Chicago Fed: Survey Shows Growth Accelerated in Late November and December; #Chambertraining: Exciting New Monthly Educational Series brought to you by a partnership between the Batavia Chamber and the Valley Industrial Association (VIA); Lake County Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory; Pulse Young Professionals Network announces participation in YPWeek 2018, Bubbler Awards applications open; I-69 Thumb Region Talent Forum to Address Labor Market Opportunities; NKY Chamber Women’s Initiative to honor Shelley Funk Frommeyer with Spirit of Achievement Award; Tysons Chamber installs 2018 board, plans new events; Chamber Exec Mary Jo Orlowski Believes Children, Education are Bedrock of Healthy Community; Coahoma County now an ACT Work Ready community; 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!

Chicago Fed: Survey Shows Growth Accelerated in Late November and December

Survey Shows Growth Accelerated in Late November and December

The Chicago Fed Survey of Business Conditions (CFSBC) Activity Index increased to +27 from –14, suggesting that growth in economic activity picked up to a moderate pace in late November and December. The CFSBC Manufacturing Activity Index moved up to +48 from +9, and the CFSBC Nonmanufacturing Activity Index rose to +15 from –29. Read more

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#Chambertraining: Exciting New Monthly Educational Series brought to you by a partnership between the Batavia Chamber and the Valley Industrial Association (VIA)

Valley Industrial Association - Established in 1902, the organization we know today as the Valley Industrial Association was founded to give area manufacturers and the businesses that serve them a place to connect for professional growth, shared information and common resources that can help operations, and to support causes important to industry. Originally founded by 16 member companies, three of which remain members today (Richards Wilcox, Aurora Metals, and Aurora Textiles), the VIA currently serves more than 200 members, including manufacturers and businesses that serve them, area educational institutions and municipalities. The VIA’s service area includes Kane, Kendall, DeKalb and western DuPage Counties. More information: Valley Industrial Association

·     Batavia Chamber of Commerce Mission & Vision

Purpose: To create a dynamic culture where business and community enhance one another.
Vision: Batavia is a destination for people to grow themselves, their family, their business and their community.
Mission: To Advocate for, build Relationships with, and Educate our members for the benefit of the community. 

Goals:
o Strive to promote programs on issues that impact the business community.
o To provide networking and promotional opportunities.
o To promote community and business interaction programs.
o To provide a resource for business information, materials and programs.
o To survey and assess the needs of business and use the results to evaluate existing programs and develop new programs.
o To provide service and information to the community.
o To assist in events that create a quality community atmosphere.

More information: Batavia Chamber of Commerce





Lake County Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory

The Lake County Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Membership Directory is available at the Lake County Chamber! Thanks to Stewart Kerr, Julieth 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.



Pulse Young Professionals Network announces participation in YPWeek 2018, Bubbler Awards applications open

Bubbler Awards recognize best places to work for young professionals in Wisconsin

APPLETON, Wis. (January 5, 2018) – Pulse Young Professionals Network, a program of the Fox Cities Chamber and Fox Cities Regional Partnership, is proud to announce its participation in the statewide initiative, YPWeek Wisconsin 2018, and share that the Bubbler Awards applications are now open. YPWeek is a grassroots statewide program that will run April 20 to 28, 2018 with participating communities presenting a variety of programs that empower young professionals to take ownership and pride in their hometowns.

YPWeek Wisconsin is modeled after a program started by NEWaukee in 2012 to provide a weeklong series of events focusing on discovery, adventure, and meaningful conversations about the issues that matter to young professionals in the Milwaukee area. YPWeek Wisconsin has continued to reach across the state with the support of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) since 2015, and its participants have collaborated with the agency on a communication strategy designed to retain, excite and grow the state’s talent pool. YPWeek will again incorporate that strategy into its programming, leveraging “THINK-MAKE-HAPPEN,” the initiative’s guiding brand statement, as an organizing theme.

After three years of successful expansion of YPWeek Wisconsin, NEWaukee has built the nation’s largest millennial talent network. YPWeek Wisconsin currently showcases 28 communities, but the intention is to include all 72 Wisconsin counties. As the 72 Initiative grows, NEWaukee provides the following to emerging leaders across the state:

— United Program Offering: world-class and turnkey programs that bring young professionals from across the state together.             

