docJune 2009 - West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance
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June 2009 - West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID CINCINNATI, OH PERMIT #5400 THE JUNE 2009 VOL. XXVII ISSUE VI 7617 Voice of America Centre Drive West Chester, Ohio 45069 June Calendar of Events 5th Women 4 Women Kemba Credit Union, 8-9:30am 9th Monthly Member Luncheon Savannah Center, 11:30am-1:30pm 17th Business After Hours Staybridge Suites, 5-7pm 23rd Networking Power Hour Chamber offices, lower level, 12-1pm Lunch & Lecture Mercy HealthPlex in Fairfield, 11:30am-1pm 25th Breakfast Briefing Chamber offices, lower level, 7:30-9am ��������������������� ����������������������������������� ��������������������� ������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ ����������������������������������������������������������������� MARK YOUR CALENDAR LUNCH & LECTURE June 23rd, 11:30am-1pm See page 10 for more information CONNECTING PEOPLE AND POSSIBILITIES IN WEST CHESTER AND LIBERTY TOWNSHIPS AND THE I-75 GROWTH CORRIDOR 2 23 On the Cover The West Chester Chamber Alliance Monthly Member Luncheon & Expo was a huge success! Over 500 people attended the Luncheon and over 1,000 walked through our Expo. Chamber Staff & Associates EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL EVENTS & MARKETING MEMBERSHIP Sustaining Sponsors e West Chester Chamber Alliance salutes our Sustaining Sponsors. We acknowledge the following members and thank them for their support of the Chamber, its programs, events and services provided to the businesses and organizations of this area. Butler Technology & Career Development Schools Mercy Hospital Faireld MARGE WIMMER, Administrative Coordinator [email protected] MIKE POWELL, Finance Director [email protected] GOLD Cincinnati Bell IKEA National City Bank SILVER KENNI BLACHÉ, Membership Services Director [email protected] JAY D’ARCY, Senior Membership Account Executive [email protected] BRUCE WEINBERG, Membership Account Executive [email protected] SUPER BRONZE [email protected] West Chester Chamber Alliance Executive Board 2009 CHAIR TOM FARRELL – Alternative Computer Technology, Inc. VICE CHAIR RONDI TSCHOPP – Five Visual Communication & Design SECRETARY CHRIS WORRELL – Graydon Head TREASURER MIKE COMBS – Ossege Combs & Mann, Ltd. DEBORAH BRENNEMAN – Thompson Hine LLP JOE HINSON – West Chester Chamber Alliance TOM HOLDING – Lincoln Financial Advisors CAROL KING – West Chester Medical Center CHAR MASON – Cincinnati Children’s Liberty Campus CHRISTINE MATACIC – Liberty Township Trustee KAREN MUELLER – HORAN GEORGE REES – George Rees Hospitality Group DR. ROBERT SOMMERS – Butler Technology & Career Development Schools KENDALL WRIGHT – Entelechy Training and Development, Inc. T U E S DAY W E D N E S DAY T H U R S DAY Liberty Township Trustees 6 pm | Liberty Township Administration Building 1 Lakota Board of Education 7pm | Lakota Central Ofce, Thunderbird Room SUPER SILVER Amylin Ohio, LLC Fifth Third Bank First Financial Bank, NA HORAN Liberty Township The Pulse-Journal BOB WIWI, Small Business Advocate M O N DAY Butler County Board of Commissioners 7 pm | West Chester Township KATHY RAMBO, Vice President/Special Events [email protected] ALISON MIUCCIO, Marketing Director [email protected] ALI FISCHETTI, Marketing & Special Events Coordinator a[email protected] BUSINESS [email protected] ADVOCACY GEORGE GLOVER, Government Relations S U N DAY WC Chamber Business Action Committee 4 pm | WC Chamber Todd Board Room DIAMOND JOE HINSON, IOM, President & CEO [email protected] KERRY MURRAY, Leadership Development Director [email protected] KENDRA WILBURN, Impact 21 Facilitator [email protected] June 2009 West Chester Chamber Alliance Cincinnati Children’s Liberty Campus Clark-Theders Insurance Agency, Inc. Employers Choice Plus Graydon Head Guardian Savings Bank, FSB Huff Realty Kemba Credit Union Kinker Eveleigh Insurance Agency McGill Smith Punshon, Inc. Northwestern Mutual Financial Network Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Consultants, Inc. Planes Companies PNC Bank UnitedHealthcare Wal*Mart Supercenter West Chester Medical Center 7 14 2 3 Member Monthly Luncheon and Business Expo 11:30 am | Savannah Center, 5533 Chappell Crossing Blvd., West Chester 45069 West Chester Twp. Trustees 6 pm | Township Hall, 9113 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd. 9 10 Business After Hours 5-7pm | Staybridge Suites, 8955 Lakota Drive West, West Chester 15 16 17 Lakota Board of Education 7pm | Lakota Central Ofce, Thunderbird Room 21 22 WC Chamber Alliance Networking Power Hour 12pm | WC Chamber Alliance ofces, SEBC Workforce Academy West Chester Twp. Trustees 6pm | Township Hall, 9113 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd Lunch & Lecture 11:30am-1pm | Mercy HealthPlex, Faireld, 3050 Mack Rd. 28 29 30 WC Chamber Alliance Government Issues Committee 8-9am | WC Chamber Todd Board Room 23 24 F R I DAY S AT U R DAY W4W 8-9:30am | Kemba Credit Union, 8763 Union Centre Blvd., West Chester 45069 4 Butler County Board of Commissioners 9:30am | Commission Chamber, 315 High St., 2FL, Hamilton Butler Tech Board Meeting 7pm | PSEC, 5140 Princeton-Glendale Rd, Liberty Twp. Liberty Township Trustees 6pm | Liberty Township Administration Building 8 Butler County Board of Commissioners 9:30am | Commission Chamber, 315 High St., 2FL, Hamilton Ambassadors’ Meeting 11:30am | WC Chamber Alliance ofces, SEBC Workforce Academy 11 5 6 Lakota Board of Education Work Session 12:30pm | Lakota Central Ofce, Thunderbird Room Lakota Board of Education Work Session 8am | Lakota Central Ofce, Thunderbird Room 12 13 19 20 26 27 Butler County Board of Commissioners 9:30am | Work Session, Commission Chamber, 315 High St., 2FL, Hamilton 18 WC Chamber Alliance Breakfast Brieng 7:30-9am | WC Chamber Alliance ofces, SEBC Workforce Academy Butler County Board of Commissioners 9:30am | Commission Chamber, 315 High St., 2FL, Hamilton 25 BRONZE Allegra Print & Imaging | Alternative Computer Technology, Inc. | Atrium Medical Center | AurGroup Financial Credit Union | CAI Insurance Agency | CORT | Elegant Estates, LLC Custom Homes | Focused Capitol Solutions, LLC | Four Bridges Country Club | Frost Brown & Todd | Halcomb Benets Agency, Inc. | North Side Bank & Trust Company | Oscar Event Center | Ossege Combs & Mann, Ltd. | Park National Bank | Rippe & Kingston CO PSC | Schiff Kreidler-Shell Insurance | Schumacher Dugan Construction Co. | SCORE | TriHealth Corporate Health | US Bank | Xavier University – Williams College of Business Stop by the Chamber ofce to see our Sustaining Sponsorship Sign donated by Hightech Signs - 513.874.5223 THE THE www.westchesterchamberalliance.com www.westchesterchamberalliance.com 22 3 Renewing Members Adecco Employment Services Rhonda Arledge 4520 Cooper Rd, Ste 100 Cincinnati, OH 45242 513-686-1060 Butler County Treasurer Nancy Nix 315 High Street/10th Floor Hamilton, OH 45011 513-887-3181 Horizon Payroll Marilynne Saliwanchik 2700 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd, Ste 580 Dayton, OH 45459 937-434-8244 Schiff, Kreidler-Shell Insurance Corey Backstrom 1 West Fourth Street, Suite 1300 Cincinnati, OH 45202 513-977-3100 AFLAC Lisa Noble 41 Dazey Drive Middletown, OH 45044 513-582-5086 Butler County Visitors Bureau Mark Hecquet 8750 Union Centre Blvd West Chester, OH 45069 513-860-4194 IDI Ken Smith 100 East River Center Blvd, Ste 550 Covington, KY 41011 859-431-1444 Allergy & Asthma Specialty Center Masood Ahmad, MD 6964 Tylersville Rd West Chester, OH 45069 513-777-7097 Dave & Buster’s Cincinnati Tina Bojack 11775 Commons Dr Cincinnati, OH 45246 513-671-5501 ITT Technical Institute TBA 4750 Wesley Ave Norwoo, OH 45212 513-531-8300 SELF/Support to Encourage Jeffrey Diver Low-income Families P.O. Box 1322 Hamilton, OH 45012 513-868-9300 Alternative Computer Technology, Inc. Tom Farrell 7908 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd., Ste. W West Chester, OH 45069 513-755-1957 The Dollries Group, LLC Chris Dollries 3284 Cherryridge Dr North Bend, OH 45052 513-265-3587 Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Jerry Sacks 9438 Water Front Dr West Chester, OH 45069 513-759-0307 Aquatic & Garden Decor Inc. Jim Sparnall 9390 Cincinnati-Columbus Road Cincinnati, OH 45241 513-777-1744 Friends of John Boehner Brad Purnhagen 7908 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, Suite I West Chester, OH 45069 513-779-5400 The Landings at Beckett Ridge Lee Valerio 8251 Landings Boulevard West Chester, OH 45069 513-860-1771 B to B Solutions Michael Stater