Chamber of Commerce Daily News

Town Square Publications (https://www.townsquarepublications.com) publishes two hundred world class turn-key chamber directories, community guides and maps annually at no cost to the chamber of commerce. We are Employee-Owned & part of the Daily Herald Media Group.149 years old and thriving through innovation daily. Chamber of Commerce Daily News follows chamber news, education, economic development, chamber jobs, and other related chamber issues/events. Best, John Dussman

Showing posts with label Cheboygan Chamber. Show all posts

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance project: $100,000 grant approved for Central Virginia Training Center Redevelopment Plan; Front Royal Warren County Chamber of Commerce Community Profile & Membership Directory; Greater Seymour Chamber president announces departure; #FamousChamber Of Commerce Quotations: (Be happy!); Project SEARCH visits the Heart of Wisconsin chamber; NKY Chamber of Commerce’s Christie Rogers Named Forty Under 40 for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives; Carol Stream Supports Strong Manufacturing Future; Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce Community Resource Guide & Business Directory; Scott Herceg awarded professional recognition from state association; Amazon picks Desoto County to debut ‘Small Business Academy’; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

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

Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance project: $100,000 grant approved for Central Virginia Training Center Redevelopment Plan

The GO Virginia Region 2 Council approved the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance’s project for the Central Virginia Training Center Redevelopment Plan. The grant requested $100,000 to assist in the cost of a redevelopment plan for the site located in Amherst County. This grant is critical in assisting to fund the master redevelopment plan for the Central Virginia Training Center property. This regional asset is located in Amherst County and has significant economic potential.

Front Royal Warren County Chamber of Commerce Community Profile & Membership Directory

The Front Royal Warren County Chamber of Commerce Community Profile & Membership Directory is available at the Front Royal Warren County Chamber of Commerce today! Thank you to Niki Foster and Pam Riffle and the Chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

2019 Front Royal Warren County Community Profile and Membership Directory

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.

Greater Seymour Chamber president announces departure

A Greater Seymour Chamber of Commerce committee plans to launch the search for a new president after the current one recently announced her departure.

Tricia Bechman, who has led the chamber since 2014, said she plans to move to Johnson County so she and her son can be closer to her parents.

Bechman, a Franklin native, announced last week that her final day at the organization will be Nov. 7.

"When I became a mom, I did not have any expectation of moving," she said, adding she realized how much value there was to being close to grandparents. "I know how much I cherished my relationship with my grandparents, and I don’t want him to miss out on that, and I don’t want them to miss out on it because he will be their only grandchild. It’s strictly a family reason."

Sasha Norman, the chamber’s events coordinator, and chamber office manager Dee Smith will handle day-to-day operations until a replacement is named.

Bechman said she enjoyed being part of the community here and getting to know people in the city and throughout Jackson County. She said she feels like the area will soon see the benefits from projects completed by a number of organizations.

"I hate to leave because I think Seymour is right at the peak of the hill, and I think things are really starting to take off, and that ride is going to be fun," she said. "I think more businesses will be coming downtown and more projects are going to take off."

Stephanie Flinn, a chamber board member, said a search committee was formed after Bechman announced her plans.

Flinn said the committee will work with the Indiana Chamber Executive Association to collect and review résumés, interview candidates and provide the board with a recommendation. Read more: The Tribune

#FamousChamber Of Commerce Quotations: (Be happy!)

“Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.” - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Project SEARCH visits the Heart of Wisconsin chamber

A group from the Wisconsin Rapids area Project SEARCH visited the Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce on Oct. 30 to present at “Coffee with the Chamber.”
Project SEARCH is a program that works to train individuals with developmental disabilities for employment in the community.
The program is lead by Stephanie Tryba, Project SEARCH instructor; Sue King, ODC employment coordinator; Alice Wallner, ODC employment coordinator; and Lisa Skibba of Aspirus Riverview Hospital.
Coffee with the Chamber is held once a month, the last Wednesday of the month. Each month, the chamber brings in a special guest to discuss a unique opportunity they bring to the community.
For more on Project SEARCH, visit https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/dvr/service_providers/projects/default.htm.