— Peer Network: connection points between leadership across the state as well as for individuals to navigate the state.

“As YPWeek Wisconsin continues to expand, we look forward to having a more united voice and representation of what it means to be a young professional in Wisconsin and how our communities and employers accommodate this workforce,” explains Angela Damiani, CEO and Co-Founder of NEWaukee.

The statewide initiative also features the 2018 Bubbler Awards: Best Places to Work for Young Professionals in Wisconsin. The Bubbler Awards shines a light on the companies who have made great strides to accommodate the interests of a shifting workforce. There's a common perception that Millennials are discontent or disinterested in traditional forms of employment. We are eager to showcase the reality of how many Wisconsin-based companies are adjusting and creating environments that allow young professionals to call this state home.

The nomination and selection process establish a framework for existing and emerging young professionals throughout the state to collaborate and brand Wisconsin as a workplace destination for Millennials. The evaluation centers on what Millennials are looking for in today’s workplace including: competitive salary and benefits, opportunity for advancement, work-life balance, and employee and community engagement. The application will close on February 28th, 2018 and the Bubbler Awards winners will be announced on March 14th, 2018. For more information on the 2018 Bubbler Awards, please visit http://www.ypweek.com/bubbler-awards/2018.

YPWeek Wisconsin 2018 is presented by the following organizations: Catalyst, City of Waukesha, Clark County Economic Development Corporation, Coastal Young Professionals Network, Connect Madison, Current, Current: Young Professionals of Greater Green Bay Chamber, Greater Beloit Rising Professionals, Ignite Young Professionals, Marshfield Young Professionals, NEWaukee, Northwoods Young Professionals, Platteville Public Library, Propel Oshkosh, Pulse Young Professionals Network, Today's Professionals, Tri-County Young Professionals Network, Viroqua Chamber-Main Street, Waukesha County Business Alliance, Wave: Young Professionals of Marinette & Menominee, Y-Link, Young Professionals of Chequamegon Bay, Young Professionals of Coulee Region, Young Professionals of Fond du Lac, Young Professionals of Manitowoc County, Young Professionals of Racine, Young Professionals of the Chippewa Valley, YPWeek Madison, and YPWeek Wausau.

For more information about YPWeek Wisconsin 2018, please visit: www.ypweek.com.

To learn more about Pulse Young Professionals Network and its involvement in YPWeek Wisconsin 2018, please contact Nikki Hessel, Director of Pulse Young Professionals Network, at (920) 734-7101 or nhessel@foxcitieschamber.com.

I-69 Thumb Region Talent Forum to Address Labor Market Opportunities

The I-69 Thumb Region is experiencing job growth, as many employers are in a hiring mode. At the same time, there are many residents here who would like to increase their incomes by obtaining a new or better job.
Bolstering the area’s labor market will be the focus of the I-69 Thumb Region Talent Forum being held Jan. 24 at the Lapeer County Club, 3786 Hunt Rd. in Elba Township. The forum will tackle workforce supply factors including unemployment, underemployment, out-county commute and impending retirements.
Participants will also delve into the critical factors affecting workforce participation.
Currently, the percentage of the working-age population (ages 15 and up) in the I-69 Thumb Region stands at 56.6 percent, according to an analysis of 2017 employment data by Emsi. The statewide average for labor force participation is 60.1 percent, and there are several areas of the state have rates that are almost 10 percent higher than the I-69 Thumb Region.
“We want to connect more workers to good paying jobs that are available in our region,” said Janice Karcher, Senior Vice President of Economic Development at the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce. “There are open positions in the skilled trades, supervision, and technician levels in various industries. These jobs typically require an apprenticeship, education certificate or associates degree.”
Input from the employer sector is crucial to understanding the challenges of regional labor market, said Jody Kerbyson, CEO of GST Michigan Works!. Workforce availability also helps drives business recruitment.
“The bottom line is this: How can we help more people in the I-69 Thumb Region secure good-paying jobs? So, we’re partnering to strengthen the connection between local employers and workers to be able to address that question as completely as possible.”
Input gleaned at forum will be used to guide the allocation of talent project funds in 2018.
The event, which runs from 1-4 p.m., is free. However, registration is required.
Register Now
Prospective attendees may contact Janice Karcher at 810.600.1429, if they have questions about forum or the data to be presented.
The I-69 Thumb Region is a partnership of the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, Shiawassee Economic Development Partnership, Lapeer Development Corporation, Economic Development Alliance of St. Clair County, Sanilac & Huron County Economic Development Corporation and Tuscola County Economic Development Corporation. More information: Flint & Genesee Chamber

