Leadership Paducah Applications Due May 27th; Fort Smith Chamber Event: NWA Council President Recalls Initial Skepticism, Then Support Of Trails System; Chamber Best Practices: Biloxi Bay chamber: Be a Tourist for a Day! Tour; Chamber interest: Wisconsin tourism experiences $1 billion increase in 2014; Tazewell Area Chamber Spring Expo this weekend; Des Plaines Chamber interest: Volunteers, Food Donations Sought in DesPlaines for Annual Letter Carriers Drive on May 9; Michigan Chamber event: Carly Fiorina talks leadership, innovation in Lansing; Chamber interest: National Transportation Innovation Academy Convenes in Indy;

Good morning Chamber world! Today is going to be a GREAT day!



Leadership Paducah Applications Due May 27th


Established in 1984, Leadership Paducah is a program to develop the leadership potential of men and women in the Paducah/McCracken County area. Leadership Paducah is a program of the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce and is self sustaining through tuition, corporate support, and in-kind contributions. Leadership Paducah classes are comprised of individuals with diverse backgrounds who have demonstrated a talent and commitment for leadership. Through this program they become acutely aware of social and economic changes and the impact of such changes in the local community.

Leadership Paducah is designed to foster an in-depth understanding of the inner-relationships and complexities of the Paducah/McCracken County area through a series of face-to-face discussions with community and state leaders.

Leadership Paducah Information/Guidlelines

2015-2016 Leadership Paducah (Class #29) Application

Fort Smith Chamber Event: NWA Council President Recalls Initial Skepticism, Then Support Of Trails System

Mike Malone, president of the Northwest Arkansas Council, said he was skeptical in 2006 about allocating $2 million to start a multi-use trail system. Since then, he’s changed his mind.

Speaking to more than 350 Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce members Friday morning, Malone pointed to the system of trails and newly connected 36-mile Razorback Greenway as one of the region’s main selling points for attracting new businesses and job talent.

“We’re so proud of our emerging trails system in northwest Arkansas that we think it’s going to change how our region, and someways how our state, is perceived,” Malone said. “In 2006, the city of Fayetteville was at a decision point very similar to what you are going to be at next week.”

A May 12 vote for Fort Smith residents has been called to decide on re-upping a 30-year-old 1 percent street tax and decide whether 5 percent of the 1 percent should be used as a dedicated source to help build a city-wide, multi-use trails system. With an average of $10,000 spent per resident, that 5 percent amounts to about $5 a year per resident, according to Chamber Board President Michael Barr. - See more at: Times Record



Chamber Best Practices: Biloxi Bay chamber: Be a Tourist for a Day! Tour

May 19, 2015 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Where: Lighthouse Parking Lot, 1050 Beach Boulevard Biloxi, MS 39530 USA

Cost: FREE to Members! $25 no show or call fee Contact: 435-6149

Sign your front-line employees up TODAY! The tours are FREE to members of the Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce and their employees. The next time one of your employees is asked about attractions in our area, they will know the answer!

Email a completed reservation form to info@biloxibaychamber.org.
Be a Tourist for a Day Registration form Spring 2015  There are two tours:  April 15 and May 19.
Thanks to our sponsors…
Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum & the Biloxi Schooners
Biloxi Shrimping Trip
Beauvoir – Jefferson Davis Home & Presidential Library
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
Ship Island Excursions
Biloxi Visitors Center & Lighthouse
Ohr – O’Keefe Museum of Art
Coast Transit Authority

Chamber interest: Wisconsin tourism experiences $1 billion increase in 2014

For the travelers that helped Wisconsin achieve a $1 billion increase in tourism economic impact in 2014, it’s all about the fun and memories. For the state’s tourism industry, it’s big business. And for taxpayers and residents, it’s all about jobs and tax revenue those travelers generate. A study conducted by Tourism Economics shows the impact of tourism on the state’s economy was $18.5 billion in 2014, an increase of 5.5 percent from the previous year.

Locally, travelers to St. Croix County spent $93.8 million in 2014. Among the contributing factors for local tourism growth was a marketing campaign that focused on the area’s unique natural resources as well as the varied and fun events.
“Tourism plays a critical role in our community and continues to grow, and from an economic standpoint, the numbers reflect that,” said Mary Weller of the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau. “Last year’s numbers are very encouraging and we hope to capitalize on this momentum in the coming summer season.”  Read more: Rivertowns.net

Tazewell Area Chamber Spring Expo this weekend

The 3rd Annual Tazewell Spring Expo will take place this Saturday at the Tazewell County Fairgrouds.
This years event will feature more than 60 vendors, inflatables, a rock wall and zip line plus and the Mountain Mudder Extreme 5K mud run. The mud run will start at noon, with registration from 9am to 11am. Participants will make their way through obstacles and the infamous mud pit.
The Expo will be open from 9am to 3pm this Saturday and is sponsored by the Tazewell Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Tazewell. Source: WVVa.com


