Chamber CEO gets support from former Kentucky colleagues; Arlington Chamber Holds First Combined State of the County & Public Safety Awards; Daily Herald's Town Square Publications buys Lawton Publishing; 5 Star Chamber: Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory; Skokie Chamber of Commerce welcomes PurePoint Financial; Bloomington Chamber Announces 2017 “10 Under 40” Award Recipients; Michigan Chamber CEO to Speak at Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber’s Business Forum in July; Reedsburg celebrates Independence Day; Town Square Publications: Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber map: Promises Made, Promises kept!; ADP Events coordinator says 'learn to adapt quickly'; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S. Friday: 157 Rules for Executive Success in Organization Management (and your Chamber of Commerce) by Patrick McGaughey (Chamber Mentor)

Good morning #Chamber World! Have a GREAT 4th of July!

Chamber CEO gets support from former Kentucky colleagues

Eight business leaders in Louisville, Ky., have written to the St. Louis Regional Chamber in support of President and CEO Joe Reagan as his management of the economic development nonprofit remains under review.

While not addressing any of the claims against Reagan for his tenure in St. Louis since 2012, individuals including Maker’s Mark Chairman Emeritus Bill Samuels Jr. said Reagan’s leadership of Greater Louisville Inc., that area’s chamber of commerce, was impeccable.

Reagan led GLI from 2005 to 2011.

The letter sent to Chamber chairman Warner Baxter says Reagan “set the highest standard for economic development and chamber leadership nationally.” It cites Reagan’s involvement in promoting projects such as the $350 million KFC Yum! Center and the $2.4 billion Ohio River Bridges Project.

“It is our hope that this point of view will add additional insight not only into Joe’s leadership while at GLI, but also into the scope and impact of his work on behalf of our entire community,” the two-paragraph letter endshe letter is dated June 14 and was emailed to the Post-Dispatch on Thursday by Eileen Pickett, a former GLI vice president under Reagan and one of the letter’s signatories. Others signing the letter were David Jones Sr., co-founder of Humana Inc.; C. Edward Glasscock, chairman emeritus of Frost Brown Todd; Mayfair Capital Chairman J. David Grissom; Kerry Stemler, owner of KM Stemler Co.; Nicklies Development CEO David Nicklies; and Sandra Frazier, CEO of Tandem Public Relations and Marketing. Read more: St. Louis Post Dispatch

Arlington Chamber Holds First Combined State of the County & Public Safety Awards
County Board Chair Jay Fisette provides economic updates; Local heroes honored

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce today held the State of the County & Public Safety Awards, which celebrated Arlington economic achievements, the community's future, and all who make the area an excellent place to live and work. This new breakfast event, which combined two past Chamber events - State of the County and the Valor Awards, began with an address by Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette, who highlighted the economic and development status of Arlington. The Chamber then honored public safety personnel and first responders from Arlington County's Office of Emergency Management, Office of the Sheriff, Police Department, and Fire Department, who have exemplified extraordinary heroic actions and exceptional performance of their duties.

"In short, the state of the County is really good. In my view, Arlington works." said Fisette, before a crowd of over 200 attendees. "There is nothing stagnant about Arlington - the only constant is change. I'm very proud of all of us for what we have accomplished over the years."

Fisette went on to offer the following 10 recommendations for County leaders after he retires at the end of 2017:

• Maintain Arlington's values and commitment to being a welcoming, inclusive community. 
• Work collaboratively and efficiently to use our limited land wisely, as our population grows. 
• Focus on long-term planning. 
• Continue to act as a regional leader, especially regarding Metro. 
• Invest more and find new tools to create and preserve affordable housing. 
• Maintain fiscal responsibility and never put Arlington's AAA bonds at risk. 
• Facilitate an even broader civic engagement and seek to find a balance so that a few voices in the community do not dominate and discourage rest of the voices. 
• Move forward boldly to ensure environmental sustainability. 
• Stay nimble in order to adapt to the changing business environment. 
• Ensure that government works for everyone. Remain accessible and also maintain integrity. 

