Belleville Executive Director John Lengerman to Retire in Summer 2016
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| John Lengerman |
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
It is with a mix of joy for what we have accomplished together and sadness in the knowledge that I will miss our special relationships through the Chamber that I announce my retirement as Executive Director, effective this summer of 2016. The exact date will be determined in collaboration with the Executive Committee, to ensure the smoothest transition possible to new leadership.
After eight amazing years in this position, I have determined this is an excellent time in my life to pursue new adventures and indulge experiences uniquely explored in retirement.
During these eight years, we have collaborated to build strong working relationships with the City of Belleville, St. Clair County and Regional Leaders; reestablished an Economic Development Committee; rebranded the Chili Cook-off into a true family event; enhanced the Leadership Belleville Program; established the Leadership Belleville Alumni Award and the Citizen of the Year Award; redesigned our website, and united the Belleville Main Street Committee with the Chamber. We sponsor the annual Teacher Appreciation Reception to introduce new teachers and acknowledge those retiring. We have the Back-2-School Fun Fair to supply and support families in need. The Springboard to Success – a Women’s Forum is a unique partnership with other Chambers to empower women on their paths to success. We have reconnected with past presidents of the Chamber to assist in our visioning. And this year, we celebrate the 4th annual Ale Fest.
I feel confident that I will be leaving the Chamber not only in a fiscally sound position, but also uniquely positioned to support community relationships and businesses, build partnerships regionally, push economic growth, and create good will for the immediate present and the long term.
My feeling of satisfaction stems not only from the support I have received from the Board and the Members, but also my staff, who have been my partners in ensuring that quality programs are developed and implemented, member needs are met, and the greater mission and goals of the Chamber are achieved.
I am genuinely excited for the possibilities and potential that new leadership will bring, to build on the solid foundation of who we are now as a proud and progressive Chamber.
From the bottom of my heart, I express my deep and profound gratitude for the opportunities I have had to make a difference, and the support I have received from each of you.
John Lengerman
Kentucky Chambers Recognized for Excellence at Annual KCCE Conference
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives (KCCE) today recognized superior achievements and professional excellence among the Commonwealth’s local chambers of commerce at the group’s Annual Conference in Frankfort.
The highest annual honor, the 2016 Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executive of the Year, went to Aaron Dail, President/CEO of the Murray-Calloway County Chamber. “Aaron is a tremendous force in the statewide business community and his thoughtful leadership on issues such as international trade, downtown revitalization, and public policy advocacy have made a big impact.” said Ali Crain, Executive Director of KCCE. “Aaron’s leadership in Murray’s Committee to Enhance Business Process Planning, his talent retention and attraction focus in the creation of Young Professionals of Murray, and his efforts getting businesses back on their feet after a downtown building collapse and court square fire, make him a deserving recipient of the 2016 Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executive of the Year.”
The award recognizes a chamber professional who has made outstanding contributions and excelled in directing the future of their organization and community. A peer panel evaluates outstanding achievements, effectiveness in addressing challenges, professionalism, program development and implementation, fiscal management, and civic/charitable contributions.
Additionally, KCCE awarded the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and Christian County Chamber of Commerce with the distinguished designation of “Kentucky Certified Chamber.” This one-of-a-kind program certifies deserving chamber organizations through a rigorous peer review of business practices and programs related to strategic planning, advocacy, communications, market penetration, member services, and programming.
Other awards presented to various chambers included: Outstanding e-Newsletter, Website, Publication, Special Events, Member Retention, and Membership Growth.
Here is the full list of 2016 Excellence Award recipients:
e-Newsletter Outstanding e-Newsletter
(winners chosen based on layout, appeal & good mix of content)
Group I Mercer County Chamber of Commerce
Group II Morehead-Rowan County Chamber of Commerce
Group IV Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Group V Greater Louisville Inc
Web Site Outstanding Website
(winners chosen based on design, layout and ease of navigation)
Group II Kentucky Lake Chamber of Commerce in Marshall County
Group III Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce
Group IV Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce
Group V Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
Publication Outstanding Publication
Group I Springfield-Washington County Chamber of Commerce
(Chamber Guide)
Group II Maysville-Mason County Chamber of Commerce
(Relocation Guide)
Group II Woodford County Chamber of Commerce
(Woodford Living Magazine)
Group IV Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce
(Investment Opportunity)
Group IV Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce (Infographic)
Group V Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
(Magazine)
Special Events Outstanding Special Event
Group I Mercer County Chamber of Commerce (Lean 2 Green)
Group II Logan County Chamber of Commerce
(Heritage & Tobacco Festival)
Group II Woodford County Chamber of Commerce
(Women in Business Mentoring)
Group III Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce (Annual Dinner)
Group IV Hopkins County Regional Chamber of Commerce
(I69 Rebranding)
Group V Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce (DC FlyIn)
Group V Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce
(Targeted Business & Industry Month)
Membership Retention Outstanding Member Retention
Group I Springfield-Washington County Chamber of Commerce
(95%)
Group II Logan County Chamber of Commerce (98%)
Group III Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce (89.3%)
Group IV Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce (95.4%)
Group V Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce (88.3%)
Membership Growth Outstanding Membership Growth
Group I Springfield-Washington County Chamber of Commerce
(61.3%)
Group II Logan County Chamber of Commerce (6.98%)
Group III Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce (4.5%)
Group IV Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce (11.5%)
Group V Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce (7.2%)
Source: KCCE
Greater Reston Chamber cause: Community Foundation for Northern Virginia's Innovation Fund
Did you know that funding from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia's Innovation Fund helped launch the Nova Mini Maker Faire in Reston in 2013 and has been a supporter each year since, that it has launched the first cyber security course of study in Prince William County Public Schools and extended the Cyber Patriot program in Fairfax County middle schools, or that it helped launch the Mason Innovation Lab, a space for students and alumni to test and launch new businesses in our region?
