Business People Meet Me @ 5 a HUGE Success

The Chamber's Meet Me @ 5, sponsored by Business People Magazine, was a HUGE success. Over 425 people attended and it was a night to remember. Business People celebrated their 20th Anniversary with a big bash full of friends and support from the business community in Northeast Indiana.

The event included entertainment, plenty of cake, ice sculptures and many memorable moments. Thank you to Business People for hosting this wonderful event for the Chamber. Congratulations on 20 years of success in business. Here's to many more...

Another Emphasis in FW Business Weekly Today

Pick up a copy of today's Emphasis magazine in the Fort Wayne Business Weekly. This issue highlights the latest goings-on at Fort Wayne International Airport.

Also spotlighted in this issue: Chamber meetings rooms and facilities available (hint to members: they are FREE during business hours!)

Don't miss out on the latest events taking place at the Chamber and in the community. A sample for next week includes:

Chamber Third House Forum (tomorrow)
Mayor Henry's State of the City address
The Umbrella Series continues at the Chamber
Chamber Night at the Mad Ants game

For a complete listing of events click here

Chamber Members are "Lobbyists for a Day"

Chamber members visited the Statehouse yesterday to see firsthand The Indiana General Assembly in action. Feedback from attendees was great as members spent time meeting with area legislators and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Indiana's Newscenter (Ch. 21) aired a story yesterday on the Chamber day at the Statehouse and interviewed attendees on their experience. NIPR will also run a segment of interviews about the day. Stay tuned for information on when that will air.

Pinnacle Airlines Expands Facilities at FWA; 16 Jobs Added

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Chamber Employee Receives Future 40 Award

The Chamber's own Shannon McNett-Silcox, VP of Member Relations, has been selected as one of this year's "Future 40 Under 40" award recipients. The award is bestowed each year upon the region's most dynamic leaders in business, medicine, government & community organizations.

Shannon works tirelessly for the Chamber as well the community; she is actively involved with the Community Harvest Food Bank and serves on their board as well as the Schwab Foundation board.

The Future 40 award recipients will be honored in the April issue of Upstate Indiana and at an awards luncheon on April 18. For more information please contact (260) 969-0019.

Chamber Member Staybridge Suites Opens for Business

Staybridge Suites just let us know that they opened for business yesterday!

This is the first Staybridge Suites to be built in Fort Wayne and the 125th in the Intercontinental chain. A ribbon cutting and grand opening celebration is being planned for May 16, 2008.

Two Great Events in One Day!

Tomorrow will be a busy day as the Chamber has two great networking events to participate in. The events begin tomorrow morning from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Crazy Pinz, located at 1414 Northland Blvd., with February's Morning Mix.

The Morning Mix offers speed networking at its best. The cost to attend is only $5 plus a business card. In addition, please make sure to bring a stack of your business cards. Included are free coffee, breakfast pastries and fresh fruit. To reserve a space, e-mail cdrake@fwchamber.org, or call Christy Drake at (260) 424-1435, ext. 266. You do not have to be a Chamber member to attend.

Tomorrow evening take part in February's Meet Me @ 5, hosted by Business People magazine at A Party Apart, located at 200 E Superior St., from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Come out and enjoy networking opportunities along with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and cash bars. You can also use this opportunity to congratulate Business People for 20 years in business!

The cost to attend is $5 plus a business card for Chamber members, or $10 plus a business card for non-members. For more information, contact Christy Drake at cdrake@fwchamber.org or call (260) 424-1435, ext. 266.

Official Invitation: State of the City Address

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Senate Committee Makes Changes to Property Tax Bill

Joni's Notes From the Statehouse...

Today the Senate Committee on Tax & Fiscal Policy voted 9-0 on the amended HB1001; the committee agreed that there was still much work to do.

What's has changed:
-Pick up of school general funds and child welfare & cost of school debt service, juvenile incarceration, school pension debts, and police and fire pensions based on pre-1977 plans ($90M)
-County Councils will only review and make recommendations on all budgets for local taxing units (rather than give approval)

Senate Tax Chairman Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) said that if counties implement a half-percent increase in their local option income taxes in addition to the other changes in HB 1001, that homeowners would see their bills shrink an average of 50.6 percent statewide by 2010 over what they otherwise would have been. Without the local income tax increase, homeowners' bills would shrink 35.7 percent on average statewide by 2010.

