Congratulations to the Chamber's 2009 Award Winners!

Last night at the Chamber's 2009 Annual Meeting, we proudly announced the winners of the Small Business, Large Business, CEO and Employee of the Year. Each winner was chosen based on a variety of factors including:

• Contribution to the business community
• A reputation for integrity and fair business practices
• Product and management innovation
• Positive examples as CEO/employee and dedication to the mission of their organization

Special thanks to all of the nominated businesses, CEO's and employees - the winners were chosen from an exceptional pool of nominated members! Congratulations to the winners and those who nominated them - your stories are outlined below...

Small Business of the Year - Aptera Software, Inc.

Aptera has demonstrated commitment to the business community of Fort Wayne by working with local clients to improve their business and by providing high-tech, high-paying jobs to benefit the local economy. Within the last year alone, Aptera has added eight staff members to their team. Aptera has been a proud supporter of efforts to revitalize downtown Fort Wayne. Their newly renovated office is located downtown on the corner of Main and Harrison. Aptera began a new internship program in the summer of 2009, employing two local college students. The internships facilitated hands-on experience to complement the students' classroom education. Aptera's workload is based on repeat business established on trust from past clients. Each client's solution is custom-built after thorough research and client input, and knowledge of the latest innovations in technology. This year Aptera was named one of Indiana's 50 "Companies to Watch" by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Large Business of the Year - Brooks Construction Company

Brooks Construction is celebrating their 100th year of business, and was honored with the Governor's Century Business Award this week. Brooks was founded in 1909 and has built thousands of miles of streets and roads, including Forest Park Boulevard, the first paved street in Fort Wayne. They also built a section of the Lincoln Highway - America's first transcontinental highway. Brooks is now in the third generation of family to own and operate the business. The company is a leader in the practice of asphalt recycling and has been implementing "green" practices for many years. Brooks has also consistently and quietly donated to dozens of not-for-profit organizations in the Fort Wayne community. They recently held a fundraising event in celebration of their 100th anniversary which resulted in $50,000 being donated to a variety of charities within the community.

CEO of the Year - Mike Packnett, Parkview Health

Mike Packnett is the CEO of one of the largest employers in Allen County, Parkview Health. Packnett has led Parkview in several endeavors that benefit the Fort Wayne community, including the largest-ever cash donation to Community Harvest Food Bank in 2008. An initial gift of $50,000 grew to $150,000 when other Fort Wayne businesses met Parkview's challenge to contribute. The donations resulted in 790,000 pounds of food items for local families in need. Packnett is known for reading and responding to every e-mail sent to him by co-workers and has established a new co-worker bonus incentive plan, offering quarterly bonuses based on patient perception of care and other factors. Packnett also recognizes employees that go above and beyond the call of duty, sending weekly reports praising employees who exemplify the Parkview Standards of Behavior. Under Packnett's leadership, Parkview has won several awards and honors both locally and nationally, including recognition on the list of 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare. Packnett's vision for a revitalized downtown led to Parkview's sponsorship of Parkview Field, a commitment of annual support for at least 10 years.

Employee of the Year - Steve Ybarra, Indiana Michigan Power

Steve Ybarra supervises personnel responsible for the maintenance and operation of the electric distribution system in Fort Wayne. A veteran line mechanic and former instructor at America Electric Power's line school, Ybarra's leadership abilities are well-known among his peers. Ybarra's leadership became even more apparent as he took charge to battle the effects of the ice storm that devastated the Fort Wayne community in December of 2008, causing widespread power outages. Ybarra and his team not only coordinated the recovery efforts, but took measures to accommodate the more than 1500 extra workers that were summoned for the restoration. In the face of challenging weather conditions, Ybarra ensured that all workers had the ability to complete their work safely. The power restoration efforts in Fort Wayne were completed by Christmas Day, causing many citizens to herald the efforts of heroic line crews during those frigid days. Many were unaware of those behind the scenes, like Ybarra, who enabled hundreds of skilled workers to complete their job in a time of emergency.

Business Tips: How to Negotiate a Better Lease

How to Negotiate a Better Lease
by Phillip M. Perry
AreaDevelopment.com

For the first time in many years, tenants are in demand. It’s no secret why: There’s too much space around for the number of active businesses. No one likes to see anyone shutter their doors, but the fact remains that for every business that closes, some more space comes onto the market.

“Thanks to the current vacancy rates, tenants are seeing the biggest selection of space and the most accommodating landlords since the early 1990s,” says Robert Bach, chief economist at Grubb & Ellis, a commercial real estate services and investment company based in Santa Ana, Calif. “Landlords are nervous, so tenants can get better deals.”

