ACCE WELCOMES NEWEST CERTIFIED CHAMBER EXECUTIVE

 

ACCE Welcomes Newest Certified Chamber Executives

Sixteen chamber of commerce leaders have recently joined an elite roster of professionals who have earned the Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) designation.

The first CCE designation was conferred more than 40 years ago. CCE is recognized as the highest professional designation in the chamber of commerce profession. It’s the only globally-recognized certification program exclusive to the chamber of commerce industry.

“In the past year, these chamber leaders not only dedicated themselves to addressing local challenges brought on by the pandemic, but also invested many hours in their professional development to earn their CCE designation,” said Matt McCormick, CCE, IOM, president of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce (Mo.) and CCE commission chairman. “We commend their achievement and are very proud to have them join a long tradition of professional excellence.”

These sixteen leaders represent chambers of commerce in 11 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, as well as the Canadian province Ontario.

Congratulations, from your friends at ACCE!

Brian D. Anderson, CCE, IOM

Brian has served as president & CEO of ChamberRVA (Va.) since 2019. Brian has served on ACCE's Metro Cities Council and will be an at-large director for the ACCE Board for 2021-2022. During his tenure serving as a chamber executive in Georgia, he was recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians for several years. The Leadership of Ft. Benning, Ga., awarded Brian the Meritorious Public Service medal while serving as president & CEO of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce (Ga.). Brian focused his CCE presentation on ChamberRVA’s 2020 small business initiative that provided digital and physical toolkits to over 2400 small businesses in the Richmond, Va., region to assist them with reopening safely and responsibly due to COVID-19.

 

Desiree M. Bennyhoff, CCE, IOM
Desiree has served as president/CEO of the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce (Ill.) since 2011, and before that as the chamber's communications director. Desiree is past chair of the Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (IACCE), currently serves as a board member of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and is on the Midwest IOM board of regents and curriculum committee for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Institute for Organization Management program. Desiree was honored with the Jim Anderson Professional Torch Award by the St. Louis Regional Chamber, was named Distinguished Illinois Chamber of Commerce Executive of the Year by IACCE, and led the Ed/Glen Chamber through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce accreditation process earning 5-Star distinction. Desiree focused her CCE presentation on building a strong government affairs program to advocate on behalf of the business community.

 

Kathy Blank, CCE 

As vice president of the 5-star accredited McKinney Chamber of Commerce (Texas), Kathy is responsible for leading the chamber's business development department. Since joining the McKinney Chamber leadership team in 2016, Kathy has played a pivotal role in growing the Major Investors of the Chamber and developing innovative programs, community initiatives and partnerships. During her chamber career, Kathy has achieved both an ACCE Lifetime Achievement Award – Gold, for $500,000 in membership sales and placed second in Total Member Sales in ACCE's Sales Contest in 2017-2018.  Kathy will be serving as chair of ACCE's Membership Development Division in 2021-2022 and will also serve on the executive committee of the ACCE Board of Directors. While she is most proud of achieving the CCE designation in 2021, Kathy looks forward to receiving her IOM graduate recognition later this year

 

Sandra M. Brewer, CCE, IOM

Sandra has served as vice president of membership and investor relations for the Chattanooga Chamber (Tenn.) since 2012. She has been involved with Rotary Club of Chattanooga, Parkridge Health System and Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute for many years and served as a board member of each organization. She was honored as a Chattanooga Woman of Distinction in 2012 and honoree of the 2019 Chattanooga State Dinner of Firsts.  Sandra focused her CCE presentation on creating positive change in our community through catalytic leadership and aligned resources, outlining the importance of having a transformational vision and clear communications to raise the resources necessary to move the community forward.  

 

Heather Brothers New, CCE, IOM, TMP, AACE
Heather has served as president & CEO of The Chamber of Gadsden & Etowah County, Inc. (Ala.), since 2011. She is a past chair of the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama, serves on the Business Council Board of Directors and is an advisory council member of the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Office of Women’s Health. She is a graduate of Southeast Tourism Society’s Marketing College and Auburn University’s Government and Economic Development Institute. Heather focused her CCE presentation on a professional development program that immerses 400 educators annually in technical careers in the community through tours and hands-on experiences

 

Adrian Cain, CCE, IOM, CFRE

Adrian has served as senior vice president of leadership and programs of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce since 2015. Serving in several roles during his time with the chamber, Adrian’s work focuses on building a Charleston community where all have an opportunity to live, learn and earn. Adrian serves on the ACCE Board. In 2020-2021, Adrian was the chair of the Membership Development Division advisory board and an ACCE executive committee member. Adrian’s commitment to his community has been demonstrated through his service on the Charleston Criminal Justice Convening Council, launching the Chamber’s comprehensive diversity, equity and inclusion work, and developing and cultivating local leaders. Adrian focused his CCE presentation on “Raising the Region’s Leadership Quotient” by strategically aligning the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts with the Chamber’s leadership, government relationship and workforce development platforms

 

Lindsay Henderson, CCE, IOM

Lindsay has served as chief revenue officer of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce (Ark.) since 2016. She serves on the Conway Corporation board of directors and has previously served on the boards of the Arkansas Economic Developers & Chamber Executives and Arkansas Community Foundation of Faulkner County. In 2017, Lindsay was named an Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 honoree and was recognized as a 2019 ACCE 40 Under 40. Lindsay focused her CCE presentation on developing a sales culture and on its importance and value in today’s chamber profession.

