Christmas Train Riders Donate 2,000 Pounds of Food to Local Pantries
“We had a big increase in ridership compared to last year,” according to Ryan Jonas, president of the East Troy Railroad Museum. “But there was an even bigger increase in the amount of food our passengers donated. It was really exciting for us to be able to deliver a pickup truck full of food after each Christmas Train weekend.”
Because of the large amount of food, Jonas said the railroad decided to deliver half of the donations to Mukwonago’s pantry and half to the East Troy pantry. He added that the railroad is trying to establish more of a presence in Mukwonago, and donating food to the Mukwonago food bank is just one way to do that. Last year, the railroad began running regular trains into Mukwonago’s Indianhead Park for the first time.
The annual "Christmas Parade Train," held this year on Dec. 3, was also a big success, according to Jonas. The railroad used three historic interurban railroad cars, which offered more seating than in past years. The engine leading the train was loaded with computer-driven lighting equipment, adding to the excitement of spectators waiting along the railroad.
The Christmas Parade Train is presented in conjunction with the East Troy Area Chamber of Commerce and Mukwonago Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Center. The East Troy Jaycees and the East Troy Railroad started the East Troy Christmas Parade Train in 1972. It was designed to replicate the Schuster’s Christmas Parade Trains, held in Milwaukee until the mid 1950s.
Read more: Lake Country Now
Belleville chamber honors businesses, individuals at annual dinner
Peace by Piece Co., a clothing and jewelry store in downtown Belleville, and SCORE of Southwestern Illinois, a nonprofit association that helps small businesses, received the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Award Thursday night.The Business Excellence Award is the top honor bestowed by the chamber.
Also, three persons were given individual awards during the chamber’s annual dinner at Fischer’s Restaurant in Belleville.
Justin Chapman was named the 2016 Ambassador of the Year; Leigh Sindelar received the 2016 Leadership Belleville Alumni of the Year Award; and Gloria Crowder was named the 2016 Citizen of the Year.
Here are highlights from the chamber’s descriptions of the award winners:
▪ Peace by Piece is located at 132 W. Main St. and recently launched its fashion truck, Evolution of pxp.
“Peace by Piece Co. owners, Christina and Jason Keck, strongly believe in working together with local businesses to promote growth and business retention in downtown Belleville,” the chamber said in a news release. “In fact, they were the driving force behind Belleville Main Street’s inaugural Shop Local for Schools program which launched in 2016. Their commitment to their employees and their ability to keep up with the demands of their clientele and the community are the reason they have experienced such growth over the past seven years.”
▪ SCORE of Southwestern Illinois Branch No. 423 has counseled numerous businesses in the greater Belleville area.
“In 2016, SCORE Branch No. 423 teamed up with local businesses and organizations to host a variety of workshops,” the chamber said. “These workshops included, ‘Simple Steps to Starting a Business in Illinois,’ a digital media workshop at Lindenwood University-Belleville, and an all day workshop for small businesses with several area chamber of commerce directors as guest speakers during Small Business Week.”
▪ Justin Chapman, an assistant vice president of commercial banking with The Bank of Edwardsville, served as chair of the Ambassador Committee in 2016 and dedicated “lot of his time attending ribbon cuttings, coordinating Ambassador Luncheons and volunteering at chamber events throughout the year,” according to the chamber. Read more: Belleville News-Democrat
Batavia Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Membership Directory
The Batavia Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Business Directory is available at the Batavia Chamber today! Thanks to Holly Deitchman 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.
USM Economic Outlook 2017 Forum Attracts Large Turnout
More than 225 business leaders, students, and community members gathered on The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus recently for the annual Economic Outlook 2017 Forum hosted by the University’s College of Business.
Held Feb. 2 at the Thad Cochran Center, the forum brought together experts from banking, finance, and academia to explore a number of issues and research related to the economic outlook for 2017.
Participants gleaned significant insight from Stan Harrell, Vice President, CFO and CIO, of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who shared a national view of the economy based upon gross domestic product numbers, unemployment rates and housing market trends over the last 15-20 years. As part of the world’s largest lobbying group for U.S. business, Harrell painted a picture of optimism for the current year.
Chad Newell, President of the Area Development Partnership, also addressed the attendees, providing a glimpse of how the Pine Belt compares to the State of Mississippi, and to the federal average on many of the same points made by Harrell. Since the economic recession of 2008, the Greater Hattiesburg area has seen a steady increase in employment, housing sales and other key indicators of the future.
“We are grateful for the support of The First in continuing to bring the Economic Outlook Forum to the Pine Belt,” said Dr. Faye Gilbert, Dean of the USM College of Business. “Stan Harrell and Chad Newell provided us with key indicators that point to a potentially good year for business and growth in the Hattiesburg area. It is wonderful to gather as a business community to learn together.”
The University hosted a similar forum on Jan. 12 at the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Read more: WDAM TV
Batesville Chamber Awards 2016’s Best Organization, Volunteer, Teacher
The Batesville Area Historical Society made a little history of its own recently.
The historical society was awarded as the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce Organization of the Year. That and other awards were handed out at the chamber’s annual dinner on January 26. The event was hosted at Walhill Farm.
As Indiana marked its bicentennial in 2016, the Batesville Area Historical Society continued its mission to preserving and sharing the unique history of Batesville with present and future generations.
“We thank BAHS Board members Carolyn Dieckmann and Bill Flannery for their leadership of Batesville’s celebration of Indiana’s Bicentennial, and commend their work in adding 30 Portals to the Past murals and doors throughout the downtown, selling Bicentennial charms, hosting a bicentennial luncheon and guiding a remarkable torch relay day celebration,” said chamber executive director Anna Ibold.
