#BestChamber practices: iCea iDea of the week: Communications Excellence Award Winner Greater Greenwood Chamber - What's Up Wednesday; #BestChamber practices: Rochester Regional Chamber 11TH Annual Sunrise Pinnacle Awards – A Community Celebration; Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Resource Guide & Business Directory; Cary trustees split on whether to fund Community Grant Program; Know your neighbor — (Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber membership director) Jillian Sicks Ricceri; What is Institute for Organization Management?; Institute’s National Board of Trustees; NKY Chamber’s Heil: Doing nothing not an option when it comes to infrastructure, Brent Spence Bridge; Loudoun County Chamber Hosts Advanced Energy Roundtable; Sheboygan County Chamber welcomes new community relations director; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

Good morning #Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day!

#BestChamber practices: iCea iDea of the week: Communications Excellence Award Winner Greater Greenwood Chamber - What's Up Wednesday

Like many Chambers around the state, the Greater Greenwood Chamber is striving to increase membership retention. We know not all members attend events due to various reasons. Based on research and inspiration from other Chambers around the nation, we started a member visit and marketing initiative called "What's Up Wednesday" where Chamber staff visits members.

The Purpose? 

• Visit members at their place of business.  It is fun to see their space and learn about their business. It educates the Chamber staff on what our members do every day. Having this knowledge helps us better connect members with each other (potential buyers with sellers; mentors with mentees; potential referral partners; etc.)
• Business owners are busy and can't always make it to events. This demonstrates to the member we care about their business and are interested in their success.
• Develop non-dues revenue. Each month we have 1-2 sponsors. Their benefits include logo recognition on a thank you card we deliver, social media recognition, and they can provide goodies for the visited members. Sponsors have provided folding chairs, umbrellas, gift cards, candy, and promotional items. (We didn't originally launch the program to generate revenue but immediately discovered members wanted to sponsor!)

How does it work?

• Every Wednesday, we visit four non-competing (to the sponsor) members.
• We visit/pop in on members and express our appreciation to our main contact and other employees.
• We take pictures to give them a shout out on our Chamber's social media channels. We also share fun facts, or specials, that are going with that member.

Members love this fun program! Members ask when we will be visiting them and look forward to the posts on social media. to see where the Chamber was this Wednesday. It has helped create excitement, engagement, and has contributed to our increased retention rate.

Success story:  Several of our sponsors have received sales calls, but one sponsor received business from a visited What's Up Wednesday member and it was a national brand, so this provided great exposure and a great connection for the small business to national sales opportunities!

  

For more information, please e-mail the Greenwood Chamber staff members:

Christian Maslowski, President & CEO

Anna Murdock, Membership Development Manager

Source: ICEA

The purpose of ICEA is to develop a strong network of professionals leading local chambers of commerce in Indiana. The ICEA membership is comprised of more than 230 staff chamber professionals representing local chambers of commerce throughout Indiana.

#BestChamber practices: Rochester Regional Chamber 11TH Annual Sunrise Pinnacle Awards – A Community Celebration

THE AWARD CATEGORIES

ADVOCACY AWARD

Presented to an individual or company for support of, or for facilitating support of, a cause, innovation, policy or proposal that benefits thegreater Rochester area.

AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Presented to a current Chamber Ambassador. Must have demonstrated an active commitment to sustaining and enhancing the mission of the chamber. Award is presented to an individual.

ARTS AND CULTURE AWARD

Those organizations or individuals that contribute to the growth and success of arts and cultural activities in the greater Rochester area. Can include arts programs and historical preservation programs.

BOARD MEMBER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Presented to a former board member of the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce in honor of their years of past service. Award is presented to an individual.

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD

Presented to the company with a major presence in the city (150+) employees, that has shown remarkable profitability, growth and stability, and which exemplifies excellent corporate citizenship in giving back to the communities in which it operates, and in a corporate culture that enhances the lives of its employees. Award is presented to a company.

BUSINESS WOMAN OF

THE YEAR AWARD

Presented to a woman that must have a 51 percent or more ownership in a locally-owned and operated

business. Must be a functioning business for at least three years. Award is presented to an individual.

COMMUNITY BUILDER AWARD

Presented to a bricks-and-mortar project developed in the greater Rochester area that will enhance or is

compatible with the Chamber’s key areas of interest. Projects must be substantially complete at the time of the award. Criteria include scope of project, innovation and contribution to building a more attractive community. Award is presented to a company.

CREATIVE EXCELLENCE AWARD

Presented to an individual or company that has shown creative excellence in the art of marketing.

Suggested areas of distinction include: brand identity, social media and direct marketing, collateral, publications, newspaper and electronic or web outreach.

CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD

Presented to a chamber member or company that demonstrates excellence in customer relations and

support of the Chamber. Award is presented toan individual or a company.

DIVERSITY AWARD

Recognizes a sustained commitment to diverse business practices and the development of minority

and/or women-owned companies. Company must be in business for at least three years.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD

Presented to a company or organization that is substantially contributing or greatly contributes to the economic vitality of the area through creating jobs and opportunities, advancing a new industry or revitalizing a sector of the community. Award is presented to a company or organization.

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Presented to an educator in the greater Rochester area (K – post graduate) that has developed innovative programming showing measurable results in raising student subject enthusiasm and achievement.

EXCELLENCE IN DINING AWARD

Presented to an individual restaurant (may be part of a chain) that is the “best of the best” in food and

customer service. May be a fine dining or family friendly restaurant.

HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL

OF THE YEAR AWARD

Presented to an individual healthcare professional that has demonstrated excellence in the field.

INNOVATIVE CORPORATE

CULTURE AWARD

Recognizes a company in the greater Rochester community that fosters an engaged and passionate workforce focused on areas such as professional development, leadership and volunteerism.

LEADERSHIP GREATER ROCHESTER

GRADUATE AWARD

Honors a graduate of the RRCC Leadership program. Recipient shall have displayed consistent, active leadership and have a visible community influence.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Presented to an individual who has been successful in their business ventures, and who epitomizes the

hopes and dreams of chamber business members, and who actively supports and encourages many of

them. Award is presented to an individual.

NONPROFIT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Presented to a nonprofit or not-for-profit organization in operation for not less than five (5) years. Must have examples of contributions to the community. Must have programs available to local businesses. Award is presented to a company.

OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

Presented to an individual or an organization that is dedicated to serving the greater Rochester

community. Award is presented to an individual or an organization.

PHILANTHROPY AWARD

Presented to a company with a major presence in the greater Rochester area, in recognition of their contributions to building community and enhancing the quality of life in the area. Criteria include innovation and impact, as well as time and resources contributed. Two awards may be made, one to a large business and one to a small or midsize business. Award(s) is presented to a company.

SMALL BUSINESS OF

THE YEAR AWARD

Presented to a small business or emerging growth company (under 150) employees that have demonstrated a capacity for creativity and innovation, has experienced growth and established

itself as a leader in its industry. Award is presented to a company.

STEADY GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY AWARD

Recognizes a company that exhibits steady growth and profitability for the last three years. Company

can be a privately or publicly held corporation, proprietorship or partnership or small business (not

a subsidiary or division.) Company has maintained and/or increased profitability during challenging

economic conditions.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD

Presented to an individual under 40 years of age that shows an outstanding level of achievement,

commitment and presence in the greater Rochester community. More information: Rochester Regional Chamber

Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Resource Guide & Business Directory  

The Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Business Directory   is available at the Chamber of Commerce today! Thank you to Krisann Durnford and the Chamber team for their help and direction putting this together! 

Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Resource Guide & Business Directory

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.

Cary trustees split on whether to fund Community Grant Program

With the village facing a deficit for the next budget year, Cary trustees were split on whether to award money to area nonprofits through the Community Grant Program.

While $15,000 in grant money was budgeted to go to four organizations, the Village Board ultimately decided to give $8,000 to the Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce for Main Street Fest; $2,000 to the Rotary Club of Cary-Grove for the Cary Summer Farmers Market; and $1,000 to the Cary 26 Education Foundation for the Cary Shuffle 5K. 

The mission of the program is to fund nonprofit grant requests that provide cultural, recreational and youth or senior services that contribute to the quality of life in Cary, according to village documents. 

“I’m going to be voting no on all of these tonight, and the reason why is we’re facing [a] huge deficit next year, and I think it’s important that we save those funds for that,” Trustee Kim Covelli said at the June 20 Village Board meeting.

Trustee Jim Cosler agreed, adding the spending has to end when the village is facing a large deficit. 

“This year our general fund, it is balanced,” Village Administrator Jake Rife said at meeting. “These items were budgeted. We do have the ability to fund – next year it’s going to be a different story.”

Last year was the first year of the program, and $30,000 in grant awards were given out, Rife said. The money comes from the village’s general fund. An expected $500,000 deficit in fiscal 2019 means the program money might be reduced again or eliminated, Rife said.  

The village is currently in its 2018 budget year – fiscal years for municipalities run from May to April.

The largest grant went to Main Street Fest, but some trustees argued the Chamber shouldn’t receive money because it made a profit on the event last year. 

The chamber is expecting 7,500 to 10,000 people to attend the festival this year, Chamber Executive Director Lynn Caccavallo said.

