Northern Kentucky Chamber’s changing of the guard: Bob Heil assumes leadership role as chairman
One need only look at Bob Heil’s family to grasp the roots of his appreciation of and commitment to Northern Kentucky.
“I believe that my family is one of the greatest testimonials to the quality of life in Northern Kentucky,” says Heil, one of 13 children.
Growing up one of 13 siblings, Heil says that eight of them, at one point in their lives, lived out of state. The young Heils were business owners and entrepreneurs — with more than 20 companies between them, but at their core they were Northern Kentuckians and returned to the region. The family spirit of entrepreneurship continues in Heil’s son who owns his own business in Newport.
“Family draws you back, but an entrepreneurial climate is also attractive,” says Heil.
Heil, who is President and CEO of KLH Engineers, steps into one of the region’s most influential leadership positions on Thursday night as he accepts the chairmanship for the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. He succeeds David Heidrich of Zalla Companies.
While Fort Thomas is where he works and lives, Heil grew up in Newport. After high school, he attended Cincinnati State where he earned his A.S., and then went on to the University of Kentucky where he earned a degree in engineering. He joined KLH in 1987. Today the business has 150 employees in offices in Fort Thomas, Lexington, Columbus and New York City.
He earned his Master of Science in Executive Learning & Organizational Change (ELOC) at Northern Kentucky University.
“I had always wanted to get my masters, and for the working professional it [ELOC] is structured so well,” says Heil.
Heil became involved with the Chamber seven years ago, and credits his friend Ralph Dusing, President of Bluegrass Commercial Group L.L.C., with encouraging him to become more engaged.
“My hope is that my words are a call for action for people,” says Heil about his message to the Chamber at Thursday night’s annual dinner.“He encouraged me to get involved and it didn’t take looking much past Ralph because he was a beacon of engagement at the Chamber,” says Heil. “I saw so much engagement, and I joined out of a sense of duty. Businesses in the region benefit from the Chambers advocacy. I felt like I had an obligation to participate.”
In the coming year, Heil will lead the effort to move the Chamber in critical initiatives such as leveraging its social capital as well as becoming a data driven organization that drives and engages human interaction. Read more: Northern Kentucky Tribune
Chamber host: Cary Main Street Fest schedule of events
Beginning Sept. 17, the Cary Main Street Fest will feature two days worth of live music, food from local restaurants, a marketplace, a steak fry and a family area with booths, games and entertainment.
In only its third year, the fest has grown annually since its beginnings as a way to both show residents and others – with its immediate access to public transportation via Metra and ample parking – what Cary has to offer. The event raises money for the chamber's Volunteer Grant Program and area nonprofit groups. The festival is hosted by the Cary Grove Chamber of Commerce and run completely by volunteers.
A $5 donation is requested at the gate. The festival is open from noon to 10 p.m. Sept. 17 and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 18.
From noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 17 and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 18, the Large Family Area will be open with live entertainment, dance and programs for children, inflatables, games and activities. The Cary-Grove Rotary Steak Fry will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 17. Tickets must be bought in advance.
For information and tickets, visit www.carymainstreetfest.com or www.carygrovechamber.com. Read more: Northwest Herald
A $5 donation is requested at the gate. The festival is open from noon to 10 p.m. Sept. 17 and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 18.
From noon to 8 p.m. Sept. 17 and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 18, the Large Family Area will be open with live entertainment, dance and programs for children, inflatables, games and activities. The Cary-Grove Rotary Steak Fry will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 17. Tickets must be bought in advance.
For information and tickets, visit www.carymainstreetfest.com or www.carygrovechamber.com. Read more: Northwest Herald
Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Profile & Membership Directory
The Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Profile & Membership Directory is available at the Crossroads Regional Chamber today! Thanks to Sue Reed and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!
Town Square Publications (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.
Lansing business leaders pushed city officials to make repairs on a stretch of Michigan Avenue where several developments are under construction. Mayor Virg Bernero fired back that the work is already scheduled.
The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Mayor Bernero and Lansing City Council on Monday urging them to fix the portion of Michigan Avenue between Pennsylvania Avenue and U.S. 127. The business group took the matter public by sending a release to media on Tuesday.
"Further investment in the Michigan Avenue corridor is important to our region's future economic growth," wrote Tim Daman, president and CEO of the chamber, in the letter. "Without prioritizing proper maintenance and infrastructure investment, we are now left with a crumbling Michigan Avenue. What should be the most pristine corridor in the State of Michigan is falling apart."
