Groundbreaking to be held for Fort to Port project

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) will host a groundbreaking ceremony at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 30, for the initial phase of the Fort to Port project.

As part of Governor Mitch Daniels’ Major Moves program, The Fort to Port Corridor is now a four-phase, $210 million Major Moves construction project that includes added capacity for a 13.1-mile section of US 24 from Fort Wayne to the Ohio state line. Currently US 24 is a two-lane rural road with inadequate capacity, with trucks and freight haulers making up 50 percent of traffic.
Major Moves fully funds a decade of critical highway projects in Indiana.

WHO:
Governor Mitch Daniels, area legislators, Allen County officials, the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, representatives from the Fort to Port Coalition and the Hoosier Heartland Corridor, project contractors, and The Indiana Department of Transportation
WHAT:
Fort to Port groundbreaking
WHEN:
11 a.m. Wednesday, April 30
WHERE:
State Line Road, about one half mile south of US 24
Directions: From I-469, take US 24 east about 13 miles to Ohio State Line, turn right (south) on State Line Road

For more information contact: Stacie McCormick, 260-399-7330

The Lapper Takes Place Tomorrow

Just met with Chamber member, Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana, and got a wonderful tour of their facility from Linda Buehle. What a neat organization! Tomorrow is their 6th Annual Lapper celebration at Foster Park where you can walk for a great cause! Check out the flyer below for more information (click for larger view)

The Nichols Company Receives the Addy Awards

The Nichols Company recently received one of four Judges Choice Addy awards. They were chosen out of 360 entries. The awards were presented by Advertising Federation of Fort Wayne. Way to go!

Monroeville Chamber Celebrates with Car Show

Are you a classic car fan? The Monroeville Chamber of Commerce will have their Spring Car Show on Saturday, April 26 on the downtown streets.

The show is open to all classic cars, trucks and motorcycles. There is no cost to enter. Registration begins at 6 a.m. and awards will be presented at 4 p.m.

Food will be available all day and there will be fun for the whole family, including door prizes, games and music. Attendees are encouraged to cast votes for their favorite car.

For more information call (260) 623-3316

Community Partners Comment on New Chamber President

While we at the Chamber are excited about the appointment of Kristine Foate as President/CEO here's the exciting things our community partners have to say as well:

“Congratulations to Kristine Foate on being selected to lead the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce. I look forward to continuing the wonderful working relationship between the City and the Chamber.”

-Mayor Tom Henry
City of Fort Wayne

"The Partnership is thrilled to support Kristine in her new role as President of The Chamber. With a proven track-record in community service, we look forward to her continued vision and support for the city of Fort Wayne and the northeast Indiana region."

-John Sampson, President
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership

"The Airport Authority has enjoyed a successful partnership with the Chamber over the past several years. We look forward to continuing that partnership under Kristine and her leadership."

-Tory Richardson
Executive Director of Airports, FW-AC Airport Authority

"The Chamber is proud and excited to welcome Kristine Foate as our new President. She possesses both an innovative mind and a passionate spirit-key requirements for occupying the top slot of one of Fort Wayne's most important business advocacy organizations. Kristine has expressed her sincere desire to be "a positive change agent" who will work diligently and enthusiastically to "provide value to Chamber members". We look forward to her leadership which promises to blend a fresh perspective with the strong tradition of our Chamber.

Chris Battell
Fort Wayne Chamber Board of Directors & CEO of Brainfood for Business

Correction from Chamber Update: May's Morning Mix Hosted by SAFY

We incorrectly stated the host of our May Morning Mix on the Chamber Update e-mail yesterday. Thank you to SAFY for hosting the next gathering on May 15.

May's Morning Mix will be hosted by SAFY at 7:30 a.m. This event will be held at the Chamber, located at 826 Ewing St.

The Morning Mix offers speed networking at its best and is designed for professionals who are involved in sales, business development, public relations, or any career that requires getting the word out.

Bring a stack of business cards and join SAFY for a promising morning of networking! The cost to attend the Morning Mix is $5. Included are free coffee, breakfast pastries and fresh fruit.

To reserve a space, contact Christy Drake at (260) 424-1435, ext. 266 or cdrake@fwchamber.org. You do not have to be a Chamber member to attend.

Signature Mac's Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Tomorrow

Fort Wayne's first Apple/Mac retailer will celebrate their grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday, April 25 at 1 p.m. They are located at 430 West Coliseum Boulevard, just two doors east of the Roller Dome North.

Signature Mac’s 5000 square foot showroom will have a full line of demos including iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook, iPod Nano, iPod Touch, Apple TV’s, accessories and more. Unlike mail order, the Signature Mac store gives the customer hands on experience with the Apple product line. Apple Specialists will help customers determine the best solution for their needs.

Store hours are Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Signature Mac is also an authorized Apple warranty and repair center for all Macs and iPods. Most repairs are done in the store and not shipped out.

YLNI Reveals New Logo

Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana (YLNI) has revealed their new logo.

The logo is the leading piece of a branding overhaul that coincides with YLNI’s third anniversary in May, 2008.

The agency chosen create the new look was One Lucky Guitar from Fort Wayne. The logo was evaluated in a series of in-person presentations, online surveys and boardroom discussions.

Visit www.ylni.org for more information.

Ignite Indiana - Business Expo May 8

This year's Business Expo "Ignite Indiana," brought to you by the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly will take place on Thursday, May 8 at the Grand Wayne Convention Center.