Read more: Wisconsin Rapids City Times

NKY Chamber of Commerce’s Christie Rogers Named Forty Under 40 for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives

Christie Rogers, Vice President of Events at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce (NKY Chamber), has been awarded the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives 2019 Forty Under 40 award.

The Forty Under 40 award is a new honor presented by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) meant to highlight the brightest men and women under the age of 40 in the chamber industry.

This award recognizes young professionals that have demonstrated significant success in their career as well as having made noteworthy contributions to their community. Each award recipient has made a remarkable impact on the chamber industry, fostering a positive impact in their community.

“We are incredibly proud of Christie Rogers for being named one of ACCE’s Forty Under 40,” said Gene Kirchner, Vice President & COO for the NKY Chamber. “This national distinction is a true honor in the Chamber world. Christie goes above and beyond to make our events shine and we are extremely fortunate to have her on the NKY Chamber team.”

Rogers joined the NKY Chamber in 2012 as the Director of Special Events and quickly rose to her current position as Vice President. She is responsible for managing the development and execution of signature events such as Eggs ‘N Issues, Annual Dinner and the Golf Outing, as well as for providing support and guidance to staff for all events hosted by the organization.

This year’s competition drew over 118 nominations on behalf of young professionals in the chamber industry. Candidates for this honor demonstrated meaningful involvement in the advancement of their community and proven professional success within their chamber.

The full Forty Under 40 class was announced publicly at the ACCE Annual Convention in Long Beach, California. Following the convention, award recipients will be featured in the summer 2019 Chamber Executive magazine issue set to release in August.

Carol Stream Supports Strong Manufacturing Future

Last week the Chamber of Commerce, schools, local manufacturers, and Village representatives partnered to inspire the future generation of manufacturing workers. Nearly 90 Glenbard North High School and 350 Jay Stream middle school students toured local manufacturing facilities. At Antunes they observed commercial kitchen solutions and water filtration equipment. While at Trans Tech, students saw pad printing technology for items ranging from golf balls to medical supplies. Prince Industries demonstrated the process for their precision machined and fabricated parts. The manufacturers provided information on internships, apprenticeships, and tuition reimbursement programs. They also noted how important the right tools are to a lucrative career in manufacturing.

Manufacturing employs over 56,000 people in DuPage County, one in every ten jobs. To honor this vital industry, the Village Board proclaimed October National Manufacturing Month. Carol Stream has more than 100 manufacturers totaling over 4,000,000 square feet of space. Industries include automotive parts, food production, metal fabrication, paper processing, commercial cooking equipment, and packaging. Skilled employees are needed to support the Carol Stream economic powerhouse of manufacturing.

“The Carol Stream Chamber of Commerce is proud to champion our Manufacturing members. It is vital for students to engage with local industry to understand opportunities for future employment” stated Miriam Iwrey, Chamber CEO. She also noted they distributed education resources and pay ranges for manufacturing careers to help students make informed decisions. Local partnerships continue on October 29^th when manufacturers and students will attend a career night at Glenbard North from 6:30 PM till 8:15 PM.

CONTACT: Tia Messino, Assistant to the Village Manager - E-MAIL: tmessino@carolstream.org

Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce Community Resource Guide & Business Directory

The Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce 2019 Community Guide is available at the Chamber of Commerce today! Thank you to Robert 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.

Scott Herceg awarded professional recognition from state association

The Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals (MACP) recognized Scott Herceg, Certificated Association Executive and executive director of the Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce, with the 2019 Michigan Chamber Professional award.

Herceg has a track record for outstanding contributions to the chamber of commerce industry and is a dedicated volunteer leader for Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals.

“It is an honor to recognize Scott as an industry front-runner in Michigan,” said Anita Nystrom, director of Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals. “His contributions help raise the bar for our association and model excellence among chamber professionals.”

