Your Chamber at Work - September 27, 2018

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

Two significant items from last week’s Chamber Board meeting.
 
First, the Board voted unanimously (with one abstention) to oppose the proposed Jackson County Charter amendments that will appear on the upcoming November ballot. The lack of citizen input into the proposals is the primary reason for the Board’s opposition. A citizens charter commission is the usual process and considered good government practice when a city or county considers charter changes.
 
The County Legislature held only two public hearings - both at the beginning of the Legislature’s meetings. No hearings were held in the evening, and a total of only three people offered testimony on the amendments during the hearings. No one spoke in favor of the proposed amendments. We would expect a far more community-engaged process when discussing significant changes to the Jackson County Charter.
 
Second, the Board also voted unanimously to change its Big 5 initiative from “Moving UMKC’s World-Class Arts Programs to a New Downtown Location” to “Building a New World-Class Conservatory at UMKC.”
 
Our action follows the university’s decision to restrict the site for the new facility within 2.5 miles of the campus – eliminating a downtown site. We believe the Conservatory’s current outdated facilities must be replaced. UMKC can’t afford to delay this project any further. If there’s no plan in place for new facilities, the Conservatory may lose its accreditation.
 
Bottom line:  the Conservatory must have amenities that equal the quality of its music, dance, and theater faculty and students.

CELEBRATE WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP

The KC Chamber is honored to present the 2018 ATHENA Leadership Award to Anita Bajaj Newton, the Chief Innovation Officer for CommunityAmerica Credit Union.  This award is presented annually to honor an individual’s professional excellence, community service, and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills.  As a graduate of Harvard Business School’s MBA program, Newton has mentored female Harvard MBA graduates in strategy, leadership, and career progression.  She’s mentored a total of 75 women over the years.  Most recently, she created a teen advisory board to teach teens principles of innovation.
 
The 2018 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award will be presented to Adrienne B. Haynes of SEED Law Firm. As an entrepreneurial attorney, Haynes works tirelessly for youth, both directly and through supporting clients dedicated to youth development.
 
Newton and Haynes will receive their awards at a reception on October 4, from 5-7 p.m. at the Little Theatre at Municipal Auditorium, 301 W. 13th Street. Chamber members pay $25 to attend the reception; non-members pay $30. Please register online or contact Laura Dryden with questions, dryden@kcchamber.com. The ATHENA reception is presented by Bank Midwest and KPMG.

NETWORKING AROUND TOWN

The KC Chamber can help you get out and about with your networking! Our Neighborhood Networking events are smaller by design, in a variety of different locations around the metro area, with the purpose of helping you build more meaningful connections. On Friday September 28, we’ll be networking with City Year, at 415 Delaware St. in the River Market. City Year is an education nonprofit that coordinates teams of young adults to help students in high-need communities to stay in school and on track to graduate. On Friday October 5, you can check out the Made in KC Marketplace at 306 W. 47th St. Made in KC features work from over 200 local artists, designers and makers, providing a robust platform for small businesses to reach customers throughout the metro. With one partnership, they give brands access to geographically and demographically different locations.

Neighborhood Networking events begin at 8:30 am and conclude by 10. They are free for KC Chamber members and $15 for non-members. Space is limited at these venues so please RSVP online for September 28 and/or October 5. Neighborhood Networking is sponsored by Ruckus Creative Group and Spectrum Reach. The 2018 Networking Sponsors for the Chamber include Andrews McMeel Universal, Mazuma, and Sprint. For questions about these events, please contact Brandon Krekel, krekel@kcchamber.com or call (816) 374-5403.

WHERE BUYERS MEET SUPPLIERS

The KC Chamber is here to help you make meaningful connections! If you are a small business that sells products or services that large businesses need, then you’ll want to RSVP for our October 12 Small & Diverse Business Procurement Event. The event, sponsored by Burns and McDonnell, DST, and Truman Medical Centers, is expected to feature 10 or more buyers from large companies. Check-in opens at 8 a.m. with the event running from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Josh Rowland of Lead Bank, the KC Chamber’s 2018 Small Business of the Year, is scheduled to deliver a special presentation. Participation is free for KC Chamber members, but seating will be limited, so online registration is encouraged. If you have questions, please contact Greg Valdovino, at (816) 374-5494 or email valdovino@kcchamber.com.

SURVEY SAYS…

The KC Chamber is working to get a large sampling of the business and nonprofit community to take the 2018 Regional Diversity & Inclusion Survey. Even if you don’t think you are doing enough, that is important information as well. It’s all data to us – the survey is confidential and administered by a third party. The Chamber does not see individual responses. For more information about the survey, please contact Greg Valdovino at (816) 374-5494 or email valdovino@kcchamber.com. Only one person from each company or organization should be taking the survey. Feel free to forward this information to the right one!