 

Andy Johnston, CCE, IOM
Andy has served as vice president of government affairs for the Grand Rapids Chamber (Mich.) since 2010. He is involved in numerous community board and committees and has been named a 40 under 40 recipient by ACCE and the Grand Rapids Business Journal. Andy focused his CCE presentation on the West Michigan CEO Summit and how it connects to the heart of the chamber profession, the sweet spot at the intersection of business, community and government.

 

Tony Moline, CCE, IOM, PCED

Tony has served as the president & CEO of the Cedar Park Chamber of Commerce (Texas) since 2012. He serves on the board for the Texas Association of Business (the State Chamber) and the Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives. Tony has also earned his IOM designation and his PCED (Professional Community and Economic Developer) designation. Tony focused his CCE presentation on strategic communication during a crisis and being the clearinghouse of information for businesses.

 

James Reddish, CCE, CEcD
James has served as executive vice president of the Little Rock Regional Chamber (Ark.) since 2018. He currently chairs the board of directors for MAKO, which represents chamber executives in the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma. He also serves on the board of ACCE. In 2019, James was named 40 Under 40 by ACCE and in 2021, received the same honor in the state of Arkansas. James focused his CCE presentation on a multi-district public education initiative he is leading called the Academies of Central Arkansas. This work is transforming the public high school experience to ensure all students in all schools have access to relevant college and career preparation, while strengthening their core academic achievement.  

 

Rory Ring, MBA, CCE

Rory joined the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce (Ont.) in 2016 as CEO, moving from Sarnia, Ont., where he was CEO of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce for three years. He is a firm believer in the leadership provided by the chamber of commerce network, and those professionals who have dedicated their professional careers to doing what no other leadership role does. He serves as a director on the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Board, is the past chair of the Chamber Executives of Ontario and is a former board member of the Canadian Chamber Executive of Canada.

 

Paul Rumler, CCE

Paul has served as the president & CEO of the Quad Cities Chamber (Iowa) since 2018 and has 15 years of chamber leadership experience. He has a history of actively volunteering for industry and community organizations, including current roles on the board of directors for the John Deere Classic, Iowa Chamber Alliance and Visit Quad Cities. Paul has been recognized for his chamber leadership, including Athena International’s Male Champion of Change Award for his work fostering a diverse and inclusive organization, the ACCE 40 Under 40 Award and 40 Under 40 Leader in Economic Development by Development Counsellors International/International Economic Development Council. Paul focused his CCE presentation on a place management organization the Quad Cities Chamber created to lead affiliated downtown development efforts across multiple cities and states.

 

Amy Shuttle, CCE, IOM
Amy has served as senior vice president of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce (Tenn.) since 2016. She is a member of the Membership Development Division (MDD) advisory board and has served as a MDD sales mentor.  Amy earned her IOM designation at U.S. Chamber Southeast Institute in 2016, was awarded the Bronze Dana Ketterling Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and the Silver Dana Ketterling Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. Amy focused her CCE presentation on generating economy while meeting community and business needs during the pandemic.

 

Curtis S. Sneden, CCE, IOM

Curtis has served as president of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce (Kan.) since 2019. He has also served as senior vice president of the Greater Topeka Partnership since its inception in 2018. He serves on the boards of the Topeka Community Foundation and Community Action, a non-profit fighting poverty in Topeka. He previously served on the boards of the Topeka Performing Arts Center, the United Way and the Downtown Topeka Rotary Club, which he led as president in 2015-16. Curtis focused his CCE presentation on his role in leading the design and establishment of the Greater Topeka Partnership, a new 501(c)(6) organization which combines the operations of Topeka’s Chamber of Commerce, economic development organization, convention and visitor’s bureau and downtown association under one unified management structure.

 

Heather Valudes, CCE
Heather has served as the vice president of the Lancaster Chamber (Pa.) since 2020, previously working as the chamber's community impact director since 2011. Heather serves on the steering committee for the Coalition for Sustainable Housing, Lancaster County Refugee & Immigrant Coalition and the Clean Water Partners. She has previously been named to the 40 Under 40 from Central Penn Business Journal and ACCE. Heather focused her CCE presentation on her role in the Recovery Lancaster project, a countywide COVID-19 response initiative that delivered almost $50 million in grants to businesses in Lancaster.

