#BestChamber practices: Chamber Health Care innovation: Manitowoc Chamber and Sheboygan County Chamber member HFM Health: Walk-in Clinic at your Chamber; Paintsville/Johnson County Chamber of Commerce honors Fran Jarrell, businesses of the year; Aurora Chamber to Host Innovation Summit, Annual Celebration; Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber Education Statement Regarding Initiative to Legalize Marijuana; 2 SW Virginia congressmen honored by chamber of commerce groups; #BestChamber practices: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce - Member Testimonials; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

#BestChamber practices: Chamber Health Care innovation: Manitowoc Chamber and Sheboygan County Chamber member HFM Health: Walk-in Clinic at your Chamber

HFM Chamber Clinic

The HFM Chamber Clinic is a convenient, one-stop medical and wellness benefits to help people proactively engage in health behaviors, which drive personal and professional success.

The HFM Chamber Clinic offers services at two convenient locations: Manitowoc and Sheboygan, beginning in 2019. Those who are The Chamber of Manitowoc County or Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce members can go to either location.

Both locations offer primary, urgent, and preventative care. In addition to primary care, the Manitowoc location offers specialty services: physical therapy, wellness coaching, and emotional health counseling. There is a small annual investment of $99 per person and a $10 access fee for each visit.

How the HFM Chamber Clinic Works

In order to participate, employers must be members of either the Sheboygan County Chamber of Commerce or The Chamber of Manitowoc County. Employers enroll for free, by completing this form for 2018, or this form for 2019. A link will then be sent for employee and dependent enrollments. Each enrollment has an annual fee of $99 that is billed to the employer.

Enrollees will then receive a benefit card in the mail. Enrollees who need to use the HFM Chamber Clinic then call to schedule an appointment and provide the $10 access fee at the time of service.

Paintsville/Johnson County Chamber of Commerce honors Fran Jarrell, businesses of the year

The Paintsville/Johnson County Chamber of Commerce held its annual awards ceremony Monday, honoring several community members for small business, large business, business person of the year and the posthumous honoring of the late Fran Jarrell with the chamber’s O.T. Dorton President’s Award.

During the ceremony, Field Representative for Sen. Mitch McConnell’s field office in London Donna McClure spoke, reading aloud an entry into the congressional record that was read to the U.S. Senate by McConnell in honor of Jarrell’s life and work.

“With (Jarrell’s) passing, I had worked with her for a dozen years and we wanted to pay tribute to her because we’ve worked with her in many different ways,” McClure said. “So, Sen. McConnell did a congressional record, which was entered in the library of Congress on Sept. 19, and we delivered copies of that to her family and friends and to the chamber.

“Today, I wish to remember the life of Fran Jarrell, of Paintsville, Kentucky, who passed away on Aug. 27, 2017, at the age of 72,” McClure continued. “For many years, Fran was a driving force in her community. She served on numerous public committees and boards, supporting the efforts of organizations from the mentoring committee of Community of Hope to the Paintsville Garden Club. She also was a member of the Paintsville City Council for many years, dedicating herself to making the community a better place to live and work. Most recently, (Jarrell) was the executive director of the Paintsville/Johnson County Chamber of Commerce, where she was committed to bringing economic development and opportunity to the area. In her numerous roles, Fran worked to bring out the beauty and the possibilities of her city. The Paintsville community mourned Fran’s passing. Flowers decorated the entire downtown area as a tribute to her life, her passion and her dedication to others.” Read more: Paintsville Herald


Aurora Chamber to Host Innovation Summit, Annual Celebration

Date: October 19, 2018
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Location: Belle Salle Banquets, 1920 E. New York Street, Aurora, Illinois

2018 State of Business Summit: Innovation to include presenters and
Annual Celebration of Membership Luncheon on Friday, Oct. 19

AURORA, IL — On Friday, Oct. 19, The Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce will focus on the State of Business: Innovation. The first of its kind summit will include exhibitors spotlighting their innovation through products and services, presentations by innovators sharing their experiences, and its Annual Celebration of Membership at noon.

The Summit is being presented by OnLight Aurora and is sponsored by Konen Insurance Agency and Umbrella Technologies.

Keynoting the morning will be Thomas D. Kuczmarski, president and founder of the global consulting firm Kuczmarski Innovation and an internationally recognized expert on innovation. During the course of his career, he has helped hundreds of clients, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 corporations, learn to systematically unlock the value of innovation. Attendees to the summit will receive a copy of his latest book, Lifting People Up: the Power of Recognition (Book Ends Publishing, 2018).

