Lugar receives NAM Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence

U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar today received the Manufacturing Legislative Excellence Award from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) for his legislative work in the 111th Congress. For the seven consecutive Congresses NAM has issued this award, Lugar has received the recognition each time.

The Manufacturing Legislative Excellence Award is given to legislators who consistently support NAM’s pro-growth, pro-jobs agenda and achieve a rating of 70 percent or better on Key Manufacturing Votes. Senator Lugar achieved a rating of 92 percent, the highest score in the Senate.

Manufacturing provides more than 440,000 jobs in Indiana. Export-supported jobs linked to manufacturing account for 9.2 percent of Indiana’s total private-sector employment and nearly 1-in-4 manufacturing workers in Indiana depend on exports for their jobs according to 2008 data. In recent years, more than 6,000 companies, located in Indiana, have exported goods abroad.

Key votes during this legislative session included: opposing additional lawsuits, opposing the Obama health care bill, and opposing tax increases.

Representatives from manufacturers with Indiana plants including Toyota, Cummins, and Eli Lilly were present for the event.

According to their website, throughout its history, the NAM has been one of the nation’s most influential advocates for manufacturing. The NAM has proudly stood with manufacturers and their employees in times of war and peace and in periods of economic strength and uncertainty. The manufacturing industry accounts for more than 18 million jobs in the United States.

For more information regarding the Manufacturing Legislative Excellence Award visit NAM’s website.

Pictured: U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar with Jay Bonitt, Eli Lilly and Company (far left), Emily Diedrich Foster, Cummins (left); and Robert Chiappetta, Toyota (far right).

Day at the Statehouse: Register by Feb. 18

March 1 is Northeast Indiana Day at the Statehouse. Join us for a round-trip bus ride to the state capital to see the Northeast Indiana state legislators in action.

The day will include an opportunity to meet with Gov. Mitch Daniels and Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett, have lunch with the Northeast legislative delegation, and hear updates on pressing legislative issues. Learn more about education reform and unemployment insurance, plus how the budget affects your business.

Cost for the trip is $35 and includes bus transportation, all programming and materials, and lunch at the new J.W. Marriott in downtown Indianapolis (pictured). The trip is open to members of any Northeast Indiana Chamber of Commerce, which includes all employees of any Chamber member.

Please register by February 18 to Christina Mitson by calling 260-424-0863 or emailing christina.mitson@neinadvocates.com.

High schoolers invited to STEM-focused video contest

The Talent Initiative, the program behind the Talent Made Here campaign, announced today that it is hosting a STEM-focused video contest open to all high school students in Northeast Indiana.

This contest is just one of the ways the Talent Initiative is increasing awareness of STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — programs and businesses in the region and showing students how STEM can open doors of opportunity to them for the rest of their lives.

Students are asked to create a video up to two minutes in length answering the question, "How is STEM making a difference in your lives, every day, right here in Northeast Indiana?" Finalists will be determined by public vote on the TalentMadeHere.com website from March 21 through April 1. Winners will be determined by a panel of representatives from the Talent Initiative and announced at an awards ceremony on Saturday, April 16, at Northeast Indiana TechFest. TechFest is a new event hosted by the Graduate Retention Program of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce.

"We wanted to find an interactive way to reach out to students and teachers and encourage them to really explore what STEM could mean to their future," said Courtney Tritch, Talent Initiative communications manager. "This is a great way for them to gain recognition for their schools and showcase their creativity through their use of technology."

The classroom receiving the grand prize will win a MinoHD Flip video camera and a walk-on appearance in the next Talent Made Here video. The grand prize-winning video will also be posted on the TalentMadeHere.com website for two months and promoted to the media and the Talent Made Here social network.

Get full contest information and official rules here. Deadline for entries is Friday, March 18.

The Chamber in the news

Thanks to WANE-TV for interviewing our own Michelle Merritt for its story on the new custom jeans shop opening in soon in downtown Fort Wayne:

Custom jeans shop tries Fort Wayne on for size: wane.com

Athena Scholarship nomination deadline extended to Feb. 11

Because of last week's weather which canceled school throughout Northeast Indiana, the deadline for nominations to The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce’s Athena Scholarship has been extended. Nomination forms and full criteria are available at www.fwchamber.org and are due on Friday, February 11.

The program was established in 2006 by the Fort Wayne Athena planning committee to provide scholarship assistance for high school graduates attending a two- or four-year college or vocational school in Indiana. Assistance will be given to women demonstrating outstanding leadership in their high school and community.

Eligible students must be graduates of a high school in Allen County, Indiana, seeking a two-year associate degree, a four-year bachelor degree, or a vocational school degree in Indiana. Recipients may attend half time (at least 6 credit hours) or full time.

The 2011 Fort Wayne Athena scholarship presentations will be made at the Athena Award luncheon on March 23 in The Diamond Room at Ceruti’s Summit Park. Multiple $1,000 scholarships will be presented at the event.

The Athena Award program celebrates exceptional individuals who have achieved excellence in their profession, have served the community in a meaningful way and have assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills.

The Athena Scholarship was founded with a generous contribution from Dr. Michelle Helfgott of Northeast OB/GYN. Dr. Helfgott has continued to donate and will present the scholarships to this year’s recipients.