"This event is meant to benefit the entire community of Cary, but each year the Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce solely bears the financial risk of producing this event," Caccavallo said in a statement, adding that bad weather could result in a large financial loss to the Chamber. Read more: Northwest Herald

Know your neighbor — (Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber membership director) Jillian Sicks Ricceri

Jillian Sicks Ricceri is proud to call Brookhaven home. At 24 years old, she strives to make an impact in the community.

As the membership director for the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce, Ricceri oversees all aspects of daily Chamber membership activities. She also works for the Brookhaven Tourism Council as a liaison and is the vice president of the Brookhaven Trust.

Ricceri was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but has lived in Brookhaven since she was six months old. She is a graduate of Brookhaven High School. After high school, she attended the University of Mississippi and graduated in the spring of 2015 with a degree in integrated marketing communications.

After graduation, she moved back to Brookhaven and began working for the Chamber. Shortly after returning home, she met her future husband Nic Ricceri through a mutual friend. The couple has been married for one year.

Ricceri loves to eat any type of seafood. Her favorite restaurant is Harbor Docks in Destin, Florida. “I also love to travel and cheer on the Ole Miss Rebels,” Ricceri said.

She and her husband Nic attend Southway Baptist Church, where they volunteer and help run the youth group.

An interesting family tradition that started with her grandfather was traveling by train on vacations.

“My granddad started this tradition of traveling for vacation by train. He worked for the railroad for over 30 years and he was just obsessed with trains,” Ricceri said. “For a long time, we’ve traveled by train every summer. We’ve been to New York, Washington D.C., New Orleans and Chicago. Read more: Daily Leader

What is Institute for Organization Management?
Institute for Organization Management was designed to enhance individual performance, elevate professional standards, and recognize association, chamber of commerce, and other nonprofit professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of nonprofit management. It is the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.


Its curriculum, comprised of four week-long sessions, is taught by university professors, industry experts, and leading practitioners in the chamber and association industries. Each session is five days long and is offered at five locations across the country annually; allowing participants to choose which site or time of year best fits their schedule**.



While on-site, attendees participate in 24 hours of course instruction and engage in lively discussions on a multitude of matters affecting the association and chamber industries. With courses on topics such as advocacy, media training, membership, finance, legal issues, human resources, and much more, Institute ultimately educates participants on all facets of running a nonprofit organization.


Graduates of the four-year Institute for Organization Management program receive the IOM Graduate Recognition, signifying 96 hours of course instruction in nonprofit management.


Additionally, the curriculum is tied to the CAE and CCE bodies of knowledge, allowing participants to earn credit for an industry certification in one simple step. Read more: Institute - U.S. Chamber of Commerce foundation

---------
Institute’s National Board of Trustees


National Board of Trustees Institute’s National Board of Trustees helps set the strategic direction of the Institute program. Trustees come from a wide variety of associations, chambers, and nonprofit organizations and often volunteer their time at the different Institute sites.



CHAIR
Joseph B. Henning, IOM, CAE, ACE
President and CEO
Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce
Aurora, IL


CHAIR ELECT
Chris E. Wallace, IOM, CCE
President
Texas Association of Business
Austin, TX


VICE CHAIR
Megan A. Lucas, IOM, CEcD
Chief Executive Officer and Chief Economic Development Officer
Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance
Lynchburg, VA



PAST CHAIR
Robert E. Thomas, IOM, CAE, CMP
Senior Director of Operations, Michigan Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director, Michigan Chamber Foundation
Michigan Chamber of Commerce
Lansing, MI



Jeremy L. Arthur, IOM
President and CEO
Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama
Montgomery, AL

Christin W. Berry, CAE
Senior Director, Market Research
ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
Washington, DC


Steve Clark, IOM, J.D., CFE

President and CEO

Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce
Fayetteville, AR


Kimberly Dahlsten, IOM

Associate Director of Membership
K-State Alumni Association
Manhattan, KS


Catherine S. Dority, IOM
Director of Marketing
Charleston Area Convention and Vistors’ Bureau
Charleston, SC


Teresa L. Eyet, IOM

Senior Director, Conference Programming and Educational Development
American Health Care Association
Washington, DC


Kimberly Guida, IOM, CAE
Director of Insurance Services
Rochester Automobile Dealers Association
Rochester, NY


David “DJ” Johnson, IOM, CAEV

ice President, Membership
American Society of Interior Designers
Washington, DC


Kelle Marsalis, IOM, CCE

Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
Dallas Regional Chamber
Dallas, TX


Matt R. McCormick, IOM, CCE
President
Columbia Chamber of Commerce
Columbia, MO


Timothy M. McKee, IOM
Chief Executive Officer
Olathe Chamber of Commerce
Olathe, KS