All sectors of business are benefiting. In recent months, the nationwide vacancy for retail space has climbed to 9.5 percent, the highest level since the mid-1990s, says Bach. That’s considerably more than the sector’s six or seven percent “equilibrium rate”— the rate at which rents increase by no more than inflation. For office space, the vacancy rate has been running at 15.6 percent — the highest since the first quarter of 2005 and a hefty margin over that sector’s 12 percent equilibrium rate. About 9.5 percent of industrial space is unoccupied, the highest since the second quarter of 2004 and much more than the sector’s eight percent equilibrium rate.

For anyone grappling with a tough selling climate, all that empty space translates into a stronger negotiating position come lease renewal time. “It is a tenant market right now,” says Sharon Kahan, first vice president of CB Richard Ellis, a Chicago-based retail specialty brokerage. “If you are a tenant then you are in a good position. There’s quite a lot of space on the market and probably more still coming.”

Negotiate Your Rates
What steps can you take to capitalize on the favorable market? For starters, dust off your lease and take a fresh look at the numbers, even if the renewal date is still some time down the road. “Business owners should be seeking relief right now from their landlords,” says Andy Fried, director of the Small Business Development Center at Kennesaw State University’s Coles College of Business in Kennesaw, Georgia. “If the market is a whole lot lower than what’s being paid on a given lease, negotiations should be initiated.”

Maybe your first thought is a simple reduction in the monthly rental rate. And while that’s not out of the question, another tactic is more likely to bear fruit with the same bottom line results: free rent for a determined number of months. “Landlords don’t like to reduce rent,” says Fried. “Many landlords buy real estate for investment purposes, so they want to keep what they call the ‘capitalization rate’ up. The higher the rent roll, the higher the value of the building.” To maintain their investment landlords will often opt to grant free rental months rather than cut the official rental rate.

In fact, throughout the country many tenants are now routinely asking landlords for free rent as well as reductions. “This trend is new,” says Bach. “I have never heard of this happening before at such a wide scale.” So how many free months can you get? “It varies by area,” he says. “The tenant must check around the market to see what deals are being offered.” Bach has heard of some tenants receiving six months free rent.

Read the full article.

Chamber Member Seeks Full Time Registered Nurse

Chamber member Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Specialists is looking to hire a Full Time Registered Nurse. Job expectations are listed below.

1. Manage the clinical workflow to accommodate the physician’s schedule.
2. Provide oversight to the clinical schedule for efficient use of physician’s time.
3. Answer patient calls if available and voice mail as soon as available.
4. Work with receptionist to prepare clinical charts, assisting with general phone calls if available.
5. Schedule and pre-certify surgery patients, schedule and pre-certify ordered testing.
6. Assist as needed with minor surgical procedures, cleaning, sterilizing and general upkeep of surgical instruments and equipment.
7. Organize and respond to faxed clinical correspondence as needed.
8. Scribe and prescribe as directed by physician.
9. Notify referring MD’s, CM”s of pending surgery.
10. Monitor OP/ IP charge slips to reflect accuracy of procedures compared to scheduled surgeries and emergency admissions and procedures.
11. Report all new emergency patients to Receptionist to enter into system and create new chart.
12. Prepare surgical instruments for sterilization in approved fashion.
13. Make sure charts have been prepped appropriately to provide the information required for the office visit.
14. Make sure all dictation/ documentation has been completed prior to refilling of charts.
15. Make sure all rooms are OSHA compliant.

Interested parties should send their resume to: RFAS 7910 West Jefferson, Suite 300.

Tower Bank Celebrity Bartenders Event to Raise Money for Charity

Chamber member Tower Bank would like you to join them at Deer Park Irish Pub on Saturday, November 7 at 7:00 p.m. for the "Tower Bank Celebrity Bartenders" event. Mark Hartman, Seth Keirns, Gavin Mohr, and Brian Ternet will be the bar tenders and all tips raised that evening will go to St. Mary's Soup Kitchen. Who knew you could enjoy a drink and raise money for charity at the same time?

First Annual One Million Page Reading Challenge

Beginning November 16, 2009 through February 25, 2010 Heritage Jr/Sr High Patriots and the Leo Jr/Sr High Lions are teaming up to read 1,000,000 pages. They will read books, magazines and newspapers. Students will meet weekly with staff members to share what they've read and the number of pages read will be tallied and added to the school total. Weekly prizes will be awarded. Grand prizes will be given at the end of the challenge.

