Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce - President's Corner; Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar offers commentary on the start of the 2021 Indiana General Assembly Jan. 4th; Statement from Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Tim Daman; Chamber serving Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County: REDI Community Input Session; The Top of Virginia Regional Chamber 2020 Voice of Business; Marion Chamber: Stream the Chamber Virtual Awards Ceremony, Invite the Public and Finish with a Live Concert; Hartford Area Chamber Annual Dinner: Virtual 2021 - Nominate today for 2020 Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce Awards - Nominations Open Until January 15, 2021; Fox Cities Chamber adds three to professional staff; Greensburg-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce Community Map; Mequon Thiensville Chamber: Attention Ozaukee County Businesses: Get FREE Marketing Assistance; Monroe County Chamber: SBA Re-Opening Paycheck Protection Program to Small Lenders on Friday, January 15 and All Lenders on Tuesday, January 19; Biewer Lumber Opening New Sawmill in Winona, Creating 150 Jobs; Greater Owensboro Chamber: Upcoming Webinar: COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A with GRDHD Director Clay Horton; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories, Maps, Apps, Quarterly Magazines, Digital Directory Sales and Community Profiles: The no cost, no risk best Chamber Publishing Partner in the USA!

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

Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce - President's Corner

By Kara Beer, IOM, MPA

We’ve never faced a pandemic of this scale in our lifetimes. Add to that global economic impacts that will likely linger for months or even years.

What has become clear is that the role and value of chambers of commerce has never been more crucial. Not just to get our communities through the pandemic, but to help drive economic recovery far into the future.

While referencing the 2020 adopted strategic plan of the Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce,
I’m reminded of how while the strategies and tasks may be adjusted now, we here at the Chamber are
having impact with the community on a multitude of ways daily.

IMPACT STATEMENT OF THE BATTLE CREEK AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce connects and empowers business and community professionals to have the courage and confidence to be catalytic leaders in addressing their business 
and communities’ greatest issues.

Our 4 Key Priority Areas

• Be a Center of Excellence for Business. Be the number one resource for best practice and innovative resources and information for the business community in the greater Battle Creek region and Calhoun County.

• Storytelling. Help business professionals craft their narratives, and serve as a community platform and megaphone for business success stories.

• Community Advocacy. Provide the information, connections and services that will help businesses and organizations proactively address the greatest challenges within their businesses/organizations, so they can best promote, serve, and grow within our region.

• Organizational Excellence. Ensure the Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce is the best organization it can be for staff and members.

So many of you have been innovating through these challenging times. Our team is inspired. And, we know continuing to share best practices and innovations - and connecting as a community to build our future - will make us all stronger. Our Chamber team will continue to need grit, passion, innovation, and a collaborative mindset to move the economy and community forward.

I will go more into detail of each of our key priority areas and how we’re having or looking to have impact in our community over the next year throughout this publication.

#ChamberExecutive Ongoing Education Weekly New Idea: (Via Jack Klemeyer <jack@gybcoaching.com>)

My friends at eti performance improvement have started sharing complementary lessons on Tuesday and they're calling them 2-Minute Tuesday! You might enjoy subscribing to 2-Minute Tuesday to increase your learning in 2021. From time-to-time, I'll be sharing resources that will add value to you and your business. Watch for more great resources.

Capture Data Like a Pro with Drop Down List In this video we explore how to create a drop down list in Excel. Learn how to populate a drop down list wth data. add a tooltip and keep your team on track with custom messages WATCH NOW! Editor's note: I love this website...If you are a chamber person, that learned Word or Excel on the fly, this is a handy learning tool that takes 5 minutes a week. C

Indiana Chamber President and CEO Kevin Brinegar offers commentary on the start of the 2021 Indiana General Assembly Jan. 4th

“The unique circumstances and unknowns will undoubtedly figure into what and how things get accomplished. We are hopeful for a productive legislative session because there are plenty of issues for lawmakers to address that are closely or tangentially tied to the pandemic and how it’s altered business and the workforce.

“At the top of our priority list is protecting businesses and institutions from legal liability if someone contracts COVID-19 after returning to work or school, or after visiting a health facility. These protections would be for those employers and places that have made a good faith effort to follow recognized safety guidelines.

“Two long-term goals have improved odds in 2021. Those are raising the cigarette tax and the state implementing a work share program.

“Indiana’s smoking rate is the fourth highest in the country. A big reason is that our cigarette tax is the lowest in the Midwest and among the lowest nationally. We are advocating for a $2 per pack increase because it’s proven to be the one action to successfully reduce smoking and health care costs. It could also possibly bolster depleted state revenue.

“Work share is a safety net during economic downturns, like the current pandemic. Employers can reduce hours without full layoffs, and then over time, employees can be returned to full-time status once circumstances improve. It’s unfortunate Indiana did not have such a program in place in 2020. A new study by the Brookings Institution estimates that Indiana lost as much as $100 million in federal unemployment insurance funding in 2020 because it was not a work share state. Indiana simply can’t afford to be unprepared again.

“Additionally, incentives around remote workers and further preparing all areas of the state for new technology are no longer an option but required. Broadband connectivity is becoming as important an infrastructure need as water and electricity.

“We expect legislation to be introduced on all of these issues and will be advocating for them to be heard in committees and advanced to the House and Senate floors.”

