From Nicki Anderson, President, Naperville Chamber of Commerce: The Chamber of the Future - Why It Matters to Your Business and Community
I just returned from a Chamber conference in Nashville. I attended for a few reasons, first to accept my new role as a Member of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Board of Directors, receive our Communications Excellence Award for our Rebranding and finally, to learn.
My Board appointment was a surprise as ACCE, an international resource for Chambers, is associated with excellence both in terms of resources they provide to their Members and their commitment to supporting the future success of Chambers. Given the NACC’s commitment to excellence, being part of this Board is a great way to connect with other Chambers committed to excellence.
Our rebranding recognition was due to the tireless efforts of Lauren Holtz, Director of Marketing and Communications, and her partnership with Paul Gregory Media. Their collaboration and commitment to the mission and vision of the NACC resulted in an award-winning rebrand. Thanks to you both.
And then there's the learning. Oh, the learning. I attended a number of workshops and the message was consistent, technology will continue be top of mind. Being more efficient with our communication methods and delivery of resources to our Members will be key. Creating more unique experiences for connecting is necessary for bringing in Members that value meaningful connections. Our commitment to advocacy will continue as we must make sure that over regulation or new policy doesn't stifle business growth. But aside from the above, the one constant is you. Because of your commitment to business and the Chamber you are directly contributing to a strong community. Business builds community and our goal is to continue to support you, your business and growth because without you, community suffers.
Chambers are not going away. At least those that continue to meet the needs of their Members. Gathering and connecting will be as important 10 years from now as it was 100 years ago when the NACC was new. Even then the Chamber was committed to a prosperous community and that focus has not and will not change if we are to survive the next 100 years. Read more: Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce
New Castle-Henry County Chamber's 'Cash Bonanza' set for Aug. 19
There’s still time to get a ticket for the New Castle-Henry County Chamber of Commerce annual Cash Bonanza, which is scheduled for Aug. 19 in the air-conditioned New Castle Armory, 1537 Grand Ave. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., dinner will be served at 6 p.m., and prize drawings get underway at 7 p.m.
According to Chamber director Missy Modesitt, the theme for this year’s event is a Hawaiian luau. Attendees are encouraged to dress casually in their best Hawaiian finery. The main event is a reverse raffle with the grand prize of $10,000 given away at the end. For those unfamiliar with a reverse raffle, Modesitt offers the following.
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“Everyone who comes purchases a numbered ticket in advance. We only sell 300 and they are $100 each. Each ticket admits two people for the evening,” Modesitt said. “All of the tickets sold are put into the hopper. Once your ticket is drawn you are out of the running for the grand prize; however, thanks to the amazing generosity of our sponsors, we give away lots of great prizes along the way. We give away cash prizes including several prizes of $250, $100 and $50 as well as other great items like a family portrait package and a dozen donuts a week for a year.
“Last year, the odds of winning something were 1 in 15 and we anticipate about the same this year. Folks should get their tickets soon as we have sold out the last three years before the day of the event.”
In addition to the main event, the Chamber also sells raffle tickets for door prize items local businesses have donated. Each have a value of over $100. Also, 50/50 raffle tickets are sold, a “party barrel” is raffled off, and there’s a “last chance” raffle.
Those sponsors contributing to the event include Edward Jones, Castle Pawn Shop, Senior Living at Forest Ridge, Glen Oaks Health Campus, Raintree Dental, Kane Loveridge Wellness Group, The Courier-Times, Action Temporaries, ERA Integrity Real Estate, Myers Furniture & Appliances, Henry County Community Foundation, Henry County REMC, Jack’s Donuts, Nantz Photography, AB Sealcoating, Sheila’s Bakery, Rust Townsend Home Appliances, Harvest Market, and Henry Community Health.
Modesitt said she is still seeking additional sponsors and door prize donations.
Lee’s Famous Recipe is catering the event and Montgomery’s Steakhouse is providing a cash bar.
“The main reason we hold this event is to raise funds for our operating expenses and to fund our programs, but we also like holding this event to give our community the opportunity to come together for a fun evening and to enjoy the networking opportunities provided by events like this,” Modesitt said. “It is a great opportunity for our local businesses to sponsor an event that reaches a lot of people. It is also a lot of fun, everyone who comes really seems to enjoy themselves.” Read more: Courier Times
Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber presentation: Live music, food, cars in store for 13th annual Metro Cruise; 250,000 expected
The 28th Street Metro Cruise is making its way to the greater Grand Rapids area once again and this year, car lovers can experience two extra hours of cars, music and food.
