Happy Friday #Chamber World! Have a GREAT Weekend!
Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber hosts community forecast
The Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual State of the Community Government Forecast Feb. 9 to share the economic status of the Birmingham-Bloomfield area and how the communities of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms and Franklin are faring financially.
The government leaders for each of the six communities took turns giving presentations on the economic state of their respective municipality at the event, which took place at The Reserve Banquet Hall in Birmingham.
Birmingham City Manager Joe Valentine boasted that taxes in the city have gone down slightly since last year, the number of new home permits is going up, and the total taxable value of the community has finally returned to pre-2008 levels, recovering from the Great Recession. He also pointed out that crime is down 44 percent since 2006, with decreases in every category of crime that the Birmingham police investigate save for fraud.
Valentine said plans for the future include a reinvestment in Birmingham’s downtown infrastructure, particularly with sewer and water repairs, additional parking spaces, and improvements to the streetscape — such as more pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and more foliage. An upcoming major update to the city’s master plan — a municipality’s stated strategy and goals for the near future — was also noted.
Bloomfield Hills interim City Manager and Public Safety Director David Hendrickson remarked that the primarily residential community is thriving.
There are a number of building projects occurring in Bloomfield Hills, and Hendrickson reported that property values in the city are up 4.36 percent, and commercial property values specifically are up 1.76 percent, but he pointed out that there are only 57 commercial properties within the city. He said that although there is no significant business growth in the community at this time, being a desirable community with strong schools and one of the lowest tax rates in the county puts Bloomfield Hills on good footing to attract potential businesses in the future. Read more: C and G NEWS
Shorewood Area Chamber: 2017 New Membership Referral Program March 1 - 31, 2017
Any Chamber member during the month of March who is successful referring a business to join the Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce will be given a credit to their Chamber account in the amount of $25 per referral. A member can refer an unlimited amount of new members. Send your referrals in today to Carol Wagner at president@shorewoodchamber.com. The person making the referral must be a current and active member of the Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce. If a prospect is submitted more than once, the Chamber will honor the member who provided the first referral. Once the referred business joins the Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce and their annual dues payment is received, the referring Chamber member's account will receive the credit.
Please call the Chamber Office if you have any questions at (815) 725-2900.
#BestChamber Practices: Valpo Chamber Leadership Academy
Leadership Academy is a four-month community leadership program that prepares, challenges, and engages emerging and existing leaders to strengthen the community. Participants are exposed to the larger community, exploring the public/city government sector, private business sectors, and not-for-profit organizations that play a role in building a strong community.
Interested in attending the 2017 Valpo Chamber Leadership Academy?
Mission
The Valpo Chamber Leadership Academy provides a growing leadership pool of willing and able leaders for current and future civic, charitable, and governmental organizations in Valparaiso.
Overview
The Valpo Chamber Leadership Academy encourages individuals to be trustees of their community — to work for the common good — and to become a leader for the entire community. The program uniquely focuses on connection and engagement in community service - specifically, leadership roles.
The Valpo Chamber Leadership Academy complements other leadership organizations with a focus on the skills and knowledge necessary to be an effective leader in the community; for example, expectations of board service, governance, understanding financial statements, fundraising, ethics, accountability, and time management.
At the end of the Academy program, participants are expected to become continually, substantively, and actively engaged within community organizations in leadership roles.
The Leadership Academy was an outstanding experience. It provided a great venue to network and learn how to come together as a team to meet the needs of our community. It also provided a means to learn more about Valparaiso and how our community works together to meet its needs. The Leadership Academy’s partnership with the Purdue University Extension brought together a team of experts who each had unique gifts and experiences to share to help us as participants grow in our own leadership journeys. Each session had a targeted theme that enabled us to see outside of our own experiential lenses and grow to become a future leader in our community. I would recommend the Leadership Academy to anyone who wants to become an integral part of our community as well as develop and expand their leadership skills. – Anna Corkill, 2016 Leadership Academy Graduate from Lake City Bank
"I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect when I signed up for and was accepted to the 2016 Leadership Academy. But after only a couple of meetings with great speakers and a diverse group of fellow participants, I knew my decision to participate was the correct one.
Sponsors and guest speakers were generous with time and resources and understood the benefits of supporting leadership in the community. Whether it be assisting a local non-profit through board involvement or volunteering, or simply getting involved in community events, the Leadership Academy opens doors for participants to choose their own path.
The staff heading up the Academy were key to the program and were involved throughout the entire process. They offered different points of views and tools for participants to seek out their passion and how they might be a leader going forward.
I would recommend the Leadership Academy to anyone interested in learning not only about services/organizations/opportunities in their community, but about themselves. There’s a leader in all of us and the Academy helps find that leader." - Matt Workman, 2016 Leadership Academy Graduate from Meridian Title Corp.
Benefits of Leadership Academy
Whether you are new to that area or not, Leadership Academy participants will build a better understanding of the nature of community leadership and open new doors to opportunities within our community.
