Jerry Roper - Chicagoland Chamber President and CEO - Set to Retire

From the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce website: 

Jerry Roper - Chicagoland Chamber President and CEO - Set to Retire

Chicago, IL – The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce announced today that Jerry Roper, President and CEO, will retire by the end of this calendar year. Jerry has served the Chicagoland business community for over 20 years as President of the Chicagoland Chamber. Under his leadership, the Chicagoland Chamber was awarded a 5-Star Accreditation – the highest possible – from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for its sound policies, effective organizational procedures, and positive impact on the region’s business climate.

“Throughout the 20 years that Jerry Roper has been in this role, he has maintained a tireless passion, focus, and commitment to the work of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and its 1,500 member companies,” said Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Chairman and Regional President of PNC Bank, Illinois Scott Swanson. “Jerry has been a leader and an advocate for both small and large business and Chicagoland’s entrepreneurial communities, as demonstrated by his role in the formation of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center (CEC), the Center’s innovative Bridge Program, the Illinois Innovation Accelerator (I2A) Fund, and the Small Business Development and Resource Center (SBDRC).” Jerry will remain in his current position until a successor is identified, and he will stay actively engaged with the Chicagoland Chamber once the new President is installed. A Succession Planning Committee will work with the Chicagoland Chamber Executive Committee to oversee this process. “As much as I’m looking forward to retirement, leaving my position at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce will definitely be a bittersweet moment,” said Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jerry Roper. “It has been both my pleasure and an honor to be able to serve this wonderful city and to work with so many talented, dedicated people throughout the years.” Source: http://www.chicagolandchamber.org/wdk_cc/innovation_and_knowledge_/2013_news/2013_april/jerry_roper_-_chicagoland_chamber_president_and_ceo_-_set_to_retire.jsp

Small Business Exporting Part 2 of 4 - Looking for 5 Million in Working Capital?

Export Working Capital Program

The Export Working Capital (EWCP) loan provides advances for up to $5 million to fund export transactions from purchase order to collections. This loan has a low guaranty fee and quick processing time.

Application Process

Contact your local lender to see if they are approved to underwrite EWCP loans. You can apply for EWCP loans before finalizing an export sale or contract.

With an approved EWCP loan in place, you have greater flexibility in negotiating export payment terms. However, disbursements can only be made against firm purchase orders from a foreign buyer or to support foreign accounts receivable.

Use of Proceeds

• Financing for suppliers, inventory, WIP,  or production of export goods or services
• Working capital to support foreign accounts receivable during long payment cycles
• Financing for stand-by letters of credit used as bid or performance bonds or as down payment guarantees

Contact your local U.S. Export Assistance Center to learn more about the Export Working Capital Program and whether your business qualifies.

Source: www.sba.gov 

Small Business Export Financing - 97 percent of all exporters are small businesses - Part 1 of 4

Financing Your Small Business Exports

Many small businesses think they are too small to compete in the world market. In fact, 97 percent of all exporters are small businesses. The federal government has loans, insurance and grant programs to help you become an exporter or expand your exporting business.

SBA Export Loan Programs

SBA Export Express offers financing up to $500,000. It is the simplest export loan product offered by the SBA and allows participating lenders to use their own forms and procedures. The SBA determines eligibility and provides a loan approval in 36 hours or less.

Eligibility 

Any business that has been in operation, although not necessarily in exporting, for at least 12 full months and can demonstrate that the loan proceeds will support its export activity is eligible for Export Express. The 12-month in business requirement can be waived if the borrower’s key personnel can demonstrate export expertise and successful previous business experience and the lender uses conventional commercial loan underwriting procedures and does not rely solely on credit scoring. 

Use of Proceeds

Loan proceeds may be used for business purposes that will enhance a company’s export development. Export Express can take the form of a term loan or a revolving line of credit. For example, you can use funds to participate in a foreign trade show, support standby letters of credit and translate product literature for use in foreign markets. You may also use funds to finance specific export orders, expand production facilities, and purchase equipment inventory or real estate.

Application Process

Contact your existing lender to determine if they are an SBA Export Express lender. You apply directly to the lender with their application material and SBA’s Borrower Information Form . Lenders approve the request and then submit eligibility information to SBA. 

Contact your local U.S. Export Assistance Center to learn more about the Export Express Program and whether your business qualifies.