P.O. Box 205 West Chester, OH 45071 513-779-8930 Graeter’s Diana Stout 7651 Cox Ln West Chester, OH 45069 513-721-3323 Liberty Township Administrator Dina Minneci 6400 Princeton Road Liberty Township, OH 45011 513-759-7506 Buffalo Wings & Rings Angie Ryan 7340 Yankee Rd Liberty Township, OH 45044 513-779-9464 Haglage Construction Ted Haglage 9912 Carver Road, Suite 102 Cincinnati, OH 45242 513-769-3400 Make A Wish Foundation Jennifer Hamon 10260 Alliance Rd, Suite 200 Cincinnati, OH 45242 513-745-9474 Business Courier Doug Bolton 101 West 7th St Cincinnati, OH 45202 513-621-6665 Holiday Inn I-275 North Reddy Kummetha 3855 Hauck Rd Cincinnati, OH 45241 513-563-8330 PRESTIGE Technical Services, Inc. Joan Mears 7908 Cincinnati-Dayton Road #T West Chester, OH 45069 513-779-6800 TEC Services Tom Kaper 3426 Arbor Hill Lane Maineville, OH 45039 513-339-1390 Visiting Angels Thomas Dillon 8050 Beckett Center Dr West Chester, OH 45069 513-942-5600 West Chester Nursing & Rehabilitation Donna Garza 9117 Cincinnati Columbus Rd West Chester, OH 45069 513-777-6164 Xavier University-Williams Jessica Gaither College of Business 3800 Victory Parkway Cincinnati, OH 45207 513-745-3525 Joe Hinson, IOM – President & CEO As you know, our economy is experiencing three simultaneous events that have never happened before; a worldwide collapse of the financial markets that has locked up credit, a worldwide recession of all major industrial economies that has swept in the merging market economies, and a first-ever decline in housing values across the nation. Experts have said that the stimulus/financial rescue package is slowly working, based on several indicators of the credit markets such as excess reserves held by banks and commercial bank lending. Both have shown positive signs in recent months. This is good news! But business can’t wait for the eventual climb back to success. Now is the time to position your organization to benefit from a proactive sales strategy. Chambernomics can help you. The following is a list of sales strategies that can help jumpstart your business: New Members Business Furniture Distribution, Ltd. Marc Cole 9844 Crescent Park Dr West Chester, OH 45069 513-829-4221 Furniture/Commercial G & J Pepsi Cola of Hamilton Chris Lusk 2580 Bobmeyer Rd Hamilton, OH 45011 513-785-4480 Beverage Distributors MetroParks of Butler County Susan Stretch 2251 Timberman Rd Hamilton, OH 45013 513-867-5835 Parks & Recreation Citizens Against Domestic Violence Bridget Mahoney 2105 Central Ave Middletown, OH 45044 513-477-2522 Non-prot service organization Global Business Solutions, Inc. Joe Robb 916 Monmouth St Newport, KY 41071 859-491-5900 Computer-Networking Qdoba Mexican Grill Rachel Olszewski Tylersville Farm, 7687 Doc Dr West Chester, OH 45069 513-755-3849 Restaurant Event Management & Production Services, LLC Brian Ratliff 4048 Greatus Dr Hamilton, OH 45011 800-642-1190 Event Producer/Video Production HQ Global Workplaces Dave Myers 312 Walnut St Cincinnati, OH 45202 513-721-0900 Salon Concepts Mia Williams 9274 Centre Pointe Dr West Chester, OH 45069 513-533-3700 Salon & Spa Financial Partners Group, LLC Stefan Goldman 7755 Montgomery Rd, Ste 150 Cincinnati, OH 45236 513-621-9000 Insurance -Financial Services Think Long Term Relationships Revise your marketing and business plan to position your organization for sustainable success. Set realistic goals and measure your progress frequently. A pie chart is a great “visual” tool for measuring success. Narrow your product line or services. Don’t forget customer service. Always follow up and show appreciation for their business. Maximize Technology Technology has given us the worldwide web, e-mails, search engines, web sites, etc. Also, cell phones and text messages allow us to relay and receive information now; and nowadays, you’re not connected unless you’re utilizing personal networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Make sure your web site is user friendly – users can navigate easily. Offer broadcast informational emails to educate and inform your customers and prospects on your product lines and services and industry trends. Also, utilize search engine optimization via various domain names to drive visitors to your site. Market for ROI Take Action, Be Creative Ikon Ofce Solutions John C. Houston, Jr. 10300 Alliance Rd, Ste 350 Cincinnati, OH 45242 513-985-4757 Ofce Supplies/Equipment Service & Repa Now is the time to position your organization to benefit from a proactive sales strategy. From the desk of Superior Technical Resources, Inc. Shawn Pierce 9075 Centre Pointe Dr #260 West Chester, OH 45069 513-881-6960 Employment - recruiting / non-traditional Sibcy Cline Susanne Anton 8794 Eagle Ridge West Chester, OH 45069 513-519-9455 Real Estate You don’t want to just survive during these challenging economic times – you want your business to thrive, so don’t sit back and wait. Make some adjustments to your approach. Think about reinventing your services in the perception of your customers. You may want to go back to square one. Think about the outcomes you provide through your products and services in terms of your customers’ current needs. The end result must be related to what your prospects need. Stand out, be unique! Contact Your Customers Your easiest sale should be to a current or past customer. Contact all of them as soon as possible. Be enthusiastic. Offer incentives and/or preferred customer discounts on everything. Liquidate old or slow-moving inventory at cost or less to generate cash. If you provide a service, “bundle” it with other services or products. Maximize the sales opportunity for the upcoming holidays; Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, etc. Also, provide incentives to pay now. Cash is king, especially in a challenging economy. THE Maximize the use of items like press releases, speaking opportunities and broadcast emails. Participate in West Chester Chamber Alliance events – provide door prizes and/or sponsorships for exposure. Become a student of your industry and in turn, a value-added resource to your customer. Small business is the backbone of our country, and sales are our lifeline. Today’s challenging economic times puts things in perspective. Unless you’re selling the necessities (food, water, air, shelter, etc.); you’re selling a luxury. “What can we do without” is the current mindset of the customer. Use these sales strategies to help position your organization to be a vendor your customer can’t do without. Thank you for being a valued member of the West Chester Chamber Alliance. Best wishes for your future success! West Chester Chamber Alliance Mission Statement A regional community leader promoting business innovation and growth, advocating free enterprise, addressing issues of regional and community significance and leading our members to a higher quality of life. THE www.westchesterchamberalliance.com www.westchesterchamberalliance.com 4 West Chester Chamber Alliance VOICE THE e VOICE is published monthly by the West Chester Chamber Alliance, 7617 Voice of America Centre Drive, West Chester, Ohio 45069. SpotlightOn CHAMBER MAIL Telephone: 513.777.3600 | Toll Free: 877.WCHESTER Fax: 513.777.0188 | www.westchesterchamberalliance.com Sacksteder’s Interiors Subscriptions are included in the annual dues of each Chamber membership. PUBLISHER ..................................................................................Joe Hinson EDITOR................................................................................... Alison Miuccio ASSISTANT EDITOR .................................................................... Ali Fischetti PHOTOGRAPHY...................Murray Multimedia Resources, LLC, Kenni Blache CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ...............Tim Boyer, David Heberling, Margo Jacob, ......................................Darlene Mack, Ian Murray, Steve Nguyen, Mike Taylor DESIGNER ......................................................................Cox Ohio Publishing � ()#*)#( $%&#'' !"""# /0%%#' +,,+,,-%%. $%!$&'% # ! !" # "$ )"# !! ( %& % $ $ * )" -'.*% , #%() $%#+ '# & /+0 &. 1 ,- & *% #+ & % & 06(788879)) ! & 52 !! 234 1 # 1$ /,)"0, -% Postmaster/Address Changes Send address changes to West Chester Chamber Alliance, 7617 Voice of America Centre Drive, West Chester, Ohio 45069. Attention: West Chester Chamber Alliance or email: [email protected]. Advertising , ## $%#+ & : &; % < -# = # 3 &% % , 2 2 # $ 1 %#2 -*.