Michigan West Coast Chamber Of Commerce Awarded With 5-Star Accreditation From The U.S. Chamber Of Commerce
community," said Jane Clark, President of the Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce.
Accreditation with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the only program of its kind that defines excellence in chamber planning and recognizes chambers for outstanding contributions toward positive change in their communities. The purpose of the U.S. Chamber's Accreditation Program is to facilitate continuing excellence in the chamber industry and to foster a pro-business environment across America.
Accreditation is the only national program that recognizes chambers for their effective organizational procedures and community involvement. In order to receive Accreditation, a chamber must meet minimum standards in their operations and programs, including areas of governance, government affairs, and technology. This extensive self-review can take 6-9 months to complete.
"Only 217 chambers carry this distinction out of approximately 7,000 chambers in the United States. And only 127, less than 1 percent of these chambers are accredited at the highest 5-Star level," added Clark. "We achieved a perfect score in five of the nine sections: governance, program development, technology, communications, and facilities. This designation is the West Coast Chamber's second time to be recognized and we are very proud of this accomplishment."
Local chambers are rated Accredited, 3-Stars, 4-Stars, or 5-Stars. State chambers are recognized as either Accredited State Chamber or Accredited State Chamber with Distinction. The final determination is made by the Accrediting Board, a committee of U.S. Chamber board members.
About the Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce:
The Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce serves over 1,200 member businesses and their 65,000 employees the Holland and Zeeland areas. As a Catalyst, Convener and Champion, the Chamber connects people and businesses to the resources they need to grow and succeed and uses their platform as the voice of the business community to help members advocate about issues that impact their growth and sustainability. One of only one percent of Chambers nationally with a Five-Star Accreditation, the West Coast Chamber was named the Michigan Outstanding Chamber of the Year by the Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals, receiving the highest score ever awarded. Learn more by visiting www.westcoastchamber.org.
Announcing Orion Area Chamber of Commerce's New Executive Director
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The Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce 2019 Community Guide & Membership Directory is available at the Rapid City Chamber today! Thanks to Linda Rabe, Lynn Kendall, Shiloh Francis 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.
Hampton Roads and Virginia Peninsula Chamber Regional rebrand effort reveals “The 757”
On Dec. 10 during the annual chamber meeting, Stephens unveiled the official rebrand of Hampton Roads: “The 757.” A regional branding initiative found “The 757” connects the region and resonates most strongly across all of Hampton Roads’ 17 communities.
“For years, we have lamented a lack of a regional brand that resonates both internally and externally, and creates a sense of place, pride and helps to attract and retain talent," he said. "And this is our opportunity to do it!”
During last year’s annual chamber meeting, Stephens sparked the latest initiative for rebranding the region called Envision 2020.The chamber worked with Reinvent Hampton Roads, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.
“While a name is part of our story, what’s bigger is who we are and where we need to go in terms of our market,” said John Martin of SIR, the Richmond consulting group that led the study.
He asked the audience how the region can market itself to people both within the region and outside of it. Martin discussed the vitality of branding and drawing young professionals to live and work in the region. “We don’t have a branding problem, we have a marketing problem,” he said.
“The 757” is more than an area code, it’s a point of pride and empowerment, especially for the region’s younger generation, and it could become a robust regional signifier for everyone to use and embrace, presenters said. To view the full report on the rebrand, visit www.Envisioning2020.com.
Graduates of USM’s Master’s in Economic Development in high demand
“The master’s program in economic development at Southern Mississippi has a rich history and is highly regarded around the [country] among economic development practitioners,” said Chad E. Newell, president of the Area Development Partnership in Hattiesburg. “The firm foundation was laid by Dr. Ron Swager, who led the program for 20 years. Many professors, students, and alums have invested significantly in the program to help build and maintain its reputation over the last 40 years. As a graduate of the program, I am proud of the lineage and look forward to the program’s prosperous future.”
The MSED is the only program like it in the state, and one of only about a half dozen in the United States that focus on local economic development, said Chad R. Miller, Ph.D, director of the program in the USM College of Business & Economic Development. The program has a 100 percent placement rate.
