7 tips on avoiding frostbite and hypothermia during this week's dangerously cold weather; 5 Star Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Holds Annual Dinner- A Winter Wonderland; Greater Reston Area Chamber: Young Professionals Mentor Talk; Christian County High School and Chamber of Commerce Partner to Create College & Career Pathway Program; The Prairie du Chien Community Guide; Communications Software company Scaleup Chooses Indiana As HQ; Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce actively recruiting qualified candidates to fill Executive Director position; Wisconsin's success rate for National Institute of Health grants ranks 3rd, shows prowess in life sciences tech; #BestChamber practices: Leadership Lafayette: Soliciting Chamber Member/Community Input for Leadership Projects; Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce Community Map; 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!

7 tips on avoiding frostbite and hypothermia during this week's dangerously cold weather

Communities across Wisconsin are being hit with near-record breaking cold temperatures this week. Wednesday will be the coldest day, when the high is forecast to be 12 degrees below zero. Simply put: It's going to be dangerously cold this week. 

Here are some tips for staying warm and avoiding injuries (like frostbite and hypothermia) from extremely cold weather.

1. Limit the amount of time skin is exposed to cold. 

"At zero degrees, on average it takes 20 minutes for skin that has been exposed to suffer effects of the cold," said Marc de Moya, chief of trauma surgery at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. The effects can be mild chafing and wind burn to skin turning white from lack of blood flow. 

Limit the amount of time you are outside, and cover up as much skin as you can. 

2. Be prepared. Keep a hat, gloves and a blanket in your car.

"People leave their house and they go to their car in their garage without gloves or hat," de Moya said. "They may get in an accident and they don’t have the ability to protect themselves. That’s when people get into trouble." Read more: Journal-Sentinel



5 Star Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Holds Annual Dinner- A Winter Wonderland

STERLING, Ill – Chamber members gathered for the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner and Meeting at the Brandywine Banquet and Event Center on January 24. The event was organized by SVACC and the Whiteside Area Career Center CEO Class.

“This is the sixth year that we have collaborated with the CEO class and each year we receive great feedback about the event,” shared Chamber President, Mike Loos.

The CEO Class of 2019 played a role in the event by setting up, decorating, and providing entertainment through the evening. CEO student, Grant Minssen, provided the welcome speech for the evening while his classmates entertained guests with a skit “Snuck in a Snowstorm.” CEO students provided a dessert bar which included hot chocolate and homemade cookies made by the students at the Kitchen Incubator. Walmart Distribution Center #7024 sponsored the CEO Class meals. 

The United Stated Chamber of Commerce presented the Kris Noble, Executive Director, and the SVACC with the USCC Accreditation Award; achieving a 5-star status. “Of the 7,000 Chambers in the United States, only 120 achieve a 5 Star rating; putting the SVACC in the top 1% in the Nation,” noted Ben Taylor, President of the Great Lakes Region of the USCC. Also in attendance, Kate Jennings, on behalf of U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos, who presented a Congressional Record to the SVACC honoring the Accreditation Award.

Presenting highlights of 2018, Noble noted the work done through key collaborations in the areas of education and workforce development, promoting shopping local and using local resources, and continuing to promote the importance of agriculture and manufacturing in this community. She noted the key role that volunteers play through their involvement in the committee structure of the chamber and the community events the chamber is involved in. The SVACC represents 390 members representing 11,557 employees in 28 cities. The Chamber is proud of its commitment to reinvest in the community and in 2018 provided $17,140.00 in scholarships, donations to not for profit organizations, and to education (such as the CEO program).

Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Champion Award was awarded to Carol Siefken for her dedication and commitment as Director of the Sauk Valley Food Bank for the past 17 years.    The Lavonne Colloton Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to Allie Johnston, University of Illinois Extension; 4H Program Manager. Sheila Martinez, US Bank was recognized for 10 year of service as an Ambassador and current Board Member; Roy Dern was recognized for 20 years as an Ambassador. Outgoing board recognition was presented to Jerry Binder, Whiteside Area Career Center and Karen Voss, Rock River Hospice and Home.

To become a member of the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, or to find out more information, please call 815-625-2400 or visit www.saukvalleyareachamber.com.



Greater Reston Area Chamber: Young Professionals Mentor Talk

Tuesday, January 29 at 5:30 pm
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood
11920 Democracy Dr., Reston


Join us for a night of networking with a focus on how to better ourselves in 2019. GRCC Board of Directors Chair, Charlene Wheeless, Principal Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs, Bechtel Corporation will provide expert advice on how to manage stress, avoid burnout, and set goals. 

Kick off the new year with the first Young Professionals (YP) Mentor Talk event of the year sponsored and hosted by McCormick & Schmick's at Reston Town Center. 

Enjoy light refreshments, beer and wine while networking in the private dining room.

LEARN MORE 


Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce | 703.707.9045 | RestonChamber.org

Christian County High School and Chamber of Commerce Partner to Create College & Career Pathway Program


CCHS to become a Work-Ready School following the community designation of “Work Ready Community”

The Chamber’s Mental Mapping Program will become a part of the Get Real, Get Ready! Initiative at Christian County High School.