For more information, please contact Deb Pepple, Teacher/Librarian at Leo Jr/Sr High School at 446-0180, ext. 7115, or Aaron Volkert, Librarian Heritage Jr/Sr High School at 446-0140, ext. 7025. Lets encourage the young people of our community as they undertake this challenge!

Indiana's Unemployment Rates Dropped in September

According to the Indiana Dept. of Workforce Development, Indiana's unemployment rate dropped 0.3 percent during the month of September to 9.6 percent. The unemployment rate for Indiana consistently dropped 1.1 percent each of the three previous months. The unemployment rate for Indiana is now for the first time lower than the national unemployment rate, a rate of 9.8 percent.

More specifically, non-farm employment for the state of Indiana rose by 4,400 jobs during the month of September while manufacturing added 3,000 jobs and professional/business added 2,900 jobs. The only decline was in construction which saw an early fall of 3,300 positions. In spite of that, when compared to it's neighboring states, Indiana still has the lowest rate of unemployment.

For more information about the September 2009 Indiana Unemployment rate, visit http://www.in.gov/dwd/2373.htm

Funds Released for Second Round of Commercial Facade Grants

Mayor Tom Henry this week announced the release of more funds for commercial property owners while showcasing a project completed with the first round of grant money.

The commercial façade grant program makes funds available to offset the costs of facades, signage, lighting, awnings, parking improvements, decorative fencing and other enhancements owners want to make to their property. The City has designated $200,000 for this round of the grant program. The grant is usually leveraged in a dollar-to-dollar ratio, so each dollar of public funding is met with a minimum of $1 of private investment. One business owner on Wells Street used the grant to create a visual focal point on his property.

“Our matching grant money provided by this program allowed us to invest $40,000 in the building and add a 75 foot by 20 foot mural based on Fort Wayne history, nostalgia and memories,” said Sam Hyde, owner of Hyde Brothers Booksellers. “We hope this will become a cultural addition to the historically significant Wells Street corridor.”

In the first round of funding earlier this year, the matching amount of the grant was expected to be about $20,000. The program was so successful that the original $200,000 set aside to fund it was doubled to $400,000 at Mayor Henry’s request. Twenty-six projects representing about $1.5 million in investment resulted. Projects had to be located in City Council-designated economic development target areas (EDTAs), several of which exist throughout the community. An EDTA area map is available at the city’s website.

The average matching amount of the grant is again expected to be about $20,000, but larger projects may qualify for more assistance, the Mayor said. Administered through the Redevelopment Department, the grant applications will be available Nov. 13 to Dec. 18 both in the City-County Building and online. Property and business owners who meet the criteria will be able to apply for funds that will likely help them with spring construction projects.

“Here along the Wells Street Corridor, we have an ideal location where the business community, the neighborhood and the City have all worked in concert to identify the vision and priorities for the area.” said Mayor Henry. “The shared energy and commitment is making a difference in the vitality of one of Fort Wayne’s first commercial corridors to ensure its future has a chance to be as vibrant as its past.”

Applications will be available from the Redevelopment office and online in the next few weeks. Businesses with questions or wanting more information may call Julie Sanchez at 427-2147.

To Veterans and Their Families... Thank You

Need a Sales Boost? Advertise With Us.

Looking for an extra boost in sales this holiday season? A limited amount of 2009 advertising space is available for the Chamber's award-winning Emphasis magazine, a bi-weekly insert in the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly (readership of 24,000).

Space is limited and time is running out, so act now. For more information on Emphasis advertising, or if you are interested in advertising in the Chamber's weekly e-newsletter, the Update, contact Joanna Jessup at jjessup@fwchamber.org.

Are you "LinkedIn"?

At the next installment of the Chamber's Business Brown Bag series, Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. will present "Marketing Your Business with LinkedIn and Online Personal Branding." This workshop will take place Wednesday, November 18 from Noon to 1 p.m. at the Chamber.

Discover how LinkedIn can be a valuable tool for your company as you network and build business relationships, research potential employees and solidify your name in the market. A few fun facts about LinkedIn:

• 80% of companies use LinkedIn as a primary tool to find employees.
• The majority of LinkedIn users (66%) are decision-makers or have influence in the purchase decisions at their companies.
• The greater the number of LinkedIn "connections," the greater the likelihood of higher personal income - those with personal incomes between $200K-$350K are seven times more likely than others to have over 150 connections!

Cost for this workshop is $5 for Chamber members, $10 for non-members. RSVP by contacting Laureen at lvoirol@fwchamber.org.

