Professional Connections Group Sets Out to Help Unemployed Business Executives

Many business executives nationwide are finding themselves in uncharted waters trying to navigate their career transitions. Northeast Indiana is no exception to this phenomenon.

Many of these executives have never experienced unemployment and don’t know how to pilot themselves through the current employment maze in order to secure a new position. This realization has led to the formation of Professional Connections of Northeast Indiana, a free career-transition networking group for business executives, under the support and guidance of The Chamber.

“Professional Connections recognizes the talent pool of business executives in Northeast Indiana and wants to assist these individuals with their executive career transitions by connecting them to opportunities, thereby promoting area economic development,” said Clifford Clarke, a member of the core team responsible for the formation.

On June 24, Professional Connections will hold its first weekly meeting in the Verizon Conference Room at the Fourth Wave Building at 300 E. Main St., from 7:30 to 9 a.m. The topic for this initial meeting is “The Informational Interview” presented by Hedrick Communications. Future meetings will offer programs on relevant job search topics and provide networking opportunities to area business executives and professionals. Attendees should dress in business casual or business attire.

“The meetings are free and opened to any business professional in transition or business person looking for talent,” said Jeff Benzing, a member of the core team. “All we ask is that they come prepared to talk about their situation and hopefully make a connection.”

Benzing added this is not a sales leads networking group but those attending should bring business cards to hand out.

For more information contact: Jeff Benzing at (260) 479-0719.

Reach Your Clients for Less

Take advantage of your Chamber membership and market your business at discounted prices: good for a LIMITED TIME only!

Get as much as 50% off when you purchase Chamber advertising in Emphasis magazine or Update email newsletter. Purchase by Monday, July 6 for the discounted rate. Offer is good for advertising through the rest of the 2009 calendar year.

For questions about Chamber advertising contact Nicole Wilkins, Communications Manager at (260) 414-1160 or nwilkins@fwchamber.org.

All America City Honors Up for Grabs Today

Today Fort Wayne will find out if we are among this year's All-America City Award winners. Earlier this week delegations headed to Tampa, Florida, where the winners will be announced today.

The National Civic League holds the competition every year. The organizations describes the awards as the "Oscars" for civic engagement and community problem solving. The honor is given to ten winners each year for outstanding civic accomplishments. This year’s finalists have created jobs, revitalized their downtowns, and reduced crime, among other accomplishments.

The 2009 finalists include three Indiana cities: Fort Wayne, Richmond and South Bend.

Chamber Member Ellison Bakery Introduces New Cookie Line

Ellison Bakery Inc. is launching a new line of premium soft cookies to be sold in grocery stores throughout the country. The family-owned bakery says its nine varieties are designed to cater adult tastes, specifically the 35-and-over female consumer.

Ellison Bakery announced the introduction of nine varieties of soft, premium cookies that will be sold in grocery stores across the nation." The new cookie varieties include unique recipes such as Soft Apple Raisin, Soft Rocky Road and Soft Raspberry Filled, as well as traditional favorites like Soft Chocolate Chip, Soft Oatmeal and Soft Oatmeal Raisin. The line also includes Soft Molasses, Soft Date Filled and Classic Sugar. Unlike the cookies of large institutional bakeries, Ellison Bakery cookies are made using time-honored recipes that have been handed down over generations.

Tips, Quips and Tallies

INTERNSHIPS: No Age Restriction
by Marlene LeMon

Internships are coming more and more into focus in today's job market. The benefits are numerous for both employer and intern. Students gain an introduction to the workforce and specific career direction. Employers gain by filling their own talent pipelines with potential employees who know the company mission and culture.

However, Blair S. Walker broadened the definition of internships in an article in the May 1, 2009, AARP Bulletin titled "wOw! Internships Are Not Just for the Young.” He writes, "The word 'intern' rarely conjures images of mature, white-collar workers seeking new job skills. But that's the picture Manhattan-based Women on the Web (www.wowowow.com) is seeking with its executive intern program."

