Chamber president: Leadership Green Bay benefits companies, community; Governor/Chamber Teamwork: Manufacturers provide lots of jobs in Nebraska; U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell welcomed members of the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce to his office in the United States Capitol earlier this week; Lansing chamber recognizes young leaders; Iowa City Chamber roundtable: Johnson County officials bring the Iowa BIG program to Iowa City schools; Chamber Economic Development: TQL to add 50 logistics jobs in NWA, part of growing Arkansas sector; Highwood, Illinois Chamber of Commerce Unveils the Pumpkin Project; Chamber cutting edge: Hackensack Chainsaw Event is all-around success; Shawnee Chamber Task force names downtown priorities; Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation: (Attitude)

Chamber president: Leadership Green Bay benefits companies, community
This past month marked the opening retreat for the 31st class of Leadership Green Bay.
The two-day retreat orients the 42 participants to the program during a two-day experience that both kicks off their leadership experience as well as provides opportunities for class members to learn about each other on both professional and personal levels.
That becomes particularly important as they progress in the program and pursue small group projects that benefit the greater Green Bay community.
In the process of selecting and executing a small group project, they collaborate, fundraise, make decisions, define assignments, create ownership, and experience diversified perspectives and other fundamentals to managing a project in a small team setting. Read more: Green Bay Gazette

Governor/Chamber Teamwork: Manufacturers provide lots of jobs in Nebraska


This month, we are celebrating Nebraska Manufacturing Month. This is a good time to reaffirm our commitment to Nebraska’s manufacturing base and to the industry which has helped our state become one of the strongest in the nation.
To grow our manufacturing base, we must make the most of opportunities which will help communities attract investments that ensure long-term growth. This takes a concerted effort to develop the workforce needed by manufacturers.

Nebraska exports to more than 170 countries, selling manufactured goods and services totaling more than $7 billion dollars. Manufacturers employ nearly 10 percent of Nebraska’s workforce. The average manufacturing job in Nebraska pays nearly $55,000 annually. Read more: Kearney Hub 

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell welcomed members of the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce to his office in the United States Capitol earlier this week.

Senator McConnell was greeted by Paducah Mayor, Gayle Kaler, and spoke with more than 30 community and business leaders about the President's foreign policy in regards to defeating ISIL, our nation's economy and the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
Senator McConnell said, "I always enjoy visiting with Paducah's community leaders during their visits to Washington, D.C. and when I'm back home in Kentucky. I want to thank Mayor Kaler and the Chamber for bringing community and business leaders to our Nation's Capital to advocate for Paducah priorities and discuss important issues with the Kentucky Congressional Delegation and the U.S. Department of Energy." Story and photo here: SurfKY.com

Senator McConnell was greeted by Paducah Mayor, Gayle Kaler, and spoke with more than 30 community and business leaders about the President's foreign policy in regards to defeating ISIL, our nation's economy and the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
Senator McConnell said, "I always enjoy visiting with Paducah's community leaders during their visits to Washington, D.C. and when I'm back home in Kentucky. I want to thank Mayor Kaler and the Chamber for bringing community and business leaders to our Nation's Capital to advocate for Paducah priorities and discuss important issues with the Kentucky Congressional Delegation and the U.S. Department of Energy."

Lansing chamber recognizes young leaders

Some of the Lansing area's top young professionals were honored Tuesday at the eighth annual "10 Over the Next Ten" awards ceremony at the University Club.
This year's list of winners includes a member of the Ingham County Board of Commissioners, two attorneys, a YMCA director who also works to revitalize downtown Lansing and owns a therapy dog and a local man who works to develop entrepreneurship. The event was hosted by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce and Grand River Connection. The winners: Read more: Lansing State Journal

Iowa City Chamber roundtable: Johnson County officials bring the Iowa BIG program to Iowa City schools 

A project-based education initiative is expanding from its roots in Cedar Rapids to area schools in Johnson County. Iowa BIG was created to explore educational options other than classroom “textbook-focused” settings deemed necessary for every student to be successful.

Iowa BIG representatives, along with Iowa City School District officials, described the importance of the program’s community engagement at a joint roundtable event held by the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce on Monday at the Coralville Marriott Hotel. “Education shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all system,” said Ann Feldmann, the assistant superintendent for the School District. “Creating options for kids, rather than just focusing on one, creates a better learning environment for all kinds of students.” Read more: The Daily Iowan

Chamber Economic Development: TQL to add 50 logistics jobs in NWA, part of growing Arkansas sector

 Retail is king in Northwest Arkansas, but the logistics sector is growing. Total Quality Logistics (TQL), one of the largest freight brokerage firms in the nation, announced Tuesday (Sept. 16) plans to open an office in Lowell that could house up to 50 jobs.