Chamber Volunteers Honored Today

Chamber volunteers were honored for their hard work and dedication at the "Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon" this afternoon.

The Nina Grill Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Business People Magazine for their outstanding commitment and service to the Chamber. The award is named for its first recipient, Nina Grill, who was honored in 2000 for her work with the Chamber. Nina was on hand this afternoon to help present the award.

Other volunteer appreciation awards were given to Dave Kaverman (photo, right) and Paul Lagemann (photo left). Kaverman is the Chair of the Chamber's CEO Roundtable Group and Lagemann is very active with the Chamber's Government & Community Affairs committees and events.

Congratulations to this years award recipients and thank you to all our volunteers for their efforts, time and dedication to the Chamber.

Property Taxes. Immigration. Transportation. Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Property Taxes. Immigration. Transportation. You’ve been hearing these buzz words for months. Get a first hand look at how issues at the Statehouse affect your business straight from our legislators.

Members: your last chance to attend the Chamber's Third House Forum series is this Saturday. The Third House Forums are open to members only and present an EXCELLENT opportunity to learn what Northeast Indiana legislators are currently engaged in at the Statehouse. Let your voice be heard about issues that are relevant to your business and hear what other members and legislators have to say. Don't miss out on this last event of the session!

Please join us this Saturday, February 23 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Chamber for a not-to-miss event for your business. Be aware, get informed and voice your concerns about issues that affect you!

Questions about this event? Please contact Jennifer Spurlock at (260) 424-1435 ext. 259.

Immigration Bill Passes through Committee

Joni's Notes From the Statehouse...

SB 335, the illegal immigration enforcement bill by Sen. Mike Delph (R-Carmel) and Rep. Vern Tincher (D-Riley) was assigned to the House Public Policy Committee last week. It was heard in that committee last Wednesday before a packed House Chamber. Today, it was amended and passed with a vote of 7-4.

Chairman VanHaften posed questions about how the
bill is actually written and the burdens it imposes on a wide variety of entities including employers, law enforcement, prosecutorial officials and the courts. Funding questions were also raised.

The committee addressed some of the questions raised last week. The bill will now include appropriations of over $1.5 million, the time span was changed from 3 violations in 10 years, to 3 violations in 5 years, and requiring the Superintendent of State Police to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government is now a "may" instead of a "shall." With appropriation it is likely that the bill will be recommitted to Ways & Means before it will head to the House Floor for second reading.

Northwest Airlines Announces New Non-Stop Service between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Fort Wayne

Today Northwest Airlines announced that it will offer daily non-stop service between their Minneapolis/St. Paul hub and Fort Wayne beginning June 5. The new service will be operated by Northwest Airlink partner Pinnacle Airlines using 50-seat CRJ-200 aircraft.

“Northwest Airlines is pleased to add Fort Wayne service to our hub in Minneapolis/St. Paul,” said Dennis Newman, vice president of network planning and scheduling. “This new route will provide greater variety of connecting opportunities for our customers in Northeast Indiana to the Western U.S. and Canada and to every location Northwest flies throughout the world.”

This new non-stop service will open up opportunities for area residents to travel to cities such as Salt Lake City, UT, Orange County, CA and Anchorage, AK out of FWA by way of Minneapolis/St. Paul. As a perk, Northwest is offering 1,000 WorldPerks Bonus Miles for roundtrip travel between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Fort Wayne from June 5 through July 15, 2008.

The new flights between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Fort Wayne are available for booking now at http://www.nwa.com/

Chamber Sponsors 2008 Idea Contest; Mayor Henry to Announce Winners

WHAT: Local high school students will display their innovative, entrepreneurial ideas at the 2008 Idea Contest, in celebration of National Entrepreneurship Week.

WHEN: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Mayor Henry will be introduced at 5:30 p.m. to announce the winners.

WHERE: Allen County Public Library, located at 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne IN 46802

ADDITIONAL: Join the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Wayne- Allen County Economic Development Alliance, and Summit Career and Technical Education in welcoming the 2008 Idea Contest to celebrate National Entrepreneurship Week.

Local high school students will display their innovative ideas as part of the 2008 Idea Contest. Students will be rewarded for their efforts with prizes sponsored by the Chamber Foundation. Top place will receive $500, second place $300 and third place $150.

The public is invited to participate in this event by voting for their favorite idea. Three students will also be awarded $50 each for the People’s Choice Award.

For more information on this event, please visit http://www.nationaleweek.com/.