Herceg currently serves as the chairperson of the Northern Michigan Chamber Network, a professional development and support group of 15 chambers of commerce executive directors and staff in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Herceg earned his Certificated Association Executive credential from American Society of Association Executives originally in 2016 and recently re-certified in 2019. ASAE is a membership organization of more than 46,000 association executives and industry partners representing 7,400 organizations.

The Michigan Chamber Professional award has roots back to 1990 acknowledging professional development achievements and excellence in chamber of commerce careers. In 2014, the award was updated to recognize chamber professionals that have made significant accomplishments to advance the chamber of commerce movement in the prior three years while maintaining professional development through continuing education. The recognition comes from a nomination by peers and selection by the MACP Board of Directors. The designation stands for three years.

The Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals is the industry association for almost 300 chambers in Michigan representing over 500 chamber professionals across the state. Its mission is to build excellence in chambers of commerce through organizational and board-level resource support, professional development for chamber staff and to promote the image of chambers of commerce across the state. Read more: Cheboygan News

Amazon picks Desoto County to debut ‘Small Business Academy’

Amazon is hosting a first-of-its-kind academy for small business owners looking to take the leap to e-commerce. Friday, the online giant taught new business owners how to get in on the action.

Amazon traffics more than one-third of all retail products bought or sold online in the country.

For Tim Durham, his business called Durham’s Bee Farm took off when he launched on Amazon.

“We now ship product internationally, of course most of it is in the United States. But the fact is, if we did not have e-commerce, if we did not have Amazon available, we would have never grown to that point,” he said.

In 1977, Durham’s Bee Farm started with a single hive. By the 80s, honey was delivered to grocery stores from Oxford, Mississippi to Jackson, Tennessee. Business was good, even better after the creation of their website.

“We are just the story of a small town, small family business that was able to grow,” Durham said.

But that growth is incomparable to what they’ve seen on Amazon.

Now, other business owners look to follow Durham’s success though Amazon’s Academy for Small Businesses. This academy launched in Southaven Friday. Small business owners learned how to start and grow a business by selling online.

“We choose Mississippi because Mississippi is the state with the fastest growing businesses selling on Amazon’s,” said Nicholas Denissen, Vice President of Small Business for Amazon.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce found Mississippi small businesses sold more than 5.4 million products on Amazon to 4 million customers.

Though many blame large online retailers like Amazon for the death of brick and mortar stores, Amazon believes they’ve had the opposite effect.

Amazon tell us stores that started on their site created physical locations after building up a customer base. Read more: WMCACTIONNEWS5

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

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

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

Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories, Maps and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

Thursday, August 8, 2019

What is the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin?; Chincoteague Island celebrates 94 years of pony love; #FamousChamber Of Commerce Quotations: (Be happy!); Lake Zurich Chamber of Commerce 2018 Local Business Magazine; Brent Cooper: Marketing our region as one — just the way we should we presenting ourselves; Diane Schultz: Advocating for All of Boone County; South Suburban Chamber of Commerce 2018 Community Resource Guide & Business Directory; Will it play in Plainfield? Coldwell Banker’s rebranding experiment; Sauk Valley Area Chamber event: Register now for 2019 Fiesta Parade Scheduled for Saturday, September 14th; Community Breakfast kicks off Waterways Festival; D'Iberville/St. Martin Chamber of Commerce announces the hiring of new Executive Director; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

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

What is the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) and Johnson Financial Group announced on Thursday that the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest will be back for a fourth straight year. The annual competition aims to highlight the state’s manufacturing industry – which employs nearly 1 in 5 Wisconsinites – and ultimately determine the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin. Any product that is manufactured in Wisconsin qualifies for the contest, and nominations will be accepted starting on Aug. 12 at www.madeinwis.com.

Chincoteague Island celebrates 94 years of pony love

Folks come home the last full week in July to rekindle, reconnect, and recharge with family and friends during this exciting week of Pony Love. Visitors from around the world will experience this decades old event this year as we celebrate Virginia Tourism Corporation’s 50 Year anniversary of the “Virginia is For Lovers” slogan.