Learn United Calls for 250 More Volunteers

United Way’s Learn United initiative is looking for 250 more volunteers to work with elementary school children to improve their reading skills. To date, Learn United has recruited 750 local volunteers to work with children who struggle to read. Some of the volunteers work through existing programs like Study Connection and Project READS, while others volunteer to work with students in the classroom during the regular school day.

All kinds of volunteer opportunities are available. Learn United staff will work with individuals to find a schedule that works for them. Anyone interested in volunteering should call 260.469.4030 or visit www.LearnUnited.org to browse dozens of different opportunities.

"Our children need the support of everyone in the community to help them achieve success," said Dr. Wendy Robinson, superintendent of Fort Wayne Community Schools. "While we work tirelessly in the schools, we can't do it alone. The volunteers that come into our schools provide a tremendous service for our students in terms of providing new voices in encouraging them academically and serving as role models."

"We have 122 classrooms in 14 schools that are participating in Learn United right now," said Jerry Peterson, president and CEO of United Way of Allen County. "71 of our classrooms have volunteers; we really need to fill those remaining classrooms with volunteers who are excited about helping our children improve their literacy skills and therefore improve their changes of succeeding in school and life."

Learn United volunteers go through a background check using a system that reviews more than 30 million criminal records nationwide and all 50 states' sex offender registries. All Learn United volunteers are providing training in the foundations of literacy and gain simple skills to help children learn to read.

Learn United is a ten-year effort to ensure all Allen County students read at grade level by the end of third grade. More than 1,000 local third-graders do not pass the ISTEP reading test every year; studies show that 74 percent of children who fall behind by third grade never catch up and gain the reading skills needed to be successful.

Learn United is a collaborative partnership between United Way of Allen County, the Allen County Education Partnership, all four Allen County public school districts, The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Wayne Urban League and Study Connection. For more information visit www.LearnUnited.org.

American Institute of Architects; Architecture and Community Heritage, Inc.; and Fort Wayne Downtown Improvement District Team Up for Design Awards

The Fort Wayne Chapter of the American Institute of Architects; ARCH, Inc.; and the Fort Wayne Downtown Improvement District announced yesterday that they have joined forces in presenting their design and preservation awards at a combined reception / awards celebration which will begin at 5:00pm on the second floor of Chase Bank in the AEP auditorium at One Summit Square in downtown Fort Wayne on Wednesday, November 11, 2009.

“Representatives of our organizations wanted to recognize outstanding achievement in design and preservation,” said Cory Miller, AIA, and Associate at SchenkelShultz Architecture, and Design & Practice Chairman for the Fort Wayne chapter of the American Institute of Architects. “Providing an annual opportunity to celebrate and reward best practices and design excellence was something we – as organizations with like-minded goals - could do better as a group than individually.”

Angie Quinn, Executive Director of ARCH, noted “The preservation of our community treasures is accomplished building by building, project by project, through the efforts of individuals who see the value of good design. AIA and DID share those goals with ARCH.”

Richard Davis, President of the Downtown Improvement District, welcomed the opportunity to join what is expected to become an annual collaborative awards celebration. “While our 91-block area represents a smaller concentration of potential projects to recognize, the downtown contains a disproportionate number of the significant achievements, both in terms of architecture and community heritage.”

Davis cited the recently-completed Parkview Field, the current restoration of the Allen County Courthouse, and the additions to Trinity English Lutheran Church as examples of large-scale downtown projects in which design is the critical element.

The collaborative design and preservation achievement awards will be presented following a reception which will which will begin at 5:00pm on the second floor of Chase Bank in the AEP auditorium at One Summit Square in downtown Fort Wayne on Wednesday, November 11, 2009.

Those wishing to attend should RSVP Lori Graf at 426-5117.

Festival of Gingerbread to Open November 27

Chamber member The History Center will be hosting the 24th annual Festival of Gingerbread with doors opening on November 27. Over 10,000 visitors walk through the display each year to look at the 100-plus entries created by bakers of all ages. Other special activities include extra holiday exhibits, cookie sales, visits by Santa, and musical entertainment.

Hours for the Festival of Gingerbread are M-Th 9-5, Friday 9 - 8, Saturday 9 - 5, and Sunday 12 - 5. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, and free to members or children 5 and under. For more information, visit www.fwhistorycenter.com.

Chamber Member Aptera Provides Opportunities for Local Interns

If there is one thing that Aptera (a software development and web design firm) knows, it's that today's students need real world work experience more than ever. Aptera is one of many local companies that has made serious efforts to bridge the gap between high school students and internship opportunities. At Aptera, the environment is large enough to provide solid structure but also small enough to allow for new ideas and perspectives.