As the legislative session unfolds, the Indiana Chamber will update its online policy center at www.indianachamber.com/policy.

Statement from Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Tim Daman 

 "As we monitor the potential for protests in capital cities across the country, the Lansing Regional Chamber stands with Lansing Mayor Andy Schor on his request to Governor Whitmer to activate the Michigan National Guard. We believe it's essential to protect our historic Michigan Capitol building and the businesses, offices, and neighborhoods surrounding it. Lansing welcomes visitors each year to exercise their First Amendment rights. However, we will never condone nor view violence as acceptable."

Contact: 

Contact: Ashley Sandborn
Lansing Regional Chamber of Co mmerce 
(517) 342-4549
asandborn@lansingchamber.org

Chamber serving Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County: REDI Community Input Session The public is invited to join us, along with our jurisdictional partners, for a virtual community meeting to provide input on how to drive success and create opportunities for economic development in our region by making the most of our resources. The session, scheduled for Thursday, January 21st at 1:00 p.m., will be facilitated by Leslie Schaller, ACEnet Director of Programs, representing REDI and USDA Rural Development. FREE. Register online. The Top of Virginia Regional Chamber 2020 Voice of Business The Top of Virginia Regional Chamber 2020 Voice of Business is available at the Chamber today! Thanks to Cynthia Schneider and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together! Top of Virginia Regional Chamber 2020 Voice of Business Town Square Publications  can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community profile or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman or call (847)-427-4633. Marion Chamber: Stream the Chamber Virtual Awards Ceremony, Invite the Public and Finish with a Live Concert  How to Stream the Virtual Awards Ceremony  We are excited to share this year's awards ceremony and auction with our members and Marion community FREE ONLINE! Please share this email with family and friends so they can login to support our honorees and cheer on the chamber as we begin 2021. We encourage you to log in early to  is a reminder of the Virtual Awards Ceremony. Please stay online to enjoy the After Party hosted by Pepsi Mid America with performances by 90s Kidz Band (featuring fellow board member Matt Reising)!!  The program will be broadcasted on:  Chamber's website homepage: https://www.marionillinois.com  Event Page: https://www.marionillinois.com/awards  Chamber Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/marionilchamber  Vimeo Link: (Will be updated on Thursday)  Please consider supporting one of our Local Chamber Restaurants as your celebrate our first (and hopefully last) virtual annual awards program.  If you have not already done so, please check out this year’s Online Silent Auction! Registering is fast and easy!  Silent Auction  This year’s auction is also going from January 5th – 18th, allowing for plenty of time to secure the perfect item and bid from the comfort of work or home. 100% of the proceeds from this year’s auction will go to the Chamber Foundation and our organization. If you have any questions, please contact the Chamber office at 618-997-6311.  After the 18th, winners of the auction items will be contacted to schedule a pickup time of their item(s) from the Chamber office. Non-local items can be shipped!  Hartford Area Chamber Annual Dinner: Virtual 2021 - Nominate today for 2020 Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce Awards - Nominations Open Until January 15, 2021 Things look a little different this year regarding our Annual Dinner. We will be hosting a virtual award ceremony and need your help in nominating local Hartford individuals, businesses and organizations! The Hartford Chamber has added two new awards, Jim & Dorothy Algiers Award and the COVID Award. The Jim & Dorothy Algiers Award is presented to an individual or couple who have or has continuously gone above and beyond serving the Hartford community. The COVID Award is presented to a business that has successfully created a new way of doing business during COVID.  Please contact the Hartford Chamber to be sent the nomination form at info@hartfordchamber.org or stop in office to pickup!  Fox Cities Chamber adds three to professional staff Mary Jo Beschta, Kate Bruns, and Sharla Jens join Chamber team The Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce is kicking off 2021 by officially welcoming three new full-time staff members to its team.  Kate Bruns, who joined the staff on a part-time basis in November 2020, is now the Chamber’s full-time Vice President for Marketing and Communications as of Jan. 4. On Jan. 11, the Chamber added Sharla Jens as Vice President for Investor Relations and Mary Jo Beschta as Administrative Assistant.  “As we enter 2021, I am very excited about the new ways we can serve our members and our community by adding these three talented individuals to our full-time staff,” Chamber President and CEO Becky Bartoszek said. “Each one of them brings a broad base of knowledge and a wealth of experience to the Chamber’s work and will help us make a real impact.” As Vice President for Marketing and Communications, Bruns will oversee the Chamber’s efforts in the areas of public and media relations, marketing and advertising, publications and communications, branding, and member publicity. Before joining the Chamber she spent 20 years overseeing a wide variety of marketing and communications projects at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, and worked as a freelance writer and editor for clients across the Midwest.  As Vice President for Investor Relations, Jens will serve as the primary point of contact for the Chamber’s investors, working to understand their needs and steward their support to benefit initiatives in economic development, community development, and talent attraction. Prior to her work with the Chamber, Jens served in management and sales leadership roles with Multi Color Corporation (formerly WS Packaging Group), National Envelope , and State Farm Insurance, as well as spent 17 years managing critical business accounts across the Midwest for Alltel. As Administrative Assistant, Beschta will wear a wide assortment of hats at the Chamber of Commerce, bringing her legal and organizational background to special projects that range from community relations to organizational infrastructure. She will also serve as the primary liaison to the Chamber’s 27-member Board of Directors. Beschta spent 17 years at Adventures in Advertising (AIA) in Appleton, where she most recently managed AIA’s legal department for two years. Greensburg-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce Community Map  Greensburg-Decatur County Chamber map The Greensburg/Decatur County Chamber of Commerce Community Map is available at the New Castle-Henry County Chamber today! Thanks to Jeff Emsweller and the chamber team for their help and direction putting this together!!! Town SquarePublications  (www.townsquarepublications.com) can help you accomplish your chamber's gloss map, directory, community guide or publication needs at no expense to the chamber. Please email John Dussman at jdussman@tspubs.com or call (847)-427-4633.  Mequon Thiensville Chamber: Attention Ozaukee County Businesses: Get FREE Marketing Assistance  Submit Your Application Today!  APPLY  Vertz Marketing Rotary Small Business Innovation Center at Concordia University Wisconsin | Batterman School of Business  The Vertz Marketing Rotary Small Business Innovation Center at Concordia University partners with select Ozaukee county businesses to provide marketing and business development services to foster economic development in the region. Ten qualified area businesses will receive FREE digital marketing and business development planning.  Eligible Businesses The Vertz Marketing Rotary Small Business Innovation Center at Concordia University is accepting applications for businesses to become a part of our FREE program for winter 2021. Business should meet the following guidelines: • Less than 10 employees. • Revenue of less than $1 million annually. • Business is seeking help in developing a comprehensive digital marketing & associated business development plan strategy. • Business is willing to work with assigned intern students from Concordia University Wisconsin Batterman School of Business for a fall or spring semester. What Accepted Businesses Will Receive... • Business programs will start in January, 2021 and last for approximately 4 months. • Your business will receive approximately 100 hours of marketing and business development services from Concordia University Wisconsin marketing students under the direction of Vertz Marketing and Concordia University Wisconsin - all at no charge. • Your business will receive a FREE private consulting meeting with Vertz Marketing for marketing and business development growth planning.  • Your business will have access to business networking and mentoring opportunities through Vertz Marketing, Rotary International, Ozaukee Area Chamber of Commerce Organizations and Ozaukee Economic Development.  • Your business will have access to marketing and business development resources at Concordia University Wisconsin Batterman School of Business. Click here for more details about the program  Monroe County Chamber: SBA Re-Opening Paycheck Protection Program to Small Lenders on Friday, January 15 and All Lenders on Tuesday, January 19 The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the U.S. Treasury Department, will re-open the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan portal to PPP-eligible lenders with $1 billion or less in assets for First and Second Draw applications on Friday, January 15, 2021 at 9 a.m. EST. The portal will fully open on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 to all participating PPP lenders to submit First and Second Draw loan applications to SBA. Earlier in the week, SBA granted dedicated PPP access to Community Financial Institutions (CFIs) which include Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), Certified Development Companies (CDCs), and Microloan Intermediaries as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to reach underserved and minority small businesses. On Friday, SBA will continue its emphasis on reaching smaller lenders and businesses by opening to approximately 5,000 more lenders, including community banks, credit unions, and farm credit institutions. Moreover, the agency also plans to have dedicated service hours for these smaller lenders after the portal fully re-opens next week. First Draw PPP Loans are for those borrowers who have not received a PPP loan before August 8, 2020. The first round of the PPP, which ran from March to August 2020, was a historic success helping 5.2 million small businesses keep 51 million American workers employed. Second Draw PPP Loans are for eligible small businesses with 300 employees or less, that previously received a First Draw PPP Loan and will use or have used the full amount only for authorized uses, and that can demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts between comparable quarters in 2019 and 2020. The maximum amount of a Second Draw PPP loan is $2 million. Updated PPP Lender forms, guidance, and resources are available at www.sba.gov/ppp and www.treasury.gov/cares. Biewer Lumber Opening New Sawmill in Winona, Creating 150 Jobs Biewer Lumber is constructing a new, state-of-the-art sawmill in Winona, Mississippi. The project is a $130 million investment and will create 150 jobs. “The growth of companies like Biewer Lumber in Mississippi sends a strong message that our state has a supportive business environment and a skilled workforce,” Gov. Tate Reeves said. “Biewer Lumber’s construction and expansion of the sawmill in Newton and now the construction of a new sawmill in Winona and the creation of these jobs is a testament to that fact.” Biewer Lumber is a family owned company headquartered in St. Clair, Michigan. The company operates five sawmills: two in Michigan, two in Wisconsin and one in Newton, Mississippi. “My family’s passion for the lumber industry has prompted this expansion in the South,” said Tim Biewer, president and CEO of the company. “There is no better place to grow the business than the fiber-rich state of Mississippi.” The facility in Newton was built in 2016, and the company expanded in 2019, increasing its mill production by 100 million board feet per year and creating 45 jobs. The sawmill now has 175 employees, operates two saw lines and produces 350 million board feet per year. The sawmill in Winona will have the ability to produce 350 million board feet of lumber per year. MDA is providing an Industry Incentive grant to assist with road infrastructure and rail and site prep. MDA also is providing a CAP loan to Montgomery County to assist with public infrastructure. The company also qualifies for the Advantage Jobs Rebate program, which provides a cash rebate to eligible businesses that create new jobs exceeding the average annual wage of the state or the county in which the company locates. Montgomery County is providing a fee-in-lieu of property taxes. “Montgomery County is proud to welcome Biewer Lumber to our community, and we look forward to watching the company grow and thrive in the years to come,” said Ron Wood, president of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. “A development of this magnitude will not only generate a great deal of new revenue and 150 new jobs for Montgomery County, but it will highlight the county as a premier location for future developments, especially with its central location, three major transportation corridors, and leadership committed to making Montgomery County an ideal locale to do business.” Sue Stidham, director of the Montgomery County Economic Development Council, said the new sawmill will benefit the entire area. “We are proud and grateful to welcome a new company and citizen to our community, Biewer Lumber,” she said. “The jobs they bring will fill a need in Montgomery County as well as the surrounding counties. We thank the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, the mayor and city of Winona and the Economic Development District and Council for making this a joint effort with the state of Mississippi.” “Just a few short years after opening its first sawmill in Mississippi, Biewer Lumber already is constructing another facility, one that will provide good jobs to the citizens of Montgomery County,” MDA Interim Director John Rounsaville said. “This new sawmill illustrates Biewer Lumber’s commitment to creating jobs in Mississippi and building stronger communities here. We appreciate the efforts of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, the Economic Development Partnership of Montgomery County, Entergy and Atmos Gas in making this possible.”  Click here for more information. Greater Owensboro Chamber: Upcoming Webinar: COVID-19 Vaccine Q&A with GRDHD Director Clay Horton  On Thursday, January 21 at 2:30 p.m. we will host a COVID-19 Vaccine Update webinar with Clay Horton, Director of the Green River District Health Department. It will address many of the questions surrounding the vaccine's availability, distribution, and effectiveness. The webinar will be hosted via Zoom.  Horton previously led a COVID-19 Protocol webinar with us in November, which you can view now on our YouTube channel.  Register Now to Join via Zoom  Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories, Maps, Apps, Quarterly Magazines, Digital Directory Sales and Community Profiles: The no cost, no risk best Chamber Publishing Partner in the USA! Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national chamber custom publishing group that specializes in developing partnerships by producing high-quality print and digitally integrated publications along with other added value programs dedicated to creating relevancy for local chambers of commerce and other membership focused organizations interested in raising non-dues revenues. Town Square Publications parent company, Paddock Publications, has over 100 years’ experience of print product development and dedicated customer service in communities throughout the Midwest. Our experience allows Town Square Publications to offer you attractive royalty and non-dues revenue share streams, provide direct distribution of your custom designed printed publications, including digital and mobile integration, and all with the quickest turn-around times available in the industry. Town Square also offers multi-media maps in both print and online formats, both with our No-Cost guarantee. More information: Town Square Publications Chambers of Commerce and member focused organizations serve as a valuable resource in the local marketplace. The networking opportunities and representation with a wide variety of diverse businesses in your community is the catalyst of a successful organization. For further information about Town Square's publishing partnership with chambers of commerce and our No-Cost guarantee and Earned Revenue Share Program, To request your chamber publication or map proposal, contact Town Square Chamber Proposal or email John Dussman with the subject line: Chamber Publication Proposal Requested. Thank you!

