Geneva's Swedish Days Festival - 200,000 expected: 'The Granddaddy of Illinois Festivals' will run Tuesday through Sunday, June 19-24; #FamousChamber Of Commerce Quotations: Leadership; Fredericksburg Regional Chamber: Community Conversation: Governor Ralph Northam; Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2017-2018 Community Guide & Membership Directory; Dearborn Chamber event: “Cruisin’ Dearborn” Returns this August to Kick-off the Dearborn Homecoming Festival, Featuring 125 Classic Cars & 50 Classic Motorcycles; Horn Lake Chamber Food Truck Fest; Covington County 2017-2018 Chamber of Commerce Community Map; China presents huge opportunity for NWI Region businesses; Nominations open for Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner awards; New Richmond Chamber Fun Fest June 12-15: Sponsorship Opportunities; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S. Welcome New Town Square Chamber Partner: Carterville (IL) Chamber;

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

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Geneva's Swedish Days Festival - 200,000 expected: 'The Granddaddy of Illinois Festivals' will run Tuesday through Sunday, June 19-24

A must for a summer fun destination is Geneva’s 69th Annual Swedish Days Festival. More than 200,000 visitors and residents stop by for a variety of activities – combining traditional events and exciting new attractions. For more online info, see Geneva, Ill Swedish Days

Here’s a sneak peek:
Shopping & Treasures
Every year shoppers look forward to sidewalk sales offering “must have” bargains at Geneva’s 100+ specialty shops.

Musical Entertainment
Free nightly musical entertainment on Central Stage kicks off Tuesday, and on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons from 1-3 p.m. featured artists play on the courthouse lawn.

Food Booths
Festival goers can feast on traditional Swedish and favorite American and ethnic foods including, brats, ribs, turkey legs, veggie burgers, wood smoked pork sandwiches, meatballs, pizza, garlic crab pasta and burritos, to name a few at the many non-profit food booths. Sinfully good desserts will also be available.

Restaurants, Pizzerias & Pubs
Don’t forget all the fine restaurants in Geneva. From casual bistros to 5-star formal dining, a day in Geneva isn’t complete without sampling one or more of the fine restaurants and eateries. Or stop by one of the beer gardens that offers good food, drink and entertainment during the festival. Visit www.genevachamber.comfor a listing of our 40+ restaurants, pizzerias and pubs.

Activities for Young Visitors
Kids will want to be at Swedish Days 2018 every day, but Tuesday's kick-off explodes with activity for young visitors.
- Creation Station opens at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and continues all week with projects.
- Swedish Days 2018 is packed with favorites: the Carnival, 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, Quad Power Jump, Fun at the Library Tent and mini golf.
- June 22 is “Kids’ Day” where from early in the morn to late into the night, kids can stay busy. All-Star Sports coaches will try to dodge getting dunked. The Geneva Park District coordinates games and activities on the courthouse lawn including performances by Sunset Dancers and Angels Cheer & Poms Team.
- The Kids’ Day Parade invites children through age 10 to enter in one of our parade categories.

Come for the Run, Stay for the Fun
Located along the scenic Fox River in Geneva, the Swedish Days 5K Lopp promises an unbelievable race experience. Runners are encouraged to tie-in the Scandinavian theme with their attire. More info at www.genevachamber.com

Grand Parade
On Sunday, bring some chairs and blankets so the entire family can enjoy the Grand Parade – a community parade with over 45,000 viewers.

Enjoy free admission with easy access via the Metra.
Events, hours and schedule available at www.genevachamber.com or the Geneva Chamber of Commerce at 
630.232.6060. Source: Nordstjernan




#FamousChamber Of Commerce Quotations: Leadership

“I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure, which is: try to please everyone”. Herbert Bayard Swope

Fredericksburg Regional Chamber: Community Conversation: Governor Ralph Northam

The Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce welcomes Governor Ralph Northam to the Fredericksburg region as part of our Community Conversation series presented by Virginia Partners Bank on June 19, 2018. The event will be held at the Jepson Center on the University of Mary Washington’s campus at 8:30 a.m.

Governor Northam will address the membership on the New Virginia Economy. In his first year, Governor Northam has identified the economy and returning Virginia to its status as a top state for business as a priority of his administration. This event will be the Fredericksburg region’s first opportunity to hear Governor Northam’s plan for the state’s economy and to ask the governor questions.

