Chamber issue: Interstate 41 in Wisconsin clears major Congressional hurdle; North Dakota Chamber lists its legislative priorities; Chamber initiative: Emerge West Michigan Launches Online Business Resources; Minnesota State Chamber president talks Bemidji skills gap: Shortage of trained workers statewide; A Scouter in Kansas City helps teens discover potential career paths; Chamber event: Winter Games Chili Cook Off forms available; Chamber issue: Local communities explore street drinking as economic development; Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation: (Improving Innovation by improving your local library)

Chamber issue: Interstate 41 in Wisconsin clears major Congressional hurdle

"The local chambers of commerce have all pretty well supported this," Petri said. "It just makes it easier for them to indicate to people around the country and world what kind of infrastructure they have. If it says U.S. Interstate, people know what that means."
Meanwhile, business and economic development leaders in communities along the highway said the conversion will help boost economic growth by increasing the opportunities for national operations that wouldn't otherwise consider locating there.
"It puts us on a different stature as it relates to communities across the country," said John Casper, president and CEO of the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce. "A lot of businesses — industrial, commercial, retail — want to be on interstates. When firms are identifying places to locate (and) expand ... (the word) interstate communicates a certain standard." Read more: Sheboygan Press


North Dakota Chamber lists its legislative priorities

More tax relief for businesses, strengthening the state’s workforce and flood protection are among likely legislative priorities for the Greater North Dakota Chamber.
Andy Peterson, president and CEO of the Greater North Dakota Chamber, discussed the group’s upcoming legislative focus Thursday with state legislators and business leaders at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead, which houses the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce.
North Dakota’s 2015 legislative session convenes Jan. 6. Gov. Jack Dalrymple delivered his 2015-17 executive budget on Dec. 3.
“We do like the governor’s budget for the most part,” Peterson said. “I think it’s a great start for the Legislature. We’ll see where it goes.” Read more: InForum.com

Chamber initiative: Emerge West Michigan Launches Online Business Resources

West Michigan is blessed with a wide variety of organizations and business working to assist entrepreneurs and the business community. Now, thanks to a regional collaboration led in part by the Grand Rapids Area Chamber, there is a new one-stop-shop online resource designed to make it easier to find and tap into the area’s strong network of support for business startup and growth.Launched in October 2014, the Emerge West Michigan website – www.emergewm.com – provides a central hub of regional information and business trends as well as a growing source for business events and workshops. Read more: Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce

Minnesota State Chamber president talks Bemidji skills gap: Shortage of trained workers statewide

Bemidji has a skills gap, and the shortage of trained workers is driving away businesses, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Interim President Bill Blazar said Friday.
Blazar spoke to a gathering of Bemidji Area Chamber members at the Hampton Inn as part of a statewide tour of local Chamber groups involved in the "Grow Minnesota" business development program.
Roughly 100 Bemidji businesses have been contacted by the program since its inception in 2003. Grow Minnesota interviews with local businesses over the past year indicated that of the 14 businesses that responded on the skills gap topic, eight companies said they had trouble finding qualified workers and six said they didn't have trouble, he said. Bemidji businesses named construction workers, executives, architects and engineers as some of the most difficult positions to fill, Blazar said. Read more: The Bemidji Pioneer

A Scouter in Kansas City helps teens discover potential career paths

By Mark Ray
Photographs by David Eulitt
From the January-February 2015 issue of Scouting magazine

Mentoring is job No. 1 for Lester McKinzy, Explorer Post 2967 advisor

In 2011, the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce unveiled the “Big 5,” a group of initiatives designed to create economic opportunity and establish a more vibrant Kansas City region. One of those initiatives sought to revitalize the inner city by, among other things, helping young people prepare for college and career.
That’s where Scouting came in. Exploring, a program of the BSA’s Learning for Life affiliate (exploring.learningforlife.org), is all about career exploration, so a partnership seemed a natural fit.
Terry Dunn, a key leader in the Urban Neighborhood Initiative, is a longtime member of the Heart of America Council’s executive board. Dunn’s company, JE Dunn Construction, pledged to create an Explorer post and tapped Lester McKinzy to help start it. The post officially launched in January 2013, and McKinzy took over as Advisor a little more than a year later.
A Kansas City native, McKinzy had never been involved in Scouting or Exploring, but he jumped at the chance to serve. “I had a burning passion to work with youth in the area of career development,” he says. “It ended up being a great fit.” Read more: Scouting Magazine