This past July, Aptera hosted an Xbox 360 Tournament in conjunction with the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce to draw local college students and others. The event also included open play for Guitar Hero and free food. For more information on Aptera or the internship opportunities available there, visit www.apterainc.com or visit their blog at http://blog.apterainc.com/.

State Legislators Propose Delay for Unemployment Insurance Premiums

Senate Republicans have proposed delaying the state’s new unemployment insurance premiums to continue Indiana job growth and help struggling Hoosier businesses through the national recession.

Senate President Pro Tem David Long (R-Fort Wayne) said Senate Republicans would introduce legislation in the upcoming session to push back by one year the start date for new rates paid by employers.

“Legislators and Gov. Mitch Daniels are keeping a close watch on the fragile state and national economies,” Long said. “We are very sensitive to the current economic situation faced by Hoosier employers and workers. Last session, we recognized the need to slowly implement any premium increases on Indiana’s employers. We consequently avoided any increase in 2009 and spread those increases over a three-year period thereafter. Today, given the depth and duration of the recession, we are proposing to delay those increases for one additional year.”

Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee Chair Brandt Hershman (R-Wheatfield) and former Pensions and Labor Chair Dennis Kruse (R-Auburn) co-authored last year’s sweeping reforms of the state’s jobless fund. Hershman and Kruse joined Senate Appropriations Chair Luke Kenley (R-Noblesville) and the new Senate Pensions and Labor Chair Phil Boots (R-Crawfordsville) Tuesday in voicing support for the proposed delay of the UI premium schedule.

About The 2009 UI Legislation…

“Indiana legislators entered last session facing a crisis in the state’s unemployment insurance fund. For many years, premiums paid by businesses had failed to keep pace with benefits paid to jobless Hoosiers, even when unemployment rates were at historic lows,” Hershman said. “On top of this structural imbalance, experts estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in annual waste, fraud and abuse of the system only exacerbated the problem.”

At the time, Indiana’s fund was partially sustained by a $790 million interest-free loan from the federal government. In response, the General Assembly approved – and Gov. Mitch Daniels signed into law – a bipartisan plan to put the UI fund on the path to solvency, preserve worker benefits, improve employer appeal rights regarding claims, and to reduce waste, fraud and abuse.

“Today, Indiana is among 24 states borrowing interest-free federal loans to balance UI insurance programs. By the end of the recession, that number is expected to grow to 40 states borrowing an estimated $90 billion. At year’s end, our state’s interest-free federal loan is expected to carry a balance of about $1.7 billion,” Hershman said.

Indiana and other states are presently not required to make payments on these loans, Hershman said, and there is increasing talk of a federal loan forgiveness program as more and more states are forced to borrow due to the national recession.

“If Indiana’s new premium schedule were to go into effect in January 2010, an estimated 41,590 Indiana employers would face increases, because of high claims and delinquency penalties.” Hershman said. “With some employers just barely surviving the national recession, the revenue generated by the new rates might be negated by increased temporary layoffs and permanent job losses. Our thinking is this money would be better invested at this time in safeguarding current jobs, calling back furloughed workers and creating new opportunities for unemployed Hoosiers.”

About The Fragile Economy…

Kruse has since moved on to chair the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development, but remains a member of the pensions committee and actively engaged in economic policymaking.

Last week, Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development (DWD) reported Indiana’s unemployment rate dropped 1.1 percent over the previous three months and is now lower than the national unemployment rate for the first time since October 2008, Kruse said.

“In September, Indiana’s manufacturing sector added 3,000 positions. Professional and business service sectors added 2,900 jobs. At the same time, DWD recorded a decline of 3,300 construction jobs, which officials said might signal a premature end to seasonal work. So, while we are encouraged by increases in manufacturing, professional and service jobs, clearly it is too early to say if we have turned the corner,” Kruse said.

In Washington, D.C., talk has turned from “a jobless national recovery to a so-called recovery with actual job losses,” Kruse said.

“Since the current recession began, 8 million jobs have been lost nationwide. Workers have faced the worst job market since the Depression. Layoffs have averaged 6.5 months – a post-World War II record,” Kruse said. “The last thing Indiana lawmakers want to do is to suck the lifeblood from an already anemic economy.”

Long said most Indiana lawmakers shared Kruse’s “do no harm” attitude when passing House Bill 1379 last session.

“We believe delaying the new premium schedule for one additional year is fiscally sound and economically prudent in that it provides more breathing room for Indiana’s economy to recover while also giving the state time to see what the federal government intends to do to assist states like Indiana that are struggling with an overwhelmed unemployment system.”

