Building Better Communities by Building Better Businesses

Chamber Endorses Rapid Transit MillageLimited Time, Reduced Price Networking

April 2009 Volume 29, Issue 4

Inside This Issue

WYOMING-KENTWOOD, MI - TheWyoming-Kentwood Area Chamberof Commerce has endorsed theInterurban Transit Partnership'smillage request which will be votedon in the general election May 5.The millage will provide operatingfunds for a new Bus Rapid Transitsystem, dubbed "The Silver Line",which would begin operationsin 2012 upon the passage of themillage. It will be the rst RapidTransit System in West Michiganand will run from Downtown GrandRapids along Division Avenue,the border between Wyoming andKentwood for much of the route'slength."Our business members are morethan a little concerned about thelevel of taxation in Michigan andbegan studying this issue with aour southern suburbs to DowntownGrand Rapids could spawn asmuch $160 Million in private sectorinvestment and economic activity inthe rst 4 or 5 years that the BRTis running. We have determinedthat this is one infrastructureinvestment that will pay for itself within a short payback period.""In short, this millage request isa good, sustainable jobs-creatingdeal for taxpayers." The federaland state money has already beenallocated and will go elsewhereif voters decline this operatingmillage. The Wyoming-KentwoodArea Chamber urges a YES voteMay 5.Rapid Transit Millage 1Bargain Networking 1Opinion by J ohn 2South Kent Expo 3Referral Challenge4ChamberPartners5Government Matters8Advocate Advertising8Ambassadors Corner 9The Cruise Corner 10Education Committee 11Member Milestones 12Member Spotlight 12Letter to the President 13

2009 Member Signs 13Calendars on Pages 6 & 7Log on to www.southkent.orgFor details.very wary eye two months ago",said Chamber President J ohnCrawford. "While many Chamberefforts focus on trying to makeMichigan a more attractive andcost-competitive place to dobusiness, we found that The SilverLine is very likely to do just that."Crawford noted that the Chamber'sGovernment Matters Committeeand its Executive Committeeboth recommended the measureto the Board of Directors, whichunanimously approved theendorsement at its March meeting."The millage to operate The SilverLine will release $40 Million inFederal and State grants into theCommunity to build the systemfor starters", Crawford said. "Theadded convenience of adding aRapid Transit System connectingThe 3rdFridays!PlanningCommitteeand DianneCihak at

Craigs

"Attendance numbers have beengreat since the rst of the year,"Lisa O'Callaghan, committee chairtold us. "We hope the special ratefor the next 3 months, will resultin some new faces and save ourmembers a little money".

April, May and JuneMembers: Early RegistrationPasta, Pizza, Salad, Dessert,Beverage Bar, and Networkingall for only $12!

Late registration and non-memberrate is still only $21.00.Showcase - Add'l $35.00, spaceis limited.Table Info - Addt'l $15.00.To reserve a Showcase Tableemail sue@southkent.org for anapplication or call her at 616-531-5990 or go to www.southkent.org.

Cruisers

invite you to join other areabusiness leaders for a deliciouslunch buffet and networking oncea month on the 3rd Friday of themonth.During April, May and J une,register early and only pay $12 forlunch. You're going to want to makeearly reservations. (Members registeringafter 5pm on Wednesday, April 15will pay $21.00. Not-yet-memberrate remains at $21.00).

Registeron-line at www.southkent.org.

YOUR CHAMBER MANAGEMENT

2009 Board of Directors

*indicates Executive Committee Member

*J ohn Crawford - President & CEO*Todd Duncan - Consumers Energy, Board Chair*Steve Marshall- MAS Advisory Service, Chair, Fin. &Budget*Norine Mulvihill - Option 1 Credit Union, Sr. V. Chair*Kathey Batey - Priority Health/ Spirited Presentations*Brent Holland - Chameleon Ltd.*Skip Knapp - EdwardJ ones Investments*Tom Kruisenga - W. MI Business Group, Past Chair*Brent Vander Kolk - Vander Kolk & Vander Kolk PLC,Legal Counsel

Community Relations Division (Blue)

*Kathey Batey - Vice ChairTommy Brann - Brann s Steakhouse & GrilleDan Van Dyke - PCO Associates, LLC*Brent Vander Kolk - Vander Kolk & Vander Kolk,.PLCLillian VanderVeen - Lenger Travel Services

Member Relations Division (Red)

*Brent Holland - Vice ChairRichard Chrisman - Hungerford, Aldrin, Nichols & CarterDanna Mathiesen - Mercantile Bank J ohn Schwartz - AT&T

Membership Development Division (Gold)

*Skip Knapp - Vice ChairRob Wells - AXA AdvisorsDiane Zandstra - W. MI Center for Family Health

Financial Development Division (Green)

*Norine Mulvihill - Sr. Vice ChairBetsy Artz - Loeks Theaters (Celebration Cinema)J oel Iakiri - Huntington Bank David Szidik - Money Mailers of SE Kent CountyMatt Uhl - National City

Ex-Of cio

Carol Sheets - City of Wyoming, MayorRichard Root - City of Kentwood, MayorCurtis Holt - City of Wyoming, ManagerBill Doren - Chamber Foundation Chair

My Business Advocate

Opinion by John

April 09

By John J. Crawford, Chamber President

Depreciation and Appreciation

Talk of depreciation seems so common these days.Home values, 401K s, money markets, wages, IRAs andso on. Many important things in our lives have depreci-ated in this recession. Again, that s normal in any eco-nomic downturn, but it sure is discouraging!One sad casualty that often accompanies tough times,though, is that we depreciate the

people

around us asour assets depreciate. Each of us is enormously valu-able and our value appreciates every day! Working atthe Chamber, we get to see that in the many superstarvolunteer-members working on dozens of projects! Theyare amazing and are always smiling!