Chamber event: Winter Games Chili Cook Off forms available

Entry forms for the REMAX Lakes Realty Chili Cook Off are now available online at www.uofowintergames.com or in the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce office in Arnolds Park. This delicious event is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23 at the Dickinson County Expo Building in Spirit Lake.
Chili Cook Off teams are asked to furnish at least 10 gallons of their special recipe chili, as well as warmers, ladles, extension cords and decorate their serving area. All members of the community are invited to participate, yet due to space constraints, the event limited to 42 teams.
And this year's theme? OUTER SPACE! Read more: Dickinson County News

Chamber issue: Local communities explore street drinking as economic development

Ohio’s cities that have watched their tax bases sag while hot destinations like Austin, Texas, and Nashville, Tenn., lure young professionals with a vibrant nightlife are hoping to bring a little flavor of Mardi Gras to the Buckeye state.
A bill that passed the Ohio Senate 31-0 last week has officials in cities from Cleveland to Cincinnati dreaming about bringing more sauce — and tax dollars — to their entertainment corridors.
The bill could allow many cities and townships — including about 15 locally — to establish designated drinking areas where visitors can wander outside, drinks in hand, as if they are on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
Some local officials, business groups and developers have embraced the idea of outdoor libations. They say the areas are intended to capitalize on changing consumer preferences, particularly among young people, and use a lively nightlife to promote economic development. Read more: Journal-News

Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation:  (Improving Innovation by improving your local library)

A library is the delivery room for the birth of ideas, a place where history comes to life.' Norman Cousins

Chamber chiefs: Detroit’s brand, health matter to all of Michigan; Chambers Creating Opportunity: New York’s High Line Fuels Wave of Urban Renewal Projects; Chamber energy: North Dakota's $4bn petrochemical plant should help reduce natural gas flaring; Heber Springs AR Chamber introduces leadership program; Chamber Tweet of the Day: Minneapolis Chamber - Awesome Photos; Chamber Executive Jennifer Daly named new CEO of Central Illinois Economic Development Council; Register Today! Fall National SBIR/STTR Conference in Austin, Texas (November 11-13); Friday: 157 Rules for Executive Success in Organization Management (and your Chamber of Commerce) by Patrick McGaughey - RULE #20

Chamber chiefs: Detroit’s brand, health matter to all of Michigan

Detroit matters.
Communities must work together.
And voters electing business-friendly leaders has helped improve the economy in Michigan.
Those were three messages Rich Studley, president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, and Sandy Baruah, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber, hammered home to roughly 80 people attending the inaugural First Tuesday Power Lunch at Oak Pointe Country Club in Genoa Township. The Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event, and DTE Energy was the major sponsor. Read more: Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Chambers Creating Opportunity: New York’s High Line Fuels Wave of Urban Renewal Projects

When a handful of residents of Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood banded together in 1999 to prevent the demolition of an abandoned elevated railway that hadn’t been used in two decades, a largely apathetic local government responded with muted skepticism. That group, however, turned out to be Friends of the High Line, the organization responsible for creating one of New York City’s most visited neighborhood attractions that has already spawned a number of similar urban renewal projects across the U.S.
Stretching from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street, the High Line runs through Chelsea near the Hudson River on Manhattan’s far west side. Since its first section opened in 2009, the High Line has won prestigious architecture and design awards and drawn an ever-growing number of New Yorkers and tourists alike, with nearly 5 million people visiting the elevated park in 2013, according to The New York Times.  Read more: Free Enterprise