Michigan Avenue hasn't been resurfaced for several years and is covered with potholes from Pennsylvania Avenue east to U.S.127.
"If the Chamber had taken the time to ask the city about our plans, they would already know that fixing Michigan Avenue from Sparrow Hospital to US-127 is scheduled for next month," an emailed statement from Bernero's office reads. "Although a complete redesign and rebuild of Michigan Avenue to accommodate CATA’s Bus Rapid Transit project is likely to happen in the near future, fixing the worst section of Michigan Avenue cannot wait any longer. That’s why Mayor Bernero made the decision to move forward with repairs to Michigan Avenue several months ago."
Numerous redevelopment projects are underway along the stretch referenced by the chamber, among them Sparrow Hospital's cancer center and Scott Gillespie's $5 million East Town Flats on the 2000 block. Both are expected to be complete next summer. Across Michigan Avenue near East Town, Acadia Ales & Smokehouse also is under construction. Read more: Lansing State Journal
Vicksburg Photographer wows Chamber audience
Marty Kittrell doesn’t live near the Grand Canyon or the Grand Tetons, places renown for their beauty. He lives here in Vicksburg, and uses his photography ministry to share the beauty he sees in his home.
He said all the photos he showed to those in attendance at the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Vicksburg Convention Center Wednesday were taken within 50 miles of Vicksburg.
“I love Vicksburg. I love the character,” he said. “It’s not a cookie cutter town. It’s got heritage, it’s got culture, and it is just a wonderful place to live. I love how every street is different here. There’s so much around us with nature and the river.”
Kittrell’s photography ministry, How Great Thou Art, began about three years ago, he said, stemming from work he did for The Vicksburg Post. He said he views his work as a form of community outreach, sharing Vicksburg, Warren County and the Delta’s beauty with others.
“The Lord really spoke to me and said, ‘I don’t want you to keep those photos to yourself. I want you to share them,’” he said.
His landscape photos include sunrises and sunsets, where “the Lord is just chunking colors at the horizon,” fog and other natural elements, including photos of the bridges spanning the Mississippi River and photos of the 2011 flooding.
“That’s what I love about the river,” he said. “It’s so alive; it’s always changing.”
Kittrell also uses his photography skills to document buildings that are dilapidated and in danger of disappearing. He said he considers one of the greatest parts of his ministry to be photographing old churches in the region.
“It’s sad for me, but it’s also an honor for me,” he said, noting he considers a church in Rolling Fork that collapsed three weeks after he photographed it to be his favorite. Read more: Vicksburg Post
Northern Virginia Chamber and George Mason University Announce Innovative Partnership
The Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and George Mason University today announced a comprehensive partnership that will strategically link the regional business community to Virginia’s largest public university, a collaboration that will help drive the Northern Virginia economy into a new era.
In a far-reaching partnership between the region’s largest Chamber of Commerce and a top-tier research university, the Northern Virginia Chamber and Mason will work together to develop degree programs that address regional workforce needs in current and emerging industries. The partners also will co-host events, share office space and connect the region’s leading businesses with Mason faculty and researchers on the university’s campuses across Northern Virginia.
Mason thought and innovation leaders teaming with Northern Virginia business leaders will better position the region for an increasingly diversified local economy focused on government contracting, entrepreneurship and innovation, public policy, cybersecurity, hospitality, and other businesses vital to Northern Virginia’s economic development.
Representatives from the Northern Virginia Chamber and Mason signed the partnership agreement September 21 at the Northern Virginia Chamber Board of Directors meeting. Representatives from both entities will establish an institutional working group to discuss further objectives.
“We are thrilled to join with George Mason University on this unique, new partnership to strategically connect business and academia,” said Jennifer Aument, Group General Manager, North America, Transurban, and Northern Virginia Chamber Board of Directors Chair. “The Northern Virginia Chamber is constantly looking for innovative ways to leverage our regional resources for the benefit of our members and our region’s world-renowned business community. There is no doubt that a partnership with our colleagues at George Mason University will help us to continue doing just that.”