Crystal Moore, CAE
Vice President, Professional Development and Convention
Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives
Alexandria, VA


Stephanie M. Parton, IOM, CAE
Vice President, Communications
Indiana CPA Society
Indianapolis, IN


Jodie A. Perry, IOM, CCEO-AP

President
Richland Area Chamber of Commerce
Mansfield, OH

Corey Rosenbusch, IOM, CAE
President and CEO
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Alexandria, VA


Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE
Vice President, Institute and Political Affairs and Federation Relations
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Washington, DC


Marnie L. Uhl, IOM, ACE
President and CEO
Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce
Prescott Valley, AZ


Tony Vedda, IOM, CCE
President and CEO
North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce
Dallas, TX


Scott Waller, IOM

President and CEO
Mississippi Economic Council
Jackson, MS




NKY Chamber’s Heil: Doing nothing not an option when it comes to infrastructure, Brent Spence Bridge

Doing nothing is no longer an option for our community when it comes to infrastructure.

The bridge last underwent this type of focused maintenance in the late 1990’s, and we should be grateful it is being completed as quickly as possible. The KYTC District 6 office should be commended for their efforts to find a contractor willing to work around the clock to complete the six month project in 60 days.Our time and resources could be better spent than sitting in traffic due to the Brent Spence Bridge routine maintenance repairs. People are now seeing first hand that even a partial closure of the bridge can have a domino effect across the entire region.

However, if routine maintenance can cause this kind of disruption, imagine what long term disruption would do to our businesses and our quality of life.

So after years of debate about the future of the corridor, I hope that we can all agree we can no longer kick the can down the road.

The Greater Cincinnati region is attractive to businesses who want to locate here, in part, because we are within a one hour flight or a day’s drive of 60 percent of the population of the United States. This makes Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky an attractive place for businesses like DHL and Amazon. Over half the flights at CVG are cargo flights.

But it doesn’t do businesses any good to be one day’s drive from half of America if the day’s journey is spent sitting in a traffic jam. Traffic congestion on the Brent Spence Bridge costs an average of 3.6 million hours of delay for passenger cars and freight carriers every year. Do the math and it is plain to see the expense of doing nothing is already costing us hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

Regionalism is key to our economy and our daily commerce, but if our infrastructure is failing and we are unable to travel across the region, the region can’t grow like it could or should.

On the recent joint Northern Kentucky Chamber/ Cincinnati Regional Chamber DC Fly-in, we were told by multiple high level sources that President Trump’s proposed $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan involves using $300 billion in federal dollars leveraged with other funding sources, (either state and/or private) for a $1.2 trillion impact. If our region stands any chance of receiving any of those federal funds, we are going to have to come to grips with the reality that state and/or private funding will be essential to address this key infrastructure need. Read more: Northern Kentucky Tribune


Loudoun County Chamber Hosts Advanced Energy Roundtable


Renewable energy and energy efficiency companies active in Northern Virginia and across the Commonwealth joined local elected officials at a June 29 Advanced Energy Roundtable hosted by the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce.

Local officials and members of trade and industry groups representing the renewable and energy efficiency sectors shared lessons learned and best practices, as well as ways they could all work together to address challenges in growing the energy sector of Virginia’s economy.

“The Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce was proud to host today’s discussion involving a diverse group of business leaders and stakeholders to discuss the opportunities of growing advanced energy opportunities for the benefit of businesses throughout Northern Virginia,” Loudoun County Chamber CEO Tony Howard said in a statement. “Our members have led on sustainability efforts through investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and we remain committed to providing our members access to the latest information and resources that improve their operations in ways that help them ‘save green by going green.'”

Advanced energy employs more than 80,000 Virginians across the state. By increasing investment in advanced energy, the region could see a significant increase in affordable and reliable energy, Vice President of State Policy for Advanced Energy Economy J.R. Tolbert said in a statement.


Sheboygan County Chamber welcomes new community relations director

Shawn Jackson has joined the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce as Community Relations Director. In this role, he will create and execute all membership development activities, including campaigns, retention efforts and outreach. Jackson will also work closely with the Chamber’s marketing and workforce development teams to build financial support for programs and events and ensure that programming meets member needs and adds value to their membership.

“Shawn’s background and abilities are a perfect fit with our members’ needs,” said Chamber Executive Director Betsy Alles. “He brings rich experience and a sincere desire to cultivate relationships and help each of our members achieve the most from their Chamber membership.”

Jackson can be reached at 920-395-8705 or shawn@sheboygan.org.


Read more: Sheboygan Daily Press

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