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President’s Letter
The Power of Investment
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our Chamber’s new fiscal year began on Sept. 1. Budgets are complete, new leadership has taken the helm and we are plowing ahead into another five-star year for our members and volunteers. About half of our dues revenue comes in the first quarter of our fiscal year and dues account for about half of our total Chamber revenue. The rest of the revenue comes from special events, programming and all the other “stuff” we do. Why am I sharing this scintillating information? Because many of you recently received a dues invoice. In fact, you may be considering renewal right now. It’s a great time to talk about the power of investment. So, what have we done for you lately? SUPERIOR NETWORKING 46 Chamber Connection meetings with attendance topping 150 people 13 Business After Hours socials hosted by our members 9 Special events with cumulative attendance of over 6,000 people
120 Top Hat visits and 11 special ribbon cuttings TIMELY, AFFORDABLE TRAINING 31 Graduates of the St. Cloud Area Chamber’s Leadership Program
12 Sessions of NEXT-Chamber’s Emerging Leaders, networking and professional development for the next generation of leaders
336 Business representatives trained at 10 Lunchtime Learning programs
42 Participants in our Supervisor Development Certificate Program
58 Leaders met monthly in five Executive Dialogue Groups
REGIONAL ACCESS 12 Meetings each with the Sauk Rapids and Waite Park Chambers of Commerce averaging 80 participants per meeting 4 Business After Hours hosted by the Sauk Rapids and Waite Park Chambers
BUILDING INFLUENCE 120 People attended St. Cloud Area Evening at the Capital in St. Paul 25 Members traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with all 10 Congressional offices to discuss local business issues
180 Members attended our Legislative Connections Preview and Wrap-up events, connecting with area legislators
1 Amphitheater in Waite Park, funded with state bonding money due in-part to the great advocacy partnership between the City of Waite Park and our Chamber
VISIT GREATER ST. CLOUD! 50 Conventions, events, tournaments and group tours booked by our CVB for future years $2.3 MILLION Spent and 16,435 room nights associated with those conventions
1 Hockey Day Minnesota!, hosted in St. Cloud.
11 Monthly Government Affairs meetings to educate members on issues of importance to their businesses
StCloudAreaChamber.com ST. CLOUD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STAFF President: Teresa Bohnen, ext. 104 Vice President: Gail Ivers, ext. 109 Director of Administration: Judy Zetterlund, ext. 106 Communications & Workforce Development Coordinator: Kelti Lorence, ext. 130 Special Events Coordinator: Sheri Wegner, ext. 131 Membership Sales Specialist: Antoinette Valenzuela, ext. 134 Administrative Assistant: Kellie Libert, ext. 124 Administrative Assistant: Vicki Lenneman, ext. 122 Administrative Assistant: Shelly Imdieke, ext. 100 2017-18 BOARD MEMBERS Marilyn Birkland, Times Media David Borgert, CentraCare Health Ron Brandenberg, Quinlivan & Hughes Christy Gilleland, Gilleland Chevrolet Cadillac Jim Gruenke, Traut Companies Jason Hallonquist, AIS Planning, Board Vice Chair Patrick Hollermann, Park Industries Dennis Host, Coborn’s, Inc. Willie Jett, St. Cloud School District Kevin Johnson, K. Johnson Construction Bernie Omann, St. Cloud State University Mark Osendorf, Xcel Energy Bernie Perryman, Batteries Plus Bulbs Roger Schleper, Premier Real Estate Services, Past Board Chair Allison Waggoner, DCI, Inc. Chriss Wohlleber, Courtyard by Marriott-St.Cloud, Board Chair
Executive Director: Julie Lunning, ext. 111
Teresa Bohnen Publisher Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8
Program Hotline: 320-656-3825 information@StCloudAreaChamber.com
CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU STAFF Main Phone: 320-251-4170
That’s just a sample of the things your membership investment in the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce delivers. It’s a super power we provide every day of the year. If you’re currently a member, please renew today. If you haven’t tried membership in the Chamber recently, let’s talk!
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Main Phone: 320-251-2940 Automated Reservation Line: 320-656-3826
Director of Sports & Special Events: Dana Randt, ext. 110 Sales Manager: Nikki Fisher, ext. 112 Sales Manager: Rachel Thompson, ext. 128 Social Media & Marketing Specialist: Emily Bertram, ext. 129 Sales and Services Coordinator: Erin Statz, ext. 113 Administrative Assistant - Information Specialist: Jennifer Schroeder, ext. 170