Before he was inaugurated as the 73rd Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Ralph Northam served as an Army doctor, pediatric neurologist, business owner, state Senator and Lieutenant Governor. Governor Northam approaches public service with the same passion he brought to his military and medical service.  He is committed to working with leaders from both parties to build a Virginia that works better for every family, no matter who they are or where they live.  

To register for the event, please go to fredericksburgchamber.org or call the Chamber office at 540.373.9400. 

Media Contact Ann Marie Washington, Communications Coordinator, (540)373-9537, annmarie@fxbgchamber.org



Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2017-2018 Community Guide & Membership Directory
The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce 2017-2018 Community Profile & Membership Directory is available at the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber today! Thanks to Jon Maynard, Pam Swain, Rosie Vassalo and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

Oxford Mississippi 2017-2018 Community Guide & 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.

Dearborn Chamber event: “Cruisin’ Dearborn” Returns this August to Kick-off the Dearborn Homecoming Festival, Featuring 125 Classic Cars & 50 Classic Motorcycles

125 historic cars & 50 historic motorcycles will cruise the streets of Dearborn to kick off the festivities at the 2018 Dearborn Homecoming Festival for “Cruisin’ Dearborn” on Friday, August 3, 2018. The cruise, presented by Les Stanford Chevrolet Cadillac will begin at 7 pm at the Dearborn Police Department and will run along Michigan Ave. through Downtown West Dearborn, ending at Ford Field Park for a fun classic car show with plenty of food and entertainment! The classic cars will be on show until 10:00 pm at the Dearborn Homecoming Festival at Ford Field Park in Dearborn.

“Every year this is a visual feast for the eyes & we look forward to welcoming classic cruisers from all over Metro Detroit again this year to kick off the annual Dearborn Homecoming Festival, we’re delighted to include 50 classic motorcycles this year!” said Jackie Lovejoy, president of the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce.

The parade is scheduled to be led by Dearborn Mayor Jack O’Reilly. A “Best in Show” award will also be presented at this year’s event.

This year, the cruise is limited to 125 classic car & 50 classic motorcycle cruisers, who will all receive a certificate of participation, a dash plaque, and cruiser gift bag, sponsored by Jack Demmer Ford.

“Cruisin’ Dearborn has become a summertime favorite for our community and classic car enthusiast’s all over the Metro Detroit region!” commented Kelli Vanden Bosch, Director of Events at the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce.

Registration for Cruisin’ Dearborn is only $25 per vehicle, and includes a $5 voucher to be used at the nonprofit food vendor tents at the Dearborn Homecoming Festival. Registration can be completed online at www.DearbornAreaChamber.org or by calling 313-584-6100. Cruisin’ Dearborn is open to classic cars ranging in model years from 1933-1991.

The 39^th Annual Dearborn Homecoming festival is presented by the City of Dearborn and the nonprofit Dearborn Community Fund and runs Aug. 3-5 with three days of entertainment, family activities, and food sales and informational booths operated by community service groups.

For more information, please contact the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce by phone at 313-584-6100. Be sure to follow the Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce on Facebook at facebook.com/DearbornAreaChamber, on Twitter @DbnAreaChamber and online at www.dearbornareachamber.org for all the latest news and events.

The Dearborn Area Chamber of Commerce provides 600+ members with the opportunities and resources to engage and network with other businesses, enhancing financial growth, professional development, and the ability to contribute to a thriving community environment.

Horn Lake Chamber Food Truck Fest

The Horn Lake Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the first annual Horn Lake Food Truck Festival sponsored by Belhaven University Desoto to take place on Saturday, August 25th 2018 from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm in Latimer Lakes Park. Our beneficiary for the event is the Horn Lake Excel by 5 program. We have been working closely with the director of the Mid-South Food Truck Festival, Stanley Perrin to make sure that we have a top notch event! Food trucks, Craft Vendors & Live music!!

For more information, please check out the calendar of events. Registration forms are available by emailing info@hornlakechamber.com. Please visit our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=horn%20lake%20food%20truck%20festival

Covington County 2017-2018 Chamber of Commerce Community Map 

The Covington County Chamber of Commerce Community Map is available at the Covington County Chamber today! Thanks to Marie Shoemake and her team for their help and direction putting this together!