Source: www.sba.gov

What's On Your Chamber's Board Agenda? Board time is a non-renewable resource

I saw this article on the Indiana Chamber Executives Website (Shelli Williams, President), and found many of the tips and guidelines something I could use for time management every day. If board activities is a subject area you'd like to know more about, there are several exceptional experts on chamber boards and their leadership role in chambers. One is Ken Brengle, president of the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce. For additonal names, please contact me at jdussman.vp@villageprofilemail.com .

4/4/2013 (original post date)
Board time is a non-renewable resource .... make sure you are providing quality meetings for your board members to ensure attendance. Here are some quick tips to make your Board meetings more effective for your chamber:   Never call any meeting without an agenda - this includes committee meetings as well as Board meetings. Use a consent agenda so routine items do not consume discussion - Don't ask your board members to listen to reports. They can read reports. Don’t waste time reviewing reports - unless it’s a precursor to an important conversation. Instead, design board meetings for strategic conversation about important items. Insist on a starting and ending time -Board meetings require intentional design and good facilitation. If discussion gets too lengthy, adjourn and set a follow up time to finish important points with key board members.  Focus on priority items - Design the agenda based on what is most important to your organization at this time. Handle routine matters quickly. Put the most important items at the top of the agenda. Provide adequate background information in advance of the meeting so that people come prepared. Provide agenda and materials one week prior to the meeting - that should give board leaders time to read the material in advance of the meeting, make notes, highlight key items, etc. Ensure that everyone participates (the chair’s key job!) - identify everyone's passion point for chamber involvement and get each board member plugged into the ownership of the organization. Create a culture of board members coming prepared for the meeting - Consider not providing extra copies of materials at meetings. Expect - insist - that your board members come prepared, with their materials in hand. Board members should read the material in advance of the meeting, making notes, highlighting key items.

Springfield, Missouri Chamber of Commerce - Member Briefing

The Springfield Missouri Chamber does member orientation briefings on a monthly basis. They also invite current members to attend these free briefing events to give all members an additional opportunity to understand the many benefits of their chamber memberships.

Member Briefing is designed to welcome incoming members to the Chamber.  Member Briefing also serves as a refresher for long-standing members and as a way for new employees to get acquainted with Chamber benefits.  Everyone who attends this free event has the opportunity to pass out business cards and promotional materials to the other attendees. 

Whether you are a new member or an established member, the Member Briefing is a great way to do some networking and learn ways to get the most out of your Chamber membership.

Chamber executives can contact Brent McCoy of the SACC for additional information.

Tips to keep your Compensation Package Competitive

This article on compensation packages originally appeared on the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Executives (ICEA) website in January, but it remains highly relevant as anyone reading "The Coming Jobs War" by Jim Clifton knows. 1/9/2013
Tips to Keep Your Compensation Package Competitive
Rewarding and incentivizing your staff is crucial to keeping them motivated to do their best work for your organization. Here are five quick tips from ASAE CareerHQ.org to keep in mind when considering if your compensation package is competitive: 1.)  Compare your benefits and salaries to associations of similar size and regional area. When comparing the numbers, keep in mind other external factors such as cost-of-living or geographic unemployment rates. 2.)  Also, compare your compensation on a position-by-position basis with other associations of similar size and in your geographic locale. 3.)  When preparing for your next fiscal year, be sure to budget for increases in your employees' overall compensation packages. You should not only plan for insurance premium hikes and cost-of-living pay increases, but accommodate for merit increases to reward stellar performances as well. 4.)  Conduct a full scale compensation review every five years. If your association can afford it, consider hiring a salaries and benefits consultant. 5.)  Periodically review your retirement offering. For ideas on what to consider with this task, view this webinar recording from ASAE's Endorsed Business Solutions partner, Principal Financial Group on "Driving Employee Retirement Plans to Success".

A Great Membership Drive Idea: Win a Apple iPad mini!

Sharon Mennemeier of the Glendale Heights (Illinois)Chamber wrote us with a great idea adding some excitement  to their 2013 membership drive. See her note below:

We are excited to announce that yesterday the Glendale Heights Chamber of Commerce debuted their new marketing and membership materials and announced the 2013 Membership Drive Contest where one lucky person will win an Apple iPad mini just for recruiting a new member.