Since being designated as a Work Ready Community, Christian County High School has been working to become a Work Ready School by creating The Get Real, Get Ready initiative at CCHS. Christian County became a Work Ready Community in May of 2018. This designation means that Christian County has the necessary supports in K-12, post-secondary, business and industry, and workforce programs to build a strong vibrant workforce. All students at CCHS will now have the option to be a part of the Mental Mapping Program concepts. The Mental Mapping program works with high school students grades 10th – 12th to map out a post-graduation plan for students. Now all students will have access to this program. The Mental Mapping Program lays out the 4 options for post-graduation which are as follows: Military or National Guard, entry into the workforce at a business/industry, 2 year college or technical training, or a 4 year college or university.

The Get Real, Get Ready initiative will include three levels; Ready, Set and Go!

In the Ready level, students will research each of the 4 post graduations which include videos that showcase the various pathways of different members of the community. The student’s research of post-graduation pathways will utilize the videos for post-graduation transition, and a reality check as the students will use their current ACT and GPA to determine if the choice is realistic.

In the Set level - Students will be split into small groups by their post-graduation plans (i.e. military, workforce, 2 year or 4 year school). During these small group settings, CCHS admins will videos the students interacting with community members.

Go level -will include have field trips to their post-graduation choice. For example, students who selected Military, will travel to Ft. Campbell Military base. This will be the time for students to ask specific questions of those who actually are in that pathway.

"It is mission critical for us to spend individual time with the students to learn what their goals are and work to ensure they reach that chosen post graduation pathway," says Angie Major, Director of Workforce & Education Development at the Christian County Chamber of Commerce. "The project initiative is going to give Christian County the ability to forecast labor demands and provide workforce depth chart.”

The Christian County High School is the pilot for the Get Real, Get Ready! Initiative to become a work ready high school and will soon expand to Hopkinsville High School. The Christian

County Chamber of Commerce Mental Mapping program offers support services and career coaching to students who elect to participate in the program in helping them choose post-graduation pathways.

For more information, contact Angie Major, Director of Workforce & Education at the Christian County Chamber of Commerce. amajor@christiancountychamber.com 270.885.9096.