Following the State of the County address, awards were presented to honor Arlington County's public safety personnel and first responders. Eight honorees were recognized for their courageous, often lifesaving actions in the line of duty. Leadership of all respective departments submitted nominations for Public Safety Award honorees based on their performance over the past year. A selection committee chose the final winners, who were honored at the ceremony.

The 2017 Public Safety Award honorees are as follows: 

Arlington County Office of Emergency Management

William Flagler - Meritorious Service Award

Arlington County Office of the Sheriff

Corporal Grant Dean and Deputy Matthew Camardi - Life-Saving Award

Chief Deputy Paul Larson - Meritorious Service Award

Arlington County Police Department

Detective Master Police Officer Robert Icolari - Meritorious Service Award

Officer Andrew Schloe - Life-Saving Award

Officer Ryan D. Williams - Life-Saving Award

Arlington County Fire Department

Firefighter Jeffrey Zynel - Meritorious Service Award

More information: Caroline Taylor

Communications Manager  (703) 525-2400

Daily Herald's Town Square Publications buys Lawton Publishing

Town Square Publications, a subsidiary of Paddock Publications, announced Wednesday that it has purchased the assets of Lawton Publishing, the chamber publishing division of Lawton Printing in Spokane, Washington.

The purchase broadens Town Square's national footprint in chamber of commerce publishing. Town Square, which already has strong chamber publishing relationships in Illinois, California and Texas, will now absorb Lawton Publishing's businesses in the West and Northwest U.S.

Daily Herald Chairman, Publisher and CEO Doug Ray said the purchase is in line with the company's strategic plan to grow Paddock Publications' business in new and different ways. The growing Town Square business contributes significantly to the company's revenue and profitability, he said.

"The decision to expand into the nondaily newspaper business nearly 10 years ago has proved to be an excellent one," Ray said. "Combined with the strength of the Daily Herald brand in print and digitally, events, other specialty products and commercial printing, Paddock continues to be a more diversified company, helping to sustain a brighter future for the company and its employees." Read more: Daily Herald

5 Star Chamber: Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory

The Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory is available at the Rapid City Chamber today! Thanks to Linda Rabe, Kristina Simmons and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

Rapid City South Dakota 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory

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.

Skokie Chamber of Commerce welcomes PurePoint Financial

Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen, Skokie Trustee Karen Gray-Keller, Skokie Clerk Pramond Shah, Skokie Chamber of Commerce President Howard S. Meyer and others recently gathered in Skokie for the grand opening of PurePoint Financial, a new hybrid bank. It only offers savings accounts and not checking accounts, loans and other services, which reduces operational costs so the bank can provide better rates. Sixteen PurePoint Financial Centers are open in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, and Tampa areas, with more slated to open later this year, the company said. Read more: Daily Herald

Bloomington Chamber Announces 2017 “10 Under 40” Award Recipients 


Bloomington, IN (June 22, 2017) – The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce today announced the ten young professionals who will receive a 10 Under 40 Award at this year’s celebration. The 10 Under 40 Awards will be held on Thursday, August 3, 2017 at the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center in downtown Bloomington. The 10 Under 40 Awards, co-hosted by The Chamber and its hYPe (helping Young Professionals excel) program, is an awards celebration honoring young notables under the age of 40 who are rocking the business world through professional achievement, leadership and civic involvement. 

This year’s 10 Under 40 honorees are: 

Paola M. Hernandez Barón Indiana University School of Education 
Matthew Clay Centerstone 
Trent Deckard Indiana House of Representatives 
Ashley Durcholz Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane 
Sarah Gadlage Boston Scientific 
Joshua James Bill C. Brown Associates 
Megan Parmenter Tri Kappa 
Maranda Richardson FASTSIGNS/Midwest Color Printing 
Tricia Riveire Indiana University Alumni Association 
Sean Starowitz City of Bloomington 

“Each of these young professionals, with their impressive work ethic and dynamic leadership, has already made a significant impact in their business and in our community,” said Jeb Conrad, President & CEO of The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. “The Chamber is proud to recognize their accomplishments and support young professionals.” 