The wOw website creator is 67-year-old Joni Evans, CEO of the Web site for women over 40 who says, "We're in a time where lots of our women friends are being fired or their husbands are being fired or, for the first time, they're thinking that they'd better work because their 401(k)s are being diminished." The organization “is giving about 30 participants a crash course in editing and Web technology skills” and has offered unpaid internships to women 40 and over since March of this year.

You can visit http://www.wowowow.com/ and click on "Think Up" for more information. Many 30- to 50-year-old transitional students either changing career paths or finishing college for the first time are excellent candidates for internship programs because they are mature, serious about learning and willing to stretch themselves for whatever it takes to be employed in today’s job market.

IPFW Welcomes New Education Center

A new manufacturing education center will open today at Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). The Haas Technical Education Center will provide IPFW mechanical engineering students with hands-on training with workplace machinery. The center will operate in IPFW's College of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science.
Haas Technical Education Centers leverage the capabilities and technologies of Haas Automation.

Haas has 16 other centers at educational institutions across the state, including Elkhart, South Bend, Kokomo, Bloomington, Evansville and West Lafayette.

Feet on the Street

Chick-fil-A, Jefferson Pointe (Aunt Shirley)

By Teresa Royer

If any of you have ever eaten inside Chick-fil-A at Jefferson Pointe, you may have met Aunt Shirley or possibly Grandma and Grandpa who are Chick-fil-A employees complete with nametags accordingly.

I spent some time with Shirley Lawson, Extra Mile Person and Andrea Detlefsen, Unit Marketing Director earlier this week because I was always curious about Aunt Shirley. I learned that Shirley is NOT a blood relative at all to the owner, Jeff Hoffman, or anyone on the Chick-fil-A staff.

It all started a few years ago when Shirley was looking for a quick place to eat for a nice salad or healthy lunch of some sort. She really liked Chick-fil-A’s chargrilled chicken garden salad specifically because of the variety of vegetables; she also appreciated the moderate price---so much so that she kept coming back—“a regular” I guess you would say.

She was very comfortable going to Chick-fil-A at lunch time—it was working for her. Jeff must have noticed his happy, loyal customer and commented to Shirley. However, Shirley shared with me that Jeff’s comment hurt her feelings; she couldn’t quite remember what he said exactly but she perceived it as if Jeff thought she didn’t have anything else better to do and she was slightly offended! She decided she better “lay low” for a while and find somewhere else to eat lunch.

Shirley’s sister suggested that since she liked Chick-fil-A so much and she was looking for work, why not ask them if they were hiring. Well, Shirley thought about if for a while and decided to ask Melanie Stauss, the General Manager if they were hiring.

Shortly afterwards, Shirley found herself on the opposite end of a table from Jeff who had just offered her the job as the “Extra Mile Person.” She asked what the job would entail, in which he replied something to the effect of “just do what you want to do.” Jeff’s goal was to go that extra mile for his customers and thought Shirley could provide just that. He already had Grandma and Grandpa working for him (his in-laws, by the way) why not have “Aunt Shirley.” Thus her title was born.

It is obvious that Shirley has a servant’s heart and has no problem whatsoever, wanting to make sure each and every guest at Chick-fil-A is cared for be it offering something you may need from her condiment cart (her idea, by the way) or the young mom needing help with the little ones, or the senior citizen wanting someone to chat with over lunch and everything in between.

Shirley feels like she has come full-circle from a time when she was in first grade and had a part in the school play in which her line was “May I help you?” She loved having that part and she loves her part at Chick-fil-A.

Luckily for Jeff, Shirley Lawson went from what could have been a disgruntled customer to “Aunt Shirley” valued employee.

If you haven’t met Aunt Shirley yet, I highly suggest you stop in; she will give you her card which is good for a free dessert for all first-time guests. It’s important to note that she does have set hours but you will most likely catch her during the lunch and dinner hour.

