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| A Great Leap Forward in Advancing the Region
At last Friday's Chamber breakfast, a crowd of 200 regional activists shared in the unveiling of a new "Regional Indicators Dashboard" which benchmarks our region against 11 of our peers. This new measure goes far beyond the Business Vitality Index (BVI) this Chamber launched 6 years ago.
This new dashboard has the support and participation from major organizations across the 13 counties. All have agreed that this is the data we will use to measure the success of this region. Like the BVI, the new tool will help us understand our shortcomings (trust me, we have them) and then collectively we will determine and implement the strategies to address them. This video explains it well: https://youtu.be/1HVBl9ooa24
We will need everyone's help to insure our region is competitive in tomorrow's landscape. Take a look at the dashboard and you will see our strengths and weaknesses.
Now that these have been identified, a new group of volunteers will spend some time determining which categories to focus on first and what SPECIFIC strategies we will employ to move the needle. I assure you, some of these will provide opportunities for you and your company to engage.
Over the next several months, I will continue to report on the progress of this work. Our two remaining Critical Issues Forums will delve into particular business related segments of this new platform. It will come as no surprise to any of you that, of the twelve regions, we come in dead last for highway infrastructure. In addition, we rank in the bottom third for net migration of 25-34 year olds. We know that these two are connected and essential to a growing economy. So we will continue our fight for transportation and transit funding at the capitol.
The Chamber is proud to have played a role in this new, comprehensive approach and want to thank our many partners including GreaterMSP which will continue to lead the initiative. What Are They Thinking?
Members, we need your help here. For many years, communities across the country have subscribed to an idea called "Broken Windows." The premise is that if a community accepts low level crimes, they invite higher level criminal activity. Conversely, preventing these smaller infractions gives a community a sense of pride and reduces more serious problems. This works hand in hand with community policing.
Well, some members of our City Council want to repeal some of these smaller crimes including the City's lurking and spitting laws. Their reasoning is that people of color are more likely to be arrested for these offenses.
To me, the answer is not to make our City less inviting (careful before you sit on that bus/LRT bench), but to study the arrests to see if they were warranted. Minneapolis City Council President, Barb Johnson, has done this in her ward which has more than its share of crimes of all types. She notes that over the past year in the small number of lurking arrests that were made "the police had probable cause to make the arrest in every case."
The Chamber stands with Council President Johnson on this issue. We are about to embark on a $50 million reconstruction of Nicollet Mall (1/2 of the money provided by business). I, for one, do not want to see this effort to make Minnesota's main street more inviting thwarted because people are allowed to lurk in the trees and spit on the lovely new surfaces. Please let your City Council member and Mayor Hodges know that repeal is a step backwards for the cleanliness and safety of our City. Use this link to find your contacts.
Todd Klingel
President & CEO
Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce
| P.S. Our Twins are playing great baseball! The Chamber has very few of our fantastic season tickets left for seven games in August, September and October. Contact Linda Sue Anderson at 612.370.9152 or [email protected] for purchasing information. |
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WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS
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Databank, Ltd.
DataBank, Ltd. has been awarded The Uptime Institute's Tier III Certification for their design documents of the company's data center currently under construction in Eagan, MN. This certification offers companies the assurance that DataBank's data center will offer the highest-spec multi-tenant data center environment available in the region.
2015 Finance & Commerce Progress Minnesota
The Progress Minnesota awards are given to those individuals and companies which made an economic impact across the state of Minnesota in unique and innovative ways. Chamber members receiving recognition: In the individual category, M.A. "Mort" Mortenson, Jr. (M.A. Mortenson Company) and Louis J. King III (Summit Academy OIC) will receive lifetime achievement awards. Companies being recognized: Andersen Windows, Cambria Co., DataBank, Marco, Inc., and Be The Match (National Marrow Donor Program).
Hennepin County Medical Center
After completing a comprehensive on-site survey, Baby-Friendly USA Inc. designated Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) as a Baby-Friendly Hospital. Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. is the national authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.
