Virginia Peninsula Chamber program: Bridge - Connecting Young Professionals; Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce kicks off annual youth Junior Leadership program; Hoffman Estates Chamber Event: Mayor's address: Hoffman Estates adding more entertainment, homes; Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce 2016 Business Directory and Resource Guide; Linton-Stockton Chamber of Commerce hears updates from Greene County General Hospital; South Central Kentucky Workforce committee prepares for Thursday full board session; #Chamber delight: Everything’s comin’ up roses at the Museum of Wisconsin Art; Chief strategy officer added to Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce; Town Square Publications Chamber of Commerce Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Re-Location Guides and Custom Maps

Good morning, Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day! Virginia Peninsula Chamber program: Bridge - Connecting Young Professionals

Bridge is an educational series that offers a variety of professional development experiences to Young Professionals under 40 on the Peninsula. Bridge is sponsored by the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Economic Development Agencies of Hampton and Newport News, it is driven by Young Professionals on the Virginia Peninsula. Bridge exists to connect current leaders to emerging leaders in our market while offering opportunities for Young Professionals to obtain experience, practical wisdom, resources, mentorship, and meaningful professional relationships with mentors and peers alike. Bridge empowers Young Professionals to advance in reach and depth! Bridge prepares YP's to participate in the advancement of the Virginia Peninsula. Contact Jemal Harris at jharris@vpcc.org or 757-325-8157 to learn more about the program and how to get engaged. Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce kicks off annual youth Junior Leadership program  A select group of sophomores from area high schools have been active this spring volunteering their time with Lafayette County Literacy Council, Lovepacks, and assisting in the coordination of a blood drive as part of their involvement in the 2016 Junior Leadership class, a program sponsored by the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce. “The program attempts to identify young leaders in the Oxford and Lafayette County schools, as well as home schooled and local private schools,” said Pam Swain, senior vice president of the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce and program administrator. “Through the program, efforts are made to motivate them and assist them in sharpening their leadership skills, in the hope that they will exert a strong, positive influence on the future of Oxford and Lafayette County.” The Junior Leadership Program is sponsored for the second consecutive year by a local business with multiple locations all over the county, Your Extra Closet, owned by successful business leader and entrepreneur Floyd Hubbell.  See more at: The Local Voice Hoffman Estates Chamber Event: Mayor's address: Hoffman Estates adding more entertainment, homes New businesses -- and entertainment opportunities in particular -- are beginning to proliferate in the western part of Hoffman Estates, Mayor Bill McLeod said Wednesday in his annual state of the village address at the Sears Centre Arena. The arena is proving to be the draw for those businesses. Later this year, the arena will welcome the Windy City Bulls Development League basketball team and receive a significant capital improvement in conjunction with its 10th anniversary. Those who attended McLeod's address during the Hoffman Estates Chamber of Commerce & Industry's breakfast also saw the skeletons of the Main Event family entertainment center and a Duluth Trading Co. store taking shape just outside the arena. And after a successful first season for the Dasbier Garden beer garden on the Village Green in the surrounding Prairie Stone Business Park, Hoffman Estates officials are considering a two-year renewal of its license, McLeod said. Ben Gibbs, general manager of the village-owned Sears Centre, said the area seems on the verge of realizing its potential. "I think we're finally hitting our stride with this entertainment district," he said. Progress on the full tollway interchange at Barrington Road continued in 2015 and its completion is something to look forward to in 2016, McLeod said. The full interchange could finally spur the market for the Meijer property north of the tollway that was never developed, he said. Read more: Daily Herald Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce 2016 Business Directory and Resource Guide The Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce 2016 Business Directory and Resource Guide  is available at the Virginia Peninsula Chamber today! Thanks to Mike Kuhns, Suzy Johnson and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together! Town SquarePublications  (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community profile or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633. Linton-Stockton Chamber of Commerce hears updates from Greene County General Hospital The Linton-Stockton Chamber of Commerce held its monthly meeting at Greene County General Hospital Tuesday, where members heard from GCGH CEO Brenda Reetz and others about the hospital's 'vital stats' as well as advances in 3D radiology that was shown in its first two weeks of operation to already be saving lives. The technology is new, and GCGH is the only hospital within 35 miles able to provide the state-of-the-art equipment. The facility offers radiological services such as 3D mammography, bone density scanning, CT scans, general X-rays, digital mammography LDCT lung screening and