Chamber energy: North Dakota's $4bn petrochemical plant should help reduce natural gas flaring

“When the field first started going, there was a lack of gathering systems and we did a lot of flaring, and that’s not abnormal for immature fields,” Andy Peterson, president of the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce, told me on Wednesday. “What is normal is that you start capturing some of the stuff and using everything. That’s what industry wants – they want to use every little bit of the raw product that they can.” Read more: Star-Tribune

Heber Springs AR Chamber introduces leadership program

Director Julie Murray made a big announcement regarding a new leadership program at the Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce Quarterly Luncheon on Wednesday. She, along with ASU-Heber Springs Vice Chancellor Dr. Chris Boyett presented members with details of the new program called Leadership Heber Springs,“This effort began with a combination of my predecessor, Melisa Gardner, and Chamber Board President Jayson Jones,” said Murray.  “Any major city or town you look at has this program, which is usually sponsored by the Chamber or the local university.” Read more:The Sun-Times

Chamber Tweet of the Day: Minneapolis Chamber - Awesome Photos

Minneapolis Chamber ‏@MplsChamber 10m10 minutes ago

View some awesome photos from our #GMMpls event at @SEVENMPLS last month! Photos by @ARCphotography_ https://www.flickr.com/photos/mplschamber/sets/72157648407327660/ …

View details

Chamber Executive Jennifer Daly named new CEO of Central Illinois Economic Development Council

Jennifer Daly will start her new job as CEO of the Economic Development Council of Central Illinois on Nov. 3. It may take two people to replace her in Morton. Daly, 42, has spent the past six years as CEO of the Morton Economic Development Council and executive director of the Morton Chamber of Commerce. Her last day in those positions is Oct. 31. The organizations have launched separate searches for replacements. The two hiring committees are meeting regularly to compare notes.

“All options are on the table,” said chamber board President Bill Aupperle. “There’s no timeline for hiring someone for the chamber. Having (chamber Program Director) Tammy Stephens around buys us some time. It’s more important that we find the right person.” Read more: Pekin Times

 

Chamber Technology Small Business: Register Today! Fall National SBIR/STTR Conference in Austin, Texas (November 11-13)

Attention technology entrepreneurs: the Fall National SBIR/STTR Conference (NSC) will take place November 11 - 13 at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center (U. Of Texas) in Austin, TX.  At this conference, attendees will learn from senior SBIR/STTR leaders and successful small businesses how to compete for SBIR/STTR funding in two dozen federal agencies. To see the event homepage, go to www.defenseenergy.com/National_SBIR_Conference_Fall.html

The Fall NSC - held alongside the annual Defense Energy Summit and Smart Cities Innovation Challenge -- will be a busy marketplace for SBIR/STTR Agencies, industry leaders, veteran SBIR/STTR awardees, state support networks, and aspiring entrepreneurs, with emphasis on opening the SBIR/STTR pipeline to newcomers.  Highlights include:

• 1-on-1 meetings with 20+ SBIR/STTR Agencies
• 20+ panel sessions featuring  Agencies, successful small firms, Industry partners, and SBIR/STTR experts from state and private sectors
• Pre-event courses on must-know business basics for SBIR/STTR pursuit
• Abundant networking opportunities
• Exhibit Hall featuring SBIR/STTR Agency Pavilion, Fortune 1000 firms, universities, and SBIR/STTR-funded businesses

Discounted "early bird" registration ends September 16th. Register online at your earliest convenience at www.defenseenergy.com/register.html.  The AT&T Center is also offering discounted room rates for SBIR/STTR Conference attendees; to book online, visit www.defenseenergy.com/about/venue.html. More Info SBA.gov

Friday: 157 Rules for Executive Success in Organization Management (and your Chamber of Commerce) by Patrick McGaughey