You're Invited... Be a Part of the Business Leadership Network

This Wednesday, November 4 at 11 a.m. the Fort Wayne Business Leadership Network (BLN) will kick-off with a free luncheon here at the Chamber. The goal of the Business Leadership Network is to create a more diverse workforce by improving awareness among businesses regarding the resources for, and the benefits of, hiring people with disabilities.

Fort Wayne’s Business Leadership Network was formed in March of 2009 by the Chamber, the City of Fort Wayne and Easter Seals Arc of Northeast Indiana. Founding members and service providers in the BLN include Three Rivers Federal Credit Union, Fast Print, IPFW, Parkview, Goodwill Industries of Northeast Indiana, Pathfinder Services, Inc./Resource Connection and Park Center.

“Here at 3 Rivers, we have seen immediate success in the partnerships that have been created through the BLN,” says Michelle Merritt, Culture and Retention Manager at Three Rivers Federal Credit Union. “The BLN provided us yet another great resource to find more awesome team members. The BLN is an additional great connection in our network and one we’re very proud to be founding members of. Without the BLN, we would not have connected with Holly at Pathfinder Services. Through the BLN meetings, she learned our company culture and was able to provide a candidate that was a great fit to our team. Bottom line: my hiring process was streamlined, efficient, and more cost effective thanks to my connections at the BLN. Just another great resource our amazing community provides!”

Mayor Tom Henry will speak at the event, along with National BLN Board member Erin Riehle. Ms. Riehle, MSN, RN is a recognized authority and national leader in promoting employment opportunities for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. She is a founder and Director of Project SEARCH, an employment and transition program that has received national recognition for innovative practices. She is regularly invited to present at national and regional conferences, and has co-authored numerous publications and book chapters.

Ms. Riehle began her career at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as a staff nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit and advanced to clinical director of the emergency department. Her interest in employment for people with disabilities grew from her frustration with high turnover rates among workers performing critical tasks such as re-stocking emergency room supply shelves. Riehle found that placing individuals with developmental disabilities in these positions was both an effective solution to her staffing problems and an improvement in quality of life for the workers she employed. This positive experience ultimately led to a systematic, hospital-wide effort, led by Ms. Riehle, to explore job possibilities for people with disabilities.

Chamber interim president & CEO, Mike Landram, says “We’re looking forward to introducing the Business Leadership Network to the Fort Wayne business community. We hope that many business leaders will join us for this luncheon and decide to be a part of the good work the BLN is doing.”

“The creation of the BLN will help all who are disabled find meaningful employment by educating local business leaders about the positives of hiring those who are disabled,” says Kassandra Flanagan, Employment Services Supervisor at Easter Seals Arc. “They are an untapped pool of skills, all different, and will become their employer’s most loyal employees.”

For more information on the upcoming BLN Luncheon contact Kassandra Flanagan at kflanagan@esarc.org. Visit fwchamber.org to RSVP for this free event.

Celebrate Title Town

Just in time to help kick-off the 58th season of our Fort Wayne Komets, we proudly declare Fort Wayne "Title Town"! In the spirit of our back-to-back Turner Cup Champions, we ask you to join us in this celebration.

The Fort Wayne/Allen County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has teamed up with Burkhart Advertising, the Chamber and other community organizations to execute a community pride campaign. We have much to celebrate with the addition of three new national titles to our “trophy case”: All-America City Award, Komets Turner Cup Championship and TinCaps Midwest League Championship.

Throughout the rest of this year you will see billboards displayed around Fort Wayne welcoming people to “Title Town”.

Demonstrate your civic pride by being a part of “Title Town”. Here are five simple things you can do to promote “Title Town” through your own business.

Five Things You Can Do to Promote “Title Town”

1. Add monikers such as these to your outdoor signage and marquees:

• “Congratulations Title Town!”
• “Congratulations TinCaps and Komets – our All-America City is proud to be a Title Town!”
• Fort Wayne is Title Town! # 1 Komets, TinCaps and All-America City!

2. Incorporate the attached artwork to your website or newsletter.

3. Print the attached artwork and display it proudly at your business.
   

4. Promote the name “Title Town” to your employees through internal signage and communications.

5. Connect it with your own recent accomplishments – you are part of what makes us a “Title Town” too!

IPFW Offers Workshops for National Career Development Month

Celebrate National Career Development Month by getting serious about your career path! Get involved through networking with employers and attending an Online Social Networking Workshop. These are great ways to meet employers in a specific career field and network.

