The Groundhog Day Storm of 2011

I was told by a fellow Groundhog Committee member Friday night that a big storm is supposed to hit this week and they have named it the Groundhog Day Storm.

Why would I care? Because our 55th Annual Groundhog Breakfast is now five days away - February 4th. We are expecting 650 people - at 6:00 a.m.

I can remember past GH Breakfasts where the roads were bad and the temperatures were well below freezing, but the GH Breakfast still went on as planned.

2011 will be no different.

We have a wonderful morning planned for everyone, so just get up a little earlier than planned, and make your way over to Adena Hall on the OSU Newark Campus this Friday. You will be glad you did!

Thank You Time Warner Business Class!

Don't you love getting an unexpected gift?

This was delivered today from Time Warner Business Class, giving us recognition for being

named #4 in The List in Business First. Too cool!

What Doesn't Belong?

I grew up watching Sesame Street. I can remember a segment of the show that had a little song about "what three things are the same and which one doesn't belong. . ." - Here is what prompted the flashback to this song as I walked around the office this morning:

Yes, my desk "just doesn't belong" among the clean desks in this office.

It's Almost That Time. . .

Patrick Guanciale's blog today has a sneak peak at our Groundhog.

You just never know where he will appear next.

Congrats Vicky!

Vicky Crist in our office was presented with a gift today from the Human Resources Management Association. They wanted to thank her for all her hard work and dedication to the HRMA and said she deserves much of the credit of the success of the group.

Congrats Vicky!

Economic Impact

I recently attended a meeting of workenomics and heard a startling statistic. In 2010, Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services pumped $231 million into the economy of Licking County.

$231 million.

Around $140 million went to food stamps and programs for the aged, blind and disabled. The remaining amount went to medicaid.

1 out of every 6 people in Licking County were "touched" by ODJFS.

There are certainly different ways of looking at this. On the surface, it would seem a bit disappointing that so many people needed help in our community. But given the economy, that's probably not too surprising.

From a more positive view, the increase usage of those programs did increase employment for those in nursing homes and grocery stores.

No matter what viewpoint you may have on this, $231 million had a strong impact on Licking County in 2010.

Prevent Crime Against Women

A message from Annarino Martial Arts:

Want to Win $25,000?

Are you an outstanding up-and-coming Licking County company? Do you meet the following criteria:

• Organization or company must be operating for the purpose of the commercial production of a product or service.
• The organization must be headquartered in the state of Ohio.
• The organization must have a new or re-designed product or service recently launched into the marketplace or ready to be launched in 2011.
• The innovation should be unique or fill a needed void in the market or industry in which it serves.

If your company does meet the above criteria, let me know. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce sponsors the Ohio Chamber Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award ($25,000) and only accepts one nomination from each Chamber in Ohio.

Deadline to submit our nomination is March 1, 2011.

Licking County Chamber Ranked 4th

In the latest issue of Business First, the Licking County Chamber of Commerce is ranked 4th in The List for Chambers of Commerce. We are behind ColumbusChamber, Dublin Chamber and Worthington Area Chamber. The ranking is based on number of members.

This is certainly worth celebrating. Thank you to all of our valued members for making this possible.

The Groundhog Committee

The food has been tested. The award has been chosen and the award winner selected. The keynote speaker is confirmed and the celebrity groundhog is . . . still a secret. Even from me.

These are just a few of the details that the Groundhog Committee does year-round to prepare for the Annual Groundhog Breakfast. And it is just a round the corner - February 4, 2011. Over 300 people have signed up already.

Tonight we celebrated and did our annual ornament gift exchange at the Granville Inn.

A big thank you to all the committee members who help up through the year with this community tradition!

Firewomen

Well, we may not be Firewomen exactly, but we did learn how to put out a fire with a fire extinguisher today.

P - Pull the pin

A - Aim at the base of the fire

S - Squeeze the top handle all the way

S - Sweep from side to side

Thank you to C-TEC and Lt. Ashcraft for providing us with this training today.

President Obama and Chamber Are Talking

President Obama and the US Chamber are talking.

Story here.

Excerpt here:

Donohue last week signaled his desire to a cease-fire, telling his board of directors in a speech Wednesday: “This is not personal with us. It’s about representing our members and advancing ideas that we think are essential to expand our economy, compete in the world, and create American jobs. We’re prepared to join with President Obama, his administration, and both parties in Congress whenever we can to achieve these goals.”Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45445.html#ixzz15seP318F

Thank You, Veterans

I was invited to attend the State Farm Employee Veterans' Celebration Breakfast today. It was a wonderful breakfast and experience.

A fact that didn't know was that 1% of the U.S. population serves in military.

I am so thankful for our Veterans. Here are two quotes used in today's program that are appropriate for today:

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much . . . owed by so many . . . to so few."
- Winston Churchill

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson

A big thank you to State Farm for hosting today's breakfast and a bigger thank you to all the Veterans of the past, present and future.

Digesting the Plan

The Chamber Board and Staff recently took some time to review our goals from the last strategic plan (2009) and to set the direction for the next few years.

Kurt Harden, our moderator, did an excellent job keeping us focused and on track. Thanks Kurt!

It is now my job to digest these notes which I have posted all around my office today. Wish me luck!

- Posted by Cheri

Like Football?

The Midwestern Club Football Conference Championship Weekend will be held at Newark Licking Valley High School on Saturday, November 13, and Sunday, November 14. All ten conference teams will participate in five games over the two-day period.