Mclean County Chamber: Education to Employment SUMMIT Today; #FamousChamber Of Commerce Quotations: (Be happy!); Bowling Green and GLI named Chamber of the Year finalists; City of Ridgeland Chamber: Join our Women to Women Committee; Rob Parker Selected for U.S. Chamber Foundation Education and Workforce Fellowship Program; Birmingham Bloomfield 2018-2019 Membership Directory and Community Resource Guide; Kernersville Chamber of Commerce: Talent Supply; 2019 Leadership Greater Rochester Graduation; Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Events; Arlington Chamber Represents Businesses in Supporting Route 1 Renaming; Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce: A Cedarburg Snapshot; Effingham County Chamber named finalist for industry award; Carol Stream Chamber of Commerce Shark Tank Video; IACCE 2018 Chamber of the Year Jefferson County Chamber Community Guide; Bloomingdale Chamber of Commerce Event on June 4th --- Impact of Increase in Minimum Wage for Small Businesses; Mayor, Chamber Of Commerce Push For Rockford Casino; Best practices for financing Illinois infrastructure: A conference summary; A Chamber Legend is on the Move... Joseph Henning named new president, CEO of Henry Chamber of Commerce; 3Sip Soda: 'Really good soda made by pretty good guys'; Town Square Publications Chamber Membership Directories, Maps and Community Profiles: The best in the U.S.

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

Mclean County Chamber: Education to Employment SUMMIT Today

THIS MONDAY! 4pm - 6pm | Heartland Community College

Check-out COMPACT Board Chairman, Tony Coletta, busting out his CRAZY sign spinning skills!

Join us for engaging conversations on innovation and collaboration between education and industry, and how a shared vision of strengthening our workforce will build a stronger community. Free to attend!

Register Here!

--- Keynote Presentations ---

INNOVATION & COLLABORATION

How Education & Industry Can Partner to Build the Foundations of Success

Dr. Mark Daniel, Superintendent, Unit 5

Dr. Barry Reilly, Superintendent, District 87

The McLean County Public Education System represents the foundation for the continued economic development and success of our community. This can only be achieved through an effective collaboration with industry partners to develop innovative learning opportunities for our students.