The following events are hosted by the Office of Career Services at IPFW.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 [12-1:00pm] Careers in the Arts Employer Panel; Rhinehart Center 164 (IPFW)
Thursday, November 5, 2009 [12-1:00pm] Sports & Fitness Careers Employer Panel; Walb Union 114 (IPFW)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 [6-9pm] Network Now: Speed Networking; Fort Wayne Country Club; Employers register at www.ipfw.edu/career
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 [12-1:00pm] Green Careers Employer Panel; Walb Union G21 (IPFW)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 [9:00pm] Online Social Networking workshop: Put your best Face(book) forward; Walb Union 222 (IPFW) -- co-sponsored by Delta Sigma Pi
Thursday, November 19, 2009 [12-1:00pm] Entrepreneur Employer Panel; Walb Union 114 (IPFW)

For more information about these events, go to www.ipfw.edu/career/news or contact Career Services at (260)481-0689, Kettler Hallroom 109.

Save Money on Energy Costs for Your Business

J.O. Mory will be hosting an “Energy Savings Open House” at their Fort Wayne location this Saturday, November 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy refreshments and receive information on how your business can save money from energy costs!

911 Call Center Decision Put on Hold

Efforts to break down the glass wall separating the City and County 911 Call Centers have been put on hold temporarily. The Chamber supports efforts to end this separation and consolidate 911 Call Centers, resulting in one streamlined point of contact for communications, emergency services and homeland security issues. Chamber VP of Government Affairs, Joni Howell, is quoted in the following Journal Gazette article.

Hold button hit on dispatch deal: County gives sheriff, chief 60 days to make changes
Amanda Iacone
Journal Gazette

For less than a week, it seemed that the glass wall between city and county dispatch operations might come down.

But the Allen County commissioners on Friday delayed moving along a formal agreement between the city and county. Instead, they gave Sheriff Ken Fries and Fort Wayne Police Chief Rusty York 60 days to cobble together an improved version – making the tentative agreement the latest false start in a debate that has lasted years.

Commissioner Nelson Peters expressed doubt that Fries and York would come up with a solution but hoped they would prove him wrong. Other city and county officials expressed optimism that the two would be successful in bringing back an amended agreement.

“We’ve been working on it year after year after year, and we’ve not gotten any farther than we are now,” Peters said, adding that he is frustrated by the latest delay.

Peters defended the plan he and Fort Wayne Deputy Mayor Greg Purcell hashed out, saying it was designed to eliminate turf struggles, build trust and improve public safety.

But Peters did not try to push for a vote Friday, saying to a packed room that he knew Commissioners Bill Brown and Linda Bloom wouldn’t vote to approve the agreement.

On Monday, Peters and Mayor Tom Henry announced what was heralded to the public as a historic accord. The pact would create an operating board to hire a director and staff, handle benefits, payroll and equipment purchases. The mayor and commissioners would each appoint three members, and those six would appoint a seventh member.

City and county officials each said they would likely appoint the city police and fire chiefs, plus the sheriff and likely someone to represent local volunteer fire departments. A member from the City Council and County Council might also be included on the board.

An executive board comprising the commissioners and the mayor would break any tie votes of the operating board.

Currently, county staff work for the sheriff, and city staff technically work under the umbrella of the police department. A wall with large glass windows separates the two centers, which are housed in the basement of the City-County Building.

The glass wall has become a symbol of the struggles city and county leaders face in cooperating and sharing resources.

Its significance is known around the state. And leaders pushing for government modernization use it as a prime example of why state lawmakers need to push for change, knowing city and county cooperation won’t happen on its own, said Joni Howell, vice president of government affairs for the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber supports the merger and urged the commissioners to approve the agreement.

Brown questioned the agreement when it was first announced Monday because he prefers an even number of members on the operations board. He also said that garnering the sheriff’s support for any merger is paramount.

Bloom, however, was mum Monday, making hers the deciding vote.

“This should happen,” Bloom said of the merger, “but not the way it’s written today.”

She said she was surprised that Fries and York hadn’t met to discuss the merger and was glad that their input would finally be taken into consideration.

Bloom said she won’t tell the sheriff what to do. Her duties and responsibilities as a commissioner do not include running emergency dispatch, and the sheriff knows the best way to run his department.

Bloom, however, put some of the burden on Fries to make the merger happen and not act like past sheriffs who disliked the idea.

“If ever there was a time the sheriff should come forward, it’s now,” she said.

But Peters said what he and the city negotiated isn’t significantly different from Fries’ most recent plan, which at the time called for the sheriff to make appointments instead of the commissioners and the commissioners alone serving as the executive board.

