Business Outlook Newsletter March 2018 by Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce

BUSINESS OUTLOOK M

MARCH 2018 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Funding the Future Work Force PAGE 3

CONGRATULATIONS GOLDEN APPLE NOMINEES PAGE 5

VOLUNTEER FOR DRESS TO IMPRESS MARCH 15 …more awards, announcements and opportunities inside! N E W S L E T T E R

P R E S E N T E D

B Y :

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2017-2018 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Clive Veri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chairman of the Board Brandon Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chairman Elect of the Board Karen Plott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Past Chairman of the Board Jerrod Hogan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer Louise Secker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice Chairman Membership/ Community Development Services Brent Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Co-Vice Chairman Membership/ Community Development Services Lori Scott Dreiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice Chairman Economic/Workforce Development Services Betsy Kissel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Co-Vice Chairman Economic/ Workforce Development Services

DIRECTORS

EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS

Gina Atteberry Michael Beatty Todd Chenault Jeremy Drinkwitz Donovan Edwards

David Glenn Jacqueline Hackett Holly Hukill Dr. Alan Marble Kelli Perigo

Sam Anselm John Bartosh Mike Gray Dr. Brad Hodson Ryan Melton

5 LEVEL SPONSORS

PARTNERSHIP

S T A R

Dr. Jennifer Methvin Dr. Melinda Moss Sergio Rizo Marilyn Ruestman Michael Seibert

CHAMBER STAFF EXECUTIVE Rob Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brian, CEcD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chief Executive Officer/President Tonya Sprenkle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chief Financial Officer/Vice President Mark Turnbull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chief Operating Officer Lisa Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Assistant

PLATINUM LEVEL City of Joplin Crossland Construction Company Downstream Casino Resort Empire - Liberty Utilities Central KOAM-TV/FOX 14 - KFJX Stronghold Data LLC

CHAIRMAN LEVEL Commerce Bank EaglePicher Technologies, LLC Freeman Health System General Mills H.E. Williams, Inc. Joplin Floor Designs Joplin Globe Publishing Company Joplin Supply Company KODE-TV/KSNF-TV Lamar Outdoor Advertising Lancaster Signs Mercy Hospital Joplin Missouri Southern State University Results Radio, AMI Radio Group SNC Squared Southwest Missouri Bank US Bank, N.A.

PRESIDENT LEVEL

FINANCE Samantha Doubledee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finance Manager

MEMBER SERVICES Ginger LaMar, IOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Member Services & Development Stephanie McGrew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Member Events Producer Jim Kesler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Membership Sales Strategist

ECONOMIC & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Arvest Bank BKD, LLP Community Bank & Trust (CBT) Lakeland Office Systems, Inc. Roper Honda Show Me The Ozarks Magazine Weed Whackers, Inc.

Kevin Welch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Business Attraction & Retention Brian Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Workforce Manager Loni Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of Small Business Incubation

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT Lea Schroer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrative Assistant Jan Newman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Program Support Assistant

FIND US AT:

Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce 320 E. 4th Street, Joplin, MO 64801 (P) 417.624.4150 (F) 417.624.4303

www.joplincc.com /joplinchamber /joplinchamber

DIRECTOR LEVEL CABLEONE Business Choice Marketing Connell Insurance, Inc. Joplin ProPrint Motive Matters Storm Cloud Marketing

