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NAPERVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCES 4 UNDER 40 ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce (NACC) is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the 4 Under 40 Achievement Awards. This prestigious award recognizes four young professionals under the age of 40 who demonstrate excellence in community leadership, leadership in business, as well as excellence in career, and life balance.
This 6th annual signature event has been bestowed to the following young professionals:
- Megan Lynch
DuPage Medical Group, Manager, Charitable Fund
- Ashley Wilhelm
Allegra of Romeoville, Business Development Manager
- Jessica Gerke
Banyan Treatment Center, Intake Supervisor
- Michelle Clemen
Avenida Naperville, Community Manager
“We are consistently in awe of the exceptional character inside our NACC Young Professionals Network,” said Kaylin Risvold, President & CEO of the NACC. “The honorees were poised, prepared, and demonstrated exactly the leadership ideals we wish to promote as future leaders and stewards of positive change inside business.”
The NACC looks forward to hosting this cocktail reception on June 24th, 2021 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm at Elements at Water Street inside the Hotel Indigo at 123 Water Street, 2nd Floor in Naperville, Illinois. The reception will include a brief program where the four award recipients are highlighted as well as the outstanding finalists nominated this year – in addition, 2020 award winners will be recognized.
Risvold concludes, “I believe the most amazing part of this selection process is discovering the talent that exists in our community from this powerful segment of our workforce. Not to mention, we were dually impressed with the number of female nominees that resulted in a special end result of this year’s winners all being women. It is a vital piece of the Chamber’s mission to be serving as your resource for our community – and distinguishing those individuals that shine in their professional and personal capacities is one way to continue to put our mission in action.”
Via Jasper Chamber: HELPING EMPLOYERS TRAIN HOOSIERS FOR NEXT LEVEL JOBS
More than one million jobs must be filled in Indiana over the next 10 years. To help Hoosier employers fill these jobs, Indiana has created the Employer Training Grant, which reimburses employers who train, hire, and retain new or incumbent workers to fill in-demand positions within recognized job fields. The Employer Training Grant is available to help fill in-demand positions within six priority sectors. The grant will reimburse employers up to $5,000 per employee who is trained, hired, and retained for six months, up to $50,000 per employer.
It’s easy to learn more and submit a grant request.
https://www.indianacareerready.com/NextLevelJobs/Index?referredby=nljinquiry
Get Started Now
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, BRIGHTPOINT & LAUNCHPAD PARTNER TO OFFER LEAP SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CHILD CARE
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, IN – On Tuesday, May 4th, members of the LaunchPad Coalition gathered to announce and celebrate the availability of the Leap Child Care Scholarships to Kosciusko County families.
Kosciusko County Community Foundation made a commitment to fund the scholarship program for the next five years using dollars from a Lilly Endowment Inc. GIFT VII Large Scale Funding Opportunity grant.
The scholarship program helps meet the strategic goals of Launchpad to increase accessibility and affordability of high quality child care and early learning services for Kosciusko County families.
To qualify, families must reside in Kosciusko County, be employed, attending school or actively participating in a job training program, and be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (chart below).
Size of Family Unit | Monthly Household Income | Yearly Household Income |
1 | $2,127 | $25,520 |
2 | $2,873 | $34,480 |
3 | $3,620 | $43,440 |
4 | $4,367 | $52,400 |
5 | $5,113 | $61,360 |
6 | $5,860 | $70,320 |
7 | $6,607 | $79,280 |
8 | $7,353 | $88,240 |
For each additional person add: | $747 | $8,960 |
Preference will be given for families that meet any one of the following criteria:
· Have an infant,
· Have a child enrolled in On My Way PreK and need care for their additional children,
· Teen parents still enrolled in high school needing care so they can work and/or go to school,
· Are on the waiting list for a Child Care Development Fund voucher,
· Are employed in the Child Care sector and need care for their own children.
The scholarship may be used at any registered ministry, licensed home, licensed child care center or licensed-exempt center based in a public school.
For more information about the Leap scholarship, to apply, or for help finding child care, please visit http://www.mybrightpoint.org/LeapScholarship .
LaunchPad is a child care and early learning coalition established in 2018 under the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce. The coalition was formed to increase capacity and access to high quality child care and early learning for Kosciusko County families. For more information about LaunchPad, contact Sherry Searles at 574-267-6311 or at childhooddirector@kchamber.com .
Brightpoint helps communities, families, and individuals remove the causes and conditions of poverty. Brightpoint has an office in the K21 Health Services Pavilion located at 1515 Provident Drive, Suite 270. For more information about this scholarship program, call 1-800-589-3506 or visit their website at http://www.mybrightpoint.org/LeapScholarship .
Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Inc. has helped donors achieve their charitable dreams since 1968. The Community Foundation is a public charity that grants about $3 million annually in the areas of education, health, arts and culture, recreation, civic projects, environment and human services. For more information, visit www.KCFoundation.org, call 574-267-1901 or visit 102 E. Market St., Warsaw.