Retired district commander of the Indiana State Police Versailles Post Ed Krause was named the chamber’s Volunteer of the Year. He retired in 2000 after 26 years of service with ISP. Today, the Batesville resident works as the Director of Transportation and Safety for Batesville Community Schools. He serves on the Community Mental Health Center’s board of directors, the Batesville Area Resource Center’s board, the board of directors for The Gibson Theatre, Inc., and and Batesville Kiwanis.
“Ed’s law enforcement career made him painfully aware of the lack of services available to families in distress in southeastern Indiana. When approached by Mr. Joe Stephens, Executive Director of the Community Mental Health Center, he gladly accepted appointment to their board of directors in early 2000,” his nomination stated.
The chamber’s Educator of the Year Award was earned by Jenny Lents. She teaches at the school she once attended: St. Louis School. Lents has taught 6th through 8th grade language arts there for ten years. Read more: Eagle Country 93.9
Michigan Chamber Of Commerce Announces 2017-2018 Legislative Priorities/Agenda For Growing Michigan's Economy And Reshaping Government
The Michigan Chamber of Commerce today announced legislative priorities for 2017-2018. These priorities were developed by the Chamber's policy advisory committees and members who attended nine regional meetings, providing input from over 800 business leaders from across the state. The Chamber's legislative priorities were unanimously approved on January 31, 2017 by the Michigan Chamber's 80-member Board of Directors.
"The core purpose of the Michigan Chamber is to help members solve their business problems and prosper," said Chamber Board Chair Raymond A. Biggs, President & CEO of West Shore Bank, Ludington. "These legislative priorities will be used to focus lawmakers' attention on public policy initiatives to strengthen our economy and encourage job creation."
"The Michigan Chamber represents over 6,500 job providers throughout the state who employ over one million residents," noted Michigan Chamber President & CEO Rich Studley. "Chamber members are strongly committed to moving Michigan forward by advancing this agenda to grow Michigan's economy, strengthen communities and reshape government."
"The Chamber's 2017-2018 legislative priorities reflect our ongoing commitment to delivering powerful advocacy and being a strong voice for business at the State Capitol," Studley added.
"The Michigan Chamber is unwavering in our support for free enterprise and our advocacy team will aggressively work to improve Michigan's economic competitiveness through enactment of these legislative priorities," said Jim Holcomb, Senior Vice President for Business Advocacy & General Counsel for the Michigan Chamber.
"Our legislative priorities establish a solid foundation for an impressive job creating agenda," Holcomb added. "To hold legislators accountable, prior to the 2018 election, we will publish a detailed scorecard to inform voters which legislators supported job providers and economic growth and who did not."
The Michigan Chamber's 2017-2018 legislative priorities target eight high-priority issue areas:
Education & Workforce Readiness
Employer Rights
Energy & Environment
Federal Entitlement Reform
Health Care
Legal Reform
Tax Climate
Transportation & Infrastructure
The Michigan Chamber's 2017-2018 legislative priorities are available on the Michigan Chamber's website at www.michamber.com/priorities. For specific questions on high-priority issue areas, please contact:
Education & Workforce Readiness, Employer Rights, Health Care, Legal Reform Wendy Block at wblock@michamber.com or (517) 371-7678
Energy Policy, Environmental Regulation Jason Geer at jgeer@michamber.com or (517) 371-7673
Michigan's Tax ClimateTricia Kinley at tkinley@michamber.com or (517) 371-7669
America's Entitlement Programs, Transportation & Infrastructure - Rich Studley at rstudley@michamber.com or (517) 371-2100 Source: Michigan Chamber
Amazon to open air cargo hub in Northern KY, creating thousands of jobs
Amazon's primary air cargo hub is moving to Northern Kentucky, creating thousands of jobs in the area.
The company is investing $1.4 billion in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport as part of the relocation, according to Trey Grayson, president and CEO of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
Kentucky state legislators approved $40 million in incentives for Amazon on Tuesday.
The air cargo hub is expected to bring 2,700 jobs and 40 aircraft to the airport.
Amazon's new service will be called Amazon Prime Air. Read more: WAVE3news.com
Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO retiring
Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO Linda Hershey will be retiring in June after serving 15 years with the organization.
Hershey’s involvement in the community is extensive, including service on boards like the Virginia Chamber of Commerce Executives, Shenandoah Valley Workforce Development and Mary Baldwin University. She recently completed a term on the Wilson Workforce & Rehabilitation Foundation Board.
“Building partnerships with a diverse set of community organizations to strengthen support for business issues is my strongest legacy to the Chamber.” Hershey said. She also added that “I am not getting any younger and it was the right time to initiate a transition knowing that a team of capable, experienced leaders were at the helm.”
Hershey has cultivated relationships at the local, regional, and state level to help advance growth in Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County by participating on committees like the Blue Ridge Community College- Workforce Development and Education, the Shenandoah Valley Partnership- Marketing, Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission- Fields of Gold, Stonewall Jackson Area Boy Scouts Council-Nominating/Marketing, City of Waynesboro Community Advisory Panel (CAP) and the Wilson Workforce Business Advisory.
“Linda has absolutely put her heart and soul into the chamber. I don’t think there has been any aspect of what has happened in the business community that she hasn’t somehow had her finger in or tried to support. We will miss her passion for working to help make the Greater Augusta Region a better place to live and work.” said Dr. Kevin Ratliff, Incoming Board Chair. Read more: Augusta Free Press
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