Fries said Friday that his proposal followed a model laid out in state law. He also said any formal document needs to include specific details about how the merged center would operate and not leave those details to the board.

“We will come up with a plan,” Fries said of his collaboration with York. But he didn’t know whether they would meet the 60-day window the commissioners offered.

Peters said he will push the pair to meet the deadline. And if they bring forward a revised plan, Peters will likely support it, he said.

After Friday’s meeting, York expressed optimism because Fries is at least willing to consider a board overseeing the operations, unlike past sheriffs who insisted that the sheriff have total control.

“Maybe this will push them to work a little harder, search a little deeper,” Purcell said, adding that he is comfortable giving Fries and York a chance because they will look out for residents’ best interests.

Regardless of the outcome, Purcell said officials should make a final decision either to merge or drop the idea altogether.

"At some point we need to stop talking about this," he said.

Feet on the Street: Parkview Family YMCA

by Teresa Royer
Member Relations Specialist

I sat down with Clint Kugler, Executive Director of the Parkview Family YMCA the other day. As a result of our meeting I had a great history lesson. Allow me to share what I learned – I think you’ll find this very interesting if history is one of your interests:

Travel back to the year 1844 -- in which the industrial revolution was in full swing. A common situation during that period is that young men from the textile industries would go into the cities and get into trouble because they had nothing to occupy their time. Enter, George Williams who started a bible study as an answer to this problem - thus the first YMCA meeting! In addition to addressing the spiritual needs of men – they also addressed the intellectual and physical aspects---mind, body and spirit. The concept was brought to America in 1851 by Thomas Sullivan.

A college was formed to train YMCA Secretaries (now known as Executive Directors) in Springfield Massachusetts. A student named James Naismith was given an assignment to come up with a game to keep the students busy during the winter months. James came up with the game we now know as basketball.

Volleyball was created shortly after for businessmen. Businessmen didn’t want to play a game that was as physically challenging—not to mention it fit in nicely with the lunch hour. The YMCA is credited to creating many other commonly known sports and even some of our holidays – such as Father’s Day.

Clint not only taught me a great history lesson, I also had a paradigm shift in my thinking of the YMCA. The YMCA is not just a gym where people work-out – they help people reach TOTAL health (mind, body and spirit.)

They have a couple of great programs you may be interested in for your businesses such as their Corporate Challenge in which businesses compete against other businesses in games (everything from euchre to basketball.) Who knows, maybe I can get a Chamber team around for their next season as I think this would be a lot of fun, not to mention good for me.

They also offer a corporate membership program in which the YMCA will work with employers in payroll deduction from any of their employees that would like to become fit and healthy through the many, many programs at the YMCA.

If you’re interested in either the Corporate Challenge or the corporate membership program check out the following websites and who knows – if I can get a Chamber team, maybe I’ll see you at the Y – and may the best team win!

Corporate Challenge: http://www.fwymca.org/corp_member.htm, Wendy Spitznagel, 918-2148

Fitness Corporate Challenge: http://fwymca.org/events.htm#CorpChallenge_092009, Casey Wilson, Executive Director Central Branch, 422-6486.

I hope you have a chance to meet Clint as he has a wealth of knowledge and is very passionate about what he does – it’s contagious!

STAR 88.3 Celebrates New Ownership

Melissa Montana, CEO and President of STAR Educational Media Network celebrated the new ownership of Chamber member STAR 88.3 at a press conference today.

Over the past several months, Melissa Montana and the Executive Team, Richard Cummins and Don Buettner, decided to form a nonprofit company and put a bid on the station. They were given the opportunity to buy the station by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod – Indiana District. After months of legal paperwork, the process is complete and STAR Educational Media Network is now the owner of STAR 88.3.

Recently STAR 88.3 was voted 2009 Station of the Year by the Gospel Music Association and Christian Music Broadcasters. Melissa Montana received the award on the Dove Awards National televised show. Also, STAR 88.3 was recently voted #1 Favorite Radio Station through the Fort Wayne Newspapers Reader’s Pick.

Fort Wayne: Where the Radio City Rockettes Kick Up Their Heels

Time Magazine calls it the "Grandest Holiday Show of All Time" and with good reason. Complete with domino-falling soldiers, high kicking rockettes, a living nativity, and dancing Santas, on November 24 the Radio City Christmas Spectacular is going to conduct their first Fort Wayne performance ever at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

Ticket pricing starts at $47.50 and groups of 10 or more save 10% on pricing. For more information, call 260-480-3710 or visit http://www.radiocitychristmas.com/.