Friday, November 10, 2017

U.S. Chamber Briefing: What Senate Republicans are proposing in their tax plan; Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber Non Profit Network: Community Leadership Breakfast; Festival of the Grape brings thousands to Powhatan; DOR Secretary holds roundtable, luncheon with area representatives; Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Profile & Directory; Ocean Springs Chamber event: This weekend's Peter Anderson Festival may be largest in its history; Terre Haute Chamber organizes D.C. fly-in; Barren County: Work Ready Community; The Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide; St. Charles Chamber Of Commerce CEO To Leave; Friday: 157 Rules for Executive Success in Organization Management (and your Chamber of Commerce) by Patrick McGaughey (Chamber Mentor); Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

Happy Friday #Chamber World! Have a GREAT weekend!

U.S. Chamber Briefing: What Senate Republicans are proposing in their tax plan

ABC News

ABC News reports, “The Senate Finance Committee released its vision for a tax reform bill Thursday afternoon — a proposal that differs from the House of Representatives’ blueprint in several significant ways and sets up a potentially long process of reconciling the two bills if and when they clear their respective committees...  According to a two-page outline provided by Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch’s staff, the Senate bill would get rid of all state and local tax deductions, which largely affect people in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California… On the business side, the Senate bill would make permanent a 20 percent taxation rate but delay its implementation by a year. The House bill contains no such delay.”



Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber Non Profit Network: Community Leadership Breakfast

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Opportunity to connect with the Chamber nonprofit community, become engaged and make a difference where we work, live and play.

Event begins with a nonprofit showcase to meet and greet with nonprofit community.

Enjoy a plated breakfast and insights from speakers:

Kimberly Wyman, ADOPT MORE; Branding Like a For-Profit

C.J. Felton, Community Housing Network, Inc.; Cool Places to Work, How Your Nonprofit Can Be Too!

Matthew Wollack, Wolverine Human Services; Second Chances, Taking Risks, Vision & Growth Strategies


Nonprofit Showcase Participants as of 10/24/17: Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, Birmingham Bloomfield Community Coalition, Birmingham Rotary Club, Community Housing Network, Inc., Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County, Kids Kicking Cancer, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Michigan Animal Rescue League, Oakland Mediation Center, The Pink Fund, The Bottomless Toy Chest & The Community House

To participate as a nonprofit with display table email andreaf@bbcc.com

Sponsored by:
Bank of Ann Arbor - Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsor: Level One Bank
Silver Sponsors: Clark Hill, Beaumont Health and Consumers Energy
Patron Sponsor: Comcast Business

More information:  Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber




Festival of the Grape brings thousands to Powhatan

The 15th annual Festival of the Grape was smaller all around this year, but still had Powhatan’s Historic Courthouse Village flowing with activity last weekend.
Thousands of people came out for a full day of wine, music, food and shopping, and although attendance numbers are expected to have been lower than usual, the day still turned out great, said Angie Cabell, executive director of the Powhatan Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the event. Final attendance numbers weren’t known by press time.
“It’s been going great. Any year people are safe and happy is a success,” Cabell said during the festival. “I think the atmosphere is great as always. People love this festival.”
Courtney Pettis of Chesterfield is a regular visitor to the festival who is drawn by the wine and the people. She said it’s a great day to welcome the fall season, have fun with friends and try a variety of Virginia wines.
“They had some new ones I hadn’t had this year. We always drink from the ones we know but we are trying new ones,” she said.
Russ AmRhein, co-owner of AmRhein’s Wine Cellars in Bent Mountain, said his vineyard has attended since the festival began and said he keeps coming back because it’s a well managed event with great crowd participation. The winery brought 11 wines to sell and had a good day of sales, he added.
“We also get people that appreciate really good quality wines like cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and a nice wine called aglianico. That’s an Italian red with a nice tannin structure,” he said.

There were several new aspects to the festival this year, and some went over better than others, Cabell said. There was a shuttle to the parking lot at Powhatan Elementary School that she was still hearing feedback on. Organizers worry in the future that the festival will outgrow its parking, so they are trying to be proactive, not reactive. Read more: Richmond.com



DOR Secretary holds roundtable, luncheon with area representatives



Wisconsin Department of Revenue Secretary Richard Chandler visited New Richmond and Glenwood City on Wednesday, Oct. 25, as part of the Governor's Northern Economic and Community Development Summit taking place Oct. 25- 26 in Trego at the Heartwood Conference Center and Retreat. This summit brings state agencies together to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities of northern Wisconsin's economy.