The 13th annual Metro Cruise, presented by the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce, will have a new extended time this year on Saturday from 7 until 9 p.m. The event takes place over two days, Aug. 25 and 26.
Each year, hot rods, low riders, muscle cars, performance cars, and motorcycles cruise 28th Street through Grandville, Wyoming, Kentwood, Grand Rapids and Cascade Township.
The event was established in 2005 by the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce to help drive business to the 28th Street corridor when M-6 opened on the south end of Grand Rapids. It has been held every year since.
The event has grown from 85,000 attendees the first year to more than 250,000 in recent years. Over 15,000 vehicles are estimated to participate each year.
There are no limits on the types of vehicles allowed and it is a non-adjudicated event. Proceeds from the event are used to help support Chamber programs.
In addition to the extended time, new to this year's event are additional live music performances and food vendors, a first-ever map of the venue, a pedestrian walkway in the Metro Square area and a shade tent. Read more: M LIVE
Fox Cities LIFE Study update puts focus on diversity
The Fox Cities LIFE Study has been updated to take a deeper look at diversity and inclusion and workforce participation, according to the organizations that fund the quality of life study.
The United Way Fox Cities, the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and Industry released the updates Thursday morning, highlighting data that focuses on three of four priority areas in the Fox Cities.
"We listened carefully to the feedback from our community partners who evaluated the LIFE Study with us last summer and they raised some very good questions and asked for more extensive information around a couple of the areas of community life," said Curt Detjen, president and chief executive officer of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. "We know the LIFE Study is used extensively by community leaders … and it's important to provide meaningful information to help them build the programs and initiatives that are really going to make a difference."
The study includes more than 200 indicators about demographic, economic, social and health issues in the Fox Cities. The 2016 data was used to determine community priorities, which include poverty, youth health, student performance and youth safety.
A total of 10 new data charts have been created. They include information on workforce participation, youth depression and suicide-related behavior, grade three reading proficiency, economically disadvantaged students, graduate rates and bullying.
Key takeaways include:
Students who identify as racial or ethnic minorities reported considering and attempting suicide at higher rates, especially those who identify as American Indian or Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders.
Among students who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, more than 45 percent have considered suicide.
More than 40 percent of the students who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual reported being bullied online and in school.
More than one-third of American Indian and Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students reported bullying, compared to 25 percent of white and black or African American students.
The gap in third-grade reading proficiency remains significant between white students and students of racial and ethnic minorities, despite gains made from 2012 to 2015.
Students who identify as racial or ethnic minorities are more likely to come from more economically disadvantaged homes than their white peers.
Graduation rates over a six-year period declined for all groups, except students who identify as black or African American and for those who identify as two or more races.
Workforce participation is higher than the national average in Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago counties.
The LIFE Study has traditionally been updated every five years. However, the funding groups decided to host the study online and provide additional information to make it more of a living study than a static one. Read more: Post-Crescent
Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2016-2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory
The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2016-2017 Community Profile & Membership Directory is available at the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber today! Thanks to Jon Maynard, Pam Swain, Rosie Vassalo and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!
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.
#FamousChamber Speaker: Benton Area (Arkansas) Chamber Of Commerce: Chad Pregracke
The Mississippi River was literally Chad Pregracke’s backyard while growing up near East Moline, IL. The son of educators and river enthusiasts, KeeKee and Gary Pregracke, Chad and his older brother, Brent, spent the majority of their time on, in, and around the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.
During his summer breaks Chad worked on the river–primarily as a commercial shell diver for the cultured pearl industry, but also as a commercial fisherman and barge hand. Typically working miles away from home, he camped on the islands and shorelines of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers to save money and fuel. It was during this time that Chad began to realize how neglected the rivers were, with the unsightly and toxic accumulation of trash along their banks.
One river, one piece of garbage at a time. At the age of 17, he started making calls to government agencies to notify them of the problem, assuming someone would take care of it. Year after year passed by and the problem only worsened. In 1997 Chad decided that, if no one else was going to clean up the river, he would.
In 1998 at the age of 23, Chad founded Living Lands & Waters. Today, the organization has grown to include a full staff and fleet of equipment. The crew averages nine states a year along the Mississippi, Illinois and Ohio Rivers, as well as many of their tributaries. Most recently, Chad expanded the mission of the organization to include educational workshops, The MillionTrees Project, Adopt-a-River Mile, Invasive Species Removal, and The Great Mississippi River Cleanup.
