March_Newsletter_2014

March 2014 - Vol. 45, Issue 3 IN THIS ISSUE...

B.E.E.R. Luncheon Wednesday, March 26th, from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Join us for our B.E.E.R. Luncheon this month as we will hear from Ann Barcroft, world's preeminent polar explorer! We are partnering with the Bloomington, Edina and Richfield Chambers of Commerce for this event so there will be great networking opportunities!

Leadership P2- Article By Pat MulQueeny P3 - Article By Jeff Holds P4 - Ambassador Updates P5- Member News

Ann Bancroft, world's preeminent polar explorers and an internationally recognized leader who is dedicated to inspiring women and girls around the world to unleash the power of their dreams.

Through her various roles as an explorer, educator, sought-after speaker and philanthropist, Ann believes that by sharing stories related to her dreams of outdoor adventure, she can help inspire a global audience to pursue their individual dreams.

Community Building P6- EP School district

Networking P7- Event Highlights

Location: Edina Country Club, 5100 Wooddale Ave, Edina, MN 55424 Cost: $30 for Members & $50 for Non-Members Thank you to our Sponsors:

March Women’s Networking Luncheon Networking with a Purpose & Speed Networking epchamber2 Follow us on Twitter!

Look for us on Facebook “Eden Prairie Chamber”

Thursday, March 13, from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Join us for this months Women's Networking Luncheon where we will hear from two experienced networkers, Jennifer Allen with Stella & Dot and Tracy Schwalbe with Brunswick Zone. They will teach us everything we need to know about networking with a purpose. We will then put all the helpful tricks to use with a round of Speed Networking! Don't forget to bring a stack of business cards!

Look for us on LinkedIn “Eden Prairie Chamber”

Location: Bent Creek Golf Club, 14490 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie Cost: $25 for Members & $40 for Non-Members

Visit our YouTube Channel “EPChamber2”

Thank you to our sponsors:

Visit our Discussions Blog epchamber2.blogspot.com

THANK YOU to our 2014 Annual Sponsors!

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor’s

Silver Sponsor’s

Bronze Sponsor

Generall Sponsor S

Leadership Chamber Supports Repealing B2B Taxes By: Pat MulQueeny, President Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce

The Eden Prairie Chamber supports the repeal of the three sales taxes on business-to-business services that were enacted in 2013. These include the labor service charges for maintenance of business equipment, purchasing of telecommunications equipment by telecommunications providers and the storage and warehousing services of business related goods.

Additional items the Chamber supports include: •Education and Workforce: strengthen experiential learning to better prepare students for the workforce and better align technical education with industry needs •Transportation – focusing on efficiency from the Department of Transportation and greater return on current funding •Minimum Wage – don’t make Minnesota an outlier among its competing states and look to raise the rate to federal conformity of $7.25 At the Chamber’s Public Policy breakfast, we heard from Senator David Hann (Senate Minority Leader) and state Representative Jenifer Loon and Representative Yvonne Selcer. All three gave an overview of their expectations for the upcoming session. All three committed to repealing the Business-to-Business taxes.

ber President ne Selcer, Cham State Rep. Yvon nifer Loon Jen p. and State Re Pat MulQueeny

Holly Link,EP School Board speaks with State Representatives Loon and Selcer

Large group in

attendance!

Senator David Hann

Additional topics covered included: •Federal Tax Conformity •Education – more connecting businesses with education •Healthcare – discussion on MNSURE, costs and where does it go from here To contact our State Representatives, please do so at: •Senator David Hann District 48 – 651-296-1749 •Representative Jenifer Loon District 48B – 651-296-7449 •Representative Yvonne Selcer District 48A – 651-296-3964 •Senator Melisa Franzen District 49 – 651-296-6238 •Representative Paul Rosenthal District 49B – 651-296-7803 Additional Opportunities The Chamber is working on connecting businesses with education and we are currently looking for businesses that offer job shadows and internships, or would like to offer these opportunities and need help getting them started. If you would like more information on these opportunities, please contact Pat MulQueeny at 952-944-2830 or e-mail at pat.mulqueeny@epchamber.org.

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“Connections” (USPS 729770) is published 12 times per calendar year by the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, 11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 Periodicals postage paid at Prior Lake, MN - POSTMASTER: Send address changes to “Connections,” 11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Leadership Spring Projects Anyone?

By: Jeff Holds Phoenix Technology Solutions, LLC We are excited about the upcoming HOME AND GARDEN SHOW on Saturday March 15th!