 

Contest Rules: All current Glendale Heights Chamber of Commerce (GHCC) members who recruit a NEW GHCC member will be allowed to choose one numbered square (1-25) on the contest board upon receipt of the new members’ application and payment. There is no limit to the number of new members recruited or the number of squares awarded per recruiting GHCC member. The current GHCC member must be in good standing to be eligible to participate. Once all 25 squares have been filled, the drawing will be held at the next GHCC regularly scheduled luncheon to receive an iPad mini valued at $329.

Do you have a great membership drive idea? Please email me at jdussman.vp@villageprofilemail.com .

The subject line of the message immediately caught my attention... it read... "Tired Membership Dues"!

I received a note from my friend in South Carolina Charles "Chuck" Ewart of the Ewart Group. And he brought up a timely topic as many chambers begin their strategic planning process. His note is below:

Tired Membership Dues?    Seize the Future!

Dear John, I recently received an e-mail from a friend with a chamber of commerce in Tennessee. The subject line of the message immediately caught my attention... it read... "Tired Membership Dues"! She was inquiring about my services to assist them in moving from their current "fair share" dues formula to a new "Tiered Investment Schedule". I am looking forward to working with them as they go through that process in the very near future. The old fair share formula is truly the "tired dues schedule" in most chambers of commerce and associations. In research for a course that I teach for the Institute for Organization Management entitled "Dues & Don'ts", I discovered that the fair share formula has been around for a long, long time... and for a long time, members have questioned "what's fair about it?" Whether you realize it or not, a large number of your members do not like the fair share formula and wonder why you "give away the store" to solicit a new member that will end up paying less than it costs the organization to service that member account. That is why so many organizations are moving to the Tiered Investment Schedule. Let me encourage you to begin researching and reviewing the "Tiered Investment Schedule" based on member benefits and values... not on the number of employees a business may have. Businesses are looking to invest in an organization that is providing meaningful value and a true "ROI". Several years ago, the Yale University School of Management conducted a study for the New Haven, CT, Chamber of Commerce (established in 1794) that indicated the chamber was leaving significant investment dollars on the table by continuing to use the old, worn out fair share formula. Are you leaving dollars on the table? I recently worked with the Chamber SWLA, in Lake Charles, LA on their new "Tiered Investment Schedule". We test drove the new schedule with five of their current members... the chamber realized a net increase of over $6,000 from those five visits. The beauty of the Tiered Schedule is that it can work for you... and remember... Change = Opportunity! Seize the Future! Let us know how we can help! Contact Chuck at www.theewartgroup.com or cewart@theewartgroup.com .

The Small Business Association is one of the best resources a small business can have. If you have questions, they have answers!

• Do I Qualify For Government Contracts?
• Find Loans & Grants...
• Find a Surety Bond...
• Register Your Business...
• Apply for HUBZone Status...
• Apply for 8(a) Certification...
• Find Events in Your Area...
• 2012 Hurricane Recovery Assistance...
• 2012 Drought Disaster Assistance...

You can get your answers to the questions above and others by clicking on the links above or going directly to www.sba.gov .

10 Cyber Security Tips for Small Business from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

A ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This information is from the FCC.

----------------------------

10 Cyber Security Tips for Small Business

Broadband and information technology are powerful factors in small businesses reaching new markets and increasing productivity and efficiency. However, businesses need a cybersecurity strategy to protect their own business, their customers, and their data from growing cybersecurity threats.

1. Train employees in security principles

Establish basic security practices and policies for employees, such as requiring strong passwords, and establish appropriate Internet use guidelines that detail penalties for violating company cybersecurity policies. Establish rules of behavior describing how to handle and protect customer information and other vital data.

2. Protect information, computers and networks from cyber attacks

Keep clean machines: having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Set antivirus software to run a scan after each update. Install other key software updates as soon as they are available.

3. Provide firewall security for your Internet connection

A firewall is a set of related programs that prevent outsiders from accessing data on a private network. Make sure the operating system’s firewall is enabled or install free firewall software available online. If employees work from home, ensure that their home system(s) are protected by a firewall.

4. Create a mobile device action plan

Mobile devices can create significant security and management challenges, especially if they hold confidential information or can access the corporate network. Require users to password protect their devices, encrypt their data, and install security apps to prevent criminals from stealing information while the phone is on public networks. Be sure to set reporting procedures for lost or stolen equipment.

5. Make backup copies of important business data and information

Regularly backup the data on all computers. Critical data includes word processing documents, electronic spreadsheets, databases, financial files, human resources files, and accounts receivable/payable files. Backup data automatically if possible, or at least weekly and store the copies either offsite or in the cloud.