 

Becki Zumwalt-Womble, CCE, IOM 

Becki Zumwalt-Womble has served as president & CEO of the Bastrop Chamber of Commerce (Texas) since August 2014. During her tenure, she has taken an active role in local politics and community issues including a school bond and transportation issues. She chairs the Bastrop County Workforce Matters Coalition and serves as a board member for Visit Bastrop, the city’s destination marketing organization. Becki also serves on the Texas Chamber of Commerce and Texas Association of Business state boards. Becki focused her CCE presentation on “The Establishment of a Destination Marketing Organization, Visit Bastrop.” This was an initiative that established an independent organization to market the greater Bastrop area to tourists and attract convention business to the area.

Burchill: Elevate Rapid City: A partnership with a purpose; 10 redevelopment projects recognized at Valparaiso Chamber awards; The first Rural Broadband Round Table takes place at the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce; Champaign County Chamber of Commerce: Nominate an outstanding small business today; #FamousChamber Of Commerce Quotations: (Be happy!); Chamber issue: Preparing today's students for tomorrow's workforce; Chamber salute: USCG Cutter Mackinaw honored for 75 years in Cheboygan; #FamousChamber of Commerce Quotation on Political Action (Justice Powell): Kenosha Area Chamber has annual meeting, announces honorees; Columbus & Lowndes County Chamber awarded Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award;

Good morning #ChamberWorld! It's going to be a GREAT day!

Burchill: Elevate Rapid City: A partnership with a purpose


Functioning as a true public/private partnership, Elevate Rapid City represents a new chapter in our community’s history where leading private sector economic development organizations have united under a joint partnership agreement in order to lead strategic economic growth and development according to a collective vision and shared plan vetted by more than 100 community leaders.

Under discussion for nearly two years, Elevate Rapid City is a joint venture of the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce Division and the Rapid City Economic Development Division, as well as being aligned closely with support from Ellsworth Development Authority and the Economic Development Foundation’s Ascent Innovation.

Our mission is to achieve the shared economic and community development goals that will elevate the quality of life and employment opportunities for all those who call Rapid City home. Led by proactive business and government leaders, Elevate Rapid City serves to enhance and better leverage the economic development activities of its pro-business partners in order to achieve more pronounced and measurable economic results.

Economic development is an important function of any community. Investing time and resources to keep growth continuous is what keeps our city alive. So how about those who are already here? The Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce works diligently to connect, advocate for, and promote businesses that make Rapid City their home base.

There are many concrete opportunities we look forward to as a community. Elevate will be the organization that makes these things happen and will be at the forefront of the economic future of Rapid City. It is a bold, aggressive plan that will expand our economy, add jobs, increase revenue from sales and property taxes, and result in benefits for our entire community. Read more: Rapid City Journal


10 redevelopment projects recognized at Valparaiso Chamber awards

For most businesses, a face-lift on a building is often just part of a simple rebranding campaign. For the Hilltop Neighborhood House Food Pantry its renovations were a matter of survival.

After half its stock of food was destroyed in a flood, the charity had to relocate to a new building but needed funds to do it.

The pantry received donations from across the county after local media highlighted the damage a flood caused the pantry's operations back in February 2018. It was able to move to a new building on 606 Union St., which was completely overhauled.

The charity's new facility was one of 10 redeveloped spaces recognized recently during the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce's 52nd annual Community Improvement Awards.

Hilltop's rebirth at its new property was highlighted by Pat McGinley, chair of the chamber's board of directors, during the ceremony at the County Expo Center.

Thousands of dollars poured in from across the county to help get the pantry back on its feet.

“Our pantry started as just a closet,” Jennifer Wright, CEO of Hilltop Neighborhood House said. “Now 25 years later we're feeding 5,000 people.”

Local businesses were also praised for the improvement of their property, including Brick Street Burrito as well as Jordy and Jax Barbecue.

Brick Street took the former hot dog stand on Napoleon Street in the city's downtown and turned it into a modern fast-casual restaurant serving up California-style burritos and other Mexican cuisine. The old hot dog stand's brick exterior was painted bright white and a fence was added outside to provide for additional dining space. The interior was given a more modern look.

Tom Long, president of internet provider NITCO, lives close to Brick Street Burrito. He praised the redeveloped space as an improvement to the neighborhood.

“It's a concept wife and I have been passionate about since our time out in college in San Diego,” the restaurant's owner Evan Costas said. “ We thought we could restore (the building) to be something really cool. It's fun to be part of the downtown.”

The upgrades to publicly owned buildings like the Valparaiso High School and the County's Expo Center were given awards, too.

“There's a lot of history at (the Expo Center). It was recognized back in the '80s, when it was originally built,” Commissioner Jeff Good said. “Here we are doing a sort of shampoo rinse and repeat I guess you could say.”