This year’s “10 Under 40” award recipients will also receive a $500 scholarship to participate in the 2018 class of Leadership Bloomington-Monroe County. According to Kelsie Holt, Director of Talent, Education & Workforce for The Chamber, the scholarships provide an opportunity for our young leaders to further develop their leadership skills. 

“The Chamber would like to thank Leadership Bloomington-Monroe County for their partnership and supporting our mission of helping young professionals excel! Through this valuable program, we are excited to guide our community’s young professionals on their leadership development paths,” Holt said. 
The Chamber launched hYPe in 2011 to facilitate professional and personal development while encouraging networking among young professionals who live, learn, work, and play in the Bloomington area. The 10 Under 40 Awards were introduced that same year. Since the inception of hYPe, over 700 young professionals have participated, deepening their engagement and professional relationships within Monroe County. 

“From non-profits to large corporations, to the arts and higher education, onto entrepreneurs and small businesses – our honorees represent the diversity of businesses found here in our community. It’s reassuring to know that this next generation of leaders is helping to move our organizations and businesses forward,” said Conrad. 

Similar to hYPe events, the 10 Under 40 Awards celebration will include time to network among attendees prior to the awards presentation. The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. and conclude at 8:30 p.m. Tickets for the August 3 event are $22 per person, which includes a seat at the event, heavy hors d'oeuvres and a complimentary glass of Oliver wine. Reserved seating for eight (8), which includes additional advertising benefits, may be purchased for $500. For more information about hYPe or the 10 Under 40 Awards, contact The Chamber at (812) 336-3681 or visit The Chamber’s website at ChamberBloomington.org . 

Michigan Chamber CEO to Speak at Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber’s Business Forum in July

Southgate, MI – Michigan Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Rich Studley will address local business leaders and the public at the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Business Forum luncheon on Monday, July 24, 2017 from 11:00 am – 1:30 pm at the Holiday Inn Conference & Banquet Center in Southgate. The event, presented by BASF Corporation, is open to the public.

Studley will be the seventh guest speaker in the Chamber’s 2017 Forum Series, and the second of the new Business Forum following BIGGBY COFFEE CEO Bob Fish in May. The series is designed to promote communication between business leaders, and to inspire business and community leaders to make a difference in our region.

“I am looking forward to hosting my colleague from the Michigan Chamber at this important forum this July,” commented Ronald J. Hinrichs, president of the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber of Commerce. “This important event will help our businesses and nonprofits gain insight on the important matters taking place in Lansing that will impact our Downriver region.”

Space is limited and registration is required for this event. Tickets are $20 each, and can be purchased at www.swcrc.com, or by calling the Chamber office at 734-284-6000. Tickets are available at the door for $25 per person.

Corporate Sponsors for this event are AT&T, BASF Corporation, DTE Energy, Monroe Bank & Trust, The News-Herald, SEMCA, United States Steel, Wayne County Community College District, Downriver Community Conference, Signarama of Metro Detroit, and Public Service Credit Union.

Be sure to follow the Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber of Commerce on Facebook at facebook.com/SWCRC and the Chamber website for all the latest Chamber news and events.

The Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber of Commerce provides nearly 600 members with the opportunities and resources to engage and network with other businesses and community partners, enhancing financial growth, professional development, and the ability to contribute to a thriving community environment.

For more information: contact Ronald J. Hinrichs, President, Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber of Commerce Phone: (734) 284-6000 www.swcrc.com

Reedsburg celebrates Independence Day

The Reedsburg area will welcome July 4 with fireworks, music and games.

Festivities kick off July 1 in La Valle with the annual Fireworks over Mill Pond. The demonstration starts at dusk.

Reedsburg’s celebration starts with Freedom Fest at 3 p.m. July 4 in Nishan Park. Bands, games and food will entertain visitors through the evening, and fireworks will begin once it’s dark. Everything, with the exception of bounce houses and food stands, is free.

This marks the fifth year of Freedom Fest, said committee member Raynelle Syftestad. It’s continued to grow in popularity since the first year, when fireworks were cancelled for fire risks due to drought.