Indiana Vision 2025: A Plan for Hoosier Prosperity
The mission: “Indiana will be a global leader in innovation and economic opportunity where enterprises and citizens prosper.”
In early 2012, the Indiana Chamber officially unveiled its new long-range economic development plan called Indiana Vision 2025.
This fifth biennial Report Card evaluates Indiana’s performance compared to the other 49 states, identifying areas of progress as well as focuses for additional improvement. The data serve as a starting point for regional discussions, as well as policy and program enhancements.
Learn the latest about how our state is faring.
2021 Report Card (May 24, 2021)
Full Report Card
Two-page narrative
Acting Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced more than $140 million in grants on Thursday to businesses and organizations that play an integral role in Wisconsin’s tourism and entertainment industries.
The investments announced include:
· $75 million for lodging grants,
· $11.25 million for movie theaters,
· $12 million for live event small businesses,
· $2.8 million for minor league sports teams,
· $10 million for live venues,
· $15 million for destination marketing organizations,
· $8 million for summer camps,
· $1 million for the Wisconsin Historical Society to assist in reopening historical sites, and
· $7.5 million to increase marketing support for Wisconsin’s tourism industry.
These funds will be distributed by multiple state agencies. Like the first round of stimulus funds, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism was actively involved in advocating for the tourism industry through many of these grant offerings and will lead the grant programs supporting destination marketing organizations.
If you would like more information about one of these grant programs in the coming weeks, simply sign up to receive alerts here.
The Cedarburg Chamber will let you know more about these opportunities as we learn them. Questions? Contact Maggie at the Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce at director@cedarburg.org or 262-377-5856.
Former Iowa Mutual building open for tours this weekend
Bush Construction, a Quad-City based commercial general contractor and development firm, announced Thursday it closed on the purchase of the former Iowa Mutual Insurance Building in downtown DeWitt.
The 43,340-square-foot building is located at 509 Ninth St. and will be redeveloped into the Iowa Mutual Lofts made up of market-rate studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.
“DeWitt radiates a unique sense of community and it’s one of the reasons we were attracted to the Iowa Mutual Insurance Building,” said Bryce Henderson, Bush Construction Vice President of Development. “Anchored in the heart of downtown, the premier property will bring over 50 new, affordable housing options to DeWitt and offer residents modern amenities such as a gym, movie room, storage space, covered parking and more.”
“This project is unlike any other we have brought to this community,” said Angela Rheingans, DeWitt Chamber and Development Company executive director. “It’s an amazing opportunity to preserve history while welcoming even more people into our community. Not to mention increase foot traffic downtown and provide additional support for area businesses.”
Community members will have the opportunity to tour the Iowa Mutual building June 19 starting at 8 a.m. and see it one last time before the transformation begins.
The tour is a part of DeWitt’s Come Home 2021 celebration. Construction of the Iowa Mutual Lofts is expected to be completed in the fall of 2022. Read more: Clinton Herald
Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce Announces Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
DEI series designed to empower the business community to contribute to an equitable and inclusive region.
“While we recognize the rich diversity of our region, we also know there is need to drive positive change to eliminate systemic inequalities,” said Tim Daman, president and CEO, LRCC.
“The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce has reaffirmed our commitment to step up as business leaders and work toward an equitable future for all.”
Embracing diversity, equity and inclusion makes organizations stronger and communities more vibrant and welcoming. A recent survey from Glassdoor showed that 67% of job seekers consider workplace diversity an essential factor when considering employment opportunities. More than 50% of current employees want their workplace to do more to increase diversity. Additional research from Fast Company shows organizations with above-average gender diversity and levels of employee engagement outperform companies with below-average diversity and engagement by 46% to 58%. According to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation “The Business Case for Racial Equity: A Strategy for Growth,” businesses with a more diverse workforce have been shown to have more customers, higher revenues and profits, greater market share, less absenteeism and turnover, and a higher level of employee and customer commitment to their organizations.
The LRCC DEI commitment will feature three distinct programs:
Executive Roundtables will offer CEOs and small business owners the opportunity to confidentially discuss best practices, equity tools, and approaches in strengthening DEI in their organizations.
The Institute of Programs will offer DEI courses to teams for professional and organizational development.
DEI Roundtables will provide practical tactics to position diversity as a focus of business strategy for growth. Roundtables will foster an open and welcoming environment that will encourage diverse culture appreciation while advancing DEI initiatives to create and sustain positive change in our workplaces and community.
“Our commitment is to actively work to make diversity, equity and inclusion a priority for the business community by developing tools and opportunities that promote diverse and inclusive business practices in the Greater Lansing region,” said Ashlee Willis, founder and CEO of Michigan Premier Events and event manager for the LRCC.