NKY Chamber Women’s Initiative to honor Shelley Funk Frommeyer with Spirit of Achievement Award

The Northern Kentucky Chamber Women’s Initiative is proud to recognize Shelley Funke Frommeyer as the recipient of the fifth annual Spirit of Achievement Award, presented by C-Forward.

The award, which will be presented at the Women’s Initiative Annual Breakfast, sponsored by PNC on Wednesday, January 24, honors women involved in the Northern Kentucky Chamber Women’s Initiative program who have demonstrated professional leadership and community involvement.

“Shelley’s enthusiasm and her can-do attitude has made a tremendous impact on not only the Women’s Initiative as an organization, but on our members as well,” said Barb Moran Johnson, Vice President – Investments for Wells Fargo Advisors. “Her dedication to this organization, and her passion for creating opportunities for women to learn and connect is infectious.”

“The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has been like a multi-vitamin to me since I joined in 2003,” said Funke Frommeyer. “I feel energized by the environment and feel like a better, stronger businesswoman for participating in the NKY Chamber. The Women’s Initiative has added a level of engagement specifically intended to promote women Connecting, Growing, and Achieving and it is working! I am thrilled and honored with this recognition.”Funke Frommeyer, Financial Advisor at Waddell & Reed, Inc., currently serves as a member of the Northern Kentucky Chamber Board of Directors, Women’s Initiative Vice Chair and Membership Vice Chair. Recently, she served as the Women’s Initiative GROW Mentoring program. Prior to that role, she was chair of the Women’s Initiative Golf Outing and added the golf clinic to engage women who want to participate but do not know how to golf.

The Women’s Initiative Annual Breakfast will take place on Wednesday, January 24 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center (1 Rivercenter Blvd., Covington)

Keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Debra Clary Corporate Director for the Leadership Institute at Humana, Inc., during which attendees will learn strategies to increase their impact and contribution to their organization.

Tickets to the Women’s Initiative Annual Breakfast are $50 for NKY Chamber members and $75 for future Chamber members. Reservations for the breakfast are required. For more information, contact Gina Bath at 859-578-6384 or online at the website. Read more: Northern Kentucky Tribune

Tysons Chamber installs 2018 board, plans new events

The Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce enjoyed a successful 2017, gaining 60 new members, and will add some new events in the year ahead.

“It was a pivotal year for the chamber,” said 2018 board chairman Virginia Case at a Jan. 5 breakfast meeting at the Tower Club in Tysons.

Case began her remarks by noting she had been an avid musician as a child, even playing violin at Carnegie Hall at age 6, but discovered after one semester in college that she wanted to pursue a different path.

Case was working for a small business in Tysons when she joined the chamber and soon began meeting, befriending and learning from other professionals through the organization.

“It was through the chamber that I gained confidence in my own abilities,” said Case, who founded her own agency in 2017. Her goal is to make the chamber an organization that enables people to make the leap she did and start their own businesses.

The chamber this year will retire some previous events, such as a 5-kilometer race, and replace them with new activities and networking opportunities, Case said. These will include an interactive restaurant month in April, an awards gala and non-profit showcase in June, a distillery event in September and a live-music event in December, she said.

U.S. Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-11th) swore in the 2018 board and noted that a certificate he’d submitted for the Congressional Record regarding the board’s new members had passed unanimously.