&&% , $%#+ ## % #% & #1 2% 788879)) # 06( 452 3 2 Interested in sponsoring a ChamberMail? Contact Alison Miuccio at the Chamber 513.777.3600 or amiuccio@westchesterchamber Chamber members can advertise in The VOICE and reach more than 1000 leaders in the southeastern Butler County business community. For cost and specics, call Alison Miuccio, 513.777.3600 or email [email protected]. Subscriptions Sacksteder’s Interiors may be known as “The place everyone is talking about.”, but Karen Sacksteder is the woman everyone is talking about! If you aren’t privy to why, keep reading. Karen is uniquely effervescent. She enters the room with a brilliant smile and energy that is intoxicating. As she sat down to begin the interview, she informed me that this would be about “where she is today, not where she’s been or how she got here”. Karen doesn’t dwell on the dramatic times and challenges in her life. Not the loss of her husband of 30 years just two years ago. Not her battle with breast cancer and dance with chemotherapy following his death. Nor her two sisters’ battles with breast cancer (within six months of her own diagnosis) and the double mastectomies each underwent. Not the closing of her Montgomery store – which she confirms is “a life change I am making, not a financial change.” This woman is resilient. This woman is determined. This woman knows where she is going and how she will get there. By streamlining her business and focusing on her original store in New Trenton, IN as well as putting more focus on the quality of her own life, Karen is exactly where she wants to be. NEED INSIGHT ON JOINING GREATER CINCINNATI’S MOST COMPLETE COUNTRY CLUB? The VOICE is mailed to Chamber members as a benet of membership. Additional subscriptions are available to Chamber members at $75 per year. Non-member subscriptions are $100 per year. For information, call 513.777.3600. Submissions Articles, advertisements and inserts for The VOICE must be received at the Chamber ofce by the 1st of each month to be included in the upcoming edition. No article in this news magazine may be reprinted without the permission of the West Chester Chamber Alliance. West Chester Township 21 Karen Sacksteder Sacksteder’s Interiors began modestly with 20 empty flowerpots, an investment of $400 and a clear and simple vision of making people happy. And that is precisely what Karen has done for the past 23 years. Today her approach for making people happy doesn’t end when they leave home; it has expanded to their workplace environments. “Sacksteder’s offers new ideas and solutions for both our residential and commercial clients, specifically targeting businesses that are interested in creating an outstanding workplace presence for their employees and customers alike.” As her strength lies in making others happy, she too realizes that this happiness can be a part of her own life. Today, her personal mission is to achieve a life balance. Balance in her business, her networking, and her collaborations. “I also want to encourage and support women with their business growth, to help boost their ‘girl power’. If I can help them, they in turn help me by empowering me with their strength.” In living her mission, she is committed to bring awareness and charitable contributions to Pink Ribbon Girls (www.pinkribbongirls.org), an organization that supports women diagnosed with breast cancer. Karen also provides these women with an outlet for humor through her book, Vivacious Vivian, The Wig That Helped a Girl Through Breast Cancer. She is also a board member of the American Cancer Society of Cincinnati. And, in her spare time she is launching Pawtown Designs, LLC – a website for all things canine, most notably to sell the Shaggy Shammy, a grooming product she designed which is available exclusively through Sky Mall’s catalog. What more can one woman do on any given day? Anything she wants! If you are interested in learning more about Sacksteder’s Interiors, please visit www.sacksteders.com or call 812.637.1422. If you want to learn more about the many organizations that Karen supports or just want to be inspired by a conversation with an amazing woman, please contact her directly at 513.608.4826. MARGO JACOB Margo Jacob Design, LLC 513.312.8362 [email protected] e o J / n w - noo m a a 9 JaEvevry Friday from of most e the hip! k a m s o ule how t ember sched Learn Chamber m 7.3600 to your at 513.77 y nson ored B oe Hi Spons Call J We’ve got plenty! Four Bridges Country Club, currently accepting Members For more information or to schedule your tour, call Donna Myers at 759-4620 www.fourbridges.com FOUR BRIDGES 8300 Four Bridges Drive, Liberty Township, Ohio 45044 THE THE www.westchesterchamberalliance.com www.westchesterchamberalliance.com 20 Ribbon Cuttings and Ground Breakings Be a HERO for Kids with Cancer and Shave your Head PRIDESTAFF 7308 Yankee Road Liberty Twp., OH 45044 Offers temporary staffing for clerical, telemarketing, light industrial, accounting, legal, and technical jobs. Tia and Eric Riddick (far right) celebrate their grand opening with Liberty Township officials and West Chester Chamber Alliance staff and Ambassadors. On Friday, June 5th from 6–9pm, Bajon Salon & Spa located at 6072 West Chester Road in West Chester (across from Jag’s) will be hosting a ‘St. Baldrick’s Kids Cancer Research Fund Raiser’ and shaving heads to find a cure. The mission of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation is to raise awareness and funds to cure kids’ cancer by supporting cancer research and fellowships. Here’s how you can participate: • Shave your head and get pledges, • Sponsor, or make a pledge donation, to someone willing to shave their head, • Elect someone to shave their head, see if they have the guts to do it and then sponsor them! Please join Mark & Karen Welch as they get their heads shaved for this worthy cause. Lots of fun, food, drinks and raffles will be part of this fund raiser. For more information, please call 513.874.9999. KONA ICE www.cincinnati.kona-ice.com 513.543.2204 John Rueve says “There is nothing like the Kona Ice experience!” Ice Cream, shaved ice and music brought directly to you in the colorful Kona truck. Corporate or special events, the Kona Ice vehicle adds to the excitement. The West Chester Chamber Alliance lined up to get treats from the Kona penguin. ELLIOTT AND BRADLEY PLUMBING 10030 Windisch Rd. West Chester, Ohio 45069 513.772.0050 Elliott and Bradley has been well respected in the contracting industry since 1959. A family owned business that takes pride in their name and their work. Don and Denise (center) celebrated with family, friends, customers and colleagues the opening of their new West Chester location. Butler County Visitors Bureau Achieves Destination Marketing Accreditation The Butler County Visitors Bureau has been awarded accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), an international accreditation program developed by Washington D.C. based Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). In earning the DMAP accreditation, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) communicate to their community, buyers, and potential visitors that their DMO has attained a significant measure of excellence. “The Butler County Visitors Bureau is honored to receive the Destination Marketing Accreditation from DMAP,” said Mark Hecquet, Executive Director of the Butler County Visitors Bureau. “We are very pleased, considering we are less than three years old as an organization, to be recognized in the destination marketing community for providing outstanding services in accordance with international standards and benchmarks in the field.” 