Thousands line the shores of Veterans Memorial Park and Pony Swim Lane to watch the world-famous Chincoteague Ponies make their annual pilgrimage from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island. Charter boats line the Assateague Channel creating a pathway for the ponies as they make their yearly swim from shore to shore. Watch the swim on the giant Jumbotron in Memorial Park sponsored by the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce, Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, Affordable Business Systems, Best Western Chincoteague, Chincoteague Island House of Jerky, Comfort Suites, Marina Bay Hotel & Suites, Refuge Inn, Sea Shell Motel, Seaside Vacations, The Bike Depot, Waterside Inn and the Town of Chincoteague.

The traditional Beach Walk on Assateague Island at 6 a.m. on Monday, July 22nd begins the week’s festivities. The north herd of wild Chincoteague Ponies will join the south herd to await the “big day”. The annual swim on Wednesday, July 24th is at the earliest morning slack tide—officials predict a window of time between 8:30-10:30 a.m. Visit www.chincoteaguechamber.com/pony-penning and the chamber Facebook page for updates, shuttle map and information including where to park if you are coming in for the day, helpful hints and full schedule of events. Shuttle buses will start running at 5 a.m. The auction of foals takes place on Thursday morning July 25th at 8 a.m. at the Carnival Grounds on Main Street.

“Proceeds from one of this year’s buy back foals will benefit the United Way of the Eastern Shore,” according to Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company PR Officer Denise Bowden.

The week’s events culminate with the return swim of the adult ponies to Assateague on Friday morning July 26th (time to be announced on Thursday). The Chincoteague Volunteer Fireman’s Carnival will be open July 3-6, 12-13, 19-20, 22-27 from 7-11 p.m. featuring rides, games, raffles, and fabulous Eastern Shore food.

Other events are being hosted through August 10 in recognition of the 50 Years of Love celebration. Check the chamber website for details: www.chincoteaguechamber.com/50-years-of-love.

#FamousChamber Of Commerce Quotations: (Be happy!)

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” ---

Frederick Keonig

Lake Zurich Chamber of Commerce 2018 Local Business Magazine

The Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce 2018 Local Business magazine is available at the Lake Zurich Area Chamber today! Thanks to the LZACC chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce Local Business

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.

Brent Cooper: Marketing our region as one — just the way we should we presenting ourselves

At a gathering of Kentucky business leaders last year, an economist pulled up a list of the largest cities in Kentucky. Louisville (600,000), Lexington (308,000), Bowling Green (61,000) and Owensboro (59,000) were in the top four. The city of Covington, Northern Kentucky’s largest city, came in at number five with 41,000.

That presentation prompted a series of serious conversations about how Northern Kentucky should present itself.

How should we better market ourselves to Frankfort, as well as anyone looking to do business or relocate here?

To anyone who has recently moved here or any visiting tourist, Northern Kentucky looks like one big place.

In my opinion, we are.

Here’s an interesting comparison. If you’ve ever been to the Hamburg Pavilion off Man O War Boulevard in Lexington and traveled to the Bluegrass Airport, you’d find it’s about 15 miles in distance. In that scenario, you travel through one city, one county, and one 911 system to get to your destination.Our Northern Kentucky counties are packed with cities and people in a way that is, well, unique to the rest of the state. In fact, if we were to combine just parts of Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, the result would be the 2nd largest county overnight, with more than 400,000 people.

Here in Northern Kentucky, if you were to travel from Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights to our airport (CVG), you would only travel 14 miles. But here, you cross through six cities, three counties, and three different 911 systems.

I’ve driven this route for years, and I honestly had to look it up on a map because I wasn’t sure how many cities you drive through.

There are 120 counties in Kentucky, and most of them have one main city or town. In our neck of the woods, we are 37 cities in the three northernmost counties alone and 20 of those cities are amongst the top 100 largest cities in Kentucky.

Looking at Northern Kentucky cities by population, the top five are Covington (41,000), Florence (32,000), Independence (28,000), Erlanger (19,000), and Fort Thomas (16,000). Newport (15,000) comes in at sixth largest.