“Rogers and Lowell have a long history of working together to welcome new companies to the Northwest Arkansas business family,” Raymond Burns, president and CEO of the Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce, said in the statement. “The entire area is glad to see a strong company such as TQL planting roots in Lowell, and we are looking forward to seeing the company grow and prosper here.” Read more: The City Wire

Highwood, Illinois Chamber of Commerce Unveils the Pumpkin Project

The Highwood Chamber of Commerce will unveil their Pumpkin Project on Saturday September 27th starting at 6:00pm at The Toadstool Pub, 327 Waukegan Avenue, Highwood. Local business and artists have joined forces to decorate theis streets of Downtown Highwood in this outdoor public art exhibit to coincide with the Fifth Annual Great Highwood Pumpkin Fest from October 17-19, 2014. The Pumpkin Project will feature 25 beautifully sculpted and designed artificial pumpkins on display throughout the streets of the Downtown Highwood business district, beginning September 28.
The pumpkins will then be moved to Pumpkin Fest Grounds where a Pumpkin Project Tent will have all 25 creations on display for a silent auction. Winners will be announced at Pumpkin Fest on Sunday, October 19th at 7:00pm.

Chamber cutting edge: Hackensack Chainsaw Event is all-around success

With more carvers, more vendors and larger crowds than last year,  the 10th annual Hackensack Chainsaw Event Sept. 26-28 was an all-around success.
Perfect fall weather and beautiful fall colors set the stage for three days of  nonstop chainsaw carving and the ever-popular popular All-American Lumberjack Show.

The weekend concluded with Sunday’s auction of all the chainsaw carvings, created by a dozen master carvers from Minnesota and five other states. Read more: The Pilot-Independent

Shawnee Chamber Task force names downtown priorities

The Greater Shawnee Chamber of Commerce met Wednesday. Both the Chamber's Downtown Shawnee Task Force and the Education Task Force gave reports to the group. Linda Agee, a member of the Downtown Shawnee Task Force, said the group has been working on identifying the needs of the downtown area and finding ways to accomplish those goals. Read more: Shawnee News-Star

Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation: (Attitude)

"Your behavior creates your brand" Conor Cunneen, author of SHEIFGAB

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 Best Practices - Positive Public Relations Creates Positive Vibe - "Good Talk" at Shawnee Chamber; Michigan Chamber Commends House Leadership for Passage of Legislation to Build Better Roads; Blevins, Denham speak at Maysville-Mason County Area Chamber meeting; Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations: (Your Choices)

From the Shawnee chamber, a list of nine terrific reasons to be proud you live in Shawnee, Kansas:

Shawnee was ranked #17 on Money Magazine's 2010 list of "Best Places to Live" in America. As America's best small cities, Shawnee was recognized for its affordable housing, air quality index and median commute time. 

Shawnee was selected as one of the “Best Affordable Suburbs in the United States” by BusinessWeek for the second time - 2009 and 2006.

Money Magazine ranked Shawnee #39 on its 2008 list of “Top 100 Places to Live.”

Shawnee is the only City in the Kansas City area to earn a Bicycle Friendly Community designation by the League of American Bicyclists. Shawnee has over 37 miles of on-street bike lanes, 47 miles of share-the-road lanes, and 30 miles of off-street recreational trails.

Shawnee was a top 20 finalist for the All-America City designation by the National Civic League. 

In 2009, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) awarded the City of Shawnee the GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its annual budget. This is a significant achievement as it reflects the highest principles of government budgeting.

Shawnee Mission and DeSoto School Districts, the two public districts that serve students in Shawnee, once again received the “Gold Medal” designation, the highest award in the 2008 Education Quotient ratings by Expansion Management Magazine.

Shawnee Mission Park, located in Shawnee, is the largest park in the area with 1,250 acres of land. It is the most visited park in the State of Kansas.


Shawnee Chamber of Commerce recently received their accreditation from the U.S. Chambers of Commerce. The U.S. Chamber's Accreditation Program is the only national program that recognizes chambers for effective organizational procedures and outstanding contributions toward positive change in their communities. This makes the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce one of the top 2% of the over 6,400 Chambers of Commerce across the nation hold this honor.


Source: Source: Shawnee Chamber

Michigan Chamber Commends House Leadership for Passage of Legislation to Build Better Roads

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce issued the following statement by Michigan Chamber President & CEO Rich Studley in response to bipartisan action in the State House today to raise transportation investment by $450 million per year.

“Today in Lansing an overwhelming majority of Democrats and Republicans in the State House worked together to pass a package of legislation to build better roads. We especially commend the leadership of Speaker Jase Bolger (Marshall) and House Minority Leader Tim Greimel (Auburn Hills); and bipartisan cooperation between House Transportation Chair Wayne Schmidt (Traverse City) and House Transportation Minority Vice Chair Marilyn Lane (Fraser). Read more: Michigan Chamber

Blevins, Denham speak at Maysville-Mason County Area Chamber meeting

An update of actions and issues that took place during the 2014 Kentucky General Assembly session was presented Thursday by State Rep. Mike Denham, (D-70th District) and State Sen.Walter "Doc" Blevins, (D-27th District). The state legislative update meeting was organized by the Maysville-Mason County Area Chamber of Commerce and hosted at the Maysville Country Club. Read More: The Ledger-Independent

Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations: (Your Choices)

1. “One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes… and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

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