The remaining developments given awards were St Agnes Day Services Center for its new garden near St. Paul church, upgrades to the McMahon and Associates facility, a new retail building on 1703 Calumet Ave. and the rehabilitated Grand Trunk Train Depot, which was turned into a school. Read more: NWI Times

Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce 2018-2019 Business Directory and Resource Guide

The Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce 2018-2019 Business Directory and Resource Guide is available at the Virginia Peninsula Chamber today! Thanks to Bob McKenna, Suzy Johnson and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

Virginia Peninsula Chamber 2018/2019 Business Directory & Resource 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.

The first Rural Broadband Round Table takes place at the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce

 For the first time, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce held a round table talk to discuss the issue of rural broadband internet in Bowling Green and Warren County.

Bowling Green is the fastest growing city in Kentucky and according to realtors that attended the meeting, many people are turning down homes due to lack of high-speed internet. Service providers, as well as local and state officials, are trying to solve the growing problem.

Warren County Judge Mike Buchanon said " I simply asked at the end does anyone here have a business plan that has a shortfall that the Warren Fiscal Court or the State or Federal government can fill"

Buchanan also mentioned that if there is a shortfall that they can solve they will work towards solving the issue.

Rep. Brett Guthrie said that he is walking out with more questions than answers, "Now I really think I know what questions to ask when I back to Washington and I think that is the take away I have. I know who to ask and what to ask and hopefully, we can see results"

Rep. Guthrie also mentioned that there is a bill that just passed in the house, that is moving to the Senate that would create an Office of Internet Connectivity. The new office would coordinate all the programs and funding into one place. Read more: WKBO.com

Champaign County Chamber of Commerce: Nominate an outstanding small business today

Each year, the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce awards a local business with the Small Business of the Year Award. The Champaign County Small Business of the Year Award honors an outstanding small business that has made a significant long-term contribution to the local community and economy. It is intended to recognize a successful and growing business that has achieved its status through ingenuity and hard work. The Chamber has been honoring local businesses with this award for 28 years.

The recipient will be named at the 2019 Champaign County Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting on Friday, October 25th, 2019. Self-nominations are welcome. Previously nominated businesses are eligible for consideration without being renominated; however, previous recipients cannot be nominated. Completed nomination forms must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 20. Late nominations will not be considered.

#FamousChamber Of Commerce Quotations: (Be happy!)

"To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone." Reba McEntire

Chamber issue: Preparing today's students for tomorrow's workforce

By Kim Scheeler and Pat Gottschalk

It was cause for celebration when Amazon announced Virginia as the site for its highly sought-after HQ2. Not only was it a huge announcement for our state, but it also signified a shift in the economic development world. One of the main reasons the Virginia Economic Development Partnership was successful in its bid was because it tied its proposal in with the workforce pipeline.

We hear it every day: There is a current workforce shortage that will only grow larger as baby boomers exit the workplace. We know from our research that 36% of the healthcare workforce, 29% of the education workforce and 35% of the construction workforce in our region will need to be replaced in the next 10 years. That’s more than 65,000 people in just the top three demand industry groups. And that doesn’t take into consideration the increased demand from a growing economy.

This is great news for the students of today but a challenge for our region. If you’re a student, identify jobs that will be in demand and focus on the skills, education and certifications that it will take to succeed in those jobs; gain those skills and you’re pretty well guaranteed success in life. We have a good idea which jobs will be in demand. What we struggle with is identifying the knowledge and skills required for those careers. We also need to do a better job of helping parents and students understand what it costs to acquire those skills and what those jobs will pay. It shouldn’t be that hard to figure out what you want to do when you grow up.

The challenge to our region is the competition for workers. If you’re a business owner who can’t find the people you need with the right skills, you have to go where you can find them. We have two choices for building our future workforce: We can educate the students in our community or we can attract the talent from other communities. While we are becoming an attractive place for millennials, we do our community a disservice if we don’t prepare our young people growing up here for a successful future.

As a society, we’ve taken a broad-brush approach to education over the years. Parents want their children to be more successful than they were. In the past, as a general rule, more education equated to more opportunity for success — some degrees generated greater success, but the general rule held true.

However, as the demand for higher education has increased, so has the cost. The need for more specific skills has grown to the point that the general rule doesn’t necessarily apply anymore. Parents and students alike face the dilemma we hear about quite often. Some students today are graduating with more debt and less opportunity than they expected.

We are fortunate in the commonwealth that leaders in our education system are working on adapting to this changing world. They understand that we need to do a better job of aligning education with real-world opportunities. Rather than just education, the focus is becoming education toward what end. That means helping students and their parents understand what the jobs of the future look like and how to go about becoming qualified for them. It also means focusing our efforts on the jobs that will be in high demand and encouraging more investment in education that aligns with those jobs.