6. Control physical access to your computers and create user accounts for each employee

Prevent access or use of business computers by unauthorized individuals. Laptops can be particularly easy targets for theft or can be lost, so lock them up when unattended. Make sure a separate user account is created for each employee and require strong passwords. Administrative privileges should only be given to trusted IT staff and key personnel.

7. Secure your Wi-Fi networks

If you have a Wi-Fi network for your workplace, make sure it is secure, encrypted, and hidden. To hide your Wi-Fi network, set up your wireless access point or router so it does not broadcast the network name, known as the Service Set Identifier (SSID). Password protect access to the router.

8. Employ best practices on payment cards

Work with banks or processors to ensure the most trusted and validated tools and anti-fraud services are being used. You may also have additional security obligations pursuant to agreements with your bank or processor. Isolate payment systems from other, less secure programs and don’t use the same computer to process payments and surf the Internet.

9. Limit employee access to data and information, limit authority to install software

Do not provide any one employee with access to all data systems. Employees should only be given access to the specific data systems that they need for their jobs, and should not be able to install any software without permission.

10. Passwords and authentication

Require employees to use unique passwords and change passwords every three months. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry. Check with your vendors that handle sensitive data, especially financial institutions, to see if they offer multi-factor authentication for your account.

See more at www.fcc.gov 

Respond Directly to Doug   March 12, 2013 Doug Whitley is the president of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.  Illinois by the Numbers: Five Alarming Trends to Watch      Part II  Yesterday, we explored two significant demographic trends affecting the economic well-being of our state: a major decrease in population and the widespread loss of jobs. This message continues the series with a look at three additional trends of note: the aging of Illinois' population, rising poverty levels and the state's growing tax burden. Trend 3: Illinois' Population is Aging...with Serious Implications for State Budgets The population of Illinois, like much of the U.S., is aging dramatically. Left unaddressed, this trend will bring major financial shockwaves to our state and local governments, especially with regards to pensions and social services. The number of residents 60 years old and older is expected to increase from 2 million to more than 3.6 million by the year 2030 - a 77 percent increase - according to the Illinois Association of Area Agencies on Aging. By 2030, one in every five Illinoisans will be 60 or older. This trend gives employers pause as they contemplate their future workforce requirements. As "baby boomers" move into retirement, will the state have the workers to meet their needs? From 2002-2011, there was an 11.2 percent increase in the number of Illinois residents collecting Social Security. The cost shot up 50.7 percent in the same time period, in part due to the growing number of people who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which compensates people who cannot work or have limited capacity to do so because of a disability. In 2011 alone, Illinois residents were paid $20.7 million in Social Security benefits, compared with $13.5 million in 2002. In addition, 52 percent of Illinois seniors did not have any retirement savings except for what they received from Social Security in 2010. Thanks to advances in health care, life expectancy for senior citizens is much greater than ever before. While this is a welcome trend, it puts added pressure on Social Security and contributes to Illinois' signature financial problem - public employee pensions. Older residents are living longer and, as a result, depleting these funds to an extent much greater than originally anticipated. With an unfunded liability in excess of $96 billion, the pension situation truly has become a crisis that affects the state's ability to finance more traditional government priorities like education, parks and infrastructure. Achieving a legislative solution to the pension issue is a critical demonstration to private sector employers that the state is restoring fiscal discipline in the budgeting equation. This reform is fundamental because private sector employers desire a stable business environment where they can predict with some certainty future actions by the state government. Uncertain liabilities measured in the billions do not provide the kind of confidence employers and investors seek. Fixing the pension liability problem is an absolute must. Trend 4: Poverty on the Rise in Illinois Two recently released reports shine a disturbing light on how the state's economic struggles have affected families. The results show pockets of poverty throughout the state's 102 counties. Statistics cited in the Voices for Illinois Children's Illinois Kids Count 2013 report andHeartland Alliance 2013 Report on Illinois Poverty show: Roughly 4.1 million Illinois residents - or about 33 percent of the state's population - live in or near poverty. The number of Illinois residents considered "low income" is 2.2 million. Nearly 1.9 million live at or below the Federal Poverty Level, while the number living in extreme poverty is nearly 864,000. Between 1989 and 2011, median family income, adjusted for inflation, declined by 17 percent for both black families and Latino families, compared with 6 percent for white families and 5 percent for Asian families.     