By themselves, each Northern Kentucky city is 10 percent or less of our overall population. And while each one is critically important to the whole, none of them are an island standing alone. In my opinion, one of the greatest features of each of our cities is that they are in close proximity to the others.

Fort Thomas is minutes from Newport on the Levee and MainStrasse in Covington. Fort Wright is minutes from shopping in Florence and Crestview Hills. And all of them are minutes from CVG and all the amenities of Greater Cincinnati.

We are a collection of small towns linked as one larger community. We are part of the Greater Cincinnati experience, that is a key component of who we are. Here, you get the best of both worlds. And part of our story is that, together, we are one of the three largest metro areas in the state of Kentucky.

Fifty years ago, our Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce was founded by a group of leaders who clearly recognized we are stronger together. While we have certainly accomplished a great deal in that 50 years, much remains to be done. As we consider the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead in a global economy, it is important to remember that what was true all those years ago is still true today.

We are better together, with a strong voice and purpose for the benefit of all.

I invite you to join us at the NKY Chamber as we continue to work toward that vision.

Brent Cooper is president and CEO of the NKY Chamber of Commerce.

Diane Schultz: Advocating for All of Boone County

This month, we take a broad look at the continuing growth of Boone County. We discussed a few key factors with the Boone County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Diane Schultz related to the growth that impacts the overall health of the county and why residents from all six Boone County communities should be aware of and engaged in the conversation of workforce development and business connectivity.

Schultz, a Zionsville native, grew up in Zionsville and moved to northwest Illinois, where she graduated from college, married and started a family.

“We [my husband and I] made the decision to move back to Zionsville in 2004 to be closer to family,” Schultz said. “We had three school-age children at that time, and our No. 1 priority was selecting an excellent school system within Boone County. Our county has three exceptional school districts, [and] strong school systems are an instrumental driver of growth and economic development and often the reason why families, such as mine, relocate or locate to Boone County.”

Having such a strong connection with her hometown and native county, Schultz was pleased to find that the county and its communities continued to offer a “small-town” atmosphere while offering modern amenities, such as parks and trail systems, community events throughout the year and the locally owned shopping and dining components, just as she recalled from her youth and has enjoyed with her family over the years.

Why Boone County Chamber of Commerce?

When asked why she decided to get involved with the local chambers, specifically accepting the role as executive director for the Boone County Chamber, Schultz replied, “Four years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in the Boone County Leadership [BCL] program hosted by the Community Foundation of Boone County. That provided invaluable insight on issues that are of great importance throughout all six Boone County communities, including education, health and safety, economic development and our legal system.”

Schultz continued, “Throughout my participation in the BCL program and volunteer experiences in my community, I was amazed to learn that Boone County is home to so many wonderful businesses providing a variety of products, services and workforce opportunities, as well as nonprofit organizations making a positive impact on the betterment of all six Boone County communities.”

Schultz had been working with the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce previously and had accumulated the knowledge, experience and contacts key to her present position.

“While I greatly enjoyed my role at the [Zionsville] chamber and working with the town of Zionsville officials, businesses and organizations, in my new role with Boone County Chamber, I was excited for the opportunity to work with all six communities, including Zionsville,” Schultz expressed. “Boone County Chamber is a county-wide chamber that had previously been most visible in the city of Lebanon. Last year, the chamber revealed a new logo and tagline to reflect its mission, ‘Connecting communities-advancing businesses.’”

Boone County Workforce and Its Challenges

Schultz explained that the Boone County Chamber board of directors and staff are dedicated to providing opportunities and resources to build business connections, to provide resources to assist businesses and to attract and retain workforce.

“The chamber builds partnerships with and provides resources to Boone County businesses and its members, such as Hendrickson [Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems] and Piece by Piece,” Schultz said. “Hendrickson is working on partnering with local school systems to create a talented workforce pipeline and to better prepare our future workforce. Piece by Piece is an example of a startup business that continues to realize growth and prosperity, and many other longstanding businesses continue to grow, prosper and partner with local municipalities to build strong communities throughout the county.”