Businesses are doing their part as well by participating in events like Mission Tomorrow, which exposes all the public school eighth graders in our region to a variety of job opportunities. Junior Achievement is working with students, teachers and parents to help them understand the cost of education versus the salary you can expect for a multitude of jobs in our region. Many businesses work with the Career Technical Education programs in our school systems to provide internship opportunities for students to gain practical knowledge and decide if they really like the work or not.

On Thursday, ChamberRVA in partnership with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce is hosting an education summit to explore some of the opportunities, challenges and great work that is taking place in our region on this issue. We’ve invited legislators, educators and employers to share their perspectives on what we can do and are doing to create more opportunities for our young people to succeed. It’s open to the public but space is limited. Go to chamberrva.com to sign up.

We are excited about the opportunities that the future holds for our youth, but we want to do all we can to make sure that every student in our region has a chance to succeed in life and find meaningful and rewarding employment. It’s going to take additional work by all of us, but it’s the most important thing any of us can do.

Kim Scheeler is president and CEO of ChamberRVA. Contact him at kim.scheeler@chamberrva.com.

Pat Gottschalk is a partner at Williams Mullen, served as state secretary of commerce and trade under Gov. Tim Kaine, and is chairman of ChamberRVA. Contact him at pgottschalk@williamsmullen.com.

Chamber salute: USCG Cutter Mackinaw honored for 75 years in Cheboygan

The United States Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw and its crew were honored at the end of the Michigan Waterways Festival for their last 75 years spent with Cheboygan as their home port.

A tribute ceremony was held dockside, attended by many dignitaries, including Michigan State Representative and Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield, Michigan State Senator Wayne Schmidt, Cheboygan City Mayor Mark Bronson and several others.

“For 75 years, a Coast Guard Cutter named Mackinaw has called Cheboygan home,” said Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Scott Herceg. “From the old Mackinaw, which saw the end of World War II to the current Mackinaw, which the Admiral of the Ninth District described as driving a star fighter, the crew and families have lived their lives here in Cheboygan and kept the Great Lakes safe.”

The ceremony was held to recognize the cutter, its crew and to say thank you for the service to the community. Several different organizations around Cheboygan had prepared special tributes to honor that service, expressing their thanks in their own way.

“I would like to thank all of our Coast Guard personnel, for those who call Cheboygan home and for some of you who do not,” said Chatfield. “It’s great to be joined up here by Captain John Stone and to put together this tribute with Senator Wayne Schmidt, recognizing the importance and significance of the Mackinaw Cutter calling Cheboygan its home for the last 75 years.”

Chatfield said it is a great treat for the community to be at the ceremony and to celebrate the anniversary. He and Schmidt presented the United States Coast Guard Cutter Captain John Stone and the City of Cheboygan with a tribute from the State of Michigan, thanking them for their service.

“May they always know our heartfelt gratitude for the work they do each and every day, to insure this historic vessel will always have a home in Northern Michigan,” said the document.

Schmidt agreed with Chatfield, saying the area is very fortunate to have so many great men and women who have dedicated themselves to the armed forces and protect our freedoms on a daily basis.

The City of Cheboygan and its City Council members had also put together a resolution to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the vessel being in Cheboygan. This resolution was presented by Bronson.

“It is a great honor and pleasure to be here today, to celebrate 75 years of the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw in Cheboygan. This relationship has been a benefit for both of us,” said Bronson. “Cheboygan, a great place to live, the Coast Guard personnel and families, a great addition to our community. We hope they cherish their time here and we certainly cherish having them here.”

The Cheboygan County Community Foundation had been established to be a charitable receiver of funds to help with economic development and a few other things.

“Economic development has a lot of little pieces to it,” said Dave Butts of the Cheboygan County Community Foundation. “Without the Coast Guard being in Cheboygan, economic development in this community would be very difficult. So, the Community Foundation is very honored to be able to present an award today. We’re very honored to be a part of a community that has all these young Coast Guard people here for 75 years. It is sort of amazing when you think about all the other communities that would like to have a Coast Guard Cutter parked in their back yard.”

Cheboygan is one of the very few that have been able to get a cutter and to keep it.

Stone was presented with a pencil sketch from an artist downstate who loves the Straits of Mackinac area and the cutter. The sketch is a one of a kind piece of artwork and was presented along with a small plaque that denotes the appreciation of the greater Cheboygan area for all that the USCG does for the area.

The Captain was also presented with a plaque of appreciation by Diane Raab of the Cheboygan Yacht Club, a group that cherishes the cutter being in Cheboygan and all they do around the area and welcomes the Coast Guard and their families into the community.

The Chamber of Commerce also presented Stone with an award on a slice of pudding stone, which also symbolizes the crew of the Mackinaw, all the different members with different backgrounds melded together to make one, similar to the pudding stone. It was a “slice of their home port,” to carry with them wherever they go.

“Thank you, on behalf of both Coast Guard Cutters Mackinaw,” said Stone. “From the Coast Guard Ninth District, as well as the entire Coast Guard, thank you so much for these kind words, these wonderful gifts. But most importantly, thank you to the City of Cheboygan for being home port for the Queen of Great Lakes fleet for 75 years.”