Please know the peach milk shake is out of this world! Tell them Teresa sent you…..

TOMORROW: Kick Off Summer with Blues, Brews & BBQ!

They say in business it's all about who you know... They were right! Build lasting relationships with other Fort Wayne professionals and find out the latest business buzz without being bombarded with sales pitches.

Don't miss out on a chance to welcome summer with a special Cc: me event on opening night of the 12th Annual BBQ RibFest! Build lasting connections while enjoying an evening of "Blues, Brews and BBQ" on Thursday, June 18 from 5-7 p.m. at Headwaters Park. $5 for Chamber members, $10 for non-members.

For more information contact Laureen Voirol at (260) 434-1435, ext. 266 or lvoirol@fwchamber.org.

Don't Miss Morning Mix @ Villas at Summit Reserve Thursday!

The next Morning Mix will be hosted by Villas at Summit Reserve (1731 Summit Reserve Dr.) on Thursday, June 18 from 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m.

The Morning Mix offers fast-paced, lead generating opportunities and is designed for professionals who are involved in sales and business development. You will experience 20 minutes at three different tables, receiving the opportunity to present your "unique selling proposition" to a couple of dozen businesspersons in a fast-paced, fun and structured setting.

Admission is $5. In addition, please make sure to bring a stack of your business cards. Continental breakfast is included. For more information, or if you are interested in being a table captain for a Morning Mix, please contact Laureen Voirol at (260) 424-1435, ext. 266 or lvoirol@fwchamber.org. You do not have to be a Chamber member to attend.

CANI Seeking Partner Businesses for Youth Program

CANI (Community Action of Northeast Indiana) is seeking support from local businesses for a career shadow day.

CANI’s Family Development program is expanding its outreach with the establishment of a youth program. Family Service Support Worker Megan Kinney is spearheading the program with the first project─ the launching of a career shadow program this summer.

The purpose of the effort is to expose local students ages 13 to 15 to various career opportunities. Currently, CANI is seeking mentors in the following professions: chef, lawyer, artist and nurse.

CANI will act as a liaison between the business and the student. Dates and times are negotiable. This is a great opportunity to empower youth and enhance your company’s reputation.

For more information, please call Megan Kinney at (260) 423-3546 ext. 287, or e-mail megankinney@canihelp.org.

Family Development is a voluntary, in-home program of supportive services that helps identify family strengths, desires, and needs. CANI helps communities, families, and individuals remove the causes and conditions of poverty. For more information about CANI and the services provided, see http://www.canihelp.org/.

Brown Bag to Focus on Green Design

This Wednesday, at the Chamber's Business Brown Bag you will discover how "going green" at work can help keep your budget "in the black."

Join us at Cinema Center as Tom Werling and Dave Hall of The Hagerman Group present "Building Green." In addition, enjoy a special Artlink exhibit entitled Green. Browse works depicting environmental initiatives and made from recycled materials.

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, June 17, 2009 from noon-1 p.m. at Cinema Center (437 E. Berry St.).

Register online or at the door. $5 for Chamber Members, $10 for Non-Members.
For more information contact Laureen Voirol at (260) 434-1435, ext. 266 or lvoirol@fwchamber.org.

Hop on Board for Golfopoly

Thursday, August 27 · Autumn Ridge Golf Club

Get your game on for the Chamber's Annual Golfopoly Outing! Showcase your skills on the green - morning and afternoon tee times are available for individuals or teams of four. In addition to golfing, there will be a variety of fun new games!

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Closing reception with hors d'oeuvres, cash bar and a chocolate fountain and cheese fountain from Fort Wayne Chocolate Fountain will begin at 6:30 p.m. Register online now!

Take advantage of additional exposure as a Sponsor. E-mail us or give us a call at (260)424-1435, ext. 266 and we will help you identify a sponsorship package that meets your promotional needs.

Thank you to our Silver Sponsor, Comcast Business Class and our Beverage Cart Sponsor, PHP!