Des Plaines Chamber interest: Volunteers, Food Donations Sought in DesPlaines for Annual Letter Carriers Drive on May 9.
The 23rd annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) food drive will be held in Des Plaines on Saturday, May 9.  Residents are asked to donate nonperishable food items to be picked up by their letter carriers and community volunteers on this day. 
Local businesses also can participate by donating on Friday,
May 8th. 
Food collected in Des Plaines will benefit residents in need who are clients of the Self-Help Closet & Pantry (SHC&P) of Des Plaines. 
Volunteers are needed on May 9 to sort food at the SHC&P and to collect and transport food in and around Des Plaines.
For details or to volunteer, contact Debbie Walusiak (SHC&P) at 847/337-1443 or Luis Rivas (NALC Des Plaines) at 630/464-2397.

Michigan Chamber event: Carly Fiorina talks leadership, innovation in Lansing

California businesswoman Carly Fiorina came to Michigan on Tuesday to talk about leadership with a crowd of more than 400 people at a Michigan Chamber of Commerce annual dinner.
It wasn't intended to be a campaign speech to tout her 2016 presidential aspirations, but the subject couldn't be ignored, especially since she announced her candidacy just last week.
"On the Republican side, this is going to be a long process of elimination before the selection is made," she said. "My goal is to be still standing when the process of elimination is over."
Fiorina is just the latest in a string of potential Republican candidates who have come to the state to test the waters for the 2016 elections. Last week, Detroit native Dr. Ben Carson, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky were all in the state on the same day to speak to GOP crowds.
But Fiorina's task before the chamber was to talk more about her business experience than her campaign. She talked about being fired from her job as CEO of Hewlett Packard in 2005. Read more: Detroit Free Press


Chamber interest: National Transportation Innovation Academy Convenes in Indy
Indianapolis has been selected by two leading U.S. transportation think tank and advocacy groups as one of three regions with practical plans and positive momentum for expanding public transit. Earlier this year, Transportation for America and TransitCenter chose Indianapolis, Nashville and Raleigh to participate in its first Transportation Innovation Academy. This week the Academy brings national experts to Indy to meet with local business, civic and public sector leaders. 

The Transportation Innovation Academy focuses on building local leadership and expertise in communities that are exploring new transit options. Participants from the three regions will access the latest research and best practices on public transportation during the year-long Academy, while sharing common experiences, challenges and solutions from their respective local efforts to strengthen transit.

As the voice of the region’s business community, the Indy Chamber is an active participant in the Transportation Innovation Academy. The Indy Connect transit plan has earned broad support among area employers for its significant economic development, workforce and neighborhood revitalization potential. Read more: Indy Chamber

Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotations: (Leadership)

Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations. —Peter Drucker  

Mississippi chamber issue: Bryant wants to divert $50 million from unemployment fund to workforce training; Chamber interest: Sheboygan employers make their pitch; Grand Rapids (Michigan) Chamber Announces Two Staff Promotions; Share Your Indiana Chamber Story; Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce: Sharing Success...a Conversation with Kevin Brown of Lettuce Entertain You; Chamber Tweet of the Day: Kentucky Chamber; Chamber donation: Tazewell students help visitors center; Magnolia-Columbia County (Arkansas) Chamber Business of the Week: Smiles of Arkansas Dental Center; Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation (Attitude): Teresa Reed Bohnen, President, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota

Mississippi chamber issue: Bryant wants to divert $50 million from unemployment fund to workforce training

Call it the “Two-Cars-And-A-Boat” initiative.
Gov. Phil Bryant Friday morning briefed business leaders on a workforce development proposal that calls for pulling $25 million each of the next two years from the state’s unemployment compensation reserve fund. The money would be used to step-up the state’s efforts to train workers for advanced manufacturing jobs and to create a future generation of Mississippians with paychecks sufficient to afford “two cars and a boat,” Bryant said.
In a morning address of members of the Mississippi Economic Council, the state’s chamber of commerce, the governor said the unemployment compensation fund has built up the reserves as the jobless rate declined from 9.8 percent three years ago to today’s 7.2 percent. Read more: Mississippi Business Journal