The luncheon event, "Teamwork for Success" features keynote speaker Jerry Markbreit. Markbreit's position as Trade and Barter Manager for the 3M Company was unique in the business world. That position, combined with his experience as one of only sixteen NFL Referees has given him the background to develop an interesting and worthwhile message for professional groups. The Expo luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. in the Anthony Wayne Ballroom.

Don't miss the Chamber's Mixer from 5-7 p.m. that evening with "Chris & Paul."

For tickets to the Expo or luncheon, please visit http://www.fwbusinessexpo.com/

Fort Wayne Chamber Announces Kristine Foate as New President / CEO

NEWS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR TODAY: April 22nd at 2 p.m.

Chamber of Commerce Building ~ 826 Ewing Street

Media are encouraged to attend. If you are unable to attend, please request a press kit by contacting Nicole Wilkins: (260) 424-1435 or direct (260) 414-1160.

April 22, 2008, Fort Wayne, Ind. -The Board of Directors of the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce has announced that Ms. Kristine G. Foate will be the new President/CEO of the organization, effective May 15, 2008. The Board is pleased to welcome Ms. Foate to the Chamber after a thorough six-month selection process.

"This is a pivotal time in the Chamber's legacy and the Board has full confidence that Kristine Foate is exactly the right person to lead us into the next chapter," according to Don Schenkel, Chairman of the Chamber's Board of Directors. "With her impressive credentials and demonstrated community involvement, she will provide the inspired leadership that our organization needs."

Ms. Foate is an award winning professional with more than 20 years of leadership experience in radio, television and publishing. Most recently, she has held positions as President and CEO of Summit City Radio Group, Senior Vice President of Operations for Pinpoint Publishing and Director of Marketing and Development for the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne. In 2004, 2005 and 2006, she was named Radio Ink's 50 Most Influential Women in Radio. Kris was also recognized as an ATHENA Award® nominee in 2006.

Kris takes her responsibility to the community seriously. She is active in United Way of Allen County and is a member of the Rotary Club of Fort Wayne. Kris also serves on numerous boards including Leadership Fort Wayne, Artlink, and Erin's House and is the Chair of Invent Tomorrow. She is a graduate of the Leadership Fort Wayne class of 2006 and holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Illinois and a Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin. "Kris Foate knows our people and organizations, has experienced the challenges we face and believes in the possibilities for our community. She is committed both to the bottom line and to the common good," adds Don Schenkel.

"After moving to Fort Wayne in 2004, I quickly developed a passion for this community," commented Kris. "I am thrilled to live and work in Northeast Indiana and look forward to building upon the great efforts of all those associated with the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce."

Mira Award Nominees Announced

TechPoint, the leading voice for Indiana’s technology community, will spotlight the state’s top high-tech performers at its annual Mira Awards Gala on Friday, May 16 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Mira Award winners will be announced at the Gala. Chamber member BKD, LLP, is the presenting sponsor of the event.

The annual Mira Awards pay tribute to the top performers, innovators, and contributors in Indiana’s technology-related industries. Nearly 1,000 key decision-makers from business, government, and academia will gather at the Mira Awards Gala to celebrate Indiana's technology community and their innovations.

Congratulations to these Chamber members that have been named as Mira Award nominees:

Logikos

Perpetual Technologies, Inc.

triPRACTIX

For more information on the 2008 TechPoint Mira Awards visit www.techpoint.org/mira.

Ceruti's Celebrates New Location

Ceruti’s Catering will celebrate the grand opening of their new 1.5 million dollar, 15,000 square foot addition - “The Diamond Room”. A private (invitation only) VIP premier reception will start at 4 p.m. on May 1 followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony in correlation with the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce’s “Meet-Me-At-Five” beginning at 5 pm (public welcome). Ceruti’s Summit Park is located at 6601 Innovation Blvd Fort Wayne, IN 46818 in Summit Park II.

Participating in the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be the President of Ceruti’s Catering, Joseph Ceruti and his wife Elisabeth Ceruti along with John Ceruti-Director of Operations along with City and Chamber officials. A stunning exhibition of culinary talent will be on display for all attendees to enjoy and partake in the gala event. The John Kirkwood Band will be performing following the ribbon cutting.

Ceruti’s first opened its 24,000 square Summit Park location on October 3, 2005 and the new “Diamond Room” expansion was opened for its first event on February 23, 2008. Ceruti’s Summit Park can accommodate up to 800 guests between the Summit and Diamond rooms.

More information can be obtained by visiting www.cerutis.com or by calling Ceruti’s Catering at (260) 489-1319

Fort Wayne on Oprah Today at 4 p.m.

From the City's press release...

Fort Wayne, Ind. – Local efforts that raised $1.25 million for multiuse trails is scheduled to be on Monday’s “Oprah” television show.

Board members of Aboite New Trails as well as staff from Indiana’s NewsCenter are planning to attend the taping of Monday’s show, which will feature the winner of the “Oprah’s Big Give” reality show and affiliates’ efforts as part of “Oprah’s Big Give.” “Oprah” airs locally at 4 p.m. on WPTA-TV.

Two camera crews from “Oprah” were in Fort Wayne on Saturday to tape the Oprah’s Big Give Fort Wayne Trails community celebration as well as Aboite New Trails and the Greenway Consortium’s fund-raising events.

The three Fort Wayne Buffalo Wild Wings locations will host parties Monday to watch the show with a 20 percent of the sales from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. going to support trail development.

The restaurants, which have family seating, will show Monday’s “Oprah” at 4 p.m. and then replay the show at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Those who participated in the fund-raising walks or rides are encouraged to wear their Oprah’s Big Give Fort Wayne Trails t-shirts.