When the cutter first came to Mackinaw, it was being used as an ice cutter to keep the shipping lanes open, to keep supplies running through the area during the war, allowing ships to be built. Now, 75 years later, they’re still keeping the steel trade in business and keeping the shipping lanes open.

Cheboygan was chosen as home for the cutter because the city is off the Straits of Mackinac, in close proximity to the St. Marys River.

“But I would argue that what makes Cheboygan a great home port has nothing to do with the strategic location. It has everything to do with the people and the community that we’re home porting in,” said Stone.

Also at the ceremony, Sarah Campbell, whose husband serves on the cutter, was also presented with the first every spouse Cutterman pin. She was also presented with a special award from the Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors for all of her work as an ombudsman and liaison between the community and the Coast Guard Cutter personnel.

“She works very closely with us for all the wonderful things that the Coast Guard does with the Chamber and the community,” said Chamber of Commerce Event Coordinator and Office Manager Polly Schneider. Read more: Cheboygan News

#FamousChamber of Commerce Quotation on Political Action (Justice Powell): 

“Business must learn the lesson long ago learned by labor and other self-interest groups. This lesson is that political power is necessary; that such power must be assiduously cultivated and that, when necessary, it must be used aggressively and with determination – without the reluctance which has been so characteristic of American business.”

-- Justice Lewis F. Powell, 1971, in a memo to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, prior to his appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court

Kenosha Area Chamber has annual meeting, announces honorees

The Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce will honor individuals and businesses at its annual meeting Tuesday.

Kurt R. Bauer, the president and CEO of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, will be the keynote speaker at the event, set for 11:30 a.m. at The Stella Hotel & Ballroom, 5706 Eighth Ave.

Chamber membership will vote on the installation of new directors for the board, honor those who have served on the board and present the following awards and scholarships:

Chairman’s Award: George Follensbee of Otto Nelson Moving and Storage.

Ambassador of the Year: Cathy Savaglio of Security National Mortgage Co.

Community Partner Award: Kenosha YMCA

Best Place to Work in Kenosha County: David Insurance

Beautification awards

The Stella Hotel & Ballroom, 5706 Eighth Ave.

Associated Bank, 6419 Green Bay Road

JDR Painting, 4715 Green Bay Road

Foundation scholarships

Lauren Birschbach, whose parent is employed by Snap-on Inc.

Haley Esposito, whose parents are employed by Genesis Chiropractic and Kenosha County

Grace Haugstad, whose parent is employed by Library Park Dental

Anika Katt, whose parent is employed by Kenosha County

Savannah Kroeger, whose parent is employed by Gateway Technical College

Herzing University scholarships

Samantha McGehee of Leeward Business Advisors

Gean Swiatko-Klee of Kenosha County Division of Health

Emily Stipan of Kenosha Area Chamber of Commerce

Tempo Kenosha scholarship

Gean Swiatko-Klee of Kenosha County Division of Health

Read more: Kenosha News

Columbus & Lowndes County Chamber awarded Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award

The military and school partnership of Columbus & Lowndes County is the Second Place winner of the 2019 Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence earning an Exemplary Partnership designation in the category of Total Community Partnership. The award was presented on July 23, 2019 at the Military Child Education Coalition’s Annual National Training Seminar in Washington D.C. Among the 5 total Military Instillation/Community partnerships recognized on July 23rd, Columbus Air Force Base/Columbus Lowndes Chamber of Commerce was awarded second place.

Programs and initiatives the Chamber produces that impact the military children of Columbus Air Force Base attending school in Columbus and Lowndes County include Education Awards Program, Educators Are Essential, Pilot for A Day, Lowndes Young Leaders, Lemonade Day, Education Town Hall and 2019 Senior Send-off. These programs, among other community programs, were included in the submission by Columbus Air Force Base that was awarded the 2019 Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award.

The Chamber produces quality and impactful programming year after year. In the Education Committee and youth leadership program, Lowndes Young Leaders, military students stationed at Columbus Air Force Base are often awarded scholarships, selected to participate, and more.

The partnership was judged by the Military Child Education Coalition for the depth, magnitude, and positive outcomes of the partnership as well as evidence of sustainability and origination of ideas. Read more: Mississippi Business Journal

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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

#Chamber interest: Chicago Fed Survey Shows Growth Picked Up in Late February and March; #BestChamber practices: The Plainfield Area Chamber --- The Ambassador Program --- 7 Touches to Success Membership Retention Plan Part #1/ 6 Parts; Northern Kentucky Chamber Event: Annual Excellence in Education event to recognize ‘collective impact’ of contributions to education; Greater Richmond Chamber rebrands as ChamberRVA; New Arrival: New Castle-Henry County Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Map; Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber Meeting gives residents chance to include Vicksburg on tourism map; Joe Ford, Chair, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors: Greater Lansing has history of innovative spirit; Indiana Chamber to Push Forward on Road Funding, Civil Rights; Chamber partnership: Entrepreneurs get new boon in Wausau; Town Square Publications Chamber of Commerce Membership Directories, Community Profiles, Re-Location Guides and Custom Maps

Good morning Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT day!