5 People AndNews Neyer Properties’ Corporate Offices Achieves LEED Gold Neyer Properties’ headquarters at Keystone Parke is Ohio’s first to achieve LEED® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Gold from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its commercial interior space. “Green building will eventually become the standard for all building,” predicted Dan Neyer, president of Neyer Properties, “because it makes economic sense to do so. Green building saves energy, materials, the environment, and provides a healthier, happier environment for employees. Energy efficiency saves money for both building owners and tenants.” Fifty percent of the electricity used at Keystone Parke has been offset through the purchase of Green-e Energy certified renewable energy credits for its first two years of occupancy. This compares to planting 604 mature trees or not driving an automobile 149,651 miles, according to Renewable Choice Energy, a national leader providing renewable energy and carbon offsets to businesses, green building (LEED) projects, and individuals across the country. For more information, please visit www.neyer1.com. Stautberg Benefit Advisors, LLC has announced that Kristin Spanogians has joined the firm in Marketing and Business Development Prior to joining Stautberg Benefit Advisors, Kristin was the special events coordinator for the West Chester Chamber Alliance and was a partner / special events marketing manager for a local event rental company. Kristin brings her attention to detail from special event planning along with experience in benefit management. She has had extensive exposure to selling to corporate environments, small businesses and non-profit organizations. “By applying for and receiving DMAP accreditation, the Butler County Visitors Bureau has demonstrated a commitment to quality programs and services,” said Christine Shimasaki, CDME, DMAP Board Chair. “We are proud to recognize these organizations for their achievement. Their accreditation underscores their dedication to providing exceptional leadership and commitment to professionalism of DMOs across the globe.” Kristin has enjoyed donating her time to many local non-profit groups in the West Chester community. She has held leadership positions on many parent organizations in the Lakota School District and was the recipient of the Barb Bossu Award for volunteerism from Lakota in 1998 and 2000. She is currently a tutor for Whiz Kids at Hopewell Elementary. For more information, visit www.destinationbutlercounty.com or call 888.462.2282. For more information, please call 513.326.9050 or visit www.stautberg.com. THE THE www.westchesterchamberalliance.com www.westchesterchamberalliance.com 6 19 Member Orientation Staybridge Suites Names New Director of Sales Staybridge Suites Cincinnati North/West Chester, located at 8955 Lakota Drive West in West Chester, is proud to announce that Robb Harrison has accepted the position as Director of Sales. Robb has eight years experience in the hospitality industry and is very dedicated to the hospitality business, thriving to make sure the guests have a great experience. Staybridge Suites is an all suite hotel designed for travelers that need to stay for an extended period of time. For more information, please call 513.874.1900. Thompson Hine Partner Named Litigation Counsel of America Fellow The Litigation Counsel of America™ (LCA has selected Thompson Hine partner Thomas A. Knoth as a fellow. Fellowship in the society is highly selective and by invitation only. Fellows are selected based on their effectiveness and accomplishment in litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, and superior ethical reputation. The LCA’s mission includes recognizing experienced and highly qualified lawyers, fostering the exchange of ideas, advancing superior advocacy and ethical standards in the practice of law, and providing a channel for scholarly creativity and authorship. Knoth, a member of Thompson Hine’s Business Litigation, practices in the firm’s Dayton office and focuses on complex commercial cases, including disputes relating to contracts, product liability, health care, trademark and copyright infringement, environmental law, insurance law, fiduciary and probate law, real estate and land-use regulation, trade secrets, restrictive covenants and employee benefits. For more information, visit www.ThompsonHine.com. It Pays To Have More Members On April 28th, we had a record-breaking crowd at Member Orientation! Pictured are the members that attended and took advantage of the opportunity to learn how to get the most from their membership, meet other members, meet our preferred providers and got to know the staff of the West Chester Chamber Alliance. If you missed it, you can join us at our next Member Orientation on Tuesday, July 28th. For more information, call the Chamber office – 513.777.3600. Like You! Wingate by Wyndham & Meridian Conference Center 7500 Tylers Place Blvd. | West Chester, OH 45069 Member Orientation (left to right) – Ken Hutchens, AXA Advisors, LLC; Brian Ratliff, Event MPS; John Becker, Brinks Home Security; Lisa Stehlin, Cincinnati Bar Association; Rick Hartman, Indiana Wesleyan University; Michelle Dove, Aihu; Michael Nelson, Focal Point Business Coaching; Denise Bollinger, Cincinnati Bar Association; Brian Hinderer, Printing Ink Partners; Bridget Mahoney, Citizens Against Domestic Violence; Timothy Fightmaster, CORT Furniture Rental; Tony Kim, EMAGE LLC; Brian Tregoning, 7-Hills Commercial Carpentry; Aaron Youkilis, Gold & Diamonds; George Connett, Connett Design. We are looking for more members like you. To show our appreciation, we want to thank you with Chamber Bucks! Our membership referral program is a great opportunity to help grow your Chamber and your business. With each paid membership, referred by you, we will present you with West Chester Chamber Alliance Chamber Bucks ($25 value, good for 1 year.) We value your membership and would appreciate your help to grow the membership of the West Chester Chamber Alliance. For a referral form, please go to www.westchesterchamberalliance.com or pick one up at one of our monthly luncheons. Networking continued at M Café at the Wingate by Wyndham at the April Business After Hours. Jazz musician Jon Aiken provided the perfect backdrop as the business day continued. Don Gantt (far left) was the perfect host and Chef Jason Gillum (second left) provided delectable treats! (Also pictured Tracy Davis, Miami University VOALC and Mike Jacob) :@/6 a C/P -aR Pc P/aY .6@a@/ Member Orientation (left to right) Front Row – Linda Sullivan, Companions on a Journey Grief Support; Sheri Snively, Liberty Urgent Care; Julie Gady, Burke & Schindler CPAs. Second Row – Gina Kopera, 10 til 2; Judy Brandell, Mountain Mudd Espresso; Linda Brelsford, Panera Bread; Patti Lowe, Comey & Shepherd Realtors; Sam Pinello, Buddy’s Flooring America; Susanne Anton, Sibcy Cline; Stephanie Rousseau, The Ofce of Stephanie Rousseau PAYPROTEC Merchant Services; Julie Seil, OfceTeam. Third Row – John Meismann, Ofce Depot; Adam Keel, USA Payment Services; Chris Lusk, G & J Pepsi Cola of Hamilton; Catherine Sobecki, FastPark and Relax; Dave Harbin, Huff Realty; Russ Pennavaria, Companions on a Journey of Grief Support. GETTING CONNECTED & STAYING CONNECTED NEED A SMALL BUSINESS ADVOCATE? Bob is an advocate for you and your business, whether you are just starting out or are ready to expand to the next level! Contact Bob Wiwi at the West Chester Chamber Alliance 513.777.3600 [email protected] " 62.6L P@2`@.CO.6 @i 8.Xy \iI P.XX " 9bbiO`@OO. RiiX6 @i 8.Xy \iI +IR " #C.b@6 ZLi R2IXR ,`2. SM/ ,y/iyY/ <P26@- yMPYi6iyMR a@ 9U55 P/aY@R /^yiP/26 iI2 aD/c@6 @i Pi2X <i2 RiI PP@M @M/ <IYY 6Iyyi2@ i< @MiI6ac%6 i< YizaY ac% ca@PicaY 2/aY /6@a@/ /Qy/2@6 ]iI2 9U55 aD/c@ P6 RiI2 a%Oiza@/ @i M/Yy RiI D/@ @M/ ^i6@ OaYI/ iI@ i< @i%aR/6 c/P 2/aY /6@a@/ ^a2X/@ HUFF Realty Union Centre 6192 Muhlhauser Road (513) 644-4833 www.HUFF.com THE THE www.westchesterchamberalliance.com www.westchesterchamberalliance.com 18 7 The Importance of Advertising in a Down Economy Preferred Providers Listed Alphabetically Join us for a Business After Hours at COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY Tom Farrell, [email protected] Wednesday, June 17th CELL PHONE AND LONG-DISTANCE Matt Tontrup, [email protected] Enjoy a grill out with hot dogs, hamburgers, metts and beverages! 