RULE #20       Make a profit plan, not a budget

Missouri Chamber applauds 100 Great Ideas for Missouri initiative; Duke Energy Honors Bedford (Indiana) Area Chamber's Jamie Medlock With "Difference Maker" Award; Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber President Appointed to U.S. Chamber Committee; Chamber news: 14th Annual Great Lakes Women's Business Conference; Minneapolis Regional Chamber Community Connections: Practice Interviews; Shawnee, OK Chamber Event: A Tasty Affair to benefit commerce; Shawnee, OK Chamber Event: A Tasty Affair to benefit commerce; New Richmond (Wisconsin) Chamber names Rob Kreibich as executive director; Chamber history: 1964 plowing contest drew 100,000 people to ND farm; Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations: (Attitude)

Missouri Chamber applauds 100 Great Ideas for Missouri initiative

Speaker-elect John Diehl has launched an initiative to gather ideas from Missourians to improve our state and government. Diehl has launched a website where constituents can post ideas. The website will be complemented with a statewide legislative tour to communities across the state.

“The Missouri Chamber believes the 100 Great Ideas for Missouri initiative is a great way to engage House members with the needs of Missourians,” said Missouri Chamber President and CEO Daniel P. Mehan. “Then best ideas for moving our state forward are not created in the offices of the Capitol, but are born in our communities. Making it easier to deliver these ideas to legislative leaders is a worthwhile effort. We will encourage our employer members to submit ideas.” Read more: Missouri Chamber

Duke Energy Honors Bedford (Indiana) Area Chamber's Jamie Medlock With "Difference Maker" Award

Duke Energy honored Bedford Chamber of Commerce President Jamie Medlock with a "Difference Maker" award at the Aug. 30 Indianapolis Indians game in Indianapolis.
"As Indiana's largest electric supplier, we have the privilege of working with a number of community leaders statewide," said Bruce Calloway, Duke Energy's southwest district community relations manager. "We're honoring one of those leaders, Jamie Medlock, with the Duke Energy Difference Maker award for her work bettering lives in our community." Medlock has helped secure nearly $20 million in investments for Bedford's downtown revitalization. Read more: WBIW.com

Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber President Appointed to U.S. Chamber Committee

Lee S. Lingo, President of the Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce, has accepted an invitation to serve as a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Logistics Committee for the 2014-2015 year.
The 140-member committee meets twice a year to formulate U.S. Chamber policy in transportation infrastructure, and also serves as a forum for networking and education about infrastructure issues. In the coming year, the committee’s work will focus on reauthorization of the federal aviation law and continue its work on water resources, marine transportation and surface transportation, according to a letter from the U.S. Chamber. Read more: Surfky.com

Chamber news: 14th Annual Great Lakes Women's Business Conferenc Sept. 29 & 30 --- Novi, Michigan 

The 14th Annual Great Lakes Women’s Business Conference is a great resource to propel your business forward. This conference will address the needs of both aspiring and established business owners and will deliver strategies for succeeding in a highly competitive market. The conference is attended by women business enterprises (WBE’s), corporate procurement and supplier diversity professionals, government representatives and partner organizations.

Special contract opportunities and supplier matchmakers are available for WBENC certified women business enterprises at the Women’s Business Showcase of 125 plus WBE’s and 60 plus corporations at the Meet the Buyers .Executive level workshops are offered to assist you with strategies to grow your business and empower diversity excellence. Learn more: WBEC Great Lakes

Minneapolis Regional Chamber Community Connections: Practice Interviews

Date: September 26, 2014

Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Register Now

Event Description:

Goodwill Easter Seals of Minnesota provides job training, employment and support services to individuals with barriers to employment. One such barrier can be successful interview techniques. Join us as we conduct mock interviews for participants in training classes, job development and work experience programs, to help them become more comfortable with the interview process. Read more: Minneapolis Regional Chamber

