Help Us Pick the Business Woman of the Year

Posted on | February 2, 2012 | No Comments

We’re looking for the best of the best, the business woman who has not only succeeded, but made a success of those around her. Do you know a good fit?

The Business Woman of the Year Award was established to recognize an outstanding business woman who has positively affected the Tempe community and the Tempe Chamber of Commerce.

Nominees should demonstrate:

• Achieved excellence in their chosen field

• Demonstrated leadership in the community

• Serve as a positive role model

• Be active in programs in the community and the Tempe Chamber

If you know a woman who meets those criteria, we’d love to know about her! Please nominate her by simply emailing her name, business, and contact phone or email to sachiyo@tempechamber.org and sean@tempechamber.org. We will handle the rest.  

The award will be presented at the May 23 Women in Business Conference and Trade Show held at the Buttes in Tempe.

Recent recipients are:

2011 Vicki Kringen, The Centers for Habilitation (TCH)
2010 Margaret Hunnicutt, Tempe Schools Credit Union
2009 Lorraine Bergman, Caliente Construction
2008 Angela Creedon, APS
2007 Kim Webb, Edward Jones
2006 Julie Jakubek, Allstate Insurance

METRO Light Rail Offers Easy Connection to Sky Harbor

Posted on | February 1, 2012 | No Comments

By Heather Lissner, City of Phoenix – Aviation Department

With a slight dinging of the bell and the wind blowing as the sleek green and gray train cars zoom by, the METRO light rail is a common sight and a vital part of the Tempe community. The METRO light rail not only connects Tempe with the Valley, but it also can connect Tempe with the world.

Did you know that taking the METRO light rail from Tempe to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is an easy and affordable way to get to your destination? Travelers from across the country and globe have taken the METRO light rail to their destinations in downtown Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa and vice versa. It is as simple as taking the train to the plane.

Travelers boarding in Tempe can ride the train to the 44^th Street and Washington stop. From there, they cross the street and hop on a free black and silver PHX Airport Shuttle that takes them to all of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s terminals. The shuttle schedule is consistent with the METRO light rail schedule, making it extremely easy to connect to the airport. And, the buses have space for luggage so it’s also easy to travel with your bags. Read more

Discover Cuba with the Tempe Chamber!

Posted on | January 23, 2012 | No Comments

Cuban beaches are among the world’s best.

This nine-day trip starts on August 23, 2012 and will take you from Miami to Havana, Cuba. Upon arrival at Jose Marti International Airport, we’ll meet our Cuban host, an experienced bilingual guide who will give us an orientation of Cuba’s capital city.

Some of the many sights you’ll see in Havana include the Cathedral de la Havana; the Museo Fine Arts; the beautiful Museo de la Revolucion that displays documents and artifacts telling the country’s history; La Marketa de Havana in Old Havana, a collective association of small craft workers where you will meet local merchants and artists; and much more.

During this trip, you will also enjoy Pinar Del Rio Vinales, Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Suagr Mill Valley, Playa Giron/Bay of Pigs Museum, Hemingway’s Farm and so much more.

Price includes roundtrip airfare from Phoenix; Cuban travel visa; eight nights of first class hotel accommodations; 19 meals; and more.

For complete details click here

To register, contact Mary Ann Miller at (480) 967-7891 or maryann@tempechamber.org.

Charting Your Course – Your Compass to Personal and Professional Growth

Posted on | January 6, 2012 | 1 Comment

The Tempe Chamber and its Women in Business Council is pleased to present a powerful  speaker series that will guide participants on becoming leaders through positive transformation at work and at home.

Featuring four expert speakers on consecutive Fridays in late January and early February, the Charting Your Course – Your Compass to Personal and Professional Growth series aims to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to evolve into a  more valuable employee and a stronger, self-sufficient individual.

Complete course details for each session are below. The cost per session is $20 for members and $30 for the general public. Members can purchase a pass for the entire course for $60. Completing the entire course earns attendees personalized Charting Your Course certification.

See all the speakers here or read more below.

Read more

Healthy Holiday Eating – Six Degrees Of Separation

Posted on | December 23, 2011 | No Comments

by Wes Watts, FIT Medical Weight Loss

Six degrees of separation from your weight loss program can start you on the road to failure and not get you closer to Kevin Bacon. 

We all know if you can stick to a diet it will work. What makes weight loss and dieting even tougher is when you do not see the results of your hard work translate to weight loss. Consider this, many times frustration with your weight loss progress is self-inflicted due to modifications we may unknowingly make to our eating plan. Altering diet & weight loss programs is a slippery slope that we usually slide down gradually, little by little until we become very dissatisfied and start thinking the diet does not work. When it may be our adjustments to a well put together plan that has caused our weight loss to stop. Read more

2012 Business Excellence Awards Finalists Announced

Posted on | December 15, 2011 | No Comments

The Tempe Chamber is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2012 Business Excellence Awards. These awards promote the advancement of responsible business leadership in the community and publicly recognize local businesses demonstrating a passion for excellence.

Through the awards, the Tempe Chamber identifies companies whose practices in business growth, employee development, community involvement and customer service exemplify excellence. This year’s seven finalists admirably embody those characteristics and are being recognized for that distinction.