“We just really can’t get enough good people coming in to meet the demand,” Miller said. “I hate to turn away these good job opportunities. The students who come in with good soft skills are really employable after graduation. We do internships and regularly I don’t have enough students to fill these, many of which are in rural communities. We are trying to get these communities to identify the sharp kids who are going away to college who might be interested in economic development, and educate them so they can turn around and come back home to make a difference.”
Another graduate of the program, Ashley Edwards, president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Business Council, said the curriculum prepared him to be a thought leader for the new economy–one that combines a variety of innovative approaches aimed at creating holistic economic sustainability in a region.
“I use the lessons learned at USM every day … in our ongoing work to promote the attraction of talent and capital to Coastal Mississippi,” Edwards said. Read more: Mississippi Business Journal
NKY CHAMBER: NKYP Kicks Off 2020 with NextGen Leader Speaker Series
The NextGen Leader Speaker Series will feature accomplished young professional leaders who will discuss steps they’ve taken to become the leader they are today, career challenges they’ve faced, and tips for successful work/life balance.
is pleased to announce the launch of the NextGen Leader Speaker Series.
Kicking off January 16, 2020, the NextGen Leader Speaker Series will feature accomplished young professional leaders who will discuss steps they’ve taken to become the leader they are today, career challenges they’ve faced, and tips for successful work/life balance.
Attendees of the first luncheon will hear from Danielle Amrine, Executive Director for the Welcome House, Molly Berrens, owner of Spotted Yeti Media, and Mike Grout, COO of C-Forward.
“NKYP is very excited to offer this new event to our Passport Holders and other young professionals,” said John Enzweiler, Co-Chair of the NKYP Programming Committee. “We hope these types of conversations will lead to further success for our Passport Holders in their own careers.”
“We’re excited for the changes we’ve made since transitioning from Legacy to NKYP, using the feedback from our Passport Holders to provide impactful and engaging events,” added Dani Schwarz, Co-Chair of the NKYP Programming Committee. “This event allows our Next Generation Leader Award winners to stay engaged with NKYP and future NGLA prospects to learn from them.”
Registration for the NextGen Leader Speaker Series is $25 for general admission, free for NKYP Passport Holders, and includes lunch sponsored by VonLehman. Registration is required and available online at www.nkychamber.com/events
The 2019-20 NKYP Presenting Sponsor is MCM CPAs & Advisors and Supporting Sponsors include Analytics That Profit, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics, and Wiseway Supply. Event Sponsors include Humana and Scooter Media.
WELCOME HOME - The Nation's Premier New Resident Marketing Program for Your Chamber Members
IF your town is a little too big for Welcome Wagon...
Welcome Home, the nation's premier new resident marketing program,is a new mover marketing program designed to help get your chamber members' businesses in front of the most valuable audiences - new residents.
Exclusive to chamber members, the WELCOME HOME program is a remarkable advertising tool, highly visible, targeted and delivered direct to new resident's mailboxes, catching them as they establish new buying habits.
In addition, WELCOME HOME is distributed to local libraries, park districts, municipalities and your local chamber office.
Get your members in front of one of the most valuable audiences: NEW RESIDENTS.
Don't miss this opportunity to promote your member businesses to new residents ON A MONTHLY BASIS, ALL YEAR LONG!
Mailed monthly to new movers from the previous 30 days!
They are new to the neighborhood. They have money to spend. They need your member's businesses and services.
Palatine Area Chamber WELCOME HOME
Town Square Publications (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's NEW MOVER publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.
#BestChamber practices: Jasper Chamber Workforce Development: Jasper Middle School - Career Cruise - April 9, 2020
To Jasper Middle School Community Partners,
You are receiving this email because your organization has been identified as a potential partner for Jasper Middle School.
This year, VUJ, Dubois Strong, Hub19 and our local Career and Technical Education director teamed up to offer the "Tour of Opportunity" to all Dubois County 9th graders. Many of you participated in the Tour of Opportunity on October 16th. If you did not and would like to be placed on their list for the future, let me know and I can certainly put you in touch.
With this awesome opportunity happening in the ninth grade it has given us the chance to look at how we might better serve our eighth-grade class through an exploratory experience.