Shawnee, OK Chamber Event: A Tasty Affair to benefit commerce

The “A Tasty Affair” fundraiser is fittingly titled. The annual Chamber of Commerce auction is abundant with local food. Nancy Keith, chamber president and CEO, said the Oct. 2 event attracts an average of about 30 restaurants each year.
“They set up and decorate booths. Then, they present their favorite thing they serve. But they will bring enough, most of the time, for a meal. They’re loaded,” she detailed of the restaurants’ flavorsome selections.
A “Best in Show” competition will award the most aesthetically pleasing booth. A “Most Delish Dish” contest will honor the food sample favorite. Keith said secret judges might determine the champion. If so, the chamber will have their pick of potential judges.
“It’s always a sellout crowd,” she explained. “We’ll have 550 people.” Read more: Shawnee News-Star


Chamber Tweet of the day: Retweeted by MMAC
 

Forbes ‏@Forbes 13h

Help us find the 2015 class of entrepreneurs & innovators under 30! Use #My30Under30 to share your picks.

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New Richmond (Wisconsin) Chamber names Rob Kreibich as executive director

Rob Kreibich has been named the executive director for the New Richmond Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau. Kreibich will assume the post Monday, Oct. 6.

"Rob has a solid background in many high-profile jobs, where his skill set and personality will work well in promoting our region," said Chad Derrick, project manager at Derrick Building Solutions and board chair of the New Richmond Area Chamber, in a news release. Read more: Leader Telegram

Chamber history: 1964 plowing contest drew 100,000 people to ND farm

Ramona Fraase says her grandchildren aren’t sure what a plow is. But plowing was important enough once to bring 100,000 people, including U.S. presidential and vice presidential candidates, to her family farm near Buffalo, N.D., for the 1964 National Plowing Contest.
“It was a national thing. We did (news media) interviews from New York to Los Angeles,” Fraase says. “But it wasn’t about us or Cass County (in which Buffalo is located). It was about putting over North Dakota.”
Getting ready for the 1964 contest, held Sept. 17 to 19 that year, was a three-year process. See more at: AGWEEK


Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations: (Attitude) on a cold fall day...

“If It's Cold Outside Then Let The World To See The Warmth of Your SMILE....” ― Muhammad Imran Hasan

 

 

Chamber Executive Ongoing Education Weekly New Idea: Aaker on Branding: 20 Principles That Drive Success by David A. Aaker; Minneapolis Chamber is looking for you: to Drive Emerging Leaders; State Chamber of Oklahoma: Gross Production Tax Challenge Dismissal Will Keep State Economy Growing; Heart of Wisconsin Chamber introduces manufacturing careers to young audience. Chamber Tweet of the Day: Kansas Chamber now on Instagram; New Chamber offices - Deadwood SD eyes $3.5 million gateway visitor/business center; Chamber Directory or Map; Kennett, Mo Chamber of Commerce tax-free holiday poll goes live online; Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation: (Leadership) Warren Bennis

Chamber Executive Ongoing Education Weekly New Idea: Aaker on Branding: 20 Principles That Drive Success by David A. Aaker

Aaker on Branding presents in a compact form the twenty essential principles of branding that will lead to the creation of strong brands. Culled from the six David Aaker brand books and related publications, these principles provide the broad understanding of brands, brand strategy, brand portfolios, and brand building that all business, marketing, and brand strategists should know.

Aaker on Branding is a “go-to” source for how you create and maintain strong brands and synergetic brand portfolios. It provides a checklist of strategies, perspectives, tools, and concepts that represents not only what you should know but also what action options should be on the table. When followed, these principles will lead to strong, enduring brands that both support business strategies going forward and create coherent and effective brand families.

Those now interested in and involved with branding are faced with information overload, not only from the Aaker books but from others as well. It is hard to know what to read and which elements to adapt. There are a lot of good ideas out there but also some that are inferior, need updating, or are subject to being misinterpreted and misapplied. And there are some ideas that, while plausible, are simply wrong if not dangerous—especially if taken literally.

