Happy Friday, #Chamber World! Have a GREAT weekend!
Minimum wage, sales tax, education among legislative priorities for business groups
Major business organizations in Virginia are planning to “play defense” in the 2017 General Assembly session against some legislative proposals, such as increasing the minimum wage, while also lobbying against budget cuts for programs that help their industries.
At least two bills already have been filed that would increase the minimum wage in Virginia from the current federally mandated $7.25 per hour. The wage would go to $11.25 or $15 an hour during the next three to four years.
The Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Richmond Chamber and the Virginia Retail Federation said they will oppose such bills.
“It needs to be left up to the business owner,” said Jodi Roth, director of government affairs for the Virginia Retail Federation. “We have members who do pay $15 an hour because they can. We have members who don’t — they pay as much as they can pay. This would be a job killer.” Read more: Richmond.com
#BestChamber practice: Champaign County Chamber: Member Tip of the Week
BIGG Tip of the Week:
End the Week on a Productive High
Create a Friday list, a list of little tasks which hit your radar during the week. Set aside time to attend to them on Friday afternoon. Come Friday, you'll likely find things which don't need to be done at all. For what's left, dive in and start checking them off. End the week on a productive high for your BIGG success! Get more tips from BIGG Success here.
Indiana Chamber Submits List Of Repeal Requests To Pence
With a Hoosier connection to the White House, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce is leveraging their Indiana ties.
The chamber submitted a list of regulations they want repealed by President Donald Trump’s administration, because they argue they are “detrimental” to Hoosier businesses.
Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar said the list is an effort to urge Vice President Mike Pence to partner with Trump to repeal these rules and regulations advanced by former President Barack Obama’s administration over the last eight years.
“The federal administration just this year proposed 600 new regulations — not just 600 pages of regulations. That’s 600 separate regulations,” Brinegar said. “Over the last eight years, there have been thousands and it has served to stifle the rate of economic growth and stifle job growth.”
The featured priorities on the list include the Clean Power Plan, which the chamber said causes a “dramatic increase in energy prices for business and residential consumers with minimal improvement in air quality,” and orders that support Obamacare because they “perpetuate the higher cost of health care premiums for employers and their workers,” according to the chamber’s list. Read more: WFYI.org
Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation: (Greatest Lesson You Teach:)
“Time is not money - money is money” - Pat MulQueeny, President/CEO - Eden Prairie (MN) Chamber of Commerce (Source: www.chambermentor.com)
Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Map
The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Map is available at the Rochester Regional Chamber today! Thanks to Sheri Heiney, Maggie Bobitiz 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 guide or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.
Deb Green on Chamber's WIN Program
The Women’s Information Network (WIN) is a branch of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership that was started in 2011. The purpose of WIN is to reach women and give them tips and information in both the business and personal sectors. Debi Green, the executive director of membership for the chamber, created WIN when she realized there wasn’t a program that reached out to women specifically. Sun Staff Writer Megan Phillips spoke with Green about WIN and what it offers Jacksonian businesswomen.
How does the Women’s Information Network play a role in the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership (GJCP)?
“I’ve been here 32 years. Just taking a look at where we were going five or six years ago, I had an epiphany one day like, ‘We really don’t have anything specifically for professional women. What is something that we can grow, build, develop that would offer networking opportunities for women and then also at the same time their personal life as it relates to growth?’ So, I started researching other chambers throughout the U.S., and a couple of them had developed programs for women specifically. So, WIN is the acronym for Women’s Information Network, and it just kind of fit because we’re women, we’re gaining information while we are networking.”
When did the program come to fruition?
“We kicked this off back in 2011. Jill Conner Browne was our very first speaker and it was standing room only for the first meeting. We have a steering committee that kind of guides those forces when we take a look at who we want to bring in and what they would lend to the program while helping professional women.”
Tell me about the GJCP. What is its role in Jackson?
“The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership is basically a business organization whereby we are the voice of the business community. We are regional in nature because we work together across county boundaries as it relates to economic development, quality of life, education, those type things that affect the entire community.
“Given the fact that we are regional in nature, we have a broader perspective whenever it comes to things like economic development by working with those other entities in the county — Hinds, Rankin, Madison — to locate companies that are looking at the greater Jackson area. It just makes it easier when you have a central organization that they can come to for the demographics, information, land, office space, whatever it might be. In a nutshell, we are the voice of the business community.”
How does a woman become a part of WIN? Are there qualifications that must be met?
“No qualifications whatsoever. This is not only just for chamber members — and this is the part I really like since I’m over membership here — it’s open to the community. That allows people that are not even affiliated with us to come in and take a look at who we are and find out more about the chamber. That introduces them to our organization, which we hope at some point in time they would join. It’s open to everybody. No qualifications, just be a woman in any type of industry in the workforce.” Read more: Northside Sun
Traverse City Chamber Of Commerce Member Awarded The 2016 Distinguished Service Award
A local legend was recognized Friday for his business leadership in Grand Traverse County.
The Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce awarded the 2016 distinguished service award to Herb Lemcool.
Lemcool ran C&H Maintenance for nearly 50 years, and spent 16 as a county commissioner.
He's also been involved in countless community projects and committees.
Lemcool says it's an honor and that the chamber has become a huge part of his life.
“When you're active in the community you don't expect these kinds of awards your job is to give not to receive and so I’m so blessed to be part of this chamber of commerce, and so many things that have happened in my life have been connected to the chamber,” Lemcool said.
The award has been presented every year since 1929. Read more: 9and10news.com
Forward Janesville honors one of the community’s best known civic leaders
This year’s Forward Janesville Awards Luncheon Lifetime Achievement recipient enjoys a standing ovation. Jane Blain Gilbertson used the opportunity to promote the community’s downtown redevelopment efforts. She also suggested a societal return to traditional values like kindness, respect, and manners. About 400 community leaders attended Thursday’s celebration at the Pontiac Convention Center. Read more: WCLO.com
Kentucky awarded $2 million to improve career education
Today, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced Kentucky as one of 10 states that will receive a $2 million grant to strengthen and expand career education pathways for students.
These state grants, which will be distributed over the next three years, are part of the $75 million, five-year New Skills for Youth (NSFY) Initiative developed by JPMorgan Chase, in collaboration with CCSSO and Advance CTE. NSFY aims to strengthen career-focused education starting in high school and ending with postsecondary degrees or credentials aligned with high-skill jobs.
“If we are to achieve our goal of making Kentucky the hub of excellence in engineering and manufacturing in America, we must work diligently to be more economically competitive,” said Gov. Matt Bevin. “Ensuring we have the mostly highly skilled and well trained workforce is critical to this effort. The current shortage of skilled workers, makes it difficult for Kentucky employees to create and expand their businesses. This grant will ensure career and technical education is better aligned with the needs of employers and business leaders. This, in turn, will bring about increased economic prosperity for both current and future generations of Kentuckians.”
In March 2016, JPMorgan Chase and CCSSO awarded Kentucky a $100,000 grant as part of the first phase of the New Skills for Youth Initiative for planning and early implementation of long-term career readiness education programs that align with the needs of Kentucky employers. In total, 24 states and the District of Columbia received Phase I grants. Read more: The Gleaner
Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.
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. For further information about Town Square's publishing partnership with chambers of commerce and our No-Cost guarantee and Earned Revenue Share Program, To request your chamber publication or map proposal, contact Town Square Chamber Proposal
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