HITTING THE MARK How Education is Answering the Call

Gary Tipsord, Superintendent, LeRoy Schools

Tom Frazier, Director, Bloomington Area Career Center

Public Education continues to be adaptive and responsive to the ever evolving demands of industry and uses a forward thinking approach to producing high quality students capable of performing in the modern world. In this presentation we will show how schools are meeting industry needs and the specific demands of McLean County employers.


Breakout Sessions Include:


INNOVATION & RESPONSIVENESS: INTRODUCTION TO THE “NEW” COLLAR

Addressing Employer Needs Through Innovation and Collaboration
Gary Tipsord, Superintendent of LeRoy Schools & Tim Frazier, Director, Bloomington Area Career Center


CAREER & COLLEGE PATHWAYS: DEVELOPING OUR FUTURE TALENT PIPELINE

Aligning Education to Career Readiness
Dr. Andrew Wise, Superintendent of Olympia CUSD 16 & Laura O’Donnell, Assistant Superintendent of Olympia CUSD 16

WORK BASED LEARNING, INTERNSHIPS & OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH STUDENTS

The Employers Role in Preparing Students for Work
Rebecca Henderson, SMARTPath Education Services & Julie Hinman, Unit 5 Instructor for Innovative Entrepreneurs



#FamousChamber Of Commerce Quotations: (Be happy!)


“Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late.” Byron Katie



Bowling Green and GLI named Chamber of the Year finalists

The Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce and Greater Louisville Inc. (GLI) have been named as two of three finalists nationwide for the prestigious American Chamber of Commerce Executive’s 2019 Chamber of the Year.


This most recent honor marks the sixth time in six years that the Bowling Green Chamber has been invited to apply for Chamber of the Year and the fourth time in as many years that the Chamber has been named a national finalist. Each year, the ACCE invites a limited number of its more than 1,300 members to apply for the award. The application process involves a rigorous review of a chamber’s structure, finances, member engagement, services and programs.

Chamber of the Year is the nation’s only award recognizing the dual role chambers have in leading businesses and communities. Chambers honored with this designation demonstrate organizational strength and impact key community priorities such as education, transportation, business development and quality of life. The award involves a multi-stage process including a detailed operations survey, application and interview. Only select chambers nationwide are asked to compete beyond the operations survey. The application process takes several weeks, with each department submitting detailed information and case studies on programs and initiatives. Finalists are then named based on scoring of the in-depth application process. From there, each finalist undergoes a 45-minute interview before a panel of judges comprised of former winners.

“We are thrilled to once again be named a finalist for the Chamber of the Year Award. The invitation-only application process is rigorous and comprehensive, and we wouldn’t be here without the hard work of our volunteers, our Chamber leadership, and our professional Chamber staff,” said Ron Bunch, president and CEO of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. “Adding to our successful year of accolades, we are proud to once again be recognized on the national stage.”

Without lapse since 1972, the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce has maintained its status as a 5-Star Accredited Chamber of Commerce, as named by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, placing us in the top one percent of all chambers in America. The accreditation process is a comprehensive examination of every aspect of a chamber’s operations over a two-year period, including governance, finance, human resources, government affairs, program development, technology, communications, facilities and bench-marking.

Beyond its continued 5-Star accreditation, the Chamber has celebrated many 2019 accolades including:
Bowling Green was ranked first in Site Selection magazine’s Top Metros annual report of high-performing metros among communities with populations less than 200,000 based on total economic development projects for the year
Bowling Green named Best Place to Live in Kentucky by TIME.com
Bowling Green ranked among Best Small Cities for Business in 2019 by chamberofcommerce.org
Bowling Green named among Best Small Cities for New Grads by onlinedegrees.com
8th Place Best Micro City for Human Capital & Lifestyle and 10th Place Best Micro City for Cost Effectiveness by fDi Financial Times



GLI, the Metro Chamber of Commerce and largest convener of business leadership in the 15-county region, was previously named ACCE’s Chamber of the Year in 2007 and was a finalist in 2018. Earlier this year GLI received five-star designation from the United States Chamber of Commerce, a designation earned by only three percent of chambers of commerce in the U.S. The other two 2019 ACCE large Chamber of the Year finalists are the Salt Lake City Chamber and Greater Irving-Las Colinas chambers of commerce.

“GLI is a high-functioning chamber focused on growing the regional economy. As we recruit for the Louisville region to grow jobs, cultivate the workforce and advocate for the business community we are proud to be one of the top chambers in the country,” said Kent Oyler, president and CEO of GLI.

Chamber of the Year winners will be announced at the annual ACCE Convention July 14-17, 2019 in Long Beach, California.

City of Ridgeland Chamber: Join our Women to Women Committee

TO:  Ridgeland Chamber Members

Our dynamic, fun committee Women to Women will begin meeting soon to plan our August Celebration Luncheon.

If you would like to serve on this exciting committee, please sign up and we will inform you on a date for our first meeting.

Thank you for your support of our dynamic Chamber and great City.

Sincerely,

Linda Bynum


Rob Parker Selected for U.S. Chamber Foundation Education and Workforce Fellowship Program

Fellowship Provides State and Local Chambers with Opportunities to Engage Nationally on Critical Education and Workforce Issues

 The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation announced Rob Parker, President & CEO of the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce was selected to participate in the third cohort of its premiere business leadership program. The Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips leaders from state and local chambers of commerce with resources, access to experts, and a network of peers to build their capacity to address the most pressing education and workforce challenges.