Aaker on Branding offers a sense of topic priorities and a roadmap to David Aaker’s books, thinking, and contributions. As it structures the larger literature of the brand field, it also advances the theory of branding and the practice of brand management and, by extension, the practice of business management. Read more: Barnes & Noble


Minneapolis Chamber is looking for you to: Drive Emerging Leaders

Board Member Application

We are looking for energetic people to join the current DRIVE board. Candidates are passionate about helping young professionals develop and grow their networks while becoming more connected to the community. The board members shape DRIVE’s programming, community outreach and commit to the following:

• Attend as many roundtables as possible; roundtables are the third Friday of the month, January-October.
• Attend and promote roundtable and networking events through personal and additional organizational networks and social media platforms.
• Attend quarterly Board meetings at the Local from 4 to 5 p.m. in the months of dates for January, April, July, and October.
• Work with at least one sub-committee.

There are a limited number of board seats available and members must belong to the Chamber of Commerce. The application deadline is October 20, 2014.

If you have any questions about the application or the board please contact Christine Levens at clevens@minneapolischamber.org. Read more: Minneapolis Regional Chamber

State Chamber of Oklahoma: Gross Production Tax Challenge Dismissal Will Keep State Economy Growing

Today’s dismissal of a challenge to the provisions of House Bill 2562 brings certainty to one of the most important industries in the state. The gross production tax rate compromise allows companies to move forward with plans for drilling in the coming year.

“A recent study of Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry by the State Chamber Research Foundation shows how important the energy sector is to the state,” said State Chamber President and CEO Fred Morgan. “Providing assurance for companies that invest billions of dollars and employ tens of thousands of people in Oklahoma will only help the economy.” Read more: State Chamber of Oklahoma

Heart of Wisconsin Chamber introduces manufacturing careers to young audience.

In Wood County, action is being taken to close the skills gap and introduce manufacturing careers to youth. The Heavy Metal Bus Tour, founded by the Heart of Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, has taken more than 250 area middle and high school students on tours of area manufacturers (including NewPage facilities). Students need to know that there are amazing careers (at some amazing businesses) that are available right in their own backyard. Incourage Community Foundation has brought business and education leaders together to form the Business and Education Committee. The committee (which includes NewPage representatives) has held open discussions on the skills that are needed at local manufacturers. Tours and classes have been held at both manufacturers and schools to get an understanding of the opportunities and challenges each group faces. The committee looks to find ways to energize youth in the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and math. Read more: Stevens Point Journal

Chamber Tweet of the Day: Kansas Chamber now on Instagram



The Kansas Chamber ‏@KansasChamber 15h

We are now on Instagram! Follow Kansas_Chamber today to check out our latest event pictures and more!

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New Chamber offices - Deadwood SD eyes $3.5 million gateway visitor/business center

The public is invited to weigh in on a proposed new visitor center to be located in Deadwood’s Lower Main parking lot. With a potential $3.5 million price tag, the centens designed to spruce up Deadwood’s south entrance, calling more attention to neighboring downtown and providing a more customer-friendly informative start to the Deadwood visitor experience.
Request for proposals on the project were solicited late last year with seven responses garnered. Deadwood’s Parking and Transportation Committee then chose four designs, and 30-minute interviews were conducted with those four companies.
The Deadwood City Commission approved entering into a contract with Chamberlin Architects to develop a master plan for the Lower Main parking lot and Visitor Center at a cost not to exceed $39,520 at a Jan. 21 meeting. A copy of the proposal is on file at the Deadwood Police Department for members of the public interested in viewing it.
“This has the potential to be a game changer,” said Deadwood Parking and Transportation Committee Chairman and Police Chief Kelly Fuller. “This is a three-acre blank canvas. We’re looking at building a new visitor center with the potential to house the Chamber of Commerce. Read more: Black Hills Pioneer


Chamber Directory or Map

Get a free estimate for your chamber on a professional gloss chamber map, chamber app, community profile or membership directory. Call John Dussman of Village Profile at (800)-600-0134 x239 or email jdussman.vp@villageprofilemail.com. If your chamber has 500 members or more, please ask about the several multimedia options available to your chamber.