Exposure
Develop valuable contacts and communication networks within the community
Discover Valparaiso in a new way through panel discussions and conversations with local leaders
Gain awareness of critical issues facing the community today and into the future
Enrichment
Develop individual and organizational problem-solving skills
Discover leadership development networks, collaborations, and valuable community resources
Build confidence and motivation to become actively involved in the community
Engagement
Connect with current community leaders/mentors who share their experiences of community leadership
Build peer networks
Become continually, substantively, and actively engaged within community organizations in leadership roles
Interested in sponsoring the Leadership Academy?
Call Kurt Gillins for details: (219) 462-1105
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.
#FamousChamber of Commerce Quotations (Favorite Quote)
Favorite Quote: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
These words are attributed to the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, and very aptly applies to how people grow through involvement in the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce. - From Mc Henry Area Chamber of Commerce website – Kay Rial Bates, President
Kenosha Area Chamber: Last Chance to Submit Scholarship Applications!
The Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation is accepting 2017 college scholarship applications through the end of this week. Please share with your employees so their children and dependents may benefit.
The scholarship is open to graduating High School Seniors that reside in Kenosha County, Wisconsin and have a connection to the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce either through a Member employer or a parent/guardian’s employer. The due date for applications is March 31, 2017 by 3:00pm.
Over the years, the Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Foundation has given away thousands in scholarship funds to local Kenosha County High School students. They are our future leaders and we believe an investment in their education will set them on the right path to giving back to the community. The scholarship funds raised come from generous Kenosha area businesses participating in our fundraisers. Kenosha Area Chamber
Expert column - Hampton Roads chamber alliance moves regionalism beyond rhetoric
By Bryan K. Stephens
Regionalism! We in the business community have been advocating it for years because we clearly understand its importance to economic development and the creation of a more pro-business environment. We understand the region is the organizing structure of the economy. Yes, we have multiple cities and counties but their economies are inextricably linked by tremendous economic overlaps and commonality of interest.
The old adage “a rising tide floats all boats” is certainly applicable in Hampton Roads.
At the Hampton Roads Chamber we’ve been boisterous proponents of regionalism for a long time. We’ve penned op-eds, we’ve held forums and panel discussions and we’ve even written it into our mission.
Well, enough talk. The local chambers in Hampton Roads mean business. We want to get things done for the business community in a big way so we’re moving past simply talking of regionalism and creating a Hampton Roads Regional Chamber Alliance.
The alliance will be made up of six local chambers: The Hampton Roads Chamber, Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce, Isle of Wight-Smithfield-Windsor Chamber of Commerce, Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Alliance, Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce.
Working together, we will have a collective impact that will facilitate greater regional economic prosperity, growth, vitality and greater strength in shaping public policy related to regional business issues. There are no dues. There are no turf wars. There is no competition. The Regional Chamber Alliance will only focus on regional issues where there is unanimity among the members; local chambers will continue to focus on local issues. Each chamber stands on its own, as we always have, yet we come together to pool the businesses we represent to create one powerful voice on issues impacting the business community of the region. Read more: PilotOnline.com
Port Commission, chamber, economic development group form partnership in Warren County
Kentucky Chamber interest: Oversight of development districts called for in legislation
As a direct result of questionable spending by area development districts, including the Barren River Area Development District, lawmakers have pushed to the governor’s desk legislation intended to curb such issues.
House Bill 189 calls for more accountability of spending by the area development districts and provides more oversight. The legislation, co-sponsored by Rep. Jim DeCesare, R-Bowling Green, awaits approval from Gov. Matt Bevin.
One key provision of the bill was a point of contention in Bowling Green for nearly two years: bonuses for employees. BRADD contended that one-time bumps in pay for employees should not be considered bonuses.
The state, however, called for money used for that purpose to be paid back, and after much wrangling, some of it was.
HB189 specifies that “bonuses, awards, one (1) time salary adjustments, special salary enhancements, or severance pay for any employee, unless severance pay is provided pursuant to a contract approved by the board, that do not constitute a permanent change in the employee’s compensation shall not be made or awarded to any employee of a district.”
The legislation also requires ADDs that get any amount of state or federal funding to provide strict financial statements each year to outline administrative costs, direct and indirect expenditures, explanations of why any funds weren’t spent and reserves carried forward, among other items.
BRADD lost out on some of its workforce development funding because it wasn’t spent within the allocated time, among other reasons. BRADD no longer administers workforce development programs.
“This is a piece of legislation I’ve worked on for a couple years,” DeCesare said. “I got together with (Rep.) Susan Westrom (D-Lexington) and it was about not only here but the Bluegrass ADD. We got together last session and tried to work on it but it got bottled up. This time we brought everyone to the table, including from the ADDs, chambers and auditor’s office. We got a buy-in from everybody and had unanimous support through the process.”
DeCesare said his understanding is that Bevin supports the legislation.
“I don’t anticipate him not signing it,” he said.
Dave Adkisson, president and chief executive officer of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, said the legislation had bipartisan support in the House and Senate, passing unanimously in both chambers.
“Our interest in it originated with workforce money and how it was being spent,” Adkisson said. “It became a much broader issue of transparency. ... essentially requiring accountability measures that most state government agencies already abide by.” Read More: Bowling Green Daily News
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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