5-7pm WORKERS COMPENSATION Ben Herndon, [email protected] Mark Your Calendar! The West Chester Chamber Alliance Monday, October 5 th One of the biggest reasons to continue to advertise is customer behavior. When money is tight, customers become more discerning with every dollar, however, they still spend. A larger piece of the market “pie” is of greater importance if the “pie” is getting smaller. When your competition cuts their advertising budget, you can easily capture customers’ attention and build long-term brand loyalties. The landscape is less crowded because your competition has gone into hiding. An American Business Press study conducted during the downturn of 1974-75 found companies that advertised during this time had the highest growth in sales and net income during the two years of the study and the two years afterward. Subsequently, companies that cut advertising had the lowest sales and lowest net income increases during the same study period. Bruce Weinberg Two words can be used to accurately describe Bruce Weinberg, Membership Account Executive: “passion” and “connections.” As the newest employee with the West Chester Chamber Alliance, Bruce brings his passion for volunteer service and an ability to connect people with business opportunities like seemingly unrelated dots in a statistician’s scatter plot. After working twenty-five years for American Express, Bruce found his new direction while working for a childhood friend, a business owner of a service that provides gifts, awards and trophies for the golfing industry. Through this connection, Bruce met the CEO of the American Cancer Society and thereafter is currently in his fifth year as a volunteer member of the American Cancer Society’s Cincinnati Golf Classic event. Bruce focuses primarily on the outstanding networking opportunities afforded to Chamber members as well as the unique Return-onInvestment Chamber membership provides to active, passionate participants. TIM BOYER Eclipse Copywriting 513.860.3006 [email protected] 8955 Lakota Dr. W, West Chester, OH 45069 2009 Golf & Tennis Classic In a down economy companies tend to slash their budgets. Unfortunately, one of the first areas cut is their lifeline: their marketing and advertising budget. While this may seem like an easy place to save some dollars, it can be one of the worst. When business drops and you stop telling your unique story to customers, you set yourself up for failure. During the Great Depression, industrialist Henry Ford noted, “A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops the clock to save time.” Working for You OFFICE SUPPLIES Heather Frazier, [email protected] at Wetherington Golf and Country Club GROUP HEALTH CARE For more information, please call the West Chester Chamber Alliance at 513.777.3600 A McGraw-Hill study in 1981-82 looked at aggressive companies having a slight edge over their competitors going into the recession. These firms continued to invest in advertising and continued to grow. The big news came two years post recession; businesses that cut back advertising stalled out at sales levels that the aggressive companies blew past. By the end of 1985, companies that hadn’t cut back on their advertising had grown by over 256%. It’s also important to look at the message you’re sending. In a recession, consumers don’t stop spending, but they do become more selective. People continue to buy and are likely to buy from a business that provides good value… one they know and like. This means your advertising message must be adapted to that buying public. Restaurants focus on value, consistent quality and lower prices, while auto mechanics focus on improving the reliability of your car. Find out what is motivating the needs of your primary customers. Study them, conduct research and send surveys. Maintain a strong and consistent message while focusing on your core competency and your customers will see your business as one weathering the storm. They will be confident in doing business with you now, AND in the future. The possibilities are endless! Come to Oscar and venture into Jungle Jim’s for unique team building experiences. Add telepresence, webcasting, video casting and the Smart Board for cutting edge technology. Include our own catering (international cuisine optional), wine/beer tasting options and cooking demos or classes for a productive meeting! IAN MURRAY Murray Multimedia Resources, LLC 513.779.4223 [email protected] Please contact Kathy Rambo for more information on participating in or sponsoring this event – 513.777.3600 or [email protected] 5440 Dixie Highway Fairfield, OH 45014 513.674.6055 | www.oscareventcenter.com THE THE www.westchesterchamberalliance.com www.westchesterchamberalliance.com 8 17 What’s New in West Chester Township A snapshot of recent developments by West Chester development council www.westchesterdevelopment.com 2009 on The Square The 2009 season on The Square @ Union Centre promises great opportunities to gather with friends and neighbors. The Square is available every day for the community’s enjoyment and with more and more businesses opening nearby it provides the perfect meeting space for lunch hours or after work. The Square, located on Centre Pointe Drive at the First Financial Bank Clock Tower, is also home to many special events. Join us on The Square for the following activities presented by First Financial Bank, AK Steel, BAE Systems and Huntington Bank. Wednesday Lunchtime on The Square Take a break from the office and visit The Square for music, corn hole and other weekly activities all summer long from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. After Hours on The Square It’s hip to be on The Square Thursdays after work. Enjoy great music, food, beer and friends on The Square most Thursdays during the summer. Entertainment begins at 4:30 p.m. with bands taking the stage from 6 to 9 p.m. Jake Speed and the Freddies kick off the season on June 4. The rest of the schedule follows: June 4 – Jake Speed and the Freddies June 11 – The Websters June 18 – Thunder Bay June 25 – The Paul Otten Band July 2 - The Hiders July 9 – The Whammies July 16 – DV8 July 23 – Big Whiskey July 30 – The Menus August 6 – The Sonic Sledgehammers August 13 – No concert – UCB Bash August 14-16 August 20 - The Paul Otten Band August 27 – Dangerous Jim and the Slims update What Does a 21st Century School System Look Like? Recently there has been much discussion surrounding the movement of school and education towards 21st century skills and a 21st century educational system, but what does this really look like? What are the changes necessary and what types of things would our students and teachers see in order to fully be teaching 21st century skills? How can we at Lakota move towards providing our students with such a system and what types of things are we offering now that are, in fact, 21st century learning opportunities? Certainly the technology in the classrooms, the interactive whiteboards are 21st century, as many of the ideas behind 21st century center on technology learning and competencies. But it goes much further than simply technology. We have begun discussions with our Board of Education along with groups of administrators and staff to start identifying 21st century skills and how we can move our system. compete in a global marketplace, but also to focus on the basics, the reading, writing and math skills. In fact we heard many times that our community wished to see our students able to “simply make change if they were working for a store or fast food restaurant and the computer went down”. The idea of balancing the core skills along with adding opportunities to enhance our students learning in the future is one that we are devoted to as a system. The 21st Century skills that are being looked at include ideas like additional foreign languages in earlier grades, keyboarding and computer education along with presentation skills, critical thinking and creative problem solving. Moving the entire district to a more computer-based model, rather than relying on printed materials is also being looked at, as it’s a shift as well as an economic savings to the district. Of course, we must balance that with the need to inform our entire community, even the ones not connected to a computer system or email. I look forward to working with our community and staff to start identifying the what the entire district wishes to see for Lakota as we move our students into 21st Century learning and skills. MIKE TAYLOR In our public engagement process last year, we heard from our community that parents and community members wanted Lakota to offer an education that both focused on future needs of our students to Superintendent, Lakota School System 513.874.5505 [email protected] ��������������������������������������� ����� �������������������� ��������������������� ������������������������ ������������������� ������������������������ Farmers’ Market on The Square Enjoy the local harvest and the spirit of community at the weekly Farmers’ Market on The Square. The Market is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Saturday, May 23 through October. Locally grown produce, baked goods and other products and plants are available. Special activities will be offered each week including gardening workshops, music, cooking demonstrations and children’s scavenger hunt. ������������� ������������� ������������ ������������� Visit www.westchesteroh.org weekly beginning in June for special promotions and activities offered on The Square. Also visit The Square on Facebook and MySpace. ���������������� ���������������� ������� ������� �������� �������������������������������������������� ��������������� ���������������� ������������������������ �������������������������������� ����������������������������� ����������� ��������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������� THE