Kennett, Mo Chamber of Commerce tax-free holiday poll goes live online

At last Tuesday's Kennett City Council meeting, during a discussion as to whether the city should continue to opt out of Missouri's annual tax-free holidays, the Executive Director of the Kennett Chamber of Commerce told council members the Chamber would implement a poll for members to take, expressing their opinions on the issue. Director Melissa Combs said she would gather the results and report back to the council.
In an e-mail sent to Chamber members on Tuesday, Combs said, "The Chamber of Commerce is conducting a poll on behalf of the city council to determine if the public would like to participate in the annual 'Sales Tax Holiday' that the State of Missouri hosts each year. Please click the link below to complete a confidential survey on the subject." The poll is now live, online Read more: The Daily Dunklin Democrat

Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation: (Leadership)



 “Too many companies believe people are interchangeable. Truly gifted people never are. They have unique talents. Such people cannot be forced into roles they are not suited for, nor should they be. Effective leaders allow great people to do the work they were born to do.” ~ Warren  Bennis
  Forbes 43/50

Detroit Chamber Tweet Contest going on now: "What are some of your favorite businesses in Detroit?";Chamber news: North Dakota: Legendary Among States; Missouri: New Chamber President on Springfield’s Future, Right to Work; Chamber non-dues revenue: Barrington IL Area Chamber of Commerce: Are you ready for some football?; Chickasha Chamber State of Education breakfast discusses visions for future; Minneapolis Regional Chamber event: Huddle with the Vikings! Little Rock Chamber's Chesshir: Startup Ecosystem Can Bring Downtown to Life; McCook Area Chamber Nebraska reviews top priorities; Murphyboro, IL Chamber Event: Blues Festival set for September 21; Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation: (Your Life's Goals )

Detroit Chamber Tweet Contest going on now: "What are some of your favorite businesses in Detroit?"

Description: Starting Monday, August 4, the Chamber will begin accepting responses to the question: “What are some of your favorite businesses in Detroit? Why? Enter to win a $5 @GiftDetroit313 gift card.”

How to Enter: Tweet at the Detroit Regional Chamber (@detroitchamber) the answer to the question in 140 characters or less.

For example, “@detroitchamber Lafayette Coney Island because they have the world’s best coney!”

On Friday, August 29, at 5 p.m., five tweets will be randomly chosen to receive $5 Gift Detroit certificates that can be redeemed at any of the 50 local businesses participating in the program. Winners will be direct messaged and will have 48 hours to respond. Prizes will be mailed to the lucky winners.

Prizes: $5 Gift Detroit certificates to 5 winners

To learn more about Gift Detroit or to purchase Gift Detroit certificates, click here.

Chamber news: North Dakota: Legendary Among States

Residents highly satisfied with economy, education, air quality

 "Oil boom" is probably the first phrase that comes to mind when one thinks about North Dakota. Yet North Dakotans see their state as much more than oil. They are highly satisfied with their schools, their air quality, their ability to find a quality job, and their overall standard of living.Read more: Gallup Politics

Missouri: New Chamber President on Springfield’s Future, Right to Work

The new president and CEO of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce is expected to be in place this fall. On Wednesday, the Chamber announced the appointment of Matt Morrow to the post. KSMU’s Alissa Zhu spoke with the Bolivar native and has this report. Morrow attended college in his home town at Southwest Baptist University. A radio broadcaster in the 1990s, Morrow then expanded his horizons to politics.

He worked as an aid for then-Missouri Senator John Ashcroft and lived in Washington D.C. for a number of years, returning to Missouri to serve as the CEO of the Homebuilders Association of Greater Springfield. Morrow held the position for 12 years before accepting the position of executive vice president and CEO of the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders. More: KSMU Ozarks Public Radio

Chamber non-dues revenue: Barrington IL Area Chamber of Commerce: Are you ready for some football?