Chicago Fed Survey Shows Growth Picked Up in Late February and March

The Chicago Fed Survey of Business Conditions (CFSBC) Activity Index increased to –4 from –20, suggesting that growth in economic activity picked up to a moderate pace in late February and March. The CFSBC Manufacturing Activity Index rose to +23 from –19, while the CFSBC Nonmanufacturing Activity Index increased to –19 from –21. Read more

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#BestChamber practices: The Plainfield Area Chamber --- The Ambassador Program --- 7 Touches to Success Membership Retention Plan Part #1/ 6 Parts

Tasha Kitson, Plainfield Area Chamber

What is an Ambassador?

The Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Club is a membership outreach and retention program designed to involve and inform all Chamber members and prospective members. Ambassadors are volunteers who, on behalf of the Chamber, make goodwill calls to encourage membership participation and actively support Chamber programs. Ambassadors generate excitement and enthusiasm through participation in ribbon cuttings, grand openings, and other Chamber networking events and functions.

Ambassadors receive points for attending and volunteering at Chamber events, assisting in bringing in new members and helping with member retention. These points accumulate to give each Ambassador the opportunity to receive Special Recognition Awards.

Interested in becoming an Ambassador?

Attend a monthly meeting!  Meetings are held once a month on the first Wednesday of each month at 4:00 pm at the Plainfield Chamber office.  Come see what we are all about… more information Tasha Kitson - Plainfield Chamber

Northern Kentucky Chamber Event: Annual Excellence in Education event to recognize ‘collective impact’ of contributions to education

The Northern Kentucky Education Council and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce invite the community to attend the 2016 Excellence in Education Celebration: A Brighter Future for NKY {Powered by STEAM}.

The April 28 event will be held at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. It will recognize students, educators, and community and business leaders for their significant contributions to education.

“Our education, business and community leaders are working together every day in creative and innovative ways to ensure all students are prepared for college, work and life,” said Polly Lusk Page, executive director of the Northern Kentucky Education Council.

“We are especially proud to be able to recognize the collective impact efforts being made on behalf of education across the region.”

This year’s theme of A Brighter Future for NKY {Powered by STEAM} was chosen to highlight the focus schools are putting on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Northern Kentucky students are encouraged to think critically and take integrative approaches to real-world problems, skills that will prepare them well for when they enter the workforce.

“The creativity and drive our business community is seeing from the students coming out of our local schools is inspiring,” said David Heidrich, Chair of the Board for the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Read more: Northern Kentucky Tribune

Greater Richmond Chamber rebrands as ChamberRVA

The Greater Richmond Chamber is rebranding itself as ChamberRVA, chamber officials announced today.

The change corresponds with the organization's move to new office space on the 17th floor of the SunTrust building in Richmond. The new offices, new name and new brand reflect the evolution of the chamber and its vision for the future, officials said.

"The move to our new modern office space is a reflection of our progressive and innovative values as an organization," said Kim Scheeler, president and CEO of ChamberRVA. "Our new name and logo are consistent with our inclusive approach to moving the region forward." ChamberRVA serves the Richmond region: Richmond, seven counties (Charles City, Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, Powhatan) and one town (Ashland).

The chamber hired Free Agents Marketing (FAM), a chamber member, to lead the changes.

"An organization's brand is not what you say it is, it is what your customer says it is," said Ken Wayland of FAM. "In this case, the community refers to us as 'The Chamber.' We decided to capitalize on that with the new name 'ChamberRVA;' our name combined with the region we serve." Read more: Henrico Citizen

New Arrival: New Castle-Henry County Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Map 

The New Castle-Henry County Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Map is available at the New Castle-Henry County Chamber today! Thanks to Missy Modesitt, Mary Campbell 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 guide or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633. 

Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber Meeting gives residents chance to include Vicksburg on tourism map

Vicksburg and Warren County residents have the opportunity Tuesday to put the area on the map, literally.

Officials with National Geographic and the Mississippi River Connections Collaborative will be at the Vicksburg-Warren Chamber of Commerce offices, 2020 Mission 66, for a 10 a.m. meeting to discuss putting the area on an interactive tourism website, www.mississippi.natgeotourism.com, featuring a map of the Mississippi being developed by National Geographic that goes from the river’s headwaters in Minnesota to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico.

Tuesday’s meeting will allow people in the tourism business and residents to discuss the area’s unique culture, attractions, landmarks and activities to be included on the map. Potential visitors will be able to go to the website, call up the map, click on a specific location and see a photo of an attraction, like the Vicksburg National Military Park, Beulah Cemetery or another site.