THE www.westchesterchamberalliance.com www.westchesterchamberalliance.com 16 9 MEMBER TO MEMBER DISCOUNT Small Business West Chester Chamber Alliance members will receive a gift (valued up to $20) when booking an at-work Stress Buster. Ethics: Don’t Do Business without Them Advocate Holistic Aromatherpay, Natural Plant-Based, AntiStress, Healing Skin Care and Home Keeping Products for Home Retreats, Expos and at-work Stress Busters. Operating an honest, ethical business may seem like a no-brainer. In today’s highly competitive business environment, the temptation to bend the rules looms large. Don’t think that it’s OK to do something “just this once.” Not only is a wrong choice always wrong, but a one-time ethics breach often become a habit. Once the reputation of you and your business are compromised, it may be impossible to repair the damage. Just mention you are a member! Contact Michelle Dove, Independent Aihu Consultant 513.885.1150 ���� ������ Two-thirds of small business owners say they are more concerned about ethical business practices today than in the past, according to a survey by the management consulting firm George S. May International. “It may be difficult to measure the benefit of ethical actions to your bottom line,” says Israel Kushnir, president of May International. “But a lack of ethics will definitely have a negative impact on a small business.” ������� �������������������������������� �������� ��� ����������� ���� ��������� ��� ������ ���������������� ������ ������ �������� ���������� �������� ������� �������� ������� ������� ������������������������������� ����������������������� ����� ����������� ������ ��������� ������� ��������� ������� ����� ������������� ��������������������� ����������������� ��������������� ����������������� �������������� ������������� ��������������� ����������� ��������� ������ ������ ������������������ ����������������� ������������������������������ Although formal ethics training is rare at small companies, business owners are always looking for new or better ways to define their values for employees and customers. Some are putting ethics policies on paper while others are simply raising the issue more often in the workplace. Josephson Institute of Ethics, www.josephsoninstitute.org, is a “publicbenefit, nonpartisan, nonprofit” organization that helps advance ethical decision-making. Co-founder Michael Josephson’s daily radio commentary on ethics and character-building runs on stations across the country and his “Character Counts” initiative has been adopted by schools and youth groups nationwide. ����� �������� ������� ������ The Ethics Resource Center (ERC) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization that offers informational products and services, including help creating a code of conduct, an ethics effectiveness test, a business ethics ��������������� ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ ������������ ��������������������������������������������� Q&A and other items. ERC also conducts an annual National Business Ethics ����������������� ��������������������������������������������������������� Survey. You can find more details at www.ethics.org. ��������� ������� ���������� Consider the popular books, The Power of Ethical Management by Ken Blanchard and Norman Vincent Peale, and Street-Smart Ethics: Succeeding in Business without Selling Your Soul by Clinton McLemore. Other thinkers from Aristotle to the Dalai Lama have also written on ethical issues that will help you integrate your business practices with your personal beliefs. What’s New in Liberty Township www.liberty-township.com Liberty Township Embarks on Brand Development and Landscaping Projects n to assist in its creation. Township Trustees, staff and the Economic Development Committee (made up of Township residents and business owners) have worked closely with the design team to identify the Township’s target audiences, values and community assets. This foundation will then be used to craft key messages and to develop a new graphic mark to be used in brochures, the web site and Township signage. Be on the lookout for the Township’s facelift in the next few months! In addition, residents and businesses in Liberty Township will soon be able to see more signs of spring and summer with the blooming of trees and flowers as landscaping is installed in key areas throughout the Township – another piece of the 2009 branding initiatives. Along with the new logo, the Township is working to establish identity and recognition for those who reside in Liberty as well as those traveling to or through the Township. This work furthers the goal of creating a sense of place for Liberty Township residents and businesses. The first phase of this multiphased project will be at the intersections of Cincinnati-Dayton Road and State Route 129 as well as State Route 747 and State Route 129. A variety of trees, shrubs and perennials surrounding new gateway signs will clearly designate and welcome people to Liberty Township. A key facet to this initiative was being awarded a $25,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation that covers the entire 2009 portion of the landscaping project. Support Liberty Township’s Community Events Liberty Township is excited to announce that it has established a new charitable fund at The Community Foundation of West Chester / Liberty to support the Township’s annual community events. The Liberty Township Charitable Fund is being established to provide an easier way for businesses and residents to financially support the community events that make Liberty Township such a great place for families. For anyone who has attended one of the Township’s annual events, you know how important it is that Liberty Township offer such opportunities for families – young and old – to come together and celebrate the season. The goal is to increase attendance and offerings at Township events to better serve our residents. Liberty Township hosts three annual events – the Easter Egg Hunt (the Saturday prior to Easter), the July 4th Festivities (including the 5K run, parade, and festival), and the Annual Fall Festival (the first Saturday in October). All events take place at Liberty Park behind the Lakota Family YMCA. All community members are invited to attend and there is no charge to participate in the events. The new charitable fund will provide Liberty Township the opportunity to receive donations and sponsorships for these events via the Foundation’s web site. In addition, the Township will be able to offer online registrations for the 5K race on Saturday, July 4th. Interested people should visit the Liberty Township web site – www.liberty-township.com - to find a link to the online 5K registration. Annual Fall Festival Saturday, October 3, 1pm–5pm Festival at Liberty Park To show your support of Liberty Township and the annual community events, consider making a gift to the Liberty Township Charitable Fund. Donations can be made via The Community Foundation of West Chester / Liberty’s website www.wclfoundation.com or by sending a check to The Community Foundation of West Chester / Liberty, Attn: Liberty Township Charitable Fund, 5641 Union Centre Drive, West Chester, OH 45069. All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. For more information, call the Foundation at 513.874.5450. 