Get Your Monday Night Football  Raffle Books Before September 8! Kick-off is September 8 for the 2014 Monday Night Football season, so be sure to stop by the Chamber office this week to get your MNF Raffle Books! Every week of the season gives you a chance to win $50 - and $100 for the Super Bowl!

The Monday Night Football raffle brings you and your friends added fun and excitement throughout the season for just $20 per book. And you don't even have to keep track of the scores - we do it for you! If your book is a winner, we'll mail your check the week immediately following the game.

 

Chickasha Chamber State of Education breakfast discusses visions for future

Visionaries in the local education and business worlds met for breakfast on Monday morning to discuss education in Oklahoma.

The Chickasha Chamber of Commerce hosted a "State of Education" breakfast a the Canadian Valley Technology Center. The speakers were three leaders from the prominent schools of Chickasha: Dr. John H. Feaver, University of Science and Art Oklahoma President, David Cash, Superintendent of Chickasha Public Schools and Dr. Greg Z. Winters, Superintendent of Canadian Valley Technology Center. Read more: The Express-Star

Minneapolis Regional Chamber event: Huddle with the Vikings!

Join the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce and Meet Minneapolis for breakfast with the Minnesota Vikings. Radio personality Paul Allen will interview players Greg Jennings and Brian Robison about the current season of play and working for a new coach.  Executive Vice President & General Manager, Rick Spielman will comment on the state of the organization, plus an update on the new Minnesota Multi-Purpose Stadium by Lester Bagley. Get information: Minneapolis Regional Chamber

Little Rock Chamber's Chesshir: Startup Ecosystem Can Bring Downtown to Life

Jay Chesshir wants to see the Main Street corridor in Little Rock return to the bustling days when downtown was the center of commerce in the city.

It's well on its way. The nascent Main Street creative corridor and Little Rock technology park are revealing signs of life, but Chesshir, president of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, believes the continued development of Little Rock's burgeoning tech-based startup ecosystem can help get it there.

The major players in his big-picture vision include resources such as Innovate Arkansas, the Arkansas Venture Center, the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, the ARK Challenge startup accelerator, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the BioVentures incubator at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute and the National Center for Toxicological Research in Jefferson, which is working with the state's research-producing universities to commercialize its federal research.Read more: Arkansas Business

Indiana Chamber Names New Research and Foundation Leader 

A fundraising professional with recent ties to Ball State University is the new executive director of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Christy Huston had been serving as director of development for the Miller College of Business at Ball State. In that role, she worked as a foundation fundraiser for the College. Previously, she was the executive director of a local K-12 education foundation and director of development of a statewide nonprofit organization.

This is Huston’s second stint with the Indiana Chamber, having lobbied for the organization on economic development issues from 1988-1995. A Brownsburg resident, Huston holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University.

“Christy has worked extensively with donors, frequently teaming with the dean of the Business School and recently retired President Gora. She brings extensive experience in foundation fundraising and administration, plus possesses a strong understanding of pro-jobs, pro-economy public policy. We are thrilled to welcome her back in this important position,” says Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar. Read more: Indiana Chamber

McCook Area Chamber Nebraska reviews top priorities

The McCook Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors will take another look at the chamber's goals, mission statement, and overall direction at their next meeting in September.

The makeup of the chamber board is continually evolving, as well as recent changes in staffing at the Chamber office.

For that reason, it is very important that the board set clear priorities for staff, according to Chamber Director Tacie, Fawver.

She encourages any chamber member to share their ideas with her or with a chamber board member. The board will also be reviewing feedback from a 2012 survey of chamber members to assist in the goal-setting session.Read More: McCook Gazette

Murphyboro, IL Chamber Event: Blues Festival set for September 21 

The Murphysboro Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Southern Illinois Blues Society, is happy to announce the Murphysboro Riverside Blues Festival.

The festival is scheduled for Saturday, September 21 at the historic Riverside Park Bandshell in Murphysboro. The Festival will feature over eight hours of American blues music. Read more: Murphysboro American

Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation: (Your Life's Goals )

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?  Poet Mary Oliver