My Business Advocate

Building Better Communities by Building Better Businesses

February 2010 Volume 30, Issue 2

Coming Events

Chamber After Hours - Hyatt Hotel, Wyoming 2/11Speednetworking - Metro South Multi Chamber - Cutlerville 2/123rd Fridays Networking Luncheon 2/19Chamber After Hours - Location TBD 3/11Business 'n Books Days

(Volunteer to Read)

3/22-26Kentwood Career Expo and Sport of Words Speech Contest 4/14

Calendars on Pages 6 & 7Log on to

www.southkent.org

for details.

Business 'n Books Days Selection for 2010 Addresses Childhood Obesity

Why this topic, why now?

By Kathey BateyFor the topic of the children’s bookthis year, I looked for a subject that was relevant to the children of ourcommunity. There are several vital issues thatinvolve our children during thesetrying times, but one stands outabove the rest. Childhood Obesity. The statistics are staggering.Add to that children’s lack of physicalexercise and we have a medicaldisaster waiting to happen. We can beignorant no longer. What differencecan you have with one book andone topic? If you make if fun, a bitridiculous, with a practical thought toimprint in the children to start themthinking for themselves about whatthey are eating. If I can impress thethought of being careful about what we put in our mouths, to truly stopand think about it, it can and willmake a difference. Would you put afuzzy caterpillar into your mouth? Then why would we put the damagingthings into our bodies that we do? The brilliance of Danny Jimeneztruly brings this book to life. When you view his illustrations you will beamazed that he is a senior in highschool. It was a privilege to work with this talented student this year,and much credit to his art teacher,

Liz Dufeld for her direction and

encouragement. Remember his name, you will see him again. This topic, at this time is moreimportant than we realize. I cannot waitto see I Can Eat Fuzzy Caterpillars, butI don’t! read in over 70 second gradeclassrooms throughout our communityduring Business & Books DaysMarch 22-26th. We will discuss theimportance of reading from businessmen and women, but we will also begiving a vital message to our youthabout valuing their bodies.How wonderful to have a chamber of commerce that is so well rounded tohave a community relations componentto affect our community through thechildren. I am so proud to be a partof Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamberof Commerce and all of the amazingthings we do. You need this componentfor your business, for the practicalside of business, but also a place youcan contribute into your community.Contact sue@southkent.org to be a partof this worthwhile program.

American children's diet hasbecome a top concern for ournation.

“C.S. Mott Children’s HospitalNational Poll on Children’s Healthlists parents’ top 10 healthconcerns for 2009; show that moreadults worry about children’sobesity as the top health concern.Blacks and Hispanics rank obesity

as top child health concern for rst

time.Public concern about childhoodobesity continues to outrank allother health problems as the No. 1concern for children in the UnitedStates.Forty-two percent of U.S. adultsrate childhood obesity as a bigproblem. In 2008, 35 percent of adults rated childhood obesity asthe top overall health concern forchildren. In 2007, it was rankedNo. 3”.

US Surgeon General's warningon Childhood obesity

Today, 12.5 million children areoverweight in the United States— more than 17 percent. Overweightchildren are at greater risk formany serious health problems. The US Surgeon General promotesthe importance of healthy eatingand physical activity at a youngage to help prevent overweight andobesity in this country. To ensure a healthy future forAmerica's children, we must— • Help Kids Stay Active• Encourage Healthy Eating Habits• Promote Healthy ChoicesObesity causes diseases such asdiabetes, heart disease and someforms of cancer.

YOUR CHAMBER MANAGEMENT

2010 Board of Directors

*indicates Executive Committee Member

*John Crawford - President & CEO*Norine Mulvihill - American Diabetes Association,Board Chair*Todd Duncan - Consumers Energy, Past Chair*Kathey Batey - Priority Health/SpiritedPresentations, Senior Vice Chair*Matt Uhl - National City Bank*Danna Mathiesen - Mercantile Bank

*David Szidik - Proforma Innite Marketing

TBD - Legal CounselTBD - Chair, Fin. & Budget

Community Relations Division (Blue)*Kathey Batey - Sr. Vice ChairTommy Brann - Brann’s Steakhouse & GrilleRichard Chrisman - Hungerford, Aldrin, Nichols &CarterJohn Schwartz - AT&TBrent Vander Kolk - Vander Kolk & Vander Kolk,.PLCLillian VanderVeen - Lenger Travel ServicesMember Relations Division (Red)*Matt Uhl - Vice ChairBetsy Artz - Loeks Theaters (Celebration Cinema)Skip Knapp - EdwardJones InvestmentsTom Kruisenga - The Kruisenga AgencyMembership Development Division (Gold)*Danna Mathiesen - Vice ChairBob O'Callaghan - Citadel BroadcastingJoel Iakiri - Business Interconnect Group, LLCFinancial Development Division (Green)*David Szidik - Vice ChairBrent Holland - Chameleon LtdCarol Crawford - The Alternative BoardDan Van Dyke - PDS Group LTDDenise Hughes - D2 MarketingRob Wells - Vantage Pointe Financial

Ex-Ofcio

Jack Poll - City of Wyoming, MayorRichard Root - City of Kentwood, MayorCurtis Holt - City of Wyoming, ManagerBill Doren - Chamber Foundation Chair

My Business Advocate,

Building Better Communities by Building Better Businesses

Opinion by John

February 2010By John J. Crawford, Jr.President & CEO

Awards Highlight Annual Meeting

The Chamber's 29th Annual Meeting was a great way to put thespotlight on some deserving Members for their successes and theircontributions to the Community and Chamber.