The event committee continues to add attractions, and this year is no exception. The National Guard will be on site this year with a climbing wall for children, as well as a piece of machinery for viewing, Syftestad said.

Disconsin Disc Golf Club will set up a miniature course at Saputo Field, she added. Visitors can ask questions, watch demonstrations and try their hand at disc golf.

Two baseball games are set on July 4. At noon Reedsburg will play Richland Center, and the Reedsburg Pirates will play at 4 p.m.

Organizers also added a children’s pedal pull at 7:30 p.m. in the south parking lot.

“There’s really something for everyone, from games to food to bounce houses,” Syftestad said.

Bounce houses and other inflatable attractions open at 3 p.m. and close around 8:50 p.m., she said. Wristbands cost $10.

Syftestad said it’s a fantastic value for the price. She estimated the event is valued at more than $20,000 between activities and fireworks. Thousands of spectators are expected every year; more than 300 children played in the inflatables in 2016.

“It’s a very family friendly event,” she said. “This is really a community driven event with sponsors stepping up.”

Kristine Koenecke agreed Freedom Fest is a major attraction for Reedsburg. The head of the Reedsburg Area Chamber of Commerce said it brings in traffic from Wisconsin Dells, Baraboo, La Valle, Loganville, Rock Springs and possibly Wonewoc and farther away.

She said it has mass appeal due to being a free event, and it’s not unusual for fireworks enthusiasts to attend multiple displays. Read more: Reedsburg Times-Press

Town Square Publications: Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber map: Promises Made, Promises kept!

The Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce recently worked with Town Square Publications on the production of a map. Town Square Publications provided all the map design and cartography for the product and sold the sponsorships, so there was no cost to the chamber. The chamber provided local content and photos that showed our organization’s focus on promoting our communities and helping our businesses to thrive. Town Square Publications provided the chamber a proof before going to print. The result was a top quality map. We were especially pleased with the quality of the printing and the paper.

The chamber works hard to identify programs that will be of benefit to our chamber members, such as the 28th Street Metro Cruise program that draws over 200,000 to our area and the annual Santa Parade. The Wyoming-Kentwood chamber map is another great example, and the chamber received the additional benefit of non-dues revenue.

Your company delivered on your promises. We appreciate our partnership with Town Square Publications and will call on them again for the next project.

Bob O’Callaghan

President

Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber

ADP Events coordinator says 'learn to adapt quickly'

Meet Meagan Duckworth, 26, of Petal, events coordinator with the Area Development Partnership. As events coordinator, Duckworth coordinates more than 75 events a year, including Hubfest, the ADP's annual meeting and annual golf tournament. Duckworth graduated from William Carey University in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication with a concentration in public relations. While at Carey, she worked as a marketing administrator for ShyPR, then hired on as marketing coordinator for DIME Entertainment Magazine. She and her husband of six years, Jason Duckworth, have a 1-year-old son, Jude.

What advice would you give people who want to get into the same line of work as you?

I would recommend finding a great mentor who is already in the field you would like to be in. Booking jobs and coordinating events is impossible until you have credibility. Working with someone who is already established is a great way to build your portfolio to land future jobs.

Why did you choose to live and work in the Hattiesburg area?

Living in Petal my whole life, I spent the majority of my time in Hattiesburg. This is where most all of my family is, and I enjoy being so close to them. Greater Hattiesburg has so much to offer and will always be home.

What do you do in your free time?

These days, free time is getting as much quality time with my husband and son as possible. Whenever I have alone time, I love to catch a good documentary on Netflix or find a good show to binge.

If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?

There has never been a time when I wasn’t in the mood to sit and watch an Audrey Hepburn film. Not only was she a great actor and style icon, she was a humanitarian. Her story is truly inspiring. Read more: Hattiesburg American

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

Friday: 157 Rules for Executive Success in Organization Management (and your Chamber of Commerce) by Patrick McGaughey (Chamber Mentor)

RULE #63      Avoid window stickers