indicated a steep increase in investment fees by KRS. Though Thielen pointed to a number of audits and reports commissioned by KRS, he indicated KRS would fully comply with a performance audit. The Chamber called for a full performance audit last year, noting that the financial audits have not fully examined investment practices, fees and performance of the system.
Responding to Thielen’s suggestion there has been enough oversight, Sen. Joe Bowen expressed frustration with the level of transparency with the system. Bowen has previously supported the idea of a performance audit.
Segal Consulting also presented a “limited scope” audit to the oversight board. This audit and report wascommissioned by KRS. Read more: Kentucky Chamber
Eastern Shore Chamber endorsement: Island House puts Virginia Shore on food map
After months of waiting, the staff and loyal patrons of the Island House Restaurant saw the local business in the national spotlight Wednesday night.
The Food Network aired the sixth episode of its new television series, “Beach Eats USA,” which featured the Wachapreague restaurant.
Close to 30 people attended a viewing party at the Island House on Wednesday, where they watched the premiere episode on a 155-inch projection screen.
“It’s definitely a big thing for such a small place, not only for the restaurant but for the Eastern Shore,” said Rachael Fluhart, a server at the Island House. “I was really excited to hear about it.”
Fluhart said she was not working the last week in May when the series host, Curtis Stone, and his film crew shot the episode in Wachapreague. But she did hear from coworkers how great and funny the Australian celebrity chef was during his visit.
“Beach Eats USA” features Stone traveling throughout the country in search of beach locations that “serve fresh and fantastic fare along with spectacular sunsets,” according to the series’ description on the Food Network’s website.
Wednesday’s episode, titled “Hidden Gems,” showcased the Island House, as well as waterfront restaurants in Daufuskie Island, South Carolina , and Newport Coast, California .
Before sitting down with friends to watch the new Food Network show, Ann Williams said she was excited to see everything she appreciates about the Island House — good food, good atmosphere and the view of neighboring Wachapreague Inlet.
“People save all year to go on vacation to have what we have right in our back door,” said Williams. “We’re very blessed to have it.”
In a few clips in the Island House segment, Stone is seen enjoying a boat cruise on Wachapreague Inlet with Island House Owner Blake Johnson.
Johnson wore a big grin as his employees, wife and friends yelled and clapped after seeing him first appear beside Stone.
Also receiving his minutes of fame was Island House Executive Chef Michael Cane. During the episode, Cane prepared two dishes for Stone: saffron mussels and a smoked oyster and steamed clam linguine.
“You a muscle guy?” Stone asked Cane as he began cooking the first entrée.
“Yeah, I’m still working on the pecs and abs,” quipped Cane, which garnered a lot of laughs from his coworkers Wednesday.
The segment featured brief clips of Island House customers giving rave reviews of the saffron mussels, one of which was Jean Hungeville, the executive director for the Eastern Shore of Virginia Chamber of Commerce . Read more: DelMarvanow.com
Greater Elkhart Chamber will host Chamber Expo
The business community is invited to take advantage of the commerce and connections found in the Elkhart area at the 2015 Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce Biz-Ness Expo, sponsored by Centier Bank.
The event will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Northern Indiana Event Center, RV/MH Hall of Fame, 21565 Executive Parkway.
The Chamber’s Expo is the largest business-to-business tradeshow in Elkhart County. Read more: South Bend Tribune
The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce is urging Ingham County officials to cut a controversial health services millage by nearly one-third, saying it will save taxpayers about $1 million a year.
A 0.52-mill tax levy to provide basic health care to the county’s neediest residents was approved by the voters in 2012 and 2014. The tax brings in $3.5 million a year, however, with more people qualifying under the Affordable Health Care Act and Medicare, a $10 million surplus has accrued.
The money used to go to the Ingham Health Plan Corp., but the county board last week approved a plan that would cap the amount IHP gets each year at $1 million, with county commissioners allocating the remaining $2.5 million. IHP still controls the surplus.
The chamber called that plan “a positive step” in a news release Tuesday, but is pressuring commissioners to reduce the millage by $1 million a year.