That morning will also include a panel of recognized innovators representing the City of Aurora and business leaders in the region. The City of Aurora is one of 100 finalists for the 2018 Innovation Award under the People’s Choice category.

Registration is open at www.AuroraChamber.com. CONTACT: Maureen Gasek, Director of Events & Marketing, (630) 256-3182

Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber Education Statement Regarding Initiative to Legalize Marijuana

Muskegon, MI – The Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce is asking voters to be aware of the business issues related to the 2018 Recreational Marijuana Ballot Proposal. A new law may threaten the ability of employers and communities to provide safe, drug-free workplaces, and the quality of the products they make.

In Muskegon County, there are thousands of local jobs in aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and food production. The area’s largest employers have zero-tolerance drug policies. “These employers will continue their zero-tolerance policies regardless of the vote outcome. Zero-tolerance means individuals testing positive for drug use, in most cases, will not be hired or can be terminated,” says Cindy Larsen, Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber President.

“Michigan is not ready for recreational marijuana because the proposed law is not clear on how to protect the rights of the employer or employee,” says Larsen. “We hope that voters will consider issues related to their own jobs and careers and those of their friends and family before they cast their vote regarding recreational use of this controversial drug.”

The chamber education statement references the business issues related to finding qualified workers, health and safety, liability, accuracy in testing, and current federal and state regulatory gaps.

Brief Law Description

The proposed law allows adults 21 and older to purchase, possess, use and grow marijuana. The law also allows individuals to keep up to 10 ounces of marijuana in their homes and cultivate up to 12 plants for personal use.

Business Issues

Qualified workers. The number of workers who fail drug tests has increased significantly in recent years. The number of available drug-free workers may dictate the size or scale of a business. Less available workers may force businesses to relocate or stifle growth resulting in a lower number of jobs available locally.

Open-ended liability. Under the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, employers are required to provide their employees with a place of employment "free from recognizable hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious harm to employees.” Failure to do so opens employers to liability and lawsuits.

No explicit statutory protections for employers. The proposal raises questions related to drug-free workplace policies and employer rights. Will the proposed law allow Michigan employers to:

Enforce drug-free workplace policies?

Define mental or physical impairments related to marijuana use?

Terminate employees for cause due to a positive drug test without eligibility for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits; and/or

Deny workers’ compensation (WC) benefits if a workplace injury was caused by the injured employee’s use of marijuana?

Other Federal limitations. On a federal level this activity is still illegal, therefore, the regulatory environment is unclear and confusing for a number of industries such as banking, transportation, manufacturing, healthcare and other related industries.

No impairment test. The lack of accurate impairment testing and measurements create significant human resources dilemmas as employers attempt to guarantee safe work environments and the quality of the products they make.

State Law violations. Education is needed regarding laws related to driving under the influence. Work time missed and fines/legal fees hinder employee credibility and financial independence.

Future workforce. Research supports that use of marijuana by teenagers may cause additional health concerns including marijuana as a “gateway drug.” The health of local residents and overall community will impact future generation workforce availability.

2 SW Virginia congressmen honored by chamber of commerce groups

The Roanoke Regional Chamber, Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave two Southwest Virginia congressmen an award for their support for pro-growth policies in the first session of the 115th Congress.

Congressman Bob Goodlatte and Congressman Morgan Griffith were given the Spirit of Enterprise Award Friday.

The U.S. Chamber’s Spirit of Enterprise Award is given annually to members of Congress based on their votes on critical business legislation as outlined in the Chamber’s How They Voted scorecard.

Members who supported the Chamber’s position on at least 70 percent of those votes qualify to get the award.

The U.S. Chamber recognized 249 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 48 members of the U.S. Senate in March with the Spirit of Enterprise Award.

This is year 30 for the U.S. Chamber to formally honor members of Congress. Read more and picture: VirginiaFirst.com

#BestChamber practices: Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce - Member Testimonials

"Having conducted business in Delaware County for over eighty years, Whitinger & Company has experienced first-hand the value of having an active and engaged Chamber of Commerce that supports local organizations. Our firm has especially found the Chamber's marketing services a tremendous asset in promoting our professional seminars and special events. Additionally, we've appreciated all the networking and relationship building opportunities that Jay and the team at the Chamber Facilitate."

Richard Crist, COO,

Whitinger & Company

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