The Prairie du Chien Community Guide   The Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce Community Guide is available today at the Chamber of Commerce! Thank you to Bob Moses and the Chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!  Prairie du Chien Community Guide 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. Communications Software company Scaleup Chooses Indiana As HQ Kerauno, a communications workflow software company, will expand its Indiana operations, and has selected Indianapolis as its official headquarters as the scaleup continues to grow. With this expansion, Kerauno plans to increase its Indiana team to 140 by 2022. “Our growth has been tremendous over the past year—we’ve nearly quadrupled our staff in less than 12 months,” said Kerauno CEO and co-founder Josh Ross, “Formally establishing our global headquarters in Indianapolis just makes sense considering the incredible pool of local talent and the positive business environment supported by both local and state government.” The company, which offers an innovative Communications Workflow as a Service (CWaaS) platform that powerfully connects people, processes, software and systems, will invest more than $5.2 million over the next five years to establish Indianapolis as its company headquarters. Kerauno currently occupies approximately 13,000 square feet at 151 Delaware St., and plans to move into a new space adding on an additional 20,000 square feet within six months, in order to accommodate company growth. The expansion will include state-of-the-art technology design aesthetics, all-new furniture, a variety of amenities and significant technology investments to create an environment that reflects the company’s mission statement and supports the Kerauno’s continued attraction of top talent to its firm. Kerauno plans to complete the build out at its new location by mid-2019. “Central Indiana’s tech community just keeps thriving with an impressive number of tech companies, like Kerauno, choosing to expand operations and continue to grow in our state,” said Governor Eric J. Holcomb. “Through our commitment to building a skilled workforce and our business-friendly environment, we continue cultivating opportunities for innovation and growth in Indiana.”   To support the planned growth, Kerauno expects to create 112 new, high-wage jobs over the next several years and has already hired 22 full-time associates toward that goal, bringing its current headcount to 50. Kerauno, which was formed more than five years ago out of Indianapolis-based Axia Technology Partners LLC, has since become a standalone software-focused entity as of January 2018, following AxiaTP’s success in the telecommunication industry. Kerauno combines essential communication channels like voice, chat, SMS, social media and email into a centralized platform, delivering convenience by enabling drag-and-drop workflow forms for the easy capture of statistical data that better informs a company’s decision-making process. Kerauno’s rapidly growing client base includes Andretti Autosport, ACE Rent a Car, Jackson Hewitt, Meineke, Australian Gold, Citizens Bank, DuPont Goodrich Credit Union, Texas Council on Family Violence, Deepwater Federal Credit Union, Legacy Orthopedics, Hydradyne, The Kent Companies, Superior Credit Union, Clay Community Schools and Evansville School Corporation. The company reaches clients globally, with 100,000 endpoints worldwide, including nine countries and four continents. With this expansion, the company expects to have over 2 million endpoints within five years.“I applaud Kerauno for choosing Indianapolis as its global headquarters and providing more high-wage employment opportunities for our community,” said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “Indianapolis has become a hub for tech innovation in the Midwest and continues to see explosive growth. I look forward to Kerauno’s continued success.” In 2018, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) offered Kerauno up to $2.2 million in conditional tax credits. These tax credits are performance-based, so until employees are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Indianapolis supports the project at the request of DevelopIndy, a business unit of the Indy Chamber. Relocating Or Expanding Your Business In Indiana Considering Indiana for your company’s relocation or expansion project? Check out Business Facilities’ Indiana Incentives and Workforce Development Guide. More information: Business Facilities Magazine Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce actively recruiting qualified candidates to fill Executive Director position The Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce has formed an executive search committee to identify, interview and hire a candidate for the Chamber’s Executive Director position. The committee is open to candidates with backgrounds in chambers of commerce, economic development, other types of nonprofits, or related experience with a commitment to business advocacy and strong economic development in the Clarkston and surrounding areas. “We are looking for an experienced and dynamic professional who will lead the Chamber in our mission to cultivate business opportunities and relationships for our members in the Clarkston area.” Said Emily Ford, chair of the search committee and president of the Clarkston Chamber. The Clarkston Area Chamber of Commerce is a 600-member organization serving Independence Township, City of the Village of Clarkston, and Davisburg. The Executive Director will oversee the daily operations of the organization; is responsible for the Chamber’s financial accounting systems; and supports the efforts of the President and vision set by the Board of Directors. Compensation package starting at $80,000 and up to $90,000, base salary plus benefits, commensurate with experience. Interested applicants will need to submit a resume AND cover letter to emilyford@mmrealtors.com by the posting close date of February 8, 2019. Cover letters and resumes will be reviewed, and the most eligible candidates will then be interviewed upon closing of the job posting. The position profile is posted on the Chamber’s website clarkston.org/business-resources/employment-opportunities. Members of the Search Committee include:  Chair: Emily Ford with Morgan and Milzow Realtors (Chamber President 2018-2019) Tim Martin with Planned Financial Services, LLC (Chamber board member, Chamber President 2017) Peg Roth with Washington Management, LLC (Chamber board member, Chamber President 2016) Steve Hyer with IGD Solutions (Chamber President 2006-2007) Dawn Horner with Clarkston State Bank (Chamber President 2000-2001) View the job position here. Wisconsin's success rate for National Institute of Health grants ranks 3rd, shows prowess in life sciences tech  When compared with other states, early-stage life science companies in Wisconsin have a high success rate at winning federal grant dollars that fund research and development for their products. According to a recent report from the State Science and Technology Institute, Wisconsin ranks third overall for its 23.4 percent win rate between 2008 and 2017, when 248 of 1,056 proposals were approved for funding from the National Institutes of Health, the second-largest provider of federal grants behind the Department of Defense. Only Oregon (28.9 percent) and Vermont (25 percent) had a higher NIH success rate than Wisconsin. Wisconsin companies are annually competing for hundreds of millions of dollars in Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer grants issued by the U.S. government, which were designed to help small, emerging companies fund their R&D. Between 2008 and 2017, Wisconsin companies were awarded an average of $8.7 million per year from the NIH, which ranks 15th overall. California and Massachusetts had the most successful NIH grant proposals between 2008 and 2017, along with having the highest grant rewards. California averaged $77 million a year in grants while Massachusetts averaged $43.2 million, together accounting for roughly one-third of the average amount granted by NIH each year. The NIH awarded an average of $367 million in SBIR and STTR grants per year in that period. Through the SBIR program, 11 federal agencies, including the DOD and NIH, are required to spend at least 2.8 percent of their outside R&D budgets with emerging companies. That amounts to at least $2 billion and 5,000 awards a year for research into new technologies. Wisconsin, with an average of 49.2 SBIR and STTR awards per year over a five-year period from 2013 to 2017, falls right in the middle. The institute's report also recognizes University of Wisconsin-Extension’s Center of Technology Commercialization in Madison, which works one-on-one with early-stage Wisconsin companies to secure those grants. Read more: Milwaukee Business Journal #BestChamber practices: Leadership Lafayette: Soliciting Chamber Member/Community Input for Leadership Projects Do you have a community project that needs a team of some hard workers to put their time and attention toward?  We are compiling a list of potential Leadership Lafayette projects ideas. Please keep in mind the projects must fit the following criteria: 1. The project should be able to provide near term positive impact for the City, County or University, 2. The projects will be manageable and can be completed within the class timeframe (completed by August) 3. The projects could possibly provide a longer term economic development opportunity for the community. If you have any potential project please get me the following details. *Idea Summary *Contact person for potential idea Send ideas to Pam Swain at pam@oxfordms.com no later than Friday, February 8th. Thanks so much for any feedback! Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce Community Map  The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce Community Map is available at the Rochester Regional Chamber today! Thanks to the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together! Rochester Regional Chamber Map Town Square Publications  (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community guide or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.  Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories, Maps 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 Or you can call John Dussman aT 847-427-4633.