cofa^vI=j~ó=OI=OMNQ
qbjmib=a^fiv=qbibdo^j L=N
qÉãéäÉquKçêÖ
j^v√OMNQ EVENTS CALENDAR BUSINESS LUNCH qìÉëÇ~óI=j~ó=S NOWMM=éã péçåëçêÉÇ ÄóW
BUSINESS NETWORKING BREAKFAST tÉÇåÉëÇ~óI=j~ó=T SWQR=~ã péçåëçêÉÇ=ÄóW=
BUSINESS AFTER HOURS qÜìêëÇ~óI=j~ó=OV RWMM=éã péçåëçêÉÇ= ÄóW
STATE OF FORT HOOD LUNCHEON táíÜ=_êáÖK=dÉåÉê~ä=`ä~êâ=iÉj~ëíÉêë qìÉëÇ~óI=j~ó=OM NNWPM=~ã eáäíçå=d~êÇÉå=fåå jÉãÄÉêëW=APM kçåJjÉãÄÉêëW=AQM
A Spotlight On the Military Affairs Council & the Volunteers Behind it By: Susan Howe, Friends of the Temple Public Library The Temple Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Council is charged with a twofold mission: to build relationships with the armed forces and to promote Temple as the Central Texas location to live, work, play and pray. 2013 Military Appreciation Luncheon Under the leadership of Gary Young, chair, First Texas State Bank, the 26-member council works with the leadership at Fort Hood and the Texas Army National Guard by attending and hosting various luncheons, ceremonies and events, coordinating and supporting the Adopt-AUnit program, supporting the JROTC at Temple High School, and honoring soldiers with the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), 1st Medical Brigade, and 36th Sustainment Brigade. One of the council’s most active volunteers is Eric Swan. Eric brings a unique perspective to the council since his wife, Stacy, is an active duty nurse at Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, and he is a civilian working as director of sales at Hilton Garden Inn in Temple. “The Army brought us to Fort Hood and Central Texas, and I saw serving on the Military Affairs Council as an opportunity to let Temple know what military families are looking for as they prepare to make their home in Central Texas as well as to help the local community welcome the soldiers and show support to the military families,” he said. Since arriving in Temple three years ago, Eric has been committed to learning about Temple and the Central Texas area and has volunteered on several Chamber committees including the Public Policy Council and as a member of the 2013-2014
Your Events: Making Downtown Temple Come Alive
Leadership Temple Class. Two highlights of working with the Military Affairs Council are participating in the weekly general’s newcomer briefings for all new soldiers coming to Fort Hood and participating in golf outings for military commanders and community leaders. “The newcomer briefings provide an opportunity for the new soldiers at Fort Hood to learn about the base and the surrounding communities,” Eric said. “It is a great opportunity to roll
out the red carpet and show the soldiers that Temple is a community committed to supporting them from the very start.” “The golf outings provide an opportunity for Temple leaders to get to know the military leaders in an informal setting and an opportunity to build relationships,” he noted. “It sets a good foundation working for together on future projects.” He also has recently become more involved in working with the local National Guard Unit, the 36th Sustainment Brigade, which is made up of local citizens who serve their country on a part- Always willing to lend a hand, Eric stepped in to emcee Business After Hours time basis. at Johnson Brothers Ford Lincoln. Eric’s participating in Leadership Temple has given him a greater appreciation of the “inner workings” of the community. The monthly class meetings examine all facets of the community including city and county government, education, social services, and many other aspects of the community. “I have a much greater appreciation of what goes on in the community,” he said. “I was particularly impressed with the fire department and what they do.” This summer, Eric and Stacy, along with daughter Kate and “one on the way,” will be returning to their home state of Wisconsin, but he plans to continue his work as a community volunteer and military work with local National Guard.
Chamber Members Recognized at Industry Appreciation Event
By: Katie Smith, Temple Chamber of Commerce
LEADERSHIP
TEMPLE
GRADUATION qìÉëÇ~óI=j~ó=OM SWPM=éã eáäíçå=d~êÇÉå=fåå AOR
grk√OMNQ BUSINESS LUNCH qìÉëÇ~óI=gìåÉ=P NOWMM=éã== péçåëçêÉÇ=ÄóW
When you know company’s coming, you clean the kitchen. We’ve seen that practice make the news in Brazil, as they paved new roads and built impressive stadiums in preparation for the millions of visitors arriving for the FIFA World Cup and Summer Olympics. As events bring in potential customers, aesthetics improve, which is a concept that still applies for Downtown Temple. In a Chamber survey of Temple residents, one of the questions was what would make them want to visit and relax in downtown. Along with coffee shops, more dining and boutiques, it’s not surprising that “entertainment venues” ranked the highest. As more events come to downtown, along with the potential redevelopment of the Hawn Hotel, then we can also expect to notice a popular factor in choosing a city to live…cleanliness. According to the same survey, that factor was mentioned the most along with “curb appeal, charm & safety.” The Temple Chamber of Commerce has taken the lead by creating community attractions like the Christmas Parade and more recently, the Bloomin’ Temple Festival. (cont. on pg. 2)
Two members of the Temple Chamber of Commerce were among the recipients of the 2014 Annual Industry Awards presented by the Temple Economic Development Corporation (Temple EDC). Charter Real Estate and TMS Hydraulics were honored at a luncheon held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Temple. Lee Peterson, president of the Temple EDC, emceed the event that more than 80 business and community leaders from the Temple area attended. “The innovative leaders and hard-working employees of Temple businesses are what helps make our local economy strong and stable,” Peterson said. “Because of them, we have jobs, amenities, entertainment, and a great quality of life in Temple. We applaud these businesses for all of their successes and for their significant contributions to our community.” The keynote speaker was Brian Kelsey, principal and founder of Austin-based Civic Analytics, an economic research and consulting firm focused primarily on economic development and public planning projects. (cont. on pg. 6)