The federal poverty level (FPL) for a four-person family is $23,021 in income per year, and the extreme federal poverty level is $11,511 or below. The number of Illinoisans living at or below the FPL increased 40.2 percent from 2000-2011. Additional relevant data: More than 20 counties - many in central and southern Illinois - still had unemployment rates of over 10 percent in December 2012, compared to statewide average of 8.7 percent and 7.8 percent for the nation. In January 2013, Illinois' unemployment rate increased to 9 percent while the national rate ticked up to 7.9 percent. Roughly 822,000 Illinois children receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/food stamps). From 2000 to 2011, the number of people receiving government financed Medicaid services in Illinois grew from 1.4 million to 2.7 million. To arrest these disturbing trends, we must work to improve the economy and accelerate private sector job growth. Our goal should be to make every Illinois resident a productive member of society. The more people who support themselves, pay taxes and contribute to the economy, the less demand there is for government programs and services. The keys to satisfying this goal: early childhood education, zero tolerance for educational dropouts, skills-based learning outcomes from our public schools, and aggressive job training, retraining and placement to match residents with meaningful employment opportunities. Thousands of job openings are offered up by Illinois employers every day, but the skills gap in our state and lack of job matching capabilities cause many of these positions to go unfilled. A quality workforce is the foundation for every successful business. Employers will invest in the cities and states where their needs are best satisfied. Trend 5: Illinois' Growing Tax Burden Think about it: The loss of hundreds of thousands of residents ... the aging of the population and the resulting increase in non-taxed pension benefits ... the rising poverty level and the need to care for those who are not self-sufficient...the growing reliance on government financed health care. Who is going to pay for the rising costs of government when there are fewer people actively engaged in the workforce? The good news is that Illinois has a diverse economy that benefits from many positive geographic and economic strengths, including: Third largest population center and market in the country Leading industrial and agricultural state Center for international business, foreign consulates, direct foreign investment and a leading export state with direct airline access to countless global destinations Economic capital of the heartland with extensive business and financial services Headquarters for many multi-national corporations Extensive transportation, distribution and infrastructure hub for all modes (including pipelines and fiber networks) Exceptional higher education and health care institutions High-quality and highly productive workforce Easy access to an abundance and variety of competitively priced energy Location in the center of the nation and Central Time Zone, which are conducive to business Home to Chicago, a world-class, multi-cultural city with enviable cultural institutions and a reputation for high quality of life. Those are just a few of the state's positive attributes. A recent illustration of this point is a positive report by Site Selection Magazine showing Illinois has three consecutive years of improved rankings in the magazine's annual multi-state comparison of business growth. The 2012 study shows Illinois has moved from 8th to the 5th most attractive location based on actual investments and related data. Meanwhile, Crain's Chicago Business says Chicago's urban center "is adding residents faster than any other urban core in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau data. "Unfortunately, however, in recent years the state's positive attributes have often been overshadowed by the many negatives. Currently, Illinois' corporate income tax rates are third highest in the country. Workers' compensation costs and minimum wage requirements are fourth highest in the nation. Likehttps://bitly.com/wise, several tax rates that vary among jurisdictions such as property taxes, sales taxes, motor fuel taxes and hotel/motel taxes are also among the nation's highest. Tax policy and tax costs are government controlled factors that can assist or deter economic growth. As of September 2012, Illinois' total state debt was $271 billion, or $21,000 for each Illinois resident. Thanks primarily to its public employee pension liabilities, Illinois has the fifth highest debt per capita of any state, according to nonprofit group State Budget Solutions. Only Alaska, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Mexico rank higher. Meanwhile factors controlled by the federal government continue to impose a serious financial burden on the backs of our job-creators. In 2014, when the new health insurance tax takes effect under the Affordable Care Act, Illinois' share over the following ten years will be the 6th highest in the nation at nearly $5.3 billion. This does not even include the millions of dollars employers will be required to pay in new penalties for lack of coverage. The state's credit rating has been determined by bond rating agencies to be the least creditworthy of any of the fifty states. The state's unfunded public employee pension obligations are the highest among the fifty states. The evidence is overwhelming that reform is long overdue. We must conclude that much of our state's economy has continued to be successful in spite of failed government leadership and policies. It seems clear that Illinois' political leaders have too often focused on trying to resolve the government's problems, instead of taking a big-picture approach and looking for ways that government cooperation and participation can unleash the power of free enterprise. Tomorrow's message in this series will examine what steps might be taken to pull Illinois out of its economic tailspin.