“We need to get the word out to the people in the community, chamber members and non-members (to attend the meeting) so we can be on the map,” chamber executive director Jane Flowers said. “I’m always about putting Vicksburg on the map.”

Kathleen Bond, superintendent of the Natchez Historical National Park said the new map will be more detailed than the present one on the website.

“They’re (National Geographic) building it now,” she said. “This is going to be the last stakeholder meeting before they go to final production, and this summer there will be more meetings where they will roll out the final product.”

The attractions included on the map “have to local and authentic. It can’t be a chain and it really has to benefit that local homegrown economy. I grew up in Vicksburg, so this is a project that is near and dear to my heart.”

- See more at: Vicksburg Post

Joe Ford, Chair, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors: Greater Lansing has history of innovative spirit

If there is one trademark that has been consistent in the Greater Lansing region through the decades, it is the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit that has served as the foundation of our growth for more than a century. Beginning in the early 1900s when a group of business leaders convinced R.E. Olds to locate his fledging car company in Lansing, the region has always found a way to be at the forefront of innovation while creating an environment for entrepreneurs to thrive.

For much of the last century, our manufacturing prowess in the auto industry served as the backbone of our regional economy. In the late 1990s, many were ready to write our region’s economic obituary as a fading ‘rust belt’ community. Our entrepreneurial spirit rose up and conquered a new challenge. Instead of losing General Motors, our region became home to the two most modern automobile manufacturing facilities in the world — producing some of GM’s best-selling vehicles. We have shredded our ‘rust belt’ image and replaced it with global leadership in advanced manufacturing.

However, we are now more than just manufacturing. Much has been made about the shift to a knowledge-based economy that would require our region to attract and retain talent for the insurance, technology, healthcare and financial services sectors. We have responded by attracting and retaining leading companies in the nation. The insurance sector alone now employs more than 10,000 people in the region.

Greater Lansing has quietly become one of the headquarters of technology and innovation — as we have more than 400 tech companies in the region. Uniquely positioned within a corridor of world class universities, new-age entrepreneurs are finding this region the perfect place to create and nurture new ideas to grow their companies.

Our region is also the proud home of one of the leading research institutions in the world in Michigan State University. The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, currently under construction at MSU, reinforces our region’s brand as a world leader in cutting-edge research. Spinoff businesses such as Niowave are already helping to position the region to be a leader in the production of radioisotopes that can be used for advanced research for major medical and science breakthroughs. Read more: Lansing State Journal

Indiana Chamber to Push Forward on Road Funding, Civil Rights

Indiana Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Kevin Brinegar says the organization will continue to be active in key legislative issues all the way up to next year's legislative session. He says this year's biggest "missed opportunity" was the failure of legislation to expand Indiana's civil rights law to include the LGBT community. In an interview on Inside INdiana Business Television, Brinegar said the chamber will also continue to push lawmakers to pass long-term funding for road and infrastructure projects.

Brinegar says the $1.2 billion road and bridge funding compromise is what was "mostly realistic" for the legislature to pass during a short session in an election year. Governor Mike Pence signed the bill into law last week. The measure also includes $42 million to fund an expanded Regional Cities Initiative. The compromise funds the projects through a combination of state reserves, Major Moves dollars, tax re-allocations and money from last year's tax amnesty program. Previous proposals included gas and cigarette tax increases.

A bill that would have expanded civil rights protections to include sexual orientation died without a vote in February. Read more: Inside Indiana Business

Chamber partnership: Entrepreneurs get new boon in Wausau

College students with ideas for new businesses and ideas to solve existing business problems can now do that through a collaborative project called The Branch at Northcentral Technical College.

It's a "skills accelerator," which means it gives college students training, connections and experience through collaborative projects with other students and with businesses. The goal: develop innovative employees and entrepreneurs in central Wisconsin and keep them in the local economy.

The Branch is modeled after a similar program in Milwaukee called The Commons and the pilot was spurred and funded by Church Mutual Insurance Co. The Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce, NTC and several other colleges and community partners kicked it off Monday at NTC's Information Technology Entrepreneurial Center.

"It's here to create an environment of entrepreneurship and higher business skills and technical skills for future employees," said the chamber's President and CEO Aaron Kapellusch.

The program will educate entrepreneurs and "intrapreneurs" —  people with entrepreneurial skills employed in existing companies, said Kimberly Reed, an NTC instructor in information technology and business management. "They're going to help you think of what the next step is in your business," Reed said of those intrapreneurs.

Businesses can apply to have The Branch students tackle some of their problems, she said. And as the students get to know local businesses and build connections to the community they may opt to live and work here after graduation. Read more: Wausau Daily Herald

Town Square Publications Chamber of Commerce Membership Directories, Re-Lo Guides and Custom Maps 

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

To request your publication proposal, Click here