Make the Time to Appreciate Each Other!

I remember hearing a reportedly true story a long timeago about two 5

Grade students both named Tommyin the same classroom. One Tommy was always well-behaved, participated in class, turned his homework in on time and earned good grades. The other Tommy,well, did not. He struggled with his grades and wasalways disrupting the class. He was a handful for histeacher.At the parent-teacher conferences thebadTommy smother met rst with the teacher. She asked how Tom-my was doing in class. The teacher, confusing the twoboys, replied

I cant begin to tell you what a joy Tommyis in my class! He is so helpful and studies very hard! Ireally appreciate having him as a student my room!Starting the next day, theBad Tommy came in withhis homework all done, participated in class and beganto pass his tests with ying colors! He made a dramaticturn-around, became a stellar student and graduatedfrom high school as his class valedictorian.During his graduation speech, he credited his 5

Gradeteacher for telling his Mom how much he was appreci-ated. He had never felt appreciated in any class beforethat and from that day forward felt compelled to mea-sure up to the expectation and to the

appreciation

We Appreciate

YOU

Let s make sure, especially in these challenging timesthat we go out of our way to

appreciate

each other,encourage and lift those around us up. Reversing ourasset depreciation can t be far behind that, can it?!At least, that s my opinion by J ohn!

SPECIAL EVENTS

Plan to Exhibit andAttend the South Kent Community Expo

South Kent

Community

Presented By

Find LOCAL Sources for the Products and Services You Need at Fair Prices!

APRIL 18th 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.at

2100 28th Street SE

Check Out Over 100 Exhibits from Local Businesses

Enter a Drawing to Win 6 HOURSOFGOLFLESSONS(a $500 Value) from Scott Seifferlein of www.grandrapidsgolflesson.comat The Highlands and Other Prizes with a Canned or Packaged Food Donation to thea Gently UsedClothing Donation to Give Blood to the at the EXPO

Lunch, Snacks and Beverages Available from the Woodland Sports Food Concession.

Best Choice Lawn CareTwo Men and a TruckFASTSIGNS

Chamber Members throughoutsouthern Kent County will exhibittheir products and services toconsumers at the 1

AnnualSOUTH KENT COMMUNITY EXPOon Saturday, April 18

from 11:00a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at

WoodlandSports

at 2100 28

Street SE.We are expecting thousands of attendees from the advertisingcampaign created by BlairEntenmann of

MarketingHelp!

an active chamber member onthe Expo Committee.

RegentBroadcasting

, the events Platinumsponsor, will be airing over 220commercials and promotional spotsin the 10 days prior to the EXPO onthree of their stations and holdinga 2 hour live remote broadcastthe day of the event. There arealso four ads running in

CoffeeNews

, distributed at 120 locationsin southern Kent County, and inseveral Friday or Saturday editionsof

The Grand Rapids Press

. Youwill also see hundreds of brightyellow EXPO posters in businesswindows, on yard signs and onstreet banners throughout thearea as we get closer to the event.As Dennis Kavanagh of

CentralPayment Systems

, the ExpoCommittee Chair said recently,

You w ill have to be deaf and blind not to know about this EXPO!

Carol Crawford of

The AlternativeBoard

, the Chairperson of theBusiness Growth Committee, said,

We are not only trying to help our members grow their businessesin these turbulent times, but w eare doing so w hile being good community citizens.

She pointsout a key feature of the CommunityExpo is a DONATION PRIZEDRAWING. Attendees can e

nter adrawing to win 6 HOURS OF GOLFLESSONS (a $500 Value) fromScott Seifferlein, PGA Golf Guruof www.GrandRapidsGolfLesson.com at

The Highlands

(a newchamber member) and OtherValuable Prizes with a Canned orPackaged Food Donation to the

UCOM Food Bank

or a GentlyUsed Clothing Donation to

InThe Image

or Give Blood to the

Michigan Community BloodCenters

at the EXPO. Demandson these charities are higher thanever, so bring a donation or threeto the EXPO.

Bob O

Callaghan, Member ServicesManager, wants to remind ourmembers that exhibit spaces arelimited to 130 and there are only afew spaces left to ll. Member priceto exhibit is only $130 and non-member price is $185. The last dayto sign up for exhibits is Monday,April 13

But don t w ait until thelast minute, w e'll probably be sold out by then,

Bob warns.