“Education and Workforce are paramount to the success of a nation. In Kosciusko county, our cluster of Orthopedic companies are the envy of many other communities. Beyond Orthopedics, we have many other national and international leaders in business and manufacturing. Making sure that our community has a diverse and plentiful workforce capable of solving tomorrow’s problems is critical to our growth and success”, commented Parker.

“We created the Business Leads Fellowship Program in response to the needs of our state and local chamber partners,” says Cheryl Oldham, Senior Vice President of the Center for Education and Workforce. “They, better than anyone, see the critical link between education and economic development, and we are glad to be able to support them as they take on this critical leadership role in their community.”

Following a competitive application and selection process, Rob Parker was selected along with 33 other state and local chamber executives to participate in the third class of this program. The four-month program, which concludes in September 2019, will cover the entire talent pipeline, including early childhood education, K-12, higher education, and workforce development.

Upon completion, Business Leads Fellows will join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s dedicated network of 200 chambers of commerce and statewide associations from around the nation who regularly engage on education and workforce initiatives.

  

For a full list of participants in the Business Leads Fellowship Program, visit the U.S. Chamber Foundation website.


Birmingham Bloomfield 2018-2019 Membership Directory and Community Resource Guide 

The Birmingham-Bloomfield 2018-2019 Membership Directory and Community Resource Guide is available at the Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce today! Thank you to Joe Bauman and the Chamber team for their help and direction putting this together! 

Birmingham-Bloomfield 2018-2019 Member Directory

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


Kernersville Chamber of Commerce: Talent Supply


I hope this email finds you well. We have a new committee at the Chamber called Talent Supply. This committee is working to revamp our partnership between our local schools and businesses. We have been meeting since Janaury and are looking forward to developing a new program that will be rolled out at the Annual Banquet in November.

The committee is working on finding out what needs our community and our businesses have in regards to talent supply and hiring. We are asking that you take five minutes out of your day to complete this survey the commitee has worked on. Below you will find the link. Thank you for your time!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JGB8LTBTaylor Thornton 
Director of Programs & Memberships
Kernersville Chamber of Commerce
136 East Mountain Street
Kernersville. NC. 27284
336-993-4521 - office
336-416-5405 – cell
336-993-3756 – fax

2019 Leadership Greater Rochester Graduation

On Thursday, May 16, the Rochester Regional Chamber Foundation celebrated the graduation of the 2018-2019 Leadership Greater Rochester class at Great Oaks Country Club. The event was filled with fun, great food, and inspirational addresses from Coach Garth Pleasant, Professor of Physical Education and Chair of the Department of Physical Education at Rochester University, and Andrew Grabinski, a member of this year’s graduating class.

Thank you to Par Pharmaceutical for sponsoring the Leadership Greater Rochester program and to Flagstar Bank for sponsoring the Leadership Graduation. Also, thank you to our partners and all who attended.

Congratulations to the Leadership Greater Rochester class of 2018-2019!

If you are interested in participating in the 2019-2020 Leadership Greater Rochester program, please contact Maggie Bobitz at 248-651-6700 or maggieb@rrc-mi.com.


Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Events

http://www.virginiapeninsulachamber.com/events/calendar/

June 13: Pink Bag Luncheon

Speaker:          C. Renee Turner, ECPI University

Topic:              M.O.V.E. (Making Obstacles a Vehicle for Empowerment)

Location:         Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

                        21 Enterprise Parkway, Suite 100 | Hampton, VA  23666

Time:               11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (Check-in and Lunch 11:30 AM – Noon)

Fee:                 Members: $7 | Non-Members: $14 (Lunch Included)

Registration:    http://www.virginiapeninsulachamber.com/events/details/2019-pbl-m-o-v-e-9867

Arlington Chamber Represents Businesses in Supporting Route 1 Renaming

Last week, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) approved a request from the Arlington County Board to rename Route 1 as “Richmond Highway” in Arlington. The new name is the same name that the road uses in Alexandria and Fairfax, and will replace the current name “Jefferson Davis Highway.” The Chamber reached out to all members on Route 1 for their feedback regarding the proposed change. The overwhelming majority of members on Route 1 supported the change, with several noting that they would prefer enough lead time to implement the logistics of a change.

With this feedback, the Chamber Board voted to support the name change, and the Chamber sent a letter to the Virginia Secretary of Transportation supporting renaming as of October 1. The letter cited a desire to have the same name as in neighboring jurisdictions, problems being caused by Google Maps already using the “Richmond Highway” name, and stories of members that have lost business because of the association of their street address with “Jefferson Davis Highway.” Government Affairs Manager Scott Pedowitz spoke at the CTB meeting to reiterate the business case before the unanimous vote to approve.

Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce: A Cedarburg Snapshot
Have your questions answered -

the Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce is asking for help with questions for our panel:

City of Cedarburg Mayor, Mike O'Keefe,
Town of Cedarburg Chairman, Dave Salvaggio,
& Cedarburg School District Superintendent Todd Bugnacki

at A Cedarburg Snapshot, presented by Port Washington State Bank

Each member of the panel will be asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to answer. There will also be time for Q&A from those attending the event. Submitted questions will be kept anonymous. Please e-mail your questions to the chamber for consideration by clicking the button below before May 28. Any additional comments, please let us know.