ultrasound. The hospital also announced the certification of its 'Sweet Dreams Baby Bundles' as a Legacy Project by the Indiana Bicentennial Commission. This program was begun in January 2015 with a grant from UDWI REMC. The goal of the program is to reduce Indiana's high infant mortality rate. Mothers who complete a continuum of prenatal care and deliver their babies at GCGH receive the bundles at no cost to them. Read more: Greene County Daily World South Central Kentucky Workforce committee prepares for Thursday full board session The South Central Kentucky Workforce Board Executive Committee on Tuesday morning approved two more officer slots, discussed a recommendation to hire legal counsel and set up plans for the full board meeting Thursday morning in Glasgow. Since the 10 judge-executives in the region have not come to a consensus yet on whether to put the new board under a fiscal agent format or sub-grant recipient format, little else could be discussed. Even setting up a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation status cannot be pursued until the judges approve by 65 percent super-majority vote the agreed-to format, officials said. Seven of the 10 judges must vote to approve under the super-majority. Several of the members of the new workforce board are from the private sector. The federal government governs the programs through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which demanded more local involvement by public officials, than the old law. The judges are legally responsible for the money and appointed the private-sector representatives to the new workforce board. "We have to wait until the judges decide," Gregory Head, chairman of the workforce board governance committee, told the executive committee Tuesday. Head is manager of Davert USA in Bowling Green. A fiscal agent simply handles between $1.7 million and $2.5 million in federal money that the region receives for workforce activities annually. Bills are submitted to the fiscal agent, it confirms the services have been performed and then pays the bills. A sub-grant recipient handles the money and provides the services. The Barren River Area Development District has performed workforce services in the region under the sub-grant recipient format. BRADD has come under criticism for its performance by judge-executives in Warren and Simpson counties and by the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. Read more: Bowling Green Daily News #Chamber delight: Everything’s comin’ up roses at the Museum of Wisconsin Art Nearly three years since moving into its award-winning building at 205 Veterans Ave. in West Bend, business is booming at the Museum of Wisconsin Art. The 31,000-square-foot museum opened at the new location in April 2013. Laurie Winters, the museum’s executive director and CEO, said Wednesday the museum’s operating budget ended 2015 in the black for the third straight year. “If you’re in the museum field you know how significant that is,” Winters said. “Most museums that do an expansion or an addition really struggle. A lot of museums will be open for five or six years after a new addition or a new building and they haven’t made their operating budget.” It’s “kind of unprecedented,” Winters said. She also said funds have been committed to pay off the building. “The total building project was $11.3 million,” she said. “We’ve raised the 11.3 million. We’re still waiting for some of those pledges to come in — some of them will finish up this year and the last will come in in 2017. We’ll pay the bank back completely in 2017.” Craig Farrell, executive director of the West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce, said the museum has had “a tremendous impact” on tourism. “It’s an amazing building, the perfect style for something that encompasses all of Wisconsin art,” Farrell said. “It was one of the best kept secrets when it sat over off of Poplar, (but) the fact that it is now in a more public setting right off (Highway) 33, more people are aware of it.” Read more: GM Today Chief strategy officer added to Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the new executive role of chief strategy officer has been created and will be filled by Paul Rumler. Rumler is presently the chief economic development officer and executive vice president at the Quad-Cities Chamber in Moline, IL and Davenport, IA. “We’re excited to welcome Paul to West Michigan and the Grand Rapids Area Chamber," said said Rick Baker, Chamber president and CEO in a press release. "We are looking forward to adding the expertise, experience, and forward-thinking that he can bring to our team.” See more: WZZM Town Square Publications Chamber of Commerce Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Re-Location Guides and Custom Maps  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. Town Square Publications parent company, Paddock Publications, has over 100 years’ experience of print product development and dedicated customer service in communities throughout the Midwest. Our experience allows Town Square Publications to offer you attractive royalty and non-dues revenue share streams, provide direct distribution of your custom designed printed publications, including digital and mobile integration, and all with the quickest turn-around times available in the industry. Town Square also offers multi-media maps in both print and online formats, both with our No-Cost guarantee. More information: Town Square Publications Chambers of Commerce and member focused organizations serve as a valuable resource in the local marketplace. The networking opportunities and representation with a wide variety of diverse businesses in your community is the catalyst of a successful organization. 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