"The Governor encourages all cabinet agencies to make visits around the area to talk to people about what is going on in Madison and to get input from people about things you think we should know about," Chandler said.

Chandler visited with the Glenwood City High School DECA program Wednesday morning before stopping at WITC-New Richmond to visit with the school's powersports technician program.

"I was at Glenwood City High School today meeting with the kids involved in the DECA program, which includes running the school store. They got a grant from the economic development organization, which is great," Chandler said. "If you get discouraged by the things that are going on in Washington sometimes — and how things can seem disfunctional and also can get disheartening sometimes — visiting with the high school kids and seeing the great things that are going on with the kids there, it kind of restores your faith and makes you think that there are some good things in for us in the future."

Chandler ended his day with a roundtable discussion and luncheon with representatives from the New Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of New Richmond, the St. Croix County Economic Development Corporation and WITC.


"One of the themes as I talk about things is going to be that there really have been some dramatic changes in Wisconsin's tax climate and economy in the past few years. I think sometimes there is a little bit of a perception lag, where people remember back 10, 15, 20, 25 years ago when we were known as a very high tax state. That has changed dramatically," Chandler said. "Wisconsin's state and local tax burden, now, is actually below the national average and we rank 21st out of the 50 states in tax burden. We are no longer in the top 10 in the highest tax states ... and we are very competitive. And that can also be said for the economy as well." Read more: New Richmond News




Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Profile & Directory

The Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Profile & Directory is available at the Plainfield Area Chamber today! Thanks to Tasha Kitson, Mari Edmondson, Vitella Barnes, Kellie Wujek 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.



Ocean Springs Chamber event: This weekend's Peter Anderson Festival may be largest in its history


For nearly four decades, throngs of vendors and spectators have flocked to downtown Ocean Springs for the annual Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival -- with well over 100,000 attending and some 450 artisans participating.
This year's 39th annual Anderson festival, which opens Saturday, may take those figures to another level.
With a record 478 vendors registered and perfect weather forecast, crowd totals for the two days may exceed the 151,000 who attended last year, according to an economic impact study conducted by Mississippi State University.
With vendor space, parking and even walking room all at a premium in the downtown area during the festival, it begs the question: How big is too big?
"That's always a concern, because you have to be able to balance between taking care of the people you're inviting down here and the people who live here in the downtown area," said Chic Cody, the City's longtime liaison to the festival, which is sponsored and run by the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce.
"We pretty well manage around any number we have," Cody continued. "Of course, this is the largest we've every had. We've made provisions, I think, to accommodate everyone." Read more: GulfLive.com



Terre Haute Chamber organizes D.C. fly-in


A dozen will promote Wabash Valley in whirlwind visit


A dozen business, government and education leaders will take part in a two-day Washington, D.C., fly-in this week to promote west-central Indiana. The visit is sponsored by the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce.
In the past, a local delegation has taken part in annual Washington visits by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, but the Wabash Valley-specific outreach will be “much more focused on what interests us,” said David Haynes, chamber president.
“With the help of Rachel Leslie at RJL Solutions, we put together a two-day visit for 12 people,” Haynes said. “It’s really going to be a good trip, and we’re hoping that it will be an annual opportunity to represent Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley. We have hopes and desires here in our area; we’d like to make them known, and we’ve gotten a very good response from our representation in Washington.”
Despite their party differences, U.S. Sens. Joe Donnelly and Todd Young have asked to meet together with the Wabash Valley delegation, Haynes noted.
“We’re pretty happy about that,” Haynes said.
Lea Anne Crooks, chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College-Terre Haute, who chairs the chamber’s workforce development committee, will be “looking for opportunities to talk about workforce development needs in our communities,” she said.
Crooks said she will speak with officials in Washington about “how we can have growth with high-wage jobs and how the legislators can put Terre Haute on their radar from that perspective.”
The quick trip, with a heavy agenda of meetings and lunches scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, will include a state lawmaker reaching out to his federal counterparts.
“I see my role as a citizen and a legislator … to go and advocate with the chamber for projects here in Terre Haute,” said state Sen. Jon Ford, R-Terre Haute.
“As the federal government looks to more regionalization, they can help us with transportation, highways, bridges and airports.”
There is also room for further expansion of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Correctional Complex at Terre Haute and in the mission of the Indiana Air National Guard’s 181st Intelligence Wing, based at Terre Haute Regional Airport, Ford said.
Ford noted he will be paying his own expenses on the trip.