Mason, with an estimated 100,000 graduates in the greater Washington area, earlier this year joined an elite group of 115 institutions with the highest research ranking from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. That distinction underscores Mason’s research of consequence and entrepreneurial capabilities, and spotlights its value as a talent magnet and pipeline that produces a career-ready workforce for the region. To read a message from Jim Corcoran, Northern Virginia Chamber President and CEO, and learn more about the partnership, visit the Chamber’s website. ... Click here to view and download pictures from the event.
Indiana tour gives Longview chamber members insight on collaboration
Longview residents who attended a Longview Chamber of Commerce-sponsored tour of Evansville, Indiana, this past week said they learned that communities with a collaborative spirit tend to be more prosperous.
"After four of these visits, I understand that communities that are successful develop momentum through collaboration and doing things on a regional basis," said Ron Hutchison, a member of the chamber's executive board. "They look at the whole region and see what is best for the region."
Hutchison was referring to his participation in the trip to Evansville on Wednesday and Thursday and previous annual city trips that chamber officials have arranged. The chamber has offered the tours for four years so business and community leaders here can learn what cities elsewhere are doing to make their communities successful.
Hutchison was among 28 chamber members who signed up for the trip and paid their own expenses, according to Suzanne Stadden Brown, advocacy and communications director for the chamber. Brown and Kelly Hall, chamber president and chief executive officer, attended as chamber staff.
Participants met with representatives from the Evansville Chamber of Commerce, business and city leaders and others, and concluded the visit with a reception this past Thursday evening, according to Hutchison and Kimberly Fish.
Fish is a freelance writer and community volunteer who attended with her husband, Mel, an osteopathic doctor. They also went on walking tours and took a bus tour.
Hutchison and Fish said collaboration is working well in Evansville, a city in southern Indiana that has about 20,000 more residents that Longview.
"They have a great transformation effort," Hutchison said. "They are attracting employers. They are really transforming the community for the next 100 years. They do have a comprehensive plan that they are enacting similar to Longview, but we have not started enacting our plan."
The comprehensive plan shows a willingness to work together, and it is paying off, Fish said.
"As a result, they have booming construction in the downtown and major reinvestments in all corners of their city," Fish said.
Fish and Hutchison also cited collaboration by three hospitals to bring a medical school campus from Indiana University to Evansville.
Hutchison and Fish indicated Longview can learn from Evansville's experience.
"They are collaborating," Hutchison said. "We have not gotten where the egos in the room are put aside."
Fish said, "It's amazing what can be accomplished when nobody is worried about taking credit for it."
Fish said she was pleased some members of the Longview delegation were younger than 40 because they can become future leaders.
"We brought back some really productive ideas," she said. "Our challenge for the next year for those of us on this trip is to find ways to take these big ideas and explore how we can put the ideas to use in Longview." Read more: Longview News-Journal
Each year for nearly three decades, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has honored 50 companies in the seven-county Milwaukee region that have experienced rapid growth.
And this year, eight of them are alumni of the same Milwaukee-based growth training program.
Scale Up Milwaukee’s Scalerator is a six-month training program that teaches business owners how to position themselves for future growth.
It’s an initiative of the Greater Milwaukee Committee and although it’s only been around for three years, it’s already making a tangible impact on business growth in the Milwaukee area.
Of the 50 companies in southeastern Wisconsin honored by the MMAC in 2016 for their rapid growth, Able Access Transportation LLC, Clearpath Connections, Diamond Discs International, Hurt Electric Inc., RSP Inc., Scathain LLC, Superior Equipment & Supply Co. and ZMac Transportation Solutions all went through the Scalerator program.
“We are trying to make people louder about celebrating growth,” said Elmer Moore, executive director of Scale Up Milwaukee. “We think about making the region more ambitious and growth-oriented and part of that is formalizing and enhancing the access to resources, as well as the communication, between stakeholders in the ecosystem. It’s also working directly with businesses through programs like Scalerator to train them to grow. Our approach relies on the fact that companies and stakeholders within the region will advance growth when they recognize that they all have an opportunity and capacity to encourage growth in others.”
Two of the first questions Scale Up asks companies in the Scalerator program are: “What do you need to unlock growth for your organization?” and “What can you provide to generate growth?”
“We’re teaching companies to operate with a mind towards growth,” Moore said.
And that can manifest in many ways.
For example, when it comes to hiring, Moore said Scale Up teaches companies to seek out potential employees who will meet future needs, in addition to current needs. Read more: Biz Times
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