E-mail your question for consideration

Still need to register? Click the invitation below or register by calling the chamber at (262) 377-5856 by May 24.

A Cedarburg Snapshot is open to all - residents, business owners, building owners - anyone with interest in our community!

Effingham County Chamber named finalist for industry award

The Effingham County Chamber of Commerce has been named a finalist for the 2019 Chamber of the Year award, presented by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. The award is the most prestigious and competitive recognition presented annually by ACCE, an association of more than 8,000 professionals from 1,300 chambers of commerce, including 93 of the top 100 U.S. metro areas.

The Chamber of the Year award recognizes the leadership role chambers have in their communities. Those recognized have demonstrated organizational strength and made an impact on key community priorities, such as education, transportation, business development and quality of life.

Qualifying for Chamber of the Year is a rigorous process. Chambers compete based on meeting key performance criteria on the ACCE Annual Operations Survey and must meet at least three of five key performance areas, including net revenue and assets, membership account retention, and membership dollar retention.


Qualifying chambers enter the competition with a written application addressing all aspects of organizational operation and programmatic work. Applications are scored by peer chamber executives to determine finalists. Winners are selected from among finalists based on an in-person interview before a panel of experienced chamber professionals.

ACCE announced the 12 finalsist for 2019 on May 7.

The Effingham County Chamber has qualified in Category 1 along with Murray-Calloway Chamber of Commerce in Murray, Kentucky and the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce in Wooster, Ohio.


“Qualifying for this award is due to the dedication and work of our Board of Directors, volunteer teams and Chamber professional staff to make sure the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce meets the needs of our membership as well as building and strengthening relationships that stimulate the regional economy. We are honored to be among this prestigious group of chambers and look forward to the next step in the selection process,” said Norma Lansing, Chamber President & CEO.

Chamber of the Year winners will be announced July 15 at the 2019 ACCE Annual Convention in Long Beach, Calif.


Barrington Area Chamber: Sign up for Women's Biz Net Program on May 30: "Professionalize Your Presence"


Sign up today for networking, lunch and a Women's Biz Net program on how to "Professionalize Your Presence," Thursday, May 30 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at The Garlands, 1000 Garlands Ln. in Barrington. Speaker and small business coach Julie Kittredge, LLC will present simple truths for building your online presence so that it's recognizable, consistent and intentional. Cost is $30 for BACC members/$40 for guests, which includes networking, lunch and the program. Click here to register.

Carol Stream Chamber of Commerce Shark Tank Video

Thought you would enjoy seeing the Shark Tank video.
The power of Chamber connecting stakeholders in the community!
Would love to have you be my guest on Wednesday, May 15th at Noon; Stratford Middle School
251 Butterfield, Bloomingdale to watch the Top 5 be judged by Steve Romanelli and Steven Shei.
Let me know if you can attend!

Contact Miriam Iwrey, CEO, Carol Stream Chamber of Commerce  For more information

Located in the Holiday Inn & Suites, 150 S. Gary Ave, Carol Stream IL 60188
630.665.3325 -   info@carolstreamchamber.com www.carolstreamchamber.com
follow us on TWITTER, PINTEREST, LinkedIn, and FACEBOOK


IACCE 2018 Chamber of the Year Jefferson County Chamber Community Guide   

The Jefferson County Chamber Community Guide  is available at the chamber of commerce today! Thank you to Philip "Mike" Beard and the Chamber team for their help and direction putting this together! 

Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Community Guide

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

Bloomingdale Chamber of Commerce Event on June 4th --- Impact of Increase in Minimum Wage for Small Businesses

June 4th: Impact of Increase in Minimum Wage for Small Businesses. Speaker: Dr. Amlan Mitra, Professor of Economics at Purdue University Northwest & Adjunct Professor at College of DuPage. This presentation will provide a comprehensive analysis of the impact of minimum wage increase on small businesses. Based on past studies, Dr. Mitra will highlight the "perceptions" and "facts" on how prices and labor costs impact both retail business and consumers. Case studies on how small businesses prepare and respond to minimum wage increase will be shared along with time at the end of the presentation for Q & A. Participating Chambers include: Addison, Bartlett Area, Carol Stream, Glen Ellyn and Glendale Heights. More Information: Carol Stream Chamber of Commerce

Mayor, Chamber Of Commerce Push For Rockford Casino

Mayor Tom McNamara will travel to Springfield this week to further the city’s push for a casino license.

McNamara, along with Rockford Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Einar Forsman, addressed media Monday to expound on a letter they penned that was published in the Chicago-Sun Times and Chicago Tribune. The letter congratulates the Mayor-Elect Lori Lightfoot on her recent win and offers support for Chicago’s efforts to obtain a license.

The chamber will also run print and digital ads in the Springfield Journal Register to urge Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the General Assembly to approve casino licenses in Chicago and Rockford.

“Now is the time to act for the city of Rockford to get a casino,” Mayor Tom McNamara said. “We’ve talked about this literally before I could drive. It’s been well over 20 years since our community has wanted and has been working towards a casino.”

McNamara said a casino in Rockford could mean 800 to 1,100 jobs and has the potential for the city to collect between This is $6 million to $8 million in revenue.