If you are new to the chamber and have not taken the time to visit the Home and Garden show... here is your chance. The success of this show in the past has made it a very desirable event for chamber members and local residents looking for home improvement ideas. No stressful driving downtown, just a simple little jaunt to Grace Church.

With 105 Exhibitors sharing their knowledge and products, you are sure to find something interesting to learn about. There will also be 12 Free Seminars to help educate those of us still learning the ins and outs of home ownership. Does it ever stop?

Some seminars to check out: •Intro to Solar •Perfect patios •Green Remodeling •What to know when purchasing siding and windows •Kitchen Remodeling •Emerald Ash Borer A list of the times and seminars can be found on the Eden Prairie Chamber website www.epchamber.org or look for inserts in the Sun Newspaper.

Fun for the Kids! If you have some little ones that you are not sure what to do with, bring them along. There will be crafts and potting for the kids to enjoy, not to mention, a Tae Kwon Do exhibition at 12:00 from Master Moon’s Tae Kwon Do in Eden Prairie. Look for the raffle drawings throughout the day to make things a little more interesting and exciting. You never know what you could win.

If you get hungry, even after touring the booths and gorging on the candy to attract your interest, you can still have a healthy meal at Grace Church’s café. The Devin Grind will be open for snacks and beverages throughout the day and can help offset all the free treats.

Finally, a special thank you to the chamber staff for all their hard work in making this event such a great attraction each year. Also, we want to thank the Eden Prairie High School Seniors that will be volunteering their time to help with Kids, surveys, and making this event run smooth. I hope to see many of you at the HOME AND GARDEN SHOW on Saturday March 15th.

SPAIN IN NOVEMBER 2014!

Have you always told yourself you were going to travel the world?

Now’s your chance to start that journey! The Chamber is hosting an international trip to Spain and The Costa Del Sol in November 2014. Call (952) 944-2830 or email Pat at pat.mulqueeny@epchamber.org for more information or go to epchamber.org.

The information meeting will be held on March 25th at 5PM at STAR BANK in Eden Prairie. Call (952) 944-2830 to RSVP!

11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

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Leadership Ambassador Updates The Eden Prairie Chamber Ambassadors serve as goodwill representatives in our business community. They learn about member businesses and encourage membership retention through mentorships, personal phone calls and much aces that our very busy Ambassadors visited during February of 2014! more. Below are some of the places Anytime Fitness Amanda Musil 952-562-8702 14711 Martin Drive Eden Prairie, MN, 55344 www.anytimefitness.com

Anytime Fitness

Clearent Clearent Ross Erickson 612-965-4176 www.clearent.com

i9 Sports i9 Sports Brian Pato 952-777-2290 www.i9sports.com

Maid Right of

Minneapolis

Maid Right of Minneapolis Sue Johnson 952-479-0909 1011 First Street South #450 Hopkins, MN, 55343 www.maidrightminneapolis.com

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11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

Leadership

David A. Hurley | IAR ÜÜÜ.Ì iÃv>. iÌ 7900 International Drive, Ste 300 Bloomington, MN 55425

952.876.4011 2fŵce 612.414.4171 Cell 952.876.4012 Fax ` ÕÀ iÞJÌ iÃv>. iÌ

Thank you to our Ambassador Lunch Sponsor for February!

ClearPath Finacial Partners - Independant Puƫng the Client First Financial Advising for Individuals, Company's and Non Profits See me for your free plan review and Advanced soluƟons for BeƩer plan Performance.

Ambassador of the Month: Rick Jensen Law Offices of Richard Jensen

Do you need flooring or carpet this spring or summer?

Please call Beau Siegel, 952-474-5605 for a complimentary measure at your home.

701 Highway 7, Excelsior MN • 952.474.5605 ExcelsiorCarpetOne.com 11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

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Community Building Update from the Eden Prairie School District

By Eden Prairie Schools A look out the window does not look like spring, but the calendar tells us that we are moving quickly through the school year. Spring is always a busy time in Eden Prairie Schools. Here are a few things happening in your school district: Update on budget reduction process – The district held two community input sessions in early February to seek input from parents, staff and community members on the district’s budget gap of about $4 million for the 2014-2015 school year. The input will be used by Superintendent Tryggestad to develop budget recommendations, which will be presented to the school board in late March or early April. In addition, the superintendent has identified the following as initial recommendations to address the budget gap: • Reductions in district administrative positions – $300,000 • Budget reductions and efficiencies from administrative and support budgets – $400,000 • Use of unassigned fund balance – $2 million After the administrative reductions and the use of fund balance, there is $1.3 million remaining in the budget gap.