“There have been good faith negotiations on this issue for the past several months and Ingham County Commissioners need to fulfill the terms of the compromise including the provision to reduce the millage levy that will result in large savings for county taxpayers,” chamber President and CEO Tim Daman said in the release. Read more: Lansing State-Journal
Business 101: Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce Speaker: Andrea Picou of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
Business 101: 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Knight Nonprofit Center, Gulfport. Hosted by Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce. Speakers: Andrea Picou of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Kim Marmalich of Alexander, Van Loon, Sloan, Levens & Favre CPAs and Ryan Giles of AGJ Systems and Networks. Panel discussions: Magnolia Business Alliance, Mississippi Small Business Development Center, Small Business Administration and South Mississippi Contract Procurement Center. Cost: $5 members and $15 nonmembers. Details: 604-0014.
Choose DuPage Economic Development Alliance Selects Former Chicagoland Chamber Exec as New President and CEO
Choose DuPage, the driving force for economic development in DuPage County, selected John Carpenter as the new President and CEO.
Carpenter most recently served as Senior Vice President of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce where he was responsible for public policy initiatives, legislative affairs, and the execution of the strategic vision of the Chambers’ Board of Directors. Carpenter will lead Choose DuPage in its mission to establish DuPage County as a premier global business location.
“John’s extensive experience in government relations and corporate affairs makes him well suited for this position,” said Robert Hutchinson, Private Sector Co-Chair, Choose DuPage Board of Directors.
“Choose DuPage has made tremendous strides in the last several years,” noted DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin. “It is a prime example of a public-private partnership that works, engaging large and small employers to enrich DuPage’s business landscape, while attracting and growing new business. I know under John’s leadership our economic development efforts will continue to flourish.” Read more: Positively Naperville
Chamber keynote speaker: The business case for social mobility in Madison
With his British accent and dry wit, it’s hard not to be charmed by liberal political theorist and writer Richard V. Reeves.
Yet his core message these days is a somber one: In recent decades, social mobility in the United States has sharply declined. Today, it too often is your economic roots — especially if you are a minority — likely to dictate the ceiling on your economic prospects.
To combat this trend, Reeves contends, society too often turns to the public sector for solutions; if the private sector is involved at all, it is primarily via philanthropy. But Reeves argues there is a strong business case that workplace equity and social mobility matter a great deal both in identifying the best talent and in fostering healthy local markets for goods and services. He will localize that message in Madison next week for gathered business leaders.
A senior fellow in economic studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., Reeves is disarming and at times humorous in making this important case. Take, for example, the YouTube video in which he playfully arranges and rearranges stacks of Legos to statistically illustrate the crisis. It’s titled “Understanding Social Mobility” and has gone viral.
Add to that his appearance on “The Daily Show” in a satirical piece exploring the “crisis” of run-of-the-mill millionaires being left behind by the even faster growth in wealth among billionaires.
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, Reeves will be the keynote speaker at the annual dinner of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. We talked about his views on mobility and about income gaps and racial disparities in Madison. I described what I regard as Madison’s willingness, perhaps even eagerness, to explore the topic of social mobility. Read more: Madison.Com
Town Square Publications Chamber of Commerce Community Profiles
Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national chamber custom publishing group that specializes in developing partnerships by producing high-quality print and digitally integrated publications along with other added value programs dedicated to creating relevancy for local chambers of commerce and other membership focused organizations interested in raising non-dues revenues.
For further information about Town Square's publishing partnership with chambers of commerce and our No-Cost guarantee and Earned Revenue Share Program, contact John Dussman directly at the Town Square offices at 847-427-4633. Mailing Address: 155 E. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005. Email address: <jdussman@tspubs.com> with the subject line: Chamber Community Profile RFP.
For further information about Town Square's publishing partnership with chambers of commerce and our No-Cost guarantee and Earned Revenue Share Program, contact John Dussman directly at the Town Square offices at 847-427-4633. Mailing Address: 155 E. Algonquin Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005. Email address: <jdussman@tspubs.com> with the subject line: Chamber Community Profile RFP.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.