The ten participating conference teams are:

Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI
Miami University, Oxford, OH
Ohio State Newark-COTC, Newark, OH
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
University of Michigan Flint, Flint, MI
University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA
University of Wisconsin Parkside, Parkside Helghts, WI
Wright State University, Dayton, OH
Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH

Game times will be:
Saturday: 11:00 am 3:00 pm 7:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am 3:00 pm

The Championship game will be held at 7:00 pm on Saturday

Admissions: Single Game: Adult - $7 Student - $4 Under 6 - Free
All-Game Pass Adult - $30 Student - $18

Link to the Midwestern Club Football Conference Website www.leaguelineup.com/midwesternclubfootballconference

For further information, please contact Joe Pollina PH- 740-281-7689 Email - joe.pollina@gmail.com

Congratualtions to LMHS

Columbus Business First has recognized Licking Memorial Health Systems as a Best Place to Work for 2010.

We want to extend our congratulations to LMHS and all of their employees who made it possible to win this wonderful award.

We are fortunate to have them in our community.

Chamber Issues Endorsement

Licking County Chamber Issues Endorsement

October 6, 2010

The Directors of the Board of the Licking County Chamber of Commerce has endorsed the 5 year, 0.2 mill levy for the Licking County Park District. This levy will raise $740,000 annually and will cost the average homeowner only $.50 cents per month.

“Without the passage of this levy, our communities will suffer a great loss when programs and facilities will no longer be able to be available for everyone to use”, said President Cheri Hottinger.

Hottinger went on to say that by having a thriving parks system, including the 36 miles of bike trails, gives Licking County a heads up on other communities when companies are looking to relocate their businesses.

The Licking County Park District manages 11 parks totaling over 1600 acres of open space along with over 36 miles of bike trails. In the past 20 years, over 4.7 million visitors have utilized the parks and the trails.

Looking For A Job?

Looking for a job or new career?

EMPLOYMENT EXPO
SEPT 29, 2010 1:00 - 5:00 PM
THE PLACE OFF THE SQUARE
50 NORTH SECOND STREET • NEWARK, OH 43055

Attention Job Seekers:

Please bring copies of your resume, dress for success,
and be prepared to interview and fill out job applications.

Join us to meet over 25 local employers.

The EXPO is FREE and open to the public!

For more information, please call 740.670.8700
or visit www.TheOneStop.org

Chamber Issues Endorsements

A message from the Ohio Chamber:

Ohio Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee Endorses
Kasich, Husted and DeWine

COLUMBUS - Today, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (OCCPaC) announced its endorsements in races for three statewide offices. OCCPaC endorsed John Kasich for Governor, Jon Husted for Secretary of State, and Mike DeWine for Attorney General.

“These endorsements represent the leadership we need to retain and attract businesses to Ohio,” said Jeffrey S. Gorman, Chairman of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. “They are not about where we have been; but rather where we must go if we are to, once again, be a state where businesses grow, families prosper, and a stronger economic environment exists for all.”

“OCCPaC took the unusual step of endorsing in selected statewide races this year because our state faces tremendous challenges that are demanding more from each of us, including the Ohio Chamber, “ said Andrew E. Doehrel, President and CEO of the Ohio Chamber. “Clearly, this action is not without risk, but we felt it was critically important for Ohio’s largest, oldest and most diverse business organization to boldly step forward when our leadership matters most.”

Mr. Doehrel went on to say, “the members of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce respect and appreciate the service of Gov. Ted Strickland during a very difficult time for our state. But, for Ohio to thrive, we need new vision, new ideas, and new energy. That is why we have endorsed John Kasich for Governor. We believe John will use his valuable experience and courage to inspire all Ohioans to make the hard choices that lie ahead”.

“We are also pleased to endorse Jon Husted for Secretary of State. Jon has a deep understanding of the business community and will work tirelessly to ensure that the Secretary of State’s office does everything it can to help improve our state’s business climate. We are also pleased to endorse Mike DeWine for Attorney General. The Attorney General’s office can have a paralyzing effect on economic growth if its powers are not exercised with discretion, balance and fairness. We believe Mike is the best candidate to hold this office,” Mr. Doehrel concluded.

The OCCPaC did not endorse in the offices of Auditor or Treasurer. “Although these races have drawn excellent candidates, we believe it is best to focus our attention on the offices that have the greatest impact on Ohio’s business climate and economy,” Mr. Doehrel said.

Founded in 1893, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce is Ohio’s largest and most diverse statewide business advocacy group. The Chamber works to promote and protect the interests of its 4,000 business members, large and small, while building a more favorable business climate and economy,” Mr. Doehrel said.

Chamber Announces Addition to Leadership

September 1, 2010

Newark, OH - The Licking County Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the promotion of Jennifer McDonald to the position of Vice President. Jennifer has served in several roles throughout her 17 years employment with the Chamber, most recently as Communications and Marketing Director.

In this new position Jennifer will assist President Cheri Hottinger with overseeing Chamber operations as well as developing and marketing Chamber events. In recent years, she has implemented a “green marketing campaign” through email blasts, e-newsletters and e-calendars, as well as developed new programs and events, like the Lunch & Learn series and the Development Review Newsletter. Hottinger is excited about Jennifer’s new role. She is confident that “Jennifer’s ideas and experience will help the Chamber succeed and grow, and is excited about her transition as Vice President.”

Aside from her new role, Jennifer is active in the community and serves on the Campaign Cabinet and Marketing Division for the Licking County United Way. She serves on Our Futures in Licking County Operations and Public Relations Committees and COTC Alumni Council. Jennifer is a member of the Chamber’s Events Committee and the Economic Development Committee. She is an active member of the Heath Church of Christ. Jennifer resides in Heath with her husband Shawn and two boys, Austin, 16 and Parker, 13.

For more information, contact Cheri Hottinger, 740/345-9757, ext. 5