Covington County Chamber Map

Town Square Publications  (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community guide or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633. 


China presents huge opportunity for NWI Region businesses

Northwest Indiana companies have opportunities to do business in China, where the middle class is as large as America's total population and where consumers put a premium on American-made goods, according to America China Society of Indiana Executive Director Colin Renk.

Renk told the Gary Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon at the U.S. Steel Yard that China is still growing fast, at about 7 percent a year, and is a huge market that could be tapped by manufacturers and other companies despite the ongoing trade conflict. He cited the example of Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly, which has had operations in China for 100 years and survived two World Wars, the Cultural Revolution and U.S.-China turmoil.

"You have a unique situation, being between Chicago and Detroit on a corridor of investment," Renk said. "It could open the doors."

China is Indiana's third largest export market, behind only Canada and Mexico. The Hoosier state exported $3.1 billion of goods such as grains, pharmaceutical drugs, auto parts and medical equipment to China in 2017, and exports to China have grown by 110 percent since 2008, as compared to 37 percent to the rest of the world.

Indiana also has exported more services, such as education, travel, royalties from industrial processes and the installation, maintenance and repair of industrial equipment, to China in 2017 than to any other country in the world, according to the America China Society. Hoosier exports of services to China totaled $856 million last year. 

That's grown by 480 percent since 2007 as compared to 52 percent to the rest of the world. Read more: NWI TIMES

Nominations open for Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the Northern Kentucky Chamber’s annual awards recognizing outstanding leaders in the Chamber and in the community.

Winners will be announced in July with awards presented at the NKY Chamber Annual Dinner presented by Fifth Third Bank on Thursday, September 20, 2018.

Nominations are being accepted for the following awards:

The Walter R. Dunlevy/Frontiersman Award was established in 1968 and recognizes an individual who has a lifelong history of outstanding service to the Northern Kentucky community, exhibits outstanding service to their profession or industry, and exemplifies the highest standards of personal integrity and family responsibility.

The Walter L. Pieschel (MVP) Award, sponsored by Humana, is named in memory of the NKY Chamber’s first volunteer leader and recognizes an individual Chamber member who has provided outstanding volunteer service to the Chamber as a committee member, committee chair, or in any other special capacity during the past 12 months.

The Northern Kentucky Unity Award is presented to an individual or individuals who have shown leadership in bringing Northern Kentuckians together to address and solve common challenges and issues, and has shown leadership in seeking regional solutions to Northern Kentucky challenges.

The Northern Kentucky ImageMaker Award is presented on special occasions to an individual or individuals who have brought national or international attention to the Northern Kentucky community through their achievements.

The Wm. T. (Bill) Robinson III Northern Kentucky Economic Development Award, sponsored by Northern Kentucky Tri-ED, is presented to the individual, entity, company or organization demonstrating significant advancement of the economic development efforts in Northern Kentucky in honor of Bill Robinson, Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Chair (1986-87) and co-founding member and continuous Secretary/Treasurer of the Tri-County Economic Development Corporation since 1987.

Current members of the NKY Chamber’s Board of Directors are not eligible to receive these awards. Nomination forms can be found at NKYChamber.com/ADNominations. The nomination deadline is June 30, 2018 at 5pm.

Source: Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce

New Richmond Chamber Fun Fest June 12-15: Sponsorship Opportunities


Beverage Sponsor $1000 (limit 3) - SOLD OUT!

Presenting Sponsor $1000 (limit 1)

Facebook Live video during Fun Fest w/your business/organization

Verbal Recognition before bands play on Friday & Saturday night

Verbal Recognition during Fun Fest Parade

Banner at the Entrance of Fun Fest Food and Beer Garden

Recognition on Chamber Website, Facebook and eNews

Complimentary Business Booth

Carnival Ride Tickets

Free Parade Entry


Gold Sponsor $500 (limit 2)

Verbal Recognition before bands play on Friday & Saturday night

Verbal Recognition during Fun Fest Parade

Banner at the Fun Fest Tent

Recognition on Chamber Website, Facebook and eNews

Complimentary Business Booth

Free Parade Entry


Silver Sponsor $250 (limit 4)

Banner at the Fun Fest Tent

Recognition on Chamber Website, Facebook and eNews

Complimentary Business Booth

Free Parade Entry


Parade Sponsor $250 (limit 2)

Verbal Recognition during Fun Fest Parade

Free Parade Entry with Priority Placement

Banner at the parade Announcers Stand

Four Reserved seats at the parade Announcers Stand

Recognition on Chamber Website, Facebook and eNews


Downtown Shuttle Sponsor $100 (limit 2)

This pays for the FREE downtown shuttle on Friday and Saturday night from the Fun Fest tent to support downtown businesses and give safe rides.