Schultz said attracting workforce and creating strong communities to sustain a talented workforce is a top priority for the chamber and Boone County businesses of all sizes.

“Boone County Chamber strives to connect residents and businesses with chamber members who can assist them with their professional as well as personal needs,” she stated. “People truly do want to do business with people they know and trust, as well as genuinely want to support local businesses, but they need to know what businesses are available to meet their needs. They can’t do this with businesses they are not aware of.”

She added, “It is imperative for Boone County residents and other businesses to support local businesses throughout all Boone County communities, including professional and personal services such as health care providers, accountants, financial planners, insurance agents, as well as shopping and dining.”

In addition to its dedication to increasing the visibility of its members, businesses and organizations through its expansive menu of programs and events, the Boone County Chamber is also dedicated to assisting Boone County businesses address the issues of workforce development and the current labor shortage that afflicts some of its members.

Boone County has a population of approximately 65,000 and has attracted a multitude of new businesses in 2018–2019 that have added or will add additional jobs to the county.

“Attracting and retaining talented workforce is one of the greatest needs of our members, if not the greatest need,” Schultz emphasized. “We receive requests from our members weekly regarding their need to secure workforce and to fulfill their employment needs. This is a complex challenge, and there is no one single solution. The chamber is dedicated to collaborating with local employers, educators, elected officials, State of Indiana representatives, as well as Indianapolis region organizations, to provide resources to our members. Our members can then utilize and take action to address the workforce challenges of today, but most importantly, to be proactive in creating a talented workforce pipeline for Boone county’s future.”

A member of the Boone County board of directors and plant manager at Hendrickson, Brent Haines, spoke about his experience with the chamber and why he has decided to further engage with other members and local businesses on the issues of workforce development. Haines has been with Hendrickson for 23 years. After graduating high school, Haines joined the U.S. Marine Corps and started with Hendrickson immediately after. Haines worked his way up the ranks at Hendrickson while earning his bachelor’s degree in business through Indiana Wesleyan University using a tuition assistance program offered through his employer.

“Hendrickson has grown expeditiously since I started,” Haines said. “There were about 50 people, and now we’re up to about 460 employees. It’s a really great company to work for. It’s a 105-year-old company with 27 plants worldwide. I got involved with the chamber looking for ways to work with other businesses throughout the community on workforce issues and on ways that we can all be successful in Boone County.”

Haines shared that Schultz has connected Haines with several contacts he wishes to collaborate with on resolving the labor shortage, education, quality of life and affordable housing issues that are impacting companies in all industries here in Boone County.

“I’ve been getting out and talking with people, building those relationships and networking,” Haines said. “Diane has really helped us accomplish that immediate goal within this last year.”

Haines is currently working to develop a “Workforce Development Task Committee” with other businesses and organizations who are passionate about this subject and are dedicated to cultivating, attracting and retaining a talented workforce. He emphasized that committee members are needed, and he is available to discuss the focus and goals of such a committee with individuals who are interested in learning more.

“Businesses are coming in at an alarming rate, and we’re wondering where they’re going to get all the people,” Haines said. “We need to be developing the workforce and taking care of the existing workforce, so they stay in these areas and they don’t leave to go to another county that has more amenities and affordable living options. For the long-term health of Boone County, we need to partner together and help the businesses be successful so that they stay. This affects each and every single Boone County resident because a successful business community increases a positive economic impact in all six of the local communities, and the residents benefit from that.”

For more information about the Boone County Chamber of Commerce, visit the website at boonechamber.org. From: Zionsville Monthly

South Suburban Chamber of Commerce 2018 Community Resource Guide & Business Directory

The Muskego Area Chamber of Commerce 2018 Community Guide & Business Directory is available at the Chamber of Commerce today! Thank you to Barbara Wesener and the Chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

South Suburban Chamber 2018 Community and Visitor 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.