15 EPHS Students are National Merit Finalists – Fifteen EPHS seniors are finalists for the National Merit Scholarships, to be announced in March. They are: Alina Ahmad, Susane Cho, Joseph Hassler, Chris Hu, Peter Humbert, Hannah Jeter, Ella Johnson, Kevin Khieu, Sienna Ramos, Varun Sagi, Erik Savereide, Maxson Smith, Raghav Vadhul, Liangbo (James) Wang, and Boxiao (Michelle) Zhang. Some 8,000 Merit Scholarship winners are expected to be chosen from the more than 15,000 finalists nation-wide. The Merit Scholarship awards are based on scores from the PSAT test taken by students in their junior year.

Eighth Grade Student Receives Prudential Spirit of Community Awards Honor – CMS eighth grader Mason Stoltz has been named a state honoree by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. In addition to being named a state honoree, Stoltz will also receive $1,000, an engraved silver medallion and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. where he will be considered for one of 10 national awards. Among other volunteer projects, Stoltz has been a member of the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital Youth Advisory Council for the past three years and has worked on a number of projects including designing a teen room for patients, launching a hand-washing campaign and making an orientation video for new patients. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards recognize youth in the United States that are currently volunteering their time, as well as inspiring others to do the same. Students were nominated at a local level and then reviewed by an independent judging panel based on personal initiative, effort, impact and personal growth.

Sue Feigal-Hitch Receives Friend of the Gifted Award – The Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented State Board has awarded Sue Feigal-Hitch the Friend of the Gifted Award for her many years of dedication to gifted student programs. Feigal-Hitch is currently the district coordinator of gifted services at Eden Prairie Schools and has been with the school’s gifted program for 34 years. She has also been instrumental in the implementation of Mosaic, a full-day classroom program for gifted elementary students, as well as leading professional development in the district, working as a curriculum developer, teacher trainer and a differentiation specialist. The Friend of the Gifted Award honorees are nominated and chosen by the state board and are based on three criteria: long-term support of the gifted, broad-ranging impact and Minnesota residency.

Annual Partnership Breakfast is Friday, April 25 – Save the date! Community and business leaders along with EPS students and staff are invited to attend Community Education’s Annual Partnership Breakfast. The event provides an opportunity for the community to come together to learn and share ideas about issues that impact the whole community. Speaking at the event will be Nick Buettner, researcher for the book, “The Blue Zones”. The event is April 25 from 7 to 9 a.m. More information is available at www.edenpr.org/epcommunityed.

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11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

Networking April General Membership Luncheon - President Buffalo Wild Wings Thursday, April 17th from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Join us on Thursday, April 17th for our General Membership Luncheon featuring Judy Shoulak, EVP, President, North America Buffalo Wild Wings. Judy will be highlighting Buffalo Wild Wings success and growth.

We will be awarding the Charles DeBono: Volunteer of the Year Award, STEM scholarship, Business Student Scholarship and Excellence in Education awards at this luncheon.

Location: Bearpath Golf & Country Club,18100 Bearpath Trail, Eden Prairie, MN Cost: $25 for Members & $40 for Non-members

Fusion: Dress for Success

General Membership Luncheon Health Insurance Update

2014 ValenƟne Vixens President Pat MulQueeny and Fairview Health Services, Mary C. Edwards Rebecca Garsys showing off Tom James attire!

Sharon Peterson, Randy Royse, Cathy Haukedahl and Rick Jensen

Raulla Mitchell and Pei Ling Jamison

We had 15 great exhibitors!

11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

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MARCH 2014 - EPC Calendar of Events Monday 3

Tuesday 4

Wednesday 5

Thursday

Friday

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7

7:30- 8:30 AM, Business@ Breakfast at The Colony 8:30AM - Business Development Meeting

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17

11

12

13

14

7:30-9AM :Government Committee Meeting

7:30- 8:30 AM, Guest DayBusiness@Breakfast at Buca Di Beppo

7:30AM - Board Meeting

9AM-3PM- Saturday, March 15th: Home, Landscape and Garden Expo

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20

21

27

28

18

11AM - 1PM - Speed Networking @ Bent Creek

7:30- 8:30 AM, Business@ Breakfast at The Colony 5PM- Australia Info Meeting @ STAR BANK

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25

26 7:30- 8:30 AM, Business@ Breakfast at The Colony

5PM- Spain Info Meeting @ STAR BANK

11:30-1:00PM - B.E.E.R Luncheon @ Edina Country Club

4:30-6PM- After Hours Expo @ Bent Creek Golf Club

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PLEASE RSVP FOR ALL EVENTS BY 12 PM THE DAY PRIOR! Visit epchamber.org to view details, pricing or to RSVP today!