Verbal Recognition before bands play on Friday & Saturday night

Banner at the Fun Fest Tent

Recognition on Chamber Website, Facebook and eNews

Read more: New Richmond Chamber

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

Lincoln-Logan Chamber of Commerce faces uncertain future; Chamber Executive Ongoing Education: Emotional Intelligence 2.0; Greensburg-Decatur County Chamber recognizes members; Lake Zurich Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory; Prince William Chamber: Connecting Students with Work-Based Learning Opportunities; Baraboo Chamber interest: Record attendance leads to changes at Devil's Lake State Park; Mark Davidoff Elected Chair of Michigan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for 2018; Chamber interest: DeSoto County SCORE chapter to help new business; 5 Star Chamber: Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory; NKY Chamber names new director of marketing and communications; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

Happy Monday #Chamber World! It's going to be a GREAT week!

Lincoln-Logan Chamber of Commerce faces uncertain future

Lincoln-Logan Chamber of Commerce announced Thursday evening that it would suspend operations for 30 days, beginning Nov. 15, with the goal of restructuring the organization.The chamber’s Board of Directors stated in an announcement sent to member businesses around 5 p.m. Nov. 9, “The current financial viability of the Chamber has digressed to a situation where we have had to lay-off the staff of the Lincoln-Logan Chamber of Commerce in an effort to restructure the current model to a level of financial sustainability.”

“The primary factors that have led to this decision have been based on financial analysis of current events costs, [which] have spiraled out of control along with debt that has accumulated while the membership structure and costs have decreased.”

In addition to its business advocacy efforts in Logan County, the chamber hosts several annual events including the Pigs & Swigs Festival, the Lincoln Balloon Festival and the Lincoln Christmas parade, among others.

“Without sufficient income under the current model, the Chamber cannot staff an office, under current structures, and man events of that size and scale while attempting to pay off the previous debt accrued,” the board said Thursday.

The organization began in 1913 as the Lincoln Commercial Club and later became the Lincoln-Logan Chamber of Commerce. In 2014, the chamber merged with the Logan County Tourism Bureau and Main Street Lincoln to form the Logan County Alliance.

The organization was involved in a local controversy in 2016 after it denied the City of Lincoln’s request for a third-party audit of the LCA’s use of over $60,500 in economic development funding and over $100,000 in Hotel/Motel Tax revenue in the previous year. The denial came just months after the LCA cancelled its economic development contract with the city and pledged renewed transparency within the organization.

In May of 2016, the LCA hired Cathy Wilhite as the President and CEO of the organization. On September 12, 2016, Wilhite announced that the chamber would no longer do business as the Logan County Alliance. Days later, former Lincoln alderman Tom O’Donohue vacated his seat as the chairman of the organization’s board of directors and Greg Basford, of Heritage Packaging, LLC, stepped into that role. Sal Pollice, of Edward Jones in Lincoln, then became vice-chairman of the chamber board.

The group said this week that it would reach out to community members who might help the chamber keep its doors open.

“The Board of Directors [is] dedicating [itself] to exhausting all of the community’s options before it decides on the future of the chamber/organization. We believe this organization is critical to the success and growth of Lincoln and Logan County.”

“We believe the chamber is worth saving and restructuring it to its roots while making sure our community businesses have the opportunity for their voices to be heard on moving forward.”

The chamber said Thursday that it would soon organize an event to address questions about the suspension, as well as the future of the organization.

Willhite declined on Friday to comment further on the statement. Read more: Lincoln Courier-News

Chamber Executive Ongoing Education: Emotional Intelligence 2.0


In today's fast-paced world of competitive workplaces and turbulent economic conditions, each of us is searching for effective tools that can help us to manage, adapt, and strike out ahead of the pack. 