The recipients of the 2011 Business Excellence Awards will be announced and honored at the Breakfast for Chamber Champions on Feb. 21 at the Fiesta Resort Conference Center. Please call (480) 967-7891 or visit www.tempechamber.org for details or to register.

WHO ARE THE 2012 FINALISTS? Read more below… Read more

Put the Brakes on Overregulation

Posted on | December 13, 2011 | No Comments

The Enterpriship Manifesto – Seven Guiding Principles For Building Enterprises and Societies

Posted on | December 7, 2011 | No Comments

by Nigel A.L. Brooks, Management Consultant and Motivational Speaker

Enterpriship is the process of building enterprises with sustainable advantage. Enterpriship is both an art and a science. Art is an occupation that requires both knowledge and skills; science is method for systematizing knowledge. Through both knowledge and skills, enterpriship provides a systematized approach to building sustainable enterprises within a framework of three related disciplines: entrepreneurship, leadership, and management.

Sustainable means being able to continue over time, either by developing, enhancing, or maintaining the current state, or by changing it. Advantage means favorable, superior, and beneficial.

Entrepreneurship is a competency for starting, developing, and assuming risk for an enterprise. Leadership is a competency for aspiring, inspiring, and motivating others. Management is a competency for directing and controlling events and activities – management as a “team” has the authority and responsibility for the enterprise.

The entrepreneurial role is about transforming innovating ideas into value. The leadership role is about setting direction that others will follow through influence to get results. The managerial role is about applying resources to activities to achieve results.

The word “enterprise” means “undertake for a prize or cause.” One could argue that a society is a metaenterprise, representing the social relationships of all people in a community, and their wants, needs, and causes. Therefore, the enterpriship disciplines are also applicable to building societies. Read more

Tax Credit Programs Offer Chance to Support Good Causes

Posted on | December 6, 2011 | No Comments

  by Mary Ann Miller, President/CEO, Tempe Chamber of Commerce

 As we near the end of the year, let’s be grateful for family and friends and what we have.  And let’s look for ways to help those not as fortunate as ourselves.

If you pay Arizona income tax and itemize your deductions, you may be able to take advantage of these Arizona tax credit programs.  It’s a dollar-for-dollar credit against your tax bill, so you can donate now and get your money back next year! 

Help the families of Arizona service members currently deployed, or who have been injured or killed while fighting the Global War on Terror by donating to the Military Family Relief Fund.  A $200 per person tax credit is available until the fund has collected $1 million, So let’s see if we can get 5,000 folks to donate at http://dvs.az.gov/benefits/relief_fund.aspx.

Think it’s important for kids to be able to choose between football, theater and band?  Donate up to $200 to a public school for extracurricular activities.  Pick the school in your neighborhood or one near your favorite vacation spot; they’ll be grateful.

You can donate up to $500 to a school tuition organization for tuition to a private school.  I designate my donation to my alma mater, which is now an inner city school.

And donate up $200 to charities that help the working poor.  Think food banks, shelters, community action programs.  Contact your favorite charity –they’ll let you know if they qualify.

Of course, there are some rules to follow so you should always check with your tax professional.  But it’s well worth your time to check it out.

We hope you have a lovely holiday, and wish you the best for the new year.



Higher Education and Workforce Development – Are We Creating Competitive Workers?

Posted on | November 28, 2011 | No Comments

By Prova Ahmed, Tempe Chamber of Commerce

When students attend an educational institution to prepare them to enter the job market, they naturally look to that institution to provide them with an adequate enough education so they will be fit to compete with others in acquiring a position. The challenge to the institutions is to develop a standard of education that will sufficiently prepare their students to become a competitive, valuable, and hirable future workforce.

Should they look to businesses in order to develop this standard? Should businesses even be concerned with how institutions develop that standard of education?

Each year the Tempe Chamber of Commerce presents the State of the Schools Address to answer those questions and provide an opportunity for the business community to meet with a panel of educators to learn the condition of our educational institutions and determine how businesses can assist them in achieving their goals. The specific focus for this year’s event will be on higher education and the development of the future workforce.

The event will feature the president of Rio Salado College Chris Bustamante, Vice President of Public Affairs at Arizona State University Virgil Renzulli, and the Phoenix Area Ground Campus Director at the University of Phoenix David Fitzgerald. They will discuss how they are preparing their students to become a more competitive future workforce. The event will also be moderated by Sybil Francis, the Executive Director of the Center of the Future of Arizona. 

Developing an adequate standard of education for their students and strategizing about how to prepare them to become competitive and valuable as a future workforce for businesses are important steps for educational institutions to take in order to create successful programs.

Dr. Bustamante, President of Rio Salado College, said, “Since 1978, Rio has been dedicated to eliminating barriers to education for non-traditional students – pioneering and continually innovating to provide flexible, affordable, high-quality educational offerings. Rio maintains over 50 employer partnerships where students receive education and training that is job related.  Read more

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• The Feb. Business Advocate newsletter is online at http://t.co/uvxJzoY6 with our calendar, legislative update, member spotlights, more 2012/02/02
• We're seeking names for the Business Woman of the Year. If you know a good candidate we'd love to know about her! http://t.co/AsyXPTXI 2012/02/02
• In Business Magazine celebrates the state centennial. Check out the Tempe Chamber content on pages 45 - 52. http://t.co/sR2oNrMB 2012/02/01

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