5K Race Liberty Township is excited to host its annual 5K Race as part of our 4th of July Festival! Mark your calendar for Saturday, July 4th. The day begins with the 5K Race followed by the 4th of July parade and family festival at Liberty Park. We look forward to seeing you there! The foregoing is an excerpt from the SCORE “Counselors to Americas Small Business” Resource Library. To learn more about the ethical management of your business, contact the West Chester Chamber Alliance’s Small Business Advocate at [email protected]. Another free and confidential business counseling resource is the local chapter of SCORE in Cincinnati or Dayton. Contact information can be found at www.westchesterchamberalliance.com. 8:30am - 5K Race begins at Liberty Park 10am - Parade begins at Lakota East High School 11am–3pm - Festival at Liberty Park Visit www.liberty-township.com for more information. BOB WIWI West Chester Chamber Alliance 513.777.3600 [email protected] THE THE www.westchesterchamberalliance.com www.westchesterchamberalliance.com 10 15 Small Business Concerns Benefits of a Virtualized Data Center Server virtualization allows companies to reduce the number of physical servers in their data center or server room. Virtualization software provides the ability to have what looks like multiple physical servers available but actually runs them on a condensed number of actual computers. Its full benefits are unique for each end-user, but most of those benefits can be categorized into five major categories: Resource Consolidation and Optimization Industry reports show that most servers in the business sector are utilizing less than 10% of their resource. Pools of consolidated servers are able to adjust resources on the fly allowing IT staff to build systems that are closer to 60-70% utilized rather than the expected <10% utilization from a non-virtualized server. Cost Reduction Server virtualization consolidates physical servers. It is not uncommon to see consolidation ratios of 10:1 or 15:1. An immediate benefit is a potential cost savings on hardware and associated service agreements. These savings are also accompanied by lower space rental costs, lower power costs, and lower cooling costs for these servers. Women for Women (W4W) is the West Chester Chamber Alliance women’s group that focuses on the need for women to balance business, home and all aspects of their life. W4W brings women together to engage in networking, discuss women’s issues and address topics that are pertinent to women’s lives both at home and at the office. Our meetings focus on the four W’s—Work, Wealth, Wisdom and Wellness. At each session, we enjoy networking time, discussions and a presentation that addresses the “W” topic of the month. W4W meets on the first Friday morning of each month. At the June meeting, we focused on “Wisdom” when Megan Owens, Restored Treasures LLC, presented on Home Staging and Re-decorating. Join us at next month’s W4W meeting on Friday, July 10th from 8am - 9: 30am at M Café at Wingate by Wyndham (7500 Tylers Place Blvd, West Chester). This meeting will focus on both “Work & Wisdom” as Kathy Rambo presents on Business Luncheon Protocol & Etiquette. The cost for this session is $20. Please RSVP by Wednesday, July 8th to Ali Fischetti at 513.777.3600 or [email protected]. Ease of Management In a virtualized data center, all virtual servers are accessible through a single consolidated service console granting access to the virtual server instances. Through this single view, an engineer can rapidly make changes or administer many servers without having to change locations or applications. Improved Uptime and Business Continuity For many businesses, uptime means revenues and customer satisfaction. The latest generations of virtualization come with uptime improvements that will automatically move virtual servers to an alternate physical server host in the instance of an unexpected hardware failure. The ability to automatically move and or replicate whole servers to another server or site makes disaster recovery and business continuity much more simple and cost effective. Join us this month for a special Lunch & Lecture courtesy of Mercy Hospital Fairfield. Anna Maddali, M.D. will present on women’s health and why you need a primary care physician in this healthcare environment. Mercy Hospital Fairfield President & CEO Tom Urban will also give an update on the Hospital. Reduced Carbon Footprint Mercy HealthPlex in Fairfield 3050 Mack Road Fairfield, Ohio 45014 Through the use of virtualization, power and cooling needs can be drastically reduced. Reduction by half is common, 80% savings are not unheard-of. These savings affect the financial bottom-line as well as the data center’s impact on the environment. Tuesday, June 23rd, 11:30am-1pm Limited seating – please RSVP by Friday, June 19th to Ali Fischetti at 513.777.3600 or [email protected]. Conclusion Server virtualization has gained traction over the last 5 years, benefiting companies large and small. Financial benefits include lower initial expense, lower management costs, reduced power and space spending, lower disaster recovery costs, and fewer wasted computing resources, all compelling reasons for any IT staff to consider data center virtualization. Weste Cheter Medical Full Page Ad GETTING CONNECTED & EN P O W NO STAYING CONNECTED BRUCE WEINBERG MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DAVID HEBERLING Peak 10 Cincinnati 513.645.2910 www.peak10.com Bruce is one of your first points of contact when you join the West Chester Chamber Alliance and a great resource for getting involved. In his role, Bruce provides insight into how the Chamber can benefit both current members and prospective members, If you need more information on how to GET CONNECTED, contact Bruce at 513.777.3600 or [email protected]. THE THE www.westchesterchamberalliance.com www.westchesterchamberalliance.com 14 11 GETTING CONNECTED & Ask the HR Expert STAYING CONNECTED JAY D’ARCY SENIOR MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jay is one of your first points of contact when you join the West Chester Chamber Alliance and a great resource for getting involved. In his role, Jay provides insight into how the Chamber can benefit both current members and prospective members, If you need more information on how to GET CONNECTED, contact Jay at 513.777.3600 or [email protected]. ��������������������������������������������������������������� � Q. Much of the new employment legislation Breakfast Brieng Marketing Accelerator™ Workshop 5 Hidden Marketing Flaws That Cost You Have your marketing tactics lost their impact? You might be making the same mistake over and over and it’s costing you money! Eliminate these flaws and watch your ROI increase. PRESENTED BY: Drew Dinkelacker, Teakwood Marketing � � �� �� �� ��� � WHEN Thursday, June 25th, 2009 ������� �� ������� ���� ������� ������� �� ������� ���� ������� ������������������� ������������������� ������������������������������������� ��� ���� ���� ���� ��� � ����� ��� � ����������� ���� ����� � ����� ��� � ����������� ���� ����� ��� ���� ���� ���� ��� ��� ������������ � ��� ������������ � ����������� ��� ������������ � ��� ������������ � ����������� �������������������������������������������� ��������� The M A™ Workshop is a fast-paced, hands-on event that will include self assessments of your marketing efforts. Attendees will uncover: • Deep connections with prospects to get them to say “YES” faster • Hidden competition that has been chewing away at your profits • Marketing flaws that are unseen by most • Quick-to-implement strategies to separate from the pack of competition • A quote from a 5-Star WWII General that will change the way you market Rejuvenate your marketing plan in 60 minutes and improve your tactics without adding to your marketing budget. Be sure to bring your current marketing and advertising materials. (and employer penalties!) seems to focus on the “essential functions” of the job. What is an “Essential Function?” For many years now, employment legislation has based much of its requirements on what are seen as the critical elements of the job – the recent stimulus package and changes in employment regulation have indeed taken this to a new level. It is imperative for employers to update their job descriptions (or create them!) with a clear eye for defining the “essence” of each position – this information is important for determining if an applicant or incumbent can perform the essential function of the position with or without “reasonable accommodation.” In general, each potential duty of the position is reviewed as a function of its importance to the company’s operation, the frequency of the duty, whether there is insufficient staff for another position to assume the duty, and whether the duty can be redesigned or performed in another way. All qualifications and standards must be job-related and consistent with operating necessity. For the most part, an essential function defines “what” needs to be done – reasonable accommodation may alter “how” it is done. For example, greeting visitors is a typical essential function for a Receptionist; feeding the fish is not (except to the fish!), as another position could perform this task. The reason the “Receptionist” position exists is to “receive;” therefore that is an essential function of the position. Consider these important questions: • Does the job exist in order to do this function? Would taking this function from the job significantly change the job? • How much time over the course of a year is spent doing this function? • Could other current positions assume these duties if necessary? • Do people in similar positions elsewhere do this function? • What are the minimum qualifications required to perform this duty? • What critical skills, experience, training, education and licensure are