In addition to Donnelly and Young, visits are scheduled with Vice President Mike Pence,  U.S. Reps. Larry Bucshon, Luke Messer, Todd Rokita and Jackie Walorski; the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Office; the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and Deborah Hohlt, Indiana’s primary lobbyist in the nation’s capital. Read more: Tribune Star



Barren County: Work Ready Community


Barren County was recently named a Work Ready Community by the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet.
This certification “is a measure of a county's workforce quality,” according to the Kentucky Work Ready Communities' website. “It is an assurance to business and industry that the community is committed to providing the highly-skilled workforce required in today's competitive global economy.”
The application for Work Ready status was submitted by the Barren County Work Ready Skills Proposal Team consisting of Micheal Hale, judge-executive of Barren County; Amy Irwin, college and career development coordinator for Barren County Schools; Amy Allen, principal of Glasgow High School; CheyAnne Fant, BCS director of Nutrition Services and 21st Century Learning; and Erica Spillman, president of the Glasgow-Barren County Young Professionals.
Fant said Barren County received this certification because of the efforts of everyone.
“People all across the community are making us Work Ready,” Fant said. “We were just the committee that put all those great efforts down on paper.”
BCS Superintendent Bo Matthews said this is a unifying designation for Barren County.
“It helps us be able to market what we offer to business and industry as we compete to bring in new jobs, new opportunities for the people that live in Glasgow and Barren County,” he said. “We're glad to be a part of it.”
Being a Work Ready Community means “more opportunities for our students, our businesses and industries,” Allen said. “As well as our community members. By showing that education, workforce development and economic development are aligned and seeking the same goals, potential businesses seeking to locate in Kentucky or our area will know that we are producing potential employees with skills that are valuable to their industry.”
Allen added that the community “shows a united commitment to grow our workforce as well as economic development.”
“Increasing the number of students that are high school graduates, have career certifications and post-secondary educational attainment – as well as work ethics – will be an advantageous pull factor to our community,” Allen said. “One of our goals by earning Work Ready status is recruiting high-skill, high-paying jobs for our students and community members.
“Increasing the job outlook for our community will demonstrate to our students that one can use the career certifications and education they have earned to secure a great job and standard of living here in Glasgow.”
Bill Prather, president of the Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce, said achieving the status of a Work Ready county “demonstrates there is a local commitment to developing and maintaining a quality workforce, and assures new business prospects that they will be able to recruit good employees.”
Irwin said developing and sustaining a highly skilled workforce is essential when Barren County is trying to prevail in “the competitive global economy that we live in.” Read more: Glasgow Daily Times


The Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide

The Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Map is available at the chamber today ! Thanks to the Jennifer Andreas 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.


St. Charles Chamber Of Commerce CEO To Leave

She's leaving for a job in the private sector, and the chamber is looking for a new president and CEO.



 The president and CEO of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce, Stacey Ekstrom, is due to retire from the position, according to recent reports.
The Kane County Chronicle reported that Ekstrom, who has been with the chamber since December 2011, will have her last day with the chamber on Nov. 2 after the chamber's Membership Breakfast. She will be moving to Belvidere for a job in the private sector, the Chronicle reported.
"My biggest accomplishment was creating a solid financial footing," the Chronicle reported Ekstrom as saying. "While doing this, I was responsible for growing the staff from two to five people, and our membership from 550 to 650."
Chairman Craig Larsen said Ekstrom will be missed. "I am sure you will agree that Stacey has done an excellent job of navigating the chamber to its current solid financial footing and has left her imprint in many other ways," he said.
The Chamber is searching for for a new president and CEO, who will need to be a strong leader with a vision. Read more: Patch.com

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



RULE #97      Calculate raises by replacement costs.


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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