Will it play in Plainfield? Coldwell Banker’s rebranding experiment

Every Tuesday throughout the summer, Plainfield’s main drag turns into a family friendly spectacle of classic cars, music and food as the local chamber of commerce closes down the streets for Cruise Night. To Mike Prodehl, president and CEO of Coldwell Banker – The Real Estate Group, Tuesday, July 2, seemed like the perfect moment to unveil the newly rebranded Plainfield office. “It’s amazing how many people noticed it,” Prodehl said of the change to their 100-plus-year-old brick office building.

This microcosm of change on a classic main street office building is part of a much larger wave. Coldwell Banker has embarked on the implementation phase of its new identity, and Plainfield was one of a small handful of beta testers. But with top-level personnel changes and shakeups in Coldwell Banker’s Chicagoland offices over the past year, on top of stock market jitters experienced by the company’s parent brand, this moment could be seen as a precarious one for the 100-year-old brand.

The choice of this particular office in this particular town wasn’t random. David Marine, chief marketing officer for Coldwell Banker, told Chicago Agent magazine that company executives picked out offices that would represent a variety of conditions — urban vs. suburban, standalone offices vs. strip mall locations — to test out the new designs that are part of what they call Project North Star. “Plainfield, Illinois, has a very downtown, ‘Mainstreet, U.S.A’ type of feel,” he said. “We wanted to see how it works in a sort of walking community.”

First announced in March at the company’s annual Gen Blue conference, the new logo has stirred up a fair amount of chatter, both from supporters and detractors, in the intervening months. And though it is generally being referred to as a beta test, much of the new look is already set in stone. “The North Star mark is here to stay,” Marine said.

Any brand refresh will suffer pushback, and the fact that Coldwell Banker has been using the same general marking since the 1970s only makes the backlash — particularly from established agents — more inevitable. As someone who was part of focus groups on the new logo that started last summer, Prodehl said he has felt the need to be both a champion for change and a critic or devil’s advocate, reminding company brass and marketing executives to always keep in mind what the public and agents will make of the new look. He did note that he heard from some agents who panned the logo as looking too much like a flag or baseball team logo.

But the symbolism of the North Star as a steadfast guide won Prodehl over. He said clients have told him the role of real estate agents as pilots is the reason they hire them in the first place. “Us being the ones who guide them through the process is what is going to keep us relevant in the transaction,” he said.

The old logo, affectionately dubbed as having been written in ‘Star Wars font,’ is nonetheless well-known. Looking at the larger brand may reveal some higher-level impetus behind the shift. Coldwell Banker parent company Realogy Holdings Corp. has had a rough ride on the stock market lately, and while this may have to do more with fears of the disruption of established brands than it does branding, it certainly doesn’t bolster the arguments of those who want to stick with a look and feel developed decades ago. Also, another major player under the Realogy brand, Century 21, recently undertook a new branding that isn’t too far off from the new Coldwell Banker logo.

Marine denied that there’s an overall plan to bring the whole Realogy family under a similar look and said recent stock swings have nothing to do with the shift either. “There’s no interest or desire to bring the two brands together,” he said, adding that, as for similarities between the two new logos, “They both have a ‘C’ in them.”

Instead, Marine said that the shakeup came out of conversations that have been happening virtually since he started with the company some 17 years ago. “The reason for the rebrand stemmed from something I’ve heard off and on for as long as I’ve been here: ‘What are we going to do about this logo?’” he said, adding that there has been a feeling for quite some time that “our identity might be holding us back.” Read more: Boston Agent Magazine

Sauk Valley Area Chamber event: Register now for 2019 Fiesta Parade Scheduled for Saturday, September 14th