By now, emotional intelligence (EQ) needs little introduction—it’s no secret that EQ is critical to your success. But knowing what EQ is and knowing how to use it to improve your life are two very different things.

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 delivers a step-by-step program for increasing your EQ via four, core EQ skills that enable you to achieve your fullest potential:

1) Self-Awareness
2) Self-Management
3) Social Awareness
4) Relationship Management

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 is a book with a single purpose—increasing your EQ. Here’s what people are saying about it:

“Emotional Intelligence 2.0 succinctly explains how to deal with emotions creatively and employ our intelligence in a beneficial way.”
—The Dalai Lama

“A fast read with compelling anecdotes and good context in which to understand and improve.”
—Newsweek

"Gives abundant, practical findings and insights with emphasis on how to develop EQ. Research shows convincingly that EQ is more important than IQ."
--Stephen R. Covey, author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

"This book can drastically change the way you think about success...read it twice."
--Patrick Lencioni, author, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Greensburg-Decatur County Chamber recognizes members

The Greensburg-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce held their annual dinner Thursday night at the Indiana Grand Casino in Shelbyville.

The Entrepreneur of the Year went to Brenley Jameson and Carmen Thackery. The two young girls operated a lemonade stand that raised more than $800 for local charities.

The Small Business Grant winner was Mayasari Effendi and Richard

Mays from Mayasari Indonesian Grill. They’ll use the grant to expand production of one of their signature products-Tempeh.

David J. Fry was the recipient of the Don Horan Community Leader of the Year Award. David has served as the “Swiss Army Knife” during the application process for the Stellar Communities program.

The Greensburg-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce has 310 members and sponsors networking, conferences and community organizations to improve economic viability and quality of life. Read more: WRBI Radio

Lake Zurich Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory

The Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce 2016 Community Guide & Business Directory is available at the Lake Zurich Area Chamber today! Thanks to Dale Perrin and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide and Business Directory

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. 

Prince William Chamber: Connecting Students with Work-Based Learning Opportunities

The Prince William Chamber of Commerce Education & Innovation Committee has recently been working closely with Manassas City Public Schools to get a new program off the ground: Work-based learning opportunities for local students. Beginning this month, the Chamber will actively seek businesses who want to offer local students real-world work experience in cooperation with teachers and administrators at Osbourn High School.

Susan McNamara, Career and Technical Education Supervisor for the City’s Schools describes their work-based learning program: “Osbourn High School students who enroll in our Career and Technical Education programs are provided with training, not only in the technical aspects of their chosen fields, but also in communication and soft skills—things like how to answer phones in a place of business or how to interact with customers. Interested businesses provide opportunities for the students to come and work for them, then offer feedback to both the students and their teachers, creating a synergistic relationship between local businesses and public educators. The entire idea is to create a pipeline of workers that businesses want to hire and who are college and career bound.”

Suzanne Lewis, Director of Community Outreach for the Prince William Chamber adds, “The Chamber’s Education and Innovation Committee has been searching for a way to add a more hands-on approach for workforce development with their programming. This absolutely fits the bill. Over and over we hear our member businesses say that soft skills can be one of the hardest things to find in potential employees. The Manassas City school system is providing their students—and the business community—with a valuable advantage by integrating that into their work-based learning initiatives.”

“This is a huge accomplishment for our committee,” says Eugene Brown, Vice Chair of the Education and Innovation Committee. “Connecting the business community to our students through the Chamber is not only essential, but a no-brainer. This public-private partnership is the game-changer our community needed.”

Expansion into Prince William County and City of Manassas Park Public Schools is hoped for in the near future. For more information on available opportunities visit pwchamber.org/cte.

Currently Osbourn High School Career and Technical Education is pursuing work-based learning opportunities for students in all areas of business and industry.  If you are interested please contact Paul Steiner, Career and Technical Education Administrator, Osbourn High School: 571-377-7065,psteiner@mcpsva.org.  

For more information about the chamber, contact: Andrea Short, Director of Marketing & Communications, Prince William Chamber of Commerce,  ashort@pwchamber.org; 571-765-1876.

Baraboo Chamber interest: Record attendance leads to changes at Devil's Lake State Park

Devil’s Lake State Park is on pace to set record attendance totals this year.