Here is an opportunity for you, as a member of the Northern Virginia community, to not only help diversify our economy and support innovation in our region's future, but also to lend some thoughts and ideas about how the Innovation Fund can make grants to benefit our community.
An anonymous donor has offered a $250,000 match to endow the Innovation Fund. The Community Foundation is working to raise $30,000 in the next 30 days towards this goal. Every donation made to the Innovation Fund endowment will be matched, dollar for dollar, to forever benefit the Northern Virginia region.
2) Make a Wish through their Granted! campaign and let them know how you'd like to see Innovation Fund dollars deployed to have a meaningful impact.
Your support of this campaign would be so very much appreciated, and would help strengthen our community for us, for our children, forever!
For more information about endowing innovation funding to Northern Virginia please visit:
Sincerely,
Eileen Ellsworth
President
Community Foundation for Northern Virginia
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.
Muskegon-Lakeshore Chamber recruiting: See when 200-passenger cruise ships will be stopping in Muskegon this summer
Cruise ships are coming to Muskegon. And this time it won't be a surprise.
The Pearl Mist, a 100-stateroom vessel which made an unexpected stop in Muskegon in September 2015, will make 10 planned stops from June to August this summer.
The Pearl Mist cruise ship docks at the Mart Dock on Sept. 2, 2015, in Muskegon.
The ship is expected to arrive for the first time at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 9. The Great Lakes cruise ship is operated by Pearl Sea Cruises, which takes passengers on a seven-day adventure from Chicago to Toronto.
Passengers will board the ship in Chicago before traveling to a different port each day. Holland and Muskegon kick off the day-long excursions before the ship takes guests to Mackinac Island and several locations in Ontario including Sault Sainte Marie, Little Current, Parry Sound and Midland.
The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce, Muskegon County Convention and Visitors Bureau and other community groups have been actively recruiting the cruise ships to Muskegon since the Pearl Mist's visit last fall. Read more: M LIVE
Business Insider: Indy Chamber's World Trade Day aims to share export expertise
For 70 years, Joe Peterson’s family has made and sold chemicals in Indianapolis. The family’s business, Crown Technology Inc., mainly sold its chemicals to the steel industry and did so well that it commanded 80 percent of the domestic market.
That sounds good until you realize there’s not a lot of room for growth.
“If we were going to grow our business, we realized we’d have to grow in foreign countries,” said Peterson, the company’s president. “This was 15 or 20 years ago, before it was popular to do it.”
Exporting definitely is popular now. Last week’s discussion here about the Indy Chamber’s efforts to boost international trade rang true to Peterson and other small to midsize companies already engaged in exporting. It also reminded him how his company had to learn by trial and error how to conduct international business.
“It’s really been hit and miss,” Peterson said. “We didn’t have a structure to follow.”
That’s the aim of the Indy Chamber’s World Trade Day on May 24 at the Marten House Hotel on the city’s north side. The half-day event features sessions on the nascent 16 Tech effort to build an innovation center along Indiana Avenue between 10th and 16th streets, how to access global markets, how to work with consulates and the politics of international trade. Read more: Indy Star
#BestChamber Practices: City of Ridgeland Chamber Social Media Pages
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#BestChamber Practices: City of Ridgeland Chamber Social Media Pages
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Our Facebook page is open to the public and is a great way to interact with members and the general public. Postings on this page include photos from ribbon cuttings and events. Additional posts may include interesting articles, news about the City of Ridgeland, the Ridgeland Chamber and upcoming community events in the area. What are you waiting for? Join the over 1300+ fans that like the City of Ridgeland Chamber of Commerce.
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Join our vast following on Linkedin and connect with other businesses. Branch out and network, let us introduce you to tons of businesses in the City of Ridgeland!
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For info regarding the Chamber's social networking sites, call the Chamber at 601-991-9996
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A Day of Inquiries at the Fish Creek Visitor Information Center
In Door County, everyone is in the tourism industry. There are the obvious jobs such as seasonal restaurant server, hotel operator and zip line tour leader. But there are also the farmers who are learning the word “agritourism,” the bankers who manage the $289 million of visitor spending each year and the medical personnel who treat injured hikers and your niece who gets poison ivy every year when she visits.
But none are more entrenched in the tourism industry than those who work at the visitor information centers in each of the local communities. They are the first line of defense between the busy summer season and those of us who work in the county’s industries and they field some of the most curious questions so that we don’t have to.
“The hilarious parts come from mostly the questions they ask,” said Digger DeGroot, who has worked at the Fish Creek Information Center for 15 years. “Sometimes we might want to refer to them as ‘city people,’ but some of the questions we get quite often are, ‘What is it like here in the winter? We’re from Omro or outside of Green Bay.’ I don’t know if they think they went to the North Pole or something.”
When the visitors are done pondering what it’s like when restaurants are closed and the bay is frozen over, they ask what there is to do now.
“People come in November looking for cherries, they come in May looking for apples,” said DeGroot. “Many people have no conception of when produce is ready.”
But DeGroot handles the inquiries with a patience that most in the tourism industry could not afford. He knows when your favorite restaurant opens and when it closes, the prices of local theaters, where the nearest lighthouse is and directions everywhere in between. Read more: Door County Pulse
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