necessary? • What are the physical and mental elements required of this function? Continental Breakfast provided by Tazza Mia For assistance on determining Essential Functions of the job, go to Job Accommodation Network (JAN) at www.dol.gov/odep/programs/ job.htm or contact Darlene Mack for support. Registration & Breakfast: 7:30am | Program: 7:45-9am Darlene Mack, MA, SPHR, CEO of HR Partners International, Inc. will answer your questions and provide strategies for maximizing your employee resources. Please submit questions to [email protected]. A big THANK YOU to our Culinary Experience Participants for the B E L George Rees, Chair George Rees Hospitality Group Aladdin’s Eatery Butler Tech Culinary Students Cincinnati Marriott North G & J Pepsi Great Oaks Culinary Students IKEA Klosterman Mount Pleasant Retirement Village Noodles & Co. Qdoba Mexican Grill Savannah Center Skip’s Bagel Deli Tazza Mia Tropical Smoothie Café Uno’s Chicago Grill Wetherington Golf and Country Club Thanks to Jason Kreul, Cincinnati Marriott North and Todd Wilber, Uno’s Chicago Grill for their help in the Culinary Experience as well. WHERE West Chester Chamber Alliance 7617 Voice of America Centre Drive, West Chester (Lower Level) CONTACT RSVP to Marge Wimmer at 513.777.3600 or [email protected] DARLENE R. MACK, MA, SPHR HR Partners International 513.779.7296 www.HRPlinc.com THE THE www.westchesterchamberalliance.com www.westchesterchamberalliance.com 12 13 Luncheon Recap This Month’s Luncheon Tuesday, June 9th Savannah Center | 11:30am – 1:30pm On a beautiful Tuesday in May, the West Chester Chamber Alliance Business Expo audience welcomed one of the nation’s leading journalists and news analysts, Juan Williams to the podium. Williams began by sharing some of his observations in Washington, and our country as a whole following the election of President Obama. It was clear that we are a nation of change…but the real question is “What does the word ‘change’ really mean?” Williams noted that we want change in this country, but not necessarily something new. “Most Americans were voicing their intent to taking the country back. Back to the way things used to be with family, culture and values.” He indicated that today’s America has a core make-up that is fundamentally different making it very challenging to go back to the way things used to be. “We are a nation of 300 billion people today; one fourth of which is made up of people under the age of eighteen. In 2011, one fourth will be over the age of 65. Visually, our population can be described as a dumbbell.” The growth rate has been driven by an astonishing number of immigrants coming to America. Immigration driven growth impacts the prioritization of assimilation in our local communities. “Assimilation becomes less intent and we are no longer known as the Great Melting Pot but rather the Great Salad Bowl.” In a salad bowl, together each component adds to the overall taste but each ingredient maintains its distinct flavor and flare. The changing immigration landscape fosters a clear identity crisis for our nation forcing changes in politics, business and society. Williams then shared his experience of visiting a high school in Minneapolis. He requested to meet with the top 30 students, leaders and athletes. “The principal kept asking me, ‘Do you not notice the trend here?’ I continued to struggle to respond. He again asked, ‘Can you not see it?’ if you ask me for an opportunity to meet the top student leaders, 8 out of 10 will be young women. When you ask me for the top students in a given class, 7 out of 10 will be young women. When you ask me for the top athletes, 5 out of 10 will be young women.” Amazing how some things are so obvious that you can’t even see them right in front of your nose! Furthermore, 9 Governors and 16 Senators today are women. Our population and influence continues to be greatly impacted by a gender shift in addition to the influx of immigrants. Luncheon Emcee Kendall Wright, Entelechy Training and Development. Luncheon Speaker Juan Williams, Fox News Political Correspondent & Author. Next Month’s Luncheon ank you to our Luncheon Sponsors Tuesday, July 14th Wetherington Golf and Country Club, Poolside 11:30am – 1:30pm Congratulations to Qdoba Mexican Grill for receiving the award for “Best Taste of West Chester/Liberty” at the 2009 Business Expo. Pictured (left to right) are: Joe Hinson, West Chester Chamber Alliance; Stephanie Adams, Mt. Pleasant Retirement Village and Business Expo Committee Chair; Brian McMichael and Rachel Olszewski, Qdoba Mexican Grill; Kathy Rambo and Ali Fischetti, West Chester Chamber Alliance. ank you to our Display Table Sponsors Cincy Magazine/Connections Heritagespring Health Care Center Finally, Williams touched on the continued identity battle of the ages. As 2011 approaches and the baby boomers move further into their 60’s and 70’s, generational conflicts continue to rise. We will continue to see the battle as each end of the spectrum makes up one-fourth of the population combined totaling one-half of the people in America. 2009 Business Expo Presenting Sponsor Cincinnati Bell – pictured (left to right) at their booth are Matt Knueven, Stephanie Merkle and Michael Crump. It was clear to me that attending Williams’ presentation was a very entertaining and profound experience. He spoke of things that were obvious, yet explained so much in our society today. It is very apparent why Juan Williams garners the respect of his peers and the American public as both a journalist and news analyst. STEVEN D. NGUYEN The Hackman Financial Group, Inc. 513.891.5300 Congratulations to Five Visual Communication & Design for receiving the award for “Best Booth Display” at the 2009 Business Expo. Pictured (left to right) are: Stephanie Adams, Mt. Pleasant Retirement Village and Business Expo Committee Chair; Rondi Tschopp and Jon Tschopp, Five Visual Communication & Design; Joe Hinson, West Chester Chamber Alliance; Laura Broermann and Melissa Feldhaus, Five Visual Communication & Design; Kathy Rambo and Ali Fischetti, West Chester Chamber Alliance. Join us for our June Monthly Member Luncheon with guest speaker John Pepper, CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, chairman of the board of The Walt Disney Company and the former chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors of The Procter & Gamble Company. John will speak on “The Freedom Center: Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Headed and The Lessons Learned Along the Way – A Personal Perspective by John Pepper.” Our luncheon emcee will be John Brenzel, Brower Insurance. A shot of the crowd at the May Monthly Member Luncheon at Skatetown USA. Pictured is the West Chester Chamber Alliance booth display at the Expo, which was generously donated by Skyline Exhibits. If you would like to see our booth, or other booth displays, please visit the Skyline Exhibits showroom at 9850 Princeton-Glendale Road, Ste 4 in West Chester. For more information, please visit www.skylinedisplays.com 2009 Business Expo Premier Print Media Sponsor The Pulse~Journal – pictured (left to right) at their booth are Kristen O’Neal, Lindsay Wiseman, Tommy Thompson and Annie Martinez. Join us next month for our July Member Luncheon – poolside at Wetherington Golf and Country Club! Our guest speaker will be Tracey Wilder, Director of Strategic Partner Solutions, Agility Recovery Solutions, courtesy of Peak 10. Tracey will be speaking on Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Management and specifically, “Lessons Learned from Hurricane Ike and the 2009 Ice Storm.” At this luncheon, we will also honor the Police and Sheriff’s Department of West Chester and Liberty Townships. Our luncheon emcee will be Robert Hernandez, Offcierge, Inc. How To RSVP RSVP on our website at www.westchesterchamberalliance.com or email Marge Wimmer at [email protected]. Luncheons are held the second Tuesday of each month from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm. Cancel before noon on the Monday before the lunch to avoid being charged. $25 - for members and employees of member organizations who RSVP by the Friday before each Luncheon $30 - for members who RSVP after Friday at 5:00pm $50 - for non-members Art Mathews (left) and Lee Sjoquist (right) attend to their Skyline Exhibits booth at the 2009 Business Expo. THE Pay by check, Mastercard, VISA or Discover and avoid the registration line. Special dietary needs will gladly be taken care of by letting us know when you RSVP for the luncheon. THE www.westchesterchamberalliance.com www.westchesterchamberalliance.com