Businesses of the Year

The Chamber honored three businesses as examples of goodbusiness practices with its annual Businesses of the Year Awards.

Signworks of Michigan

was named the best

Manufacturer of the Year

. Ann and Todd Frass operate their sign business from theirlocation in Kentwood near the G R Ford Airport and are a husband- wife team committed to excellence in customer service.

Grand Buick

earned the outstanding

Retail Business of the Year

. The Koning family owns and operates the auto dealershipas part of the

Grand Auto Family

. They were nominated by oneof their customers and Chamber Board member for extraordinarycustomer service and for tremendous employee teamwork during anunusually harsh climate for new car sales.Winning recognition as the

Service Business of the Year

was

Celebration Cinema

. Steve VanWagoner and Betsy Artz were onhand to accept the award, with VanWagoner doing a near-perfectBill Clinton impression. Part of

Loeks Theaters

, the company washonored for its level of community support and its assistance to theChamber this past year.

Volunteer of the Year

honors went to

Amanda Lewis fromgNetworks

, who has been very busy on four of the Chamberscommittees and projects. She is Chairing the ChamberAmbassadors and the Business Growth Committees this coming year. The

Committee of the Year

last year was the

3rd Fridays!Exchange Luncheon Planning Committee

. Under the leadershipof

Lisa O'Callaghan from Citadel Broadcasting and then LindaSinger from the MI Lake to Lake Bed & Breakfast Assn,

thecommittee continued to post impressive performances with greatnetworking events every month.

Thanks to All

It's difcult to adequately acknowledge everyone that should be

Thanked at an evening function of a Volunteer-based organizationlike the Chamber. Every one of you - from Board Members tothe newest member of any committee - played a critical role in theChamber's performance. Thanks so much for all that you do!A couple individuals deserving special praise are Steve Marshallfrom MAS Advisory Service for his role as the leader of our FinanceCommittee the past two years. Steve was diligent in helpingengineer the budget in some of our most challenging times.Another member deserving huge kudos is Rick Sturim from

Steve's Antique Auto Repair. Rick's been committed to the 28th

Street Metro Cruise® since its inception and provided his valuableleadership as Chair of the Committee last year. The

Cruise isthe largest effort by

the Chamber and arguably has the most

signicant impact in our community of any Chamber project.

Thanks to all of you! I am very proud to be associated with you!And that's my Opinion by John.

Free Seminars For Business Owners “Taking Your Business to the Next Level”

Chamber Member Businesses areproviding a series of seminars forbusiness owners and decisionmakers that will help take yourbusiness to the next level.February 3, 2010

How to Run Your Business SoYou Can Leave It in Style! andBaby Boomers to XYZ Generation

Presented by Mark Andresky,

CExP, ABI, CBI is the founder of Performance Business Advisors.• A step-by-step plan to reapingtop dollar when you sell or transfer your business.• Business owners will learn howto create and preserve value withintheir businesses using tools theyalready have.

Maximize prot and minimize

tax liability.

Presented Sean Banks & Nick Oostveen

from Aerotek Commercial Stafng.

• See how and why the rightemployees can make your businessand the wrong ones can break yourbusiness.March 3, 2010

Health Care Update – MakingSense of the Data/Technologyfor the Small: Cloud Computing

Presented by Joseph Ekstrom VP,

Employee Benets Practice Leader

at The Campbell Group

• Make sense of employee benet

practices with plan design, fundinganalysis, legal compliance issues,and employee communications.

Understand a range of employee

benet issues.

Presented by Rob Harbin, Vice

President/Senior Technology Strategist, Micro Visions, Inc.

• Cloud Computing Overview.Introduction of modern cloudapplications for business. Barriersto leveraging emerging cloud

technology. Benets of cloud

computing/objections.Non Business Owners $50.00 andCEO's, Presidents and BusinessOwners can attend this entireFREE series. Register TODAY at www.tabmichigan.com or Call616-975-0125. Seminars are heldat The Campbell Group Building,5664 Prairie Creek Dr. near M-6 andM-37.

Newly Formed Communication CommitteeCalls For Volunteers

The 2010 CommunicationsCommittee is looking for members with passion and energy to help theWKACC:1) Replace the current ChamberWeb Site design and functionalityto improve the curb appeal,communication and value tomembers;2) Develop and implement aWKACC brand standard and

approval process to ensure quality

and consistent usage of the Chamberidentity (logo and slogan) by allDivisions and Committees; and

3) Improve the quality andprotability of the WKACCCommunity Prole and Metro

Guide. The Committee meets from 9 amto 10 am on the 3rd Tuesdayof the month at the Chamber

ofces.

If you are interested inhelping us achieve our goals,contact Sue Bynum at theChamber or Blair Entenmann,

MarketingHelp!

, the CommitteeChair, at 866-1198 or blair@ mktghelp.com.

Meeting NoticeCommunications Committee3

TuesdayFebruary 16, 20109 am to 10 am

At the Chamber Ofce