The chamber’s 2018 Executive Committee will consist of Virginia Case of Strategic Tactical Marketing, chairman; Josh Brady of Williams Mullen PC, vice president of membership; William Daly Jr. of Rees Broome PC, general counsel; Jonathan LaCroix of Cox Communications, chair of the Community Engagement Committee; Maureen Loftus of LearningRx, chair of the Youth and Education Committee; David MacGillivray of Human Capital Advisors, treasurer; Chris Tomseth of Money Mailer of Tysons, vice president of marketing; Jerry Ferguson of Fairfax Public Access; and Kathleen Kelley of Protorae Law PLLC. Read more: Inside NOVA

Chamber Exec Mary Jo Orlowski Believes Children, Education are Bedrock of Healthy Community

Most people are familiar with Chambers of Commerce. Most cities and towns have them. Surprisingly, a lot of people believe that Chambers are part of the local government. In fact, they’re actually classified as Not-For-Profits, or 501 (C) 6 organizations.

Michigan City has an excellent Chamber that is currently helmed by Mary Jo Orlowski. Orlowski grew up in the area, and while she moved away for a time to attend Indiana University in Bloomington, she returned a few years ago to head the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce.

After graduating with a Masters in Clinical Exercise Physiology, Orlowski worked in the health industry and traveled half the month before accepting a position with the Bloomington, Indiana Chamber as Director of Member Services. Eventually, she heard that the Michigan City Chamber was looking for a new president.

Upon accepting the job as president of the Michigan City Chamber of Commerce in 2016, Orlowski set to work driving the Chamber towards improving the quality of life for members of the community.

“[Michigan City’s] Chamber is different in the fact that we have an Education Foundation Fund whose mission is to help support the educational efforts of the MCAS Corporation,” said Orlowski. “We provide funding for various programs and projects.”

Partnering with the Economic Development Corporation Michigan City, in which she is a board member, the MC Chamber provides transportation to the International Manufacturing Trade Show in Chicago. Orlowski feels that it is important for students to see manufacturing at the highest levels and be exposed to professions they might not otherwise be.

“Education and workforce development are key items that the Chamber supports,” Orlowski explains. ”We have an Education Foundation Fund through the Unity Foundation. Their goal is to further student education and prepare them to enter the workforce.”

Orlowski and the EDCMC, along with the Chamber, recognize that the bedrock of economic growth in any city is to invest in the education system.

“Now we’re looking at K-12,” added Orlowski. “We start the education process even sooner than high school. In Michigan City, we have the STEM program in the elementary and middle school system. They expose the kids to science and math programs that they normally wouldn’t have.”

Investing in children is the future of any community. Orlowski believes that if groups like the Chamber can increase the quality of life, infrastructure, and connectivity in the community, then a dynamic economy will develop and cause more members of the community to stay and enter the local workforce.

Orlowski is continually looking to improve the education and workforce development of Michigan City. By sitting on various boards, like the EDCMC, Orlowski tries to help bring positive exposure to the school system by hosting the first ever La Porte County Educator of the Year Awards, New Teachers Luncheon, and bringing exposure to the Education Foundation Fund.

“The other thing we support is the Promise Scholarship Program,” Orlowski explained. “If a student attends school all the way through high school, in the Michigan City proper area, they are awarded a certain dollar amount scholarship that they can use for college.” Read more: La Porte County Lfe

Coahoma County now an ACT Work Ready community 

The Clarksdale/Coahoma County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Coahoma County is now a certified ACT Work Ready Community (WRC). The certification will support Coahoma County in economic development, industry recruitment, and bolster existing industry by linking workforce development to education and employers’ needs. The Clarksdale/Coahoma County Chamber of Commerce has been working towards the certification for the past two years, but accelerated those efforts beginning in October 2017. 

“We are so pleased to be the fifth county in the Mississippi Delta and only the seventh of the 82 counties in the State of Mississippi to reach ACT Certified Work Ready Status”, stated Jon Levingston, Executive Director of the Clarksdale/Coahoma County Chamber of Commerce. “I want to thank Mike Philpot of Delta Council and its Delta Strong program, Cary Karlson of the Washington County Economic Alliance, the Delta Regional Authority, and Ron Hudson, former executive director of our Chamber of Commerce for their support and guidance. Additionally, I wish to thank Shirlaurence Fair, Steven Jossell, and Rone Walker for their strong support of this initiative. A special thanks goes out to Frank Howell of the Delta Council for funding to support the testing of high school students.” Read more: Press-Register

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