Chad’s vision, charisma, non-stop work ethic and natural leadership have garnered him an abundance of awards and honors over the years. Most notably, Chad was the recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service, America’s version of the Nobel Prize, in June 2002. Chad accepted this award in the United States Supreme Court in Washington D.C. with other award recipients: Rudolph Giuliani, Bill and Melinda Gates, and Lilly Tartikoff. In 2013, he was named CNN Hero of the Year. Chad is also the author of “From the Bottom Up: One Man’s Crusade to Clean America’s Rivers.” To purchase a copy of the book, please call the office at (309) 496-9848.
Time running out to sign up for Leadership Murray
In order to provide Murray/Calloway County with strong and effective leaders for the future of the community and West Kentucky region, the Leadership Murray organization was established with the assistance of the Murray-Calloway Chamber of Commerce in 1983. Leadership Murray members consist of the community's brightest individuals who excel in many areas of business and community service. Leadership Murray seeks to develop the potential in its members. Additionally, Leadership Murray provides an avenue for organizations seeking dedicated individuals to serve on boards and commissions.
Participation is open to all citizens residing and/or doing business in Calloway County. The program targets individuals with diverse socio-economic backgrounds and seeks a racial and gender mix reflective of the population at large. The recruitment process ensures a varied group representative of: business and professions, government, neighborhoods, and the community at large. Participation in the program is limited and applicants are encouraged to reapply to subsequent programs if not initially accepted.
Contacts
Aaron Dail, 270-753-5171 or aaron@mymurray.com
2017-2018 Leadership Murray Application
All applications are subject to confidential evaluation. Applications are due by August 25, 2017. All applicants will be notified of acceptance or non-acceptance by August 28, 2017. We have experienced some issues with our online application. If you fill it out and have any issues, please contact Michelle at michelle@mymurray.com.
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT
To meet graduation requirements, participants must attend all Leadership Murray sessions and accomplish the points needed in the Requirements for Graduation document. The orientation is mandatory. Orientation will be September 12, 2017 following the Chamber's Business@Breakfast. Please refer to the documents below in the Leadership Murray Class Dates section
REQUIREMENTS & SCHEDULE
View the schedule here.
View the requirements here.
View the employer agreement here.
TUITION & COST
If accepted into the Leadership Murray program, the program fee is $900. You or your company (sponsor) will be billed for this amount. The tuition fee of $900 covers all program costs, including lunch during class sessions, a ticket to each Business@Breakfast during our class, and room and board for the Frankfort Day trip. Tuition must be paid in full by August 31, 2017.
CLASS SESSIONS INFORMATION
Class sessions will be held on the day of the Chamber’s Business@Breakfast meetings. If you know now that you cannot attend the session on any of these dates, please consider holding your application for a future Leadership Murray class when you can be fully committed.
LEADERSHIP MURRAY CHAIR
Aaron Dail - 270-227-2659 or aaron@mymurray.com
Time running out to sign up for Leadership Murray
In order to provide Murray/Calloway County with strong and effective leaders for the future of the community and West Kentucky region, the Leadership Murray organization was established with the assistance of the Murray-Calloway Chamber of Commerce in 1983. Leadership Murray members consist of the community's brightest individuals who excel in many areas of business and community service. Leadership Murray seeks to develop the potential in its members. Additionally, Leadership Murray provides an avenue for organizations seeking dedicated individuals to serve on boards and commissions.
Participation is open to all citizens residing and/or doing business in Calloway County. The program targets individuals with diverse socio-economic backgrounds and seeks a racial and gender mix reflective of the population at large. The recruitment process ensures a varied group representative of: business and professions, government, neighborhoods, and the community at large. Participation in the program is limited and applicants are encouraged to reapply to subsequent programs if not initially accepted.
Contacts
Aaron Dail, 270-753-5171 or aaron@mymurray.com
2017-2018 Leadership Murray Application
All applications are subject to confidential evaluation. Applications are due by August 25, 2017. All applicants will be notified of acceptance or non-acceptance by August 28, 2017. We have experienced some issues with our online application. If you fill it out and have any issues, please contact Michelle at michelle@mymurray.com.