“We need the state legislature to act and bring the city of Rockford a casino,” McNamara said. “This is incredibly important to the city of Rockford. There’s always been a sense of urgency, but I believe that the sense of urgency has stepped up as we see Beloit moving further and further down the road to having their own casino. We have enough of the state of Illinois taxes leaving Illinois and going to other states like Wisconsin and Indiana. Now is the time to stop that flow of our money going outside of our state and keep it right here in the city of Rockford.”  Read more: Rock River Times

Best practices for financing Illinois infrastructure: A conference summary

by Richard H. Mattoon, senior economist and policy advisor, and Sarah Wetmore, vice president and director of research, Civic Federation

On April 5, 2019, more than 140 academics, business leaders, government officials, and policy researchers came to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to explore how best to design and finance an infrastructure program for Illinois. The program, presented by the Civic Federation and the Chicago Fed, focused on how to improve the transparency of infrastructure project selection and to ensure that sustainable funding is identified to support efficient infrastructure operation. Read more

A Chamber Legend is on the Move...

Joseph Henning named new president, CEO of Henry Chamber of Commerce

Joseph Henning has been named the new president and chief executive officer of the Henry County Chamber of Commerce.

Henning is currently the president and chief executive officer of the Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce in Aurora, Ill., in suburban Chicago. He has held that position since 2005.

Henning will replace David Gill, who has led the Henry County Chamber of Commerce since 2012. He announced his retirement several months ago and will work with Henning through the transition process.

“The Henry County Chamber position is a great opportunity for me to put my skill sets to work in a very fast-paced, growing area,” Henning said in a press release. “Georgia is known for its progressive business climate, and I look forward to working with the leaders in Henry County, the region and state to build an even stronger chamber.”

Henning said he feels his experiences in Aurora will match the needs of Henry County.

“I look forward to becoming a part of the leadership team in the community,” Henning said.

Sharon Ponder, the 2019 chair of the Chamber and the vice president of finance for Bennett International Group, said Henning is the right person for the job.

“Joe’s expertise and understanding of the important role a Chamber plays in the growth and development of a community in terms of leadership, infrastructure and creating an inclusive, pro-business environment are the key reasons the search committee identified him as the right leader for Henry County,” Ponder said in a press release. “The Chamber has a solid foundation that Davis, the internal team and our membership have established over the years.”

Henning also served as the chair of the National Board of Trustees for the U.S. Chamber Institute for Organization Management in 2016-17 and continues as an instructor for classes throughout the country.

3Sip Soda: 'Really good soda made by pretty good guys'

A couple of summers ago, three good friends stumbled upon a great idea that laid the cornerstone of a future business venture.

Will Rambo was on a business trip in North Carolina, inviting two of his closest pals, John-Michael Marlin and Spencer Gray, to join him.

“We had stopped by to grab something to drink, and the lady there said they had a local company that made its own soda,” Rambo said.

More than willing to give it a try, they did. And they liked it.

Each of them bought several cases to take back home to let friends and family enjoy as well.

“We bought a sample of every flavor we could find,” Rambo said. “It was really, really good, and we were just fascinated by it.”

On their way back to Mississippi, they couldn’t stop talking about the sodas, and the possibilities and opportunities that bottling their own soda in Tupelo might mean.

“There’s such an emphasis on local foods and local businesses we just knew there was a gap somewhere to fill,” Rambo said.

After tossing about the idea to their families and friends, the trio decided to make their own syrups to mix with seltzers. Their homemade sodas were tried and tested over several cookouts in the backyard .

Some were hits. Some, not so much.

“I think we made some very terrible flavors very quickly, Marlin said with a laugh.

For example, the mango pineapple jalapeño cilantro soda was one that sounded better on paper than execution.

“It was not good at all,” Rambo said. “We were busy trying herbs and fruits. We’ve had some successes and failures with it. That one didn’t work out.”

3Sip got some good business advice from mentors Geoff and Jeri Carter, co-owners of Queen’s Reward Meadery, the state’s first and only meadery. Queen’s Reward also was the first to offer to sell 3Sip.

That relationship developed in 2017 when Rambo, Marlin and Gray pitched their idea to the Community Development Foundation’s version of “Shark Tank,” called “The Pitch.” 3Sip was one of 17 teams looking to get a jump start.

“We made it through the first cut, and the top four got assigned a mentor, which was Geoff,” Rambo said. “And it took off.” Read more: Daily Journal

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

Town Square Publications, a division of the Daily Herald Media Group, is a national chamber custom publishing group that specializes in developing partnerships by producing high-quality print and digitally integrated publications along with other added value programs dedicated to creating relevancy for local chambers of commerce and other membership focused organizations interested in raising non-dues revenues.

Town Square Publications parent company, Paddock Publications, has over 100 years’ experience of print product development and dedicated customer service in communities throughout the Midwest. Our experience allows Town Square Publications to offer you attractive royalty and non-dues revenue share streams, provide direct distribution of your custom designed printed publications, including digital and mobile integration, and all with the quickest turn-around times available in the industry. Town Square also offers multi-media maps in both print and online formats, both with our No-Cost guarantee. More information: Town Square Publications

Chambers of Commerce and member focused organizations serve as a valuable resource in the local marketplace. The networking opportunities and representation with a wide variety of diverse businesses in your community is the catalyst of a successful organization. For further information about Town Square's publishing partnership with chambers of commerce and our No-Cost guarantee and Earned Revenue Share Program, To request your chamber publication or map proposal, contact Town Square Chamber Proposal Or you can call John Dussman aT 847-427-4633.