Visitation to Wisconsin’s most popular state park has increased by nearly 50 percent since 2010, going from 1.7 million annual visitors at the time to 2.6 million in 2016, according to estimates from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Steve Schmelzer, the park’s superintendent, said he expects the ascent to continue in 2017.

“We’re right in the neighborhood of 2.8 million (visitors) right now,” Schmelzer said. “Last year through October it was 2.6 million visitors, so we’re a couple hundred thousand visitors up.”

“Almost every year we’ve had more visitation than the previous.”

Schmelzer said he’s not sure what exactly is driving the attendance increase, but added that the trend is in step with national parks. He said the increased prevalence of social media and location sharing may have influenced the record count.

“Parks in general are getting more popular and more usage,” Schmelzer said. “If you look at attendance data for national parks, it has also increased substantially.”

National parks recorded record attendance in 2016 for the third year in a row, according to statistics from National Parks Service. Federal properties received nearly 331 million recreation visits in 2016, breaking 2015’s record by 23.7 million visits.

Minnesota Parks and Trails Division information officer Amy Barrett said park attendance in the neighboring state also has been up over the past decade. She said the state’s legacy amendment — which temporarily increased tax dollars to fund environmental programming in 2008 — along with the state of the national economy and Parks Division’s increased social media presence, influenced the trend.

“Families were really looking for something affordable to do,” Barrett said. “They maybe weren’t going on out-of-state airplane trips or expensive resorts. Everybody was cutting back, so I think that conveniently drove a lot of people to check out state parks.”

Barrett said the uptick in park visitors has led Minnesota to pursue several cost-saving measures. She said state park managers often oversee multiple properties, and parks are exploring self-service options to free up staff and other resources.

Schmelzer said the increased attendance at Devil’s Lake also has led to changes. Construction crews have expanded the entranceway on the park’s north shore and are finishing up an additional lane on the south shore as well. An automated park pass kiosk also has recently been installed on the south shore entrance.

Schmelzer said the electronic vendor is one of several automated pay stations that have been installed on state properties. He said the kiosk accepts credit cards and will be operational 24-7.

“There are several locations throughout the state where they have a pilot project for automated self-registration, and one of them is the south shore,” Schmelzer said. “It’s kind of like one of those parking kiosks that you see in Madison.”

The park also has upgraded infrastructure and facilities with help from the Friends of Devil’s Lake group and the Devil’s Lake Concessions Corporation. The groups donated $105,000 to Devil’s Lake State Park in September to construct a new boat rental facility on the north shore.

The Concessions Corporation plans to use the building to expand its guided kayak tours and begin offering hiking and boating tours. The group also may explore partnerships with local outfitters to offer other recreational opportunities, like scuba diving and rock climbing.

Schmelzer said other new facilities — like the winterized shower and bathroom building by the park campgrounds — will allow the site to open earlier for the camping season and remain open longer, further increasing future attendance counts.

“We’ll probably keep it open at least through November depending upon demand,” he said. “That will probably bring in a lot of campers.”

Baraboo Chamber of Commerce Director Bobbie Boettcher said Devil’s Lake has a major impact on the local economy, bringing in millions of tourism dollars each year. Boettcher said she expects the impact to increase following the rerouting of Highway 12, as visitors traveling from the south or west will have to travel through town to reach the park.

“It’s one of our key tourism attractions, no doubt about it,” she said. “Baraboo in some ways is on the map because of the lake and the amount of tourism traffic that we have come in here.” Read more: Madison.com

Mark Davidoff Elected Chair of Michigan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for 2018

Mark Davidoff, Michigan Managing Partner for Deloitte, has been elected Chair of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors starting in January 2018.

As Board chair, Mr. Davidoff will lead the State Chamber's 84-member board that establishes Michigan Chamber policy and priorities on major economic issues that affect job creation and business success in Michigan. Mr. Davidoff will serve as Board chair for one year. He has served as Treasurer of the Michigan Chamber since 2013. Outgoing Board Chair Raymond A. Biggs, President & CEO of West Shore Bank in Ludington, will continue to serve on the Chamber's Executive Committee as Immediate Past Chair.

"We are delighted and honored to have Mark serve as Chair of the Michigan Chamber Board of Directors," said Chamber President & CEO Rich Studley. "Mark's 37 years of professional experience in both public accounting and industry will help guide us as we work to help Chamber members solve their business problems and prosper."