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENT
To meet graduation requirements, participants must attend all Leadership Murray sessions and accomplish the points needed in the Requirements for Graduation document. The orientation is mandatory. Orientation will be September 12, 2017 following the Chamber's Business@Breakfast. Please refer to the documents below in the Leadership Murray Class Dates section
REQUIREMENTS & SCHEDULE
View the schedule here.
View the requirements here.
View the employer agreement here.
TUITION & COST
If accepted into the Leadership Murray program, the program fee is $900. You or your company (sponsor) will be billed for this amount. The tuition fee of $900 covers all program costs, including lunch during class sessions, a ticket to each Business@Breakfast during our class, and room and board for the Frankfort Day trip. Tuition must be paid in full by August 31, 2017.
CLASS SESSIONS INFORMATION
Class sessions will be held on the day of the Chamber’s Business@Breakfast meetings. If you know now that you cannot attend the session on any of these dates, please consider holding your application for a future Leadership Murray class when you can be fully committed.
LEADERSHIP MURRAY CHAIR
Aaron Dail - 270-227-2659 or aaron@mymurray.com
Apply here: Leadership Murray
Northern Virginia Chamber to Host Virginia Gubernatorial Debate
On Tuesday, September 19, the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (Northern Virginia Chamber) and the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University will host Northern Virginia’s Gubernatorial Debate between Mr. Ed Gillespie (R) and Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam (D). The debate will be presented in partnership by the Northern Virginia Chamber and George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government and held at Capital One headquarters in Tysons (1680 Capital One Drive, McLean, VA 22102). The event is sponsored by Farmers Insurance and ManTech. NBC4 Washington will serve as Broadcast Partner.
Highly respected journalist, political director of NBC News, and moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press, Chuck Todd, will moderate the Debate, which will focus on the critical issues facing Virginia voters. Julie Carey of NBC4, Aaron Gilchrist of NBC4, and Dr. Mark J. Rozell of George Mason University, will serve as panelists.
The Debate will air live on NBC4 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. and will be syndicated statewide on NBC affiliate stations. The Debate will also be streamed live on NBCWashington.com and the NBCWashington news app.
Follow the event on Twitter @NOVAChamber and #VAGovDebate. More: contact
Kristi Mills is the new Director of the Yazoo County Chamber of Commerce
Kristi Mills is the new Director of the Yazoo County Chamber of Commerce
Kristi Mills is the new Director of the Yazoo County Chamber of Commerce. Mills says that Yazoo is very proud of a couple of new businesses that have opened and of the new Willie Morris Parkway that promises to keep Yazoo County flourishing and growing in the near future.
“Signaturez Bar & Grill in downtown Yazoo City opened not too long ago and they’re famous for their chicken wings,” she adds. “So, we’re very happy about that. And of course, in the spring we saw our first Wal-Mart open up and that was a big deal for us. And then there is the new Willie Morris Parkway that is out by that Wal-Mart that we’re extremely excited about. In fact, we just recently erected a Willie Morris monument there. The plan hopefully is to see more economic growth in that area in the future.”
Mills adds that the downtown revitalization that has been an ongoing effort is still moving forward as well.
“Downtown is doing really well. The colorful downtown buildings are a daily draw for visitors and for Christmas we’re planning the fantastic display of lights that we normally have, and to coordinate the colors of the lights with the buildings. The revitalization of our downtown area is important and the project has been an ongoing effort by many in the community that is moving along quite well. So, we’re very proud of that.”
Tourism is also a very important aspect of the city and county’s growth, and Mills says that this past 4th of July, Yazoo City held their 3rd annual “Yaz Summer Blast,” a big multi-day event that draws many people.
“The weekend before the 4th of July, we had our “Yaz Summer Blast,” and it was great. We had fireworks and so many visitors from out of town just for the event. Main Street was blocked off and we had an entire weekend of music, food, fireworks and many street vendors. It was just amazing.”
Mills says the Chamber is also growing stronger by adding more members on a regular basis.
“Our Chamber hasn’t had a director for a while, but now that I’m here, my job is to try and get the Chamber back up to speed. I’ve been working hard on that. Since I’ve been in the position, I’ve brought in 60-plus members already, either first-time members or renewals; a combination of the two. And I’ve only been in the office since June 1, 2017. I’m also visiting each one of the businesses as I can on a weekly basis and talking with them, trying to get them involved with the Chamber. And so far, it’s been a really positive experience.” Read more: Delta Business Journal
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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