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Funding the Future Workforce Members, and most employers, ask about the workforce today. No doubt, the economy has been strong enough for a long enough period of time that we have a very tight labor market. We are not alone. Nationally, the demand for good employees continues to outrun the availability of people to fill the jobs. That is why we launched, with Crowder College as a partner, the Advanced Training and Technology Center to help improve the skills of our existing workforce to help ROB O’BRIAN meet short-term needs. But the future of employers, our community and our state requires an PRESIDENT increasingly educated population, and in that area we are moving in the wrong direction. After cuts of some $79-million in the budget for higher education (universities and colleges) during the current fiscal year, the recent proposal by Governor Greitens cut another $68-million. Fortunately, at this point, the Legislature has no appetite for further cuts in higher education. Your Chamber, along with many in the state, is encouraging the Legislature to hold the line on the higher education budget. Ultimately, however, we need more funding in that arena if we are going to have people with the skills to hold the higher-paying jobs we would all like to see in this area. Along with diminishing state funding, a bill was also passed several years ago that limited higher education tuition increases to the cost of living each year. In essence, as efforts are made to encourage more people to get higher levels of education, there is no additional revenue from the state for those students, and the universities and colleges have limits on raising additional revenue through tuition. Our own Missouri Southern State University is particularly hard hit in that regard because it has long had one of, if not the, lowest tuition rates in the state. With passage of the cost-of-living increase bill, MSSU gets its tuition increases on a smaller base than many of the other universities in the state. Consider the following: MSSU currently receives a state appropriation of $4,598 per student, the second lowest (by about $200) appropriation per full-time equivalent student. By comparison, Truman State, with roughly the same number of students, receives nearly twice the appropriations of MSSU. Half of MSSU’s state appropriations pay for just four expense items: retirement, health insurance, utilities, and software maintenance. The University has no control over any of these expenses. For example, Missouri universities are required to pay 20.21% of all employee salaries each year to the state retirement system. This rate has increased significantly in recent years with no corresponding increase in state appropriations. Missouri Southern’s enrollment has grown nearly 12% in the last five years. Consequently, MSSU is educating a record number of students and paying ever-growing retirement, health insurance, and utility costs with state funding that is now at pre-2001 state levels. In response to previous budget cuts, Missouri Southern has eliminated academic programs and intercollegiate sports, and cut a significant number of staff positions. On the other hand, MSSU remains a great bargain for AFFORDABILITY in higher education. Overall, over the last six years, MSSU has increased tuition less than 2% per year on average. Currently, MSSU has the lowest tuition and fees in the state. And while there is national debate on the levels of student debt, half of MSSU students have no debt. Those students who do borrow have an average debt load of $19,500, well below the national average. Current funding matters aside, the larger question looms about how our state, and more specifically our own residents, including our children and grandchildren, will compete in a technology-driven economy when the state is already struggling to fund higher education. If the number one priority is to position our area and our state to grow and attract the jobs of the future, we need a welleducated and trained workforce. If we want our children and grandchildren to have those jobs of the future, that are really happening now, then they need the best educational opportunities possible. The status quo is not an option.

MARCH 2018

BUSINESS OUTLOOK

BUSINESS OUTLOOK MARCH 2018

YPN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE In 1938, scientists at Harvard began tracking the health of 268 Harvard sophomores. They hoped the longitudinal study would reveal clues to leading healthy and happy lives. This study is known as the Harvard Study of Adult Development and is one of the world’s longest studies of adult life. Amazingly, 19 of the original Harvard cohort of the study are still alive and are all in their mid-90s. Among the original recruits were President John F. Kennedy and longtime Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee (women weren’t in the original study because Harvard was all male at the time). Over the years, the study evolved and the scientists expanded their research to include the men’s offspring, who now number 1,300 and are in their 50s and 60s. The new goal was to find out how early-life experiences affect health and aging over time. Some participants went on to become successful businessmen, doctors, and lawyers, and others ended up as schizophrenics or alcoholics, but not on inevitable tracks. At this point you are probably asking, “What point are you trying to make?” To which I would reply, “That’s a great question!” The findings of this study reveal something that is very important to young professionals and the role YPN can play in your life. The findings that I find most fascinating are that your relationships matter. Robert Waldinger, the study director, said, “The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health.” Waldinger, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, added the following, “Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too. That, I think, is the revelation.” The mission of the YPN is to Connect, Develop and Empower Young Professionals. At this stage of our lives we are being pulled in so many different directions; growing our careers, tending to young families, going to school activities, church, civic activities, etc... All of these things keep our life interesting. However, if you read the Harvard study in the same way I did, I think you will see that being active, engaged and connected to the YPN will have immediate and long-term value in your life. In the end, relationships matter, and for me some of the best relationships I have started in YPN. As my time in YPN will come to an end after I age out of this great organization (a very long time from now...), those relationships will carry on for a lifetime and for that I am grateful. Plus, I would rather spend time getting to know you than going to the gym (no offense to you Crossfit people). —Ryan S. Melton, YPN Chair 2017-2018

Ryan Melton • Chairman Shawn Daniel • Co-Chairman Brent Baker • Past Chairman Courtney Barnard Drew Kimble Jennifer Little Emily Marion Stephanie Onstot Megan Tyler Whitney Warren Sergio Rizo Hayley Sirmon

YPN NEW MEMBERS Amanda Burrow Keller Williams

Eden Teer

Keller Williams

Nicolas James

Flanagan Mortgage Services

Ben Kerr

Arvest Bank

Hailey Arehart