BizPAC makes its endorsements

The Greater Fort Wayne Political Action Committee (BizPAC) Board of Directors conducted written and in-person candidate evaluations of those running in local elections.

Endorsements were given to candidates who BizPAC believes demonstrated leadership in economic development and local business enhancement.

As a result of the candidate evaluations, BizPAC formally endorses the following candidates:

Indiana State Senate
District 14: Dennis Kruse
District 15: Tom Wyss
District 17: Jim Banks
District 19: Travis Holdman

Indiana State Representative
District 79: Matt Lehman
District 80: Phil GiaQuinta
District 81: Win Moses
District 82: Jeff Espich
District 83: Kathy Heuer
District 84: Bob Morris
District 85: Phyllis Pond

Allen County Commissioner
District 2: Therese Brown

Allen County Council
District 2: Tom Harris
District 3: Darren Vogt

Fort Wayne Community Schools Board
At-Large: Mark GiaQuinta
At-Large: Pamela Martin-Diaz
District 1: Jeanne (Mitch) Sheppard
District 4: Jordan Lebamoff

The Greater Fort Wayne Business Political Action Committee, or BizPAC, is an organization directed by its own board. BizPAC supports, on a non-partisan basis, elected officials or candidates who are advocates for limited government, free enterprise and a pro-business, pro-economic growth environment in the greater Fort Wayne area.

Governor to pass out DeBrand chocolate on Halloween

Trick-or-treaters who visit the governor's mansion on Halloween will be treated with chocolate from Fort Wayne's DeBrand Fine Chocolates, among other candies.

Governor Mitch Daniels and his staff will dress as characters from Peter Pan; the governor will fill the role of the crocodile.

Read more at Inside Indiana Business.

City of Fort Wayne, I&M reach agreement

To quote the lead of The Journal Gazette story:

Fort Wayne and Indiana Michigan Power on Thursday announced a $39.2 million settlement to a nearly five-year dispute over the value of the former city electric utility.

You can read the whole story at The Journal Gazette's web site.

Meet Me @ 5 event at Windows Doors and More

They say in business it’s all about who you know… They were right!

Meet Me @ 5 is an after-work event designed to create opportunities for you to 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 another Meet Me @ 5 Thursday, Oct. 28. from 5-7 p.m. at Windows Doors and More, 1121 West Washington Center Road, Fort Wayne.

Enjoy an evening of networking with hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.

Admission is $5 for Chamber members, $10 for nonmembers.

What we can do for you: Learn at Chamber 101

Whether you are a new member, a longtime member, or someone who just wants to know what The Chamber offers, join us for a morning of Chamber information.

The event is 8-10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28, at the Chamber building, 826 Ewing St. Among the activities:

• Learn how to utilize your Chamber membership to make money, save money, and have a voice.
• Hear from Chamber members who have used their membership to grow their business.
• Meet other Chamber members, Chamber Staff, and Chamber Ambassadors.
• Enjoy a free continental breakfast.

Bring plenty of business cards and sales material to display.

If interested, contact Laureen Voirol at (260) 424-1435 Ext. 266 or lvoirol@fwchamber.org.

Visitors Center open house Wednesday

Fort Wayne's new Visitors Center is hosting a ribbon cutting and open house Wednesday.

The ribbon cutting for the new center at the corner of Harrison Street and West Washington Boulevard will be at 9 a.m. The open house will last all day.

Free parking will be available in the lot across Harrison from the Visitors Center, courtesy of the Allen County Public Library.

The new Visitors Center serves as a "front door" for the community, welcoming guests and offering visitor guides, maps, directions, event listings, and more. The new space also features improved visitor services including digital signage and touch screen kiosks, additional souvenirs and merchandise, seating areas and more.

In addition, the Visitors Center will be the newest retail location for two local favorites – DeBrand and Vera Bradley.

Myth vs. Fact about the U.S. Chamber

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently has been accused of using funds derived from foreign sources to finance activities related to the upcoming elections. In the words of the U.S. Chamber, the accusations "are unfounded, deceitful, and completely erroneous." Furthermore:

"The U.S. Chamber fully complies with all applicable laws and regulations. No foreign money is used to fund Chamber political activities."

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, along with more than 3 million businesses, is a member of the U.S. Chamber.

Below are some news stories from a variety of sources that reinforce the U.S. Chamber's viewpoint:

• The Associated Press and Factcheck.org find no merit in the recent attacks.
• A story by the Los Angeles Times
• A recent WSJ editorial: Shutting Up Business
• Baltimore Sun: Democrats' attack ad sets new low for midterm mud
• Augusta Chronicle: Don't change the subject

And as the New York Times worded it:

"But a closer examination shows that there is little evidence that what the (U.S. Chamber) does in collecting overseas dues is improper or even unusual, according to both liberal and conservative election-law lawyers and campaign finance documents."

For more on this topic from the U.S. Chamber, visit its web site.

Conference helps you "green" your fleet

The 2010 Greening Your Fleet Conference, at the Courtyard by Marriott in Fort Wayne, offers a day and a half of keynote presentations, discussions, and demonstrations personalized for fleet professionals that want to integrate an environmentally-friendly component into their fleet operations.

The event is Tuesday, Oct. 26, and Wednesday, Oct. 27, is brought to you by the Greater Indiana Clean Cites Coalition, American Public Works Association-Indiana Chapter, and CountryMark.

Sessions are broken up into specific topics such as:

• USEPA 2015 fleet carbon footprint calculation tools
• Right sizing your fleet for the job it does
• OEM Alternative fuel and related technologies presentations
• Vehicle and related technologies displays, indoor and out
• Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment Options
• Clean Start Program
• 2011 Alternative Fuel Project Funding Opportunities
• Biofuels Update

Mayor Tom Henry will be the keynote speaker during the evening reception.

For more information and to register, visit greeningyourfleet.eventbrite.com.

Nominate a top business, CEO and employee for Chamber awards

Great contributions and innovations by large and small businesses, as well as CEOs and employees, will be honored by The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce with its 2010 awards.

The Chamber will recognize one nominee for each of these categories:

• Small Business of the Year: Presented to a Fort Wayne Chamber member business which has been in operation for at least five years and has fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees. This company will have contributed to the community, has a reputation for integrity and fair business practice and has examples of product or management innovation and successful problem-solving.
• Large Business of the Year: Same qualifications as above, with the business having 50 or more full-time equivalent employees.
• CEO of the Year: Presented to the CEO of a Fort Wayne Chamber member who has made unique contributions not only to their business and employees, but to the Fort Wayne community as a whole.
• Employee of the Year: Presented to the employee of a Fort Wayne Chamber member who serves as a positive role model in the workplace along with showing exceptional dedication to advancing the interests of his or her organization.

The winners of the awards will be announced at The Chamber’s 135th Birthday Bash, which will take place in conjunction with the Chamber’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, November 4, at the new Courtyard by Marriott in downtown Fort Wayne. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets to the event are $35 for Chamber members and $50 for nonmembers.

Go to The Chamber’s web site to read more about the awards and to complete a nomination form. Nominations must be received by Nov. 1 at 5 p.m.

6 ways your Chamber can help your inbound marketing

That's the title of the blog article by former Northeast Indiana resident Chad Pollitt, who's recently moved to Cleveland.

In fact, all six of the ideas Chad offers are available here at your local Chamber. Here's his column:

6 Ways Your Chamber of Commerce Can Help Your Inbound Marketing

Contact us for more information on how you can help your Chamber help you.