This spring, on April 9, 2020, JMS will host the Career Cruise. This event will be much like a Career Fair. Your organization will have the opportunity to create a space at JMS, send representatives to speak with students, create a hands-on learning experience, etc...
Career Cruise will give you the opportunity to expose each and every eighth-grader from JMS and Holy Trinity to the careers available within your organization.
The details of this event will depend a great deal on the interest we have from community partners. It could be a full-day and it could be a half-day event. Students will spend 10-15 minutes at your "dock", a teacher will be available at each dock to stamp their passports and send them on to the next dock.
Please fill out the Career Cruise form linked here if you are interested in helping us give the kids a great experience on the Career Cruise. Feel free to fill it out more than one time if you think you might like to have more than one dock. For instance, one organization may like to have an Engineering dock, a Finance dock, and a Marketing dock. Or they may choose to highlight many careers at one dock. It will depend a great deal on how many individuals you would be able to free up to join us for Career Cruise.
Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber map: Town Square Publications: Promises Made, Promises kept!
The Wyoming-Kentwood Chamber of Commerce recently worked with Town Square Publications on the production of a map. Town Square Publications provided all the map design and cartography for the product and sold the sponsorships, so there was no cost to the chamber. The chamber provided local content and photos that showed our organization’s focus on promoting our communities and helping our businesses to thrive. Town Square Publications provided the chamber a proof before going to print. The result was a top quality map. We were especially pleased with the quality of the printing and the paper.
The chamber works hard to identify programs that will be of benefit to our chamber members, such as the 28th Street Metro Cruise program that draws over 200,000 to our area and the annual Santa Parade. The Wyoming-Kentwood chamber map is another great example, and the chamber received the additional benefit of non-dues revenue.
Your company delivered on your promises. We appreciate our partnership with Town Square Publications and will call on them again for the next project.
Bob O’Callaghan
President
Wyoming-Kentwood ChamberParticipation Now Open for the Fox Cities Economic Outlook Survey
Local survey
participation open January 6 through January 17
APPLETON, Wis. (January 6, 2020) – The Fox Cities Regional
Partnership, the economic development division of the Fox Cities Chamber of
Commerce, is preparing its annual Economic Outlook report which will be
unveiled at the upcoming Economic Outlook Lunch event on February 13.
Professional insight and expertise are critical in order to gauge the local and
regional (Fox Cities) economy. The brief economic outlook survey, which closes
on January 17, can be completed online. This survey will capture a glimpse
into 2020 as well.
All
responses are confidential and only used to generate results for the Economic
Outlook report. Participation in the Economic Outlook Survey can be accessed
online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9N2CBP6.
Responses
will be tabulated and presented on Thursday, February 13 at the annual Economic
Outlook Lunch event. Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D., president, chief economist and
founder of Graphs and Laughs, LLC will be the featured keynote
speaker providing insight on national and global economic
trends. Registration is available online for the Economic Outlook Lunch at
http://bit.ly/2020EOL.
For
any survey questions, please contact Jennifer Brown, Director of Existing
Industry and Innovation at (920) 734-7101 or jennifer@foxcitiesregion.com.
2020 Fox Cities Economic Outlook Lunch
Presenting Sponsor: Investors Community
Bank
Thursday, February 13, 2020
11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Red Lion Hotel Paper Valley, 333 W.
College Avenue, Appleton
Individual tickets - $50 Chamber members;
$60 General admission
Tables of ten - $450 Chamber members; $550
General Admission
Register here: http://bit.ly/2020EOL
More information: contact: Emily Feagles
Director, Marketing & Communications
Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce
O: 920.734.7101 | D: 920.939.6407
Des Plaines Chamber 2020 Scholarship Program Packet
Good Morning Chamber Members:
Enclosed you will find the 2020 Scholarship Packet. Please forward this information to your employee's who have High School Graduating Seniors who would be eligible to apply for the Scholarship.
The letter included in the packet describes the program and criteria that must be met along with the deadline for the application submission.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at the Chamber Office
Sincerely,
Andrea Friedman
Program Directorafriedman@Dpchamber.com
847-824-4200
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