The first step in the LRCC DEI initiative is understanding the business landscape in our region related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The LRCC has distributed an anonymous survey to its members, which will be used to ensure the DEI programming and resources match the business community’s needs.
For more information about the LRCC DEI series, visit www.lansingchamber.org/DEI.
Contact Ashley Sandborn, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce asandborn@lansingchamber.org
Keck's 'city' address looks to tear down walls
During his “State of the City” address to the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce June luncheon crowd, Somerset Mayor Alan Keck talked about the concept of “building” frequently.
Building new things in the city. Building something positive. And, ultimately, having the wisdom not to build walls that divide.
“It’s been said that whatever good things we build end up building us,” said Keck, “and there’s no truer statement for what’s happening in our community. It’s certainly been true for me.
When I took office ... it had been some time since opportunity had knocked on Somerset’s door. We needed that opportunity. We needed to make our city relevant again. We needed to make it more vibrant and energetic,” he added. “... We built a new door, and we invited opportunity to come in.”
Keck said that for years, he’s listened to Somerset residents dream about what their community could be, including a more active downtown area, and he’s resolved to make those dreams a reality. He mentioned projects which he’s made a focus as being among these things — a downtown market, outdoor art, and the opportunity to increase tourism by linking to Kentucky’s famous Bourbon Trail, an aim for which Keck worked to lure Horse Soldier Bourbon to town.
He challenged members of the community to be Somerset’s “best ambassadors” — said Keck, “If you’re not excited about Somerset and Pulaski County, how will anyone else (feel that way)?” — and said that was the origin of the “seemyset” slogan and hashtag, encouraging people to tell their own stories about why they love the area.
“That will look different for each of you,” he said. “It might mean Lake Cumberland and all that it has to offer. ... It might mean the historic downtown that’s filled with cars the fourth weekend seven or eight months a year. It might mean the Fountain Square. It could mean agriculture, and maybe someday, bourbon. Whatever that destination is, whatever that thing that gets you excited is, we want you to tell that story.” Read more: Commonwealth Journal
Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams addressed the Knox County Chamber of Commerce last Tuesday during a virtual meeting where he discussed the current state of the election system in Kentucky.
Adams, a native of Paducah, served as Deputy General Counsel to Governor Ernie Fletcher before moving to Washington to accept an appointment as Counsel to the U.S. Deputy Attorney General in the second Bush Administration.
Since then, Adams has represented several national political committees, numerous national political figures, and statewide campaign efforts in all 50 states after moving to full-time private practice in election law, first as General Counsel to the Republican Governors Association, and later opening a national practice in the field. In 2016, Adams was appointed to the Kentucky State Board of Elections before being inaugurated as Secretary of State on January 6, 2020.
“I want to give you just a quick update about the state of our election system—what we did last year to accommodate the pandemic and ensure people could vote, what lessons we learned and what we’ve done on a permanent basis to adopt some changes that worked out pretty well from both sides perspectives and then I’ll make sure I’ll leave plenty of time for some feedback anybody has,” Adams said.
Adams said the first bill he proposed and ultimately got passed was a bill requiring a photo ID be presented in order to vote in an election. Read more: Times Tribune
Gov. Reeves says main COVID-19 regret is that he didn’t let all businesses stay open
“The biggest regret I had from 2020, and I did it because I believed it was the right thing to do to protect our economy from overzealous local elected officials, we worked with the Trump administration and made the decision to define some businesses as essential,” Reeves said. “It turns out about 80% or 85% of all businesses were defined as essential during that time, but as I look back on it I realize that I made a mistake, because the fact of the matter is that every single business in Mississippi is essential.”
After his speech, Reeves demurred on whether he regretted issuing any shut-down or other orders to slow the disease’s spread, but said that on whole, Mississippi’s per capita COVID-19 rates were on par with the rest of the nation, “even though we had little restrictions.” He said, “We got more right than we got wrong.” Read more: Mississippi Today
Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber hires Andy Bruns as executive director
Former newspaper publisher starts July 1
Andy Bruns, a former regional newspaper publisher for Lee Enterprises, has been tapped as executive director of the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, the chamber announced June 4.
Bruns replaces Christopher Finley, who resigned in March to become director of marketing and public relations for LewisGale Regional Health System. Cheryl Ward has been serving as interim executive director.
A Southern Illinois University journalism graduate, Bruns had been regional publisher for Lee Enterprises since April 2020. He oversaw The Roanoke Times and Lynchburg News & Advance, among other publications. Before that, he held roles with Gannett and GateHouse Media.
“He has extensive leadership experience having spearheaded marketing and media organizations across the country for decades,” Zach Wimmer, president of the chamber’s board, said in a statement.
Bruns has served on multiple nonprofit and chamber of commerce boards. He and his family have vacationed at Smith Mountain Lake since 2016, and moved there full time in April 2020. Read more: Virginia Business