Respond Directly to Doug Message from the President - Copyright ©2013 The Illinois Chamber of Commerce

Illinois by the Numbers: Five Alarming Trends to Watch - Part III

Doug Whitley is President/CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Below is Part III of Doug Whitley's five part series concerning the mounting economic pressures on Illinois's state government finances.

Respond Directly to Doug  

March 13, 2013

 Illinois by the Numbers: Five Alarming Trends to Watch Part III

Monday and Tuesday's messages examined the most serious underlying issues facing our state today - significant population and job losses, the aging of Illinois' populace, rising poverty levels and the state's growing tax burden.

These trends and the resulting problems - from depleted revenues to the public pension crisis - make it evident that Illinois must act in order to avoid a downward spiral of job losses and economic decay.

Some leaders believe the answer is to help Illinois residents by increasing taxes and providing more services. Others say we must make drastic, across-the-board cuts to stanch the fiscal bleeding. By pursuing policies that foster job creation, however, we can let the economy do much of the heavy lifting.

The Solution: Jobs and Economic Growth

Imagine if we were able to close the "jobs gap" suggested by the Brookings Institute and add 500,000 more people to Illinois' workforce - the tax revenue and economic benefits generated would be tremendous.

Illinois' elected leaders need to come together and find a way to make that goal a reality. We cannot be complacent about small job growth numbers. If we continue on the current path, our businesses and residents will be taxed out of Illinois or will continue to look beyond our state for greener pastures and peace of mind.

We should establish a reputation as a state full of highly educated and hard-working people. Illinois should want to be recognized as a land of opportunity that will be a magnet for employers, job seekers, entrepreneurs, and innovators.   

We need employers to stop asking, "Why does our government make it so hard to do business in Illinois?" and start attracting jobs, investments and human resources to our state. Without a robust economy and restored focus on fiscal responsibility, we won't be able to make needed public investments in areas such as quality education and infrastructure. It's a recipe for financial disaster and a horrific legacy to leave to younger generations.

Members of the Democratic Party control the levers of power in this state - the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Cook County Board President and Mayor of Chicago are all Democrats. Additionally, as a result of the last election, the Democrats have secured super majority control of both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. Now, they need to lead by adopting and embracing an aggressive jobs agenda.

Populist pandering by touting another increase in the minimum wage, asking publicly traded corporations to post their tax returns on the Internet, or raising taxes on Illinois businesses that engage in international trade is not business friendly and won't grow jobs.

Illinois needs a better program. One that opens doors, speeds response time, demonstrates support for private initiatives, provides leadership, gets results, works efficiently, and is generally dedicated to making things happen to encourage investments and job growth in Illinois. Success begets success. That is why we must address employers' needs, recognize achievements and create momentum that compels people to want to be a part of growth initiatives occurring in Illinois.

Creating a better business climate and promoting job opportunities for Illinois citizens should be a bi-partisan goal, because the results are in the best long-term interests of every Illinois voter, taxpayer, employer and family.

More than one-quarter of our state's residents are 18 years of age or younger. To help ensure a brighter future for them - and to make Illinois an attractive place for them to live and work - our priority must be to pursue policies that assure Illinois is dedicated to being a robust, job-making machine.

Illinois Demographic Snapshot: Total number of residents in 2010 census: 12.8 million (12,830,632)          Under 18: 3.1 million (3,099,200)          Over 65: 1.6 million (1,633,188)          Living in poverty: 1.9 million (1,879,965)          Receiving Social Security: 2.1 million (2,065,432)           Under supervision, including prison and probation, for felony conviction:     130,000      Incarcerated in state correctional facilities: 48,978          Medicaid recipients: 2.7 million (2,700,000)          In school (K-12, community colleges and 4-year universities): 3 million (2,994,566)          In the labor force: 6,617,435 Non-farm: 5,717,900 Business and Professional Services: 859,300 State and local government employees: 774,875 Federal employees: 50,083 Manufacturing: 593,400 Unemployed: 571,938 White, not Hispanic: 63.3% (8.1 million) Persons of Hispanic or Latino Origin: 16.2% (2.1 million) Black: 14.8% (1.9 million) Asian: 4.8% (617,000)

Respond Directly to Doug 



Message from the President - Copyright ©2013 The Illinois Chamber of Commerce