"Organizational excellence and responsible stewardship is a key strategic goal of the Michigan Chamber," Studley noted. "Mark's background in strategy, operations, talent and business development at Deloitte will help guide the Michigan Chamber as we work to accomplish this and other strategic goals."

Davidoff joined Deloitte's Detroit office in 2005 after serving in various roles at nonprofit organizations including CFO for Mercy Services for Aging, and CFO and later Executive Director/COO for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Davidoff oversees more than 1,200 Deloitte professionals based in Detroit, Grand Rapids and Midland.

Davidoff holds a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University and a master's degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Read more: Michigan Chamber

Chamber interest: DeSoto County SCORE chapter to help new business

Aspiring businesspeople who have an idea or a service to offer, but know little about the actual means of getting something started, now have a means of connecting with experts who have indeed, “been there, done that,” in the business world.

A DeSoto County chapter of SCORE, the national organization that when started in 1964 stood for Service Corps of Retired Executives, recently started in the county.

While it no longer is exclusive to retired businesspeople, SCORE, a nonprofit organization that provides mentoring to entrepreneurs, retains its focus on helping people be pointed toward a successful start in their new venture.

Many aspiring businesses likely got a lift through the Memphis chapter of SCORE, but DeSoto County chair Doreen Graves felt it was important to have one specifically for the county and North Mississippi.

“I believe that each area has its own particular culture,” Graves said. “Statistics show that only a few people will travel over 30 miles to get somewhere, they’d rather be in their local area. That’s why SCORE breaks it up and tries to have chapters in each area, so that people can be serviced.”

Graves said her ultimate goal is to have chapters in each DeSoto County city.

When people contact SCORE, primarily through the chapter website at dcms.score.org, a process begins that leads to a connection with a mentor who partners with the client into an action plan for goal setting, which Graves said is vital in the first steps of establishing a new business.

“Once they determine that, we can begin to build upon that skeleton and put some meat on it to help them get to the process that they want to get to,” Graves said.

SCORE volunteers continue to work with the new entrepreneurs “through the life of your business,” as they like to say.

Monthly meetings and workshops are also being offered through the local SCORE chapter to offer more information.

Information on what SCORE can offer is available through local Chambers of Commerce in DeSoto County, who have all been supportive of what the organization is trying to do.

Varina Hopper is the local chapter’s vice-chair and, separate from her position as Horn Lake Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, believes encouraging small businesses to grow and thrive is vital to the continued vitality for all of DeSoto County.

“It’s one thing for Chambers of Commerce to be able to coach businesses, and that’s one of the things we do on a daily basis,” Hopper said. “SCORE really gets to the root of the issue and it has more resources and the longevity of its name. Mississippi has a great small business culture and we want to encourage that culture. This gives us a way to give them the expert analysis to help in opening their type of business.”

For more information on SCORE’s new DeSoto County chapter, Graves may be reached at Doreen.Graves@scorevolunteer.org, or call 901-413-0771. Read more: DeSoto Times

5 Star Chamber: Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory

The Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory is available at the Rapid City Chamber today! Thanks to Linda Rabe, Kristina Simmons and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!

Rapid City South Dakota 2017 Community Guide & Membership Directory

Town SquarePublications  (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.

NKY Chamber names new director of marketing and communications

The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce announced Friday that Jeremy Schrand has been named director of marketing and communications. He assumed the role Oct. 30.

“We are very lucky to have Jeremy back at the Chamber,” said Brent Cooper, president & CEO of the NKY Chamber. “Jeremy’s extensive experience working at various organizations in multiple communication roles makes him an ideal fit for this position.”

Most recently, Schrand served as a graphic designer with Tyson Food (formerly AdvancePierre Foods). Schrand also worked as a creative services specialist for C-Forward, and as the creative services manager for the NKY Chamber.

“I’m very excited to return to the NKY Chamber to work for an amazing leader. I look forward to applying my skills and experience gained in the corporate world to further enhance the brand and communications of the Chamber,” said Schrand.

As director of marketing and communications, Schrand will be responsible for establishing a strategic communication plan, and initiating and overseeing its implementation across multiple platforms. Read more: Lane Report

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

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