Chamber interest: Sheboygan employers make their pitch

When Kohler Company and Lakeshore Technical College set up a job exploration fair recently at Sheboygan Falls High School, they modeled exactly what economic development leaders have been talking about for the last year — a carousel of jobs that were available to those who were interested.
Of course, with the target audience being freshmen, the students weren't always brimming with enthusiasm. Several students in one of the groups of 15 said they hadn't seen anything that piqued their interest and the one student who showed off his knowledge of certain Kohler equipment (he was the first student of the day to correctly identify a pneumatic piston) was fairly noncommittal to any of the various trades on display.
It's early for these students and they'll have plenty of time to sort out the options, but employers in Sheboygan are wrestling with similar issues — highlighting the number of open jobs and getting people to actually see the benefits and appeal of those jobs. Read more: Sheboygan Press

Grand Rapids (Michigan) Chamber Announces Two Staff Promotions

The Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce two staff promotions. Kim McLaughlin has been promoted to Vice President of Member & Community Enrichment, a new role in which she will be responsible for developing and overseeing the Chamber’s numerous events and programs. McLaughlin will continue to provide executive supervision and strategic oversight of the Chamber’s Center for Community Leadership (CCL), a role she began nearly three years ago. In addition to CCL programs like Leadership Grand Rapids, Leadership Advantage, and the Emerging Leaders Series, she will now also lead the Chamber’s events team in delivering over 100 outstanding business, community, and membership-focused events, programming, and awards celebrations each year.Latricia Trice has also been promoted to Vice President of Marketing and Communications, where she will continue to expand the strategic direction of Chamber marketing and communications while managing the marketing department. A seven-year veteran of the Chamber, Trice has overseen and significantly grown the department since its inception five years ago. She currently directs the award-winning, day-to-day marketing and communications operations for the Chamber and supervises a Communications Specialist and Graphic Designer. Previously, Trice served on the Chamber staff as the Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator. Read more: Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce

Share Your Indiana Chamber Story

The Indiana Chamber partners with 17,000 members and investors – representing three million Hoosiers – to achieve the mission of “cultivating a world-class environment which provides economic opportunity and prosperity.” Are you included? We want to hear your story. Maybe you’re reaping the rewards of sponsoring training seminars and major events. They boost your visibility by reaching thousands of potential customers statewide. Perhaps you are more productive than ever after attending a conference or reading a publication and applying the knowledge learned.
Maybe you saved time and money by calling the helplines or utilizing the Business Research Center. Or you’re a big fan of BizVoice magazine or the monthly Policy Issue Conference Calls.
We want to know how you’ve maximized your membership investment! Share your story by contacting Symone Skrzycki and providing a testimonial.

Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce: Sharing Success...a Conversation with Kevin Brown of Lettuce Entertain You

Name: Sharing Success...a Conversation with Kevin Brown

Date: February 10, 2015

Time: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM CST

Website: http://www.lincolnparkchamber.com

Register Now

Event Description:

Join us for “Sharing Success,” a new LPCC event. Lettuce Entertain You’s CEO Kevin Brown will share his advice and experience on staying fresh and true to your brand while planning for future growth. This breakfast event will provide LPCC members with access to the ideas and expertise of an established company both in Lincoln Park and across the country.

Chamber Tweet of the Day: Kentucky Chamber

Kentucky Chamber @KyChamber  ·  Jan 29 

 

Building support for #P3 jobs bill. Many thanks to @combsleslie for her leadership and support. #kyga15

Chamber donation: Tazewell students help visitors center

An observation concerning the need to make information easier to access, gave the students of the Tazewell Career and Technical Center an opportunity to demonstrate their skills.
“Some years ago when we built the Tazewell County Visitors Center in Bluefield, Va., the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce donated a card rack for us to display brochures concerning area attractions,” David Woodward, Tazewell County tourism coordinator said. “We appreciate the gift and were glad to have it.”
However, Woodward said that the office has a limited amount of display space, and as he was watching older people look for brochures, he observed that they were having trouble getting down to the slots holding the information. “We really needed to replace the card-holder, but one like the chamber gave us would probably cost us as much as $6,000 and we really needed two of them,” Woodward said. “One day, it dawned on me that I should go to the Tazewell Career and Technical Center and see what their carpentry and cabinetry class could do,” he said. Read more: Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Magnolia-Columbia County (Arkansas) Chamber Business of the Week: Smiles of Arkansas Dental Center

Smiles of Arkansas Dental Center, 301 E. Stadium, Magnolia, is the Magnolia-Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Business of the Week. The company was established in July 2010 and is owned by Robert Carter and Reese Shuffield. Smiles of Arkansas offers general dentistry for the entire family. The telephone number is 870-901-7645. CLICK THE LINK BELOW to see the website.http://www.smilesofarkansas.com

More information: MagnoliaReporter.com 


Famous Chamber of Commerce Quotation (Attitude): Teresa Reed Bohnen, President, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota

Greatest Lesson Learned: "Optimism is a Super-Power."