STERLING – The Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Hispanic Business Leaders Committee is organizing the 67th annual Fiesta Parade which will be held Saturday, September 14th. All groups are encouraged to incorporate Hispanic Culture into the parade entries.
The Parade will begin at 1:00pm in Rock Falls. Parade Entries will line up on 10th street. The parade will travel north on First Avenue in Rock Falls, cross the First Avenue bridge to Sterling. At the base of the bridge the parade will travel north on Locust Street to 4th and end at Grandon Civic Center in Sterling.
There will also be food vendors in downtown Sterling and Rock Falls before, during, and after the parade
For more information or questions please call the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce at 815-625-2400 or email us at chamber@essex1.com. Visit www.saukvalleyareachamber.com to register for the parade online. CONTACT 815-625-2400 knoble@saukvalleyareachamber.com

Community Breakfast kicks off Waterways Festival

A community breakfast and ribbon cutting officially kicked off the annual Michigan Waterways Festival Thursday morning, starting the four days of fun in downtown Cheboygan.

“Good morning everybody and welcome to the Michigan Waterways Festival, newly rebranded,” said Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce and Cheboygan Area Visitors Bureau Executive Director Scott Herceg. “I want to welcome everybody to the first event of a whole weekend full of a lot of fun here in Cheboygan.”

The breakfast was put on by the Cheboygan County Council on Aging, featuring eggs, sausage, hash browns, corned beef hash, biscuits and sausage gravy, french toast sticks, assorted pastries, cereals and drinks.

The Council on Aging also had a booth set up with information on the different services they provide at their centers on Sand Road and in Wolverine. Gail Tinker, the Cheboygan County Council on Aging Executive Director, was also selling raffle tickets for prizes — his and hers bicycles, lawn chairs and a kayak.

A table was also set up with schedules for all of the events taking place over the weekend with the Waterways Festival and tickets to purchase a print of the annual drawing representing the festival.

At the breakfast, a ribbon cutting was held, marking the official opening of the four day celebration. Many of those who helped cut the ribbon were Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. The Michigan Waterways Festival is a production of the Cheboygan Chamber of Commerce.

Tom McKinley, the chair of the Waterways Festival Committee, said it was good to see everyone who came out to the breakfast in Festival Square.

“Thanks for coming out,” said McKinley. “First Community Bank, we’re proud to be the main sponsor for this event. It’s going to be a great event this year.”

McKinley and Polly Schneider, Office Manager of the Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce were the ones who cut the ceremonial ribbon, officially opening the festival.

“We have a saying at the Chamber of Commerce that nothing is official until you cut the ribbon,” said Herceg. “So, to open the festival, when you’re ready guys. Thanks everybody, have a great Michigan Waterways Festival, we’ll see you around town. Thanks a lot.” Read more: Cheboygan News

D'Iberville/St. Martin Chamber of Commerce announces the hiring of new Executive Director

Pamela Stein LaFontaine has been named Executive Director of the D’Iberville St. Martin Chamber of Commerce effective October 2, 2018. LaFontaine, originally from D’Iberville has worked in photography and advertising sales at the local newspaper (The Biloxi D’Iberville Press) for over 30 years; has real estate and Insurance experience. She is the daughter of one the founders of the D’Iberville St. Martin Area Chamber of Commerce, Charles R. (Bob) and Shannon Fournier Stein. Bob Stein served the Chamber as the First President in 1974.

LaFontaine has served the chamber on the Board of Directors, prior to being named the Executive Director. She recently produced a promotional Welcome Center Booklet “Discover D’Iberville” promoting the City and Chamber, featuring many businesses.

LaFontaine is married to Paul LaFontaine, Sr. of Pass Christian. They have three children; Amanda LaFontaine of Houston, Texas, Paul (Lauren Nelson) LaFontaine ll of Saucier, and Patrick (Kalie Williams) LaFontaine of Long Beach. They have 3 granddaughters, and a 4th grandchild on the way.

“I am so proud to accept this position, to take the helm of the chamber in the next chapter of D’Iberville and the St. Martin area’s booming growth” LaFontaine said. “I look forward to serving and promoting the businesses in our area. I want to personally work with all of our chamber members to promote all that we have to offer.”

“The D’Ibervile St. Martin Chamber has an awesome, strong, working Board of Directors and I am proud to be a part of this organization".

Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.