The Westin Edina Galleria
Westin Hotels & Resorts' world-wide leadership team named The Westin Edina Galleria as its top property in North America for Guest Experience Index Loyalty Performance. This is the fourth time in the past five years that The Westin Edina Galleria has received this top honor from the international luxury hotel and resort chain, which includes an elite list of more than 200 luxury properties on six continents world-wide. The Westin Edina Galleria, which opened in 2008, received the 2014 recognition due to its outstanding customer service and guest satisfaction performance. |
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RECENT RIBBON CUTTINGS & GRAND OPENINGS
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 DataBank, Ltd.
3255 Neil Armstrong Boulevard
Eagan, MN 55121 www.databank.com DataBank celebrated their second data center in the region with the opening of a new facility in Eagan. |
 Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
555 Nicollet Mall, Suite 251 (RBC Plaza)
Minneapolis, MN 55402 www.affinityplus.org Branch Manager Linda Wozniak gets some help from CEO Dave Larson as they celebrate the newly opened and relocated branch of Affinity Plus Credit Union on Nicollet Mall downtown Minneapolis. |
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UPCOMING RIBBON CUTTINGS & GRAND OPENINGS
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Anaplan
Tuesday, June 9, 2015 | 5 p.m. Ribbon Cutting
(7 to 9 p.m. Grand Opening) 212 3rd Ave. N., Ste. 310
Minneapolis, MN 55401 www.anaplan.com Please RSVP at Anaplan if you plan to attend. |
Elan Uptown Apartments
Thursday, June 11, 2015 | 5 to 8 p.m. 2837 Emerson Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN 55408 www.elanuptown.com Please RSVP by June 4 to [email protected] if you plan to attend. |
Hampton Inn & Suites Minneapolis Downtown
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 | 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. 19 North 8th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55403 www.minneapolisdowntownsuites.hamptoninn.com Please RSVP by June 18 to Hampton Inn if you plan to attend. |
VILLA
Friday, June 26, 2015 | 8:30 a.m. Mall of America
60 East Broadway-(244 North Garden)
Bloomington, MN 55425 www.ruvilla.com Please RSVP to Brent at [email protected] if you plan to attend. |
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Chamber Town Talk: Investing in a Stronger Workforce
 Thursday, June 11, 2015 | 8 to 9:30 a.m.
Member: $20 | Non-Member: $25
Jax Cafe - Cosmopolitan Room
1928 University Ave. N.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55418 | View Map
The Northside Achievement Zone is a nationally-recognized collective impact model that is turning the dial in North Minneapolis. Continued progress requires investment, coordination, and intention. Our speakers will talk about how this innovative model is supporting the educational achievement of children in North Minneapolis, the current return on investment, and why businesses should pay attention.
Speakers:
Art Rolnick
Senior Fellow & Co-Director of the
Human Capital Research Collaborative
Humphrey School of Public Affairs
Kate Mortenson
Education Advocate
Mortenson Family Foundation
RT Rybak
Executive Director
Generation Next
Sondra Samuels
President & Chief Executive Officer
Northside Achievement Zone
Thank you to our series sponsors: Comcast, Eastside Food Cooperative. Wells Fargo and Jax Cafe
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Only a few spots are left for our 42nd Annual Golf Classic.
Register now to reserve your place on the course!
Whether you're an avid golfer or a novice one, you won't want to miss this great opportunity for power networking to help drive your business goals. Don't forget your VIP Package!
Skip the lines on the morning of the event by pre-ordering your VIP Package now! Head straight to the driving range or putting green with your VIP Package in hand, which includes 1 Mulligan, 2 drink tickets, and 3 Fly Away Chances for two domestic, continental airline tickets plus a $250 Visa gift card.
Click here or call Anna at 612.370.9123 to register and order your VIP Package.
Monday, June 15, 2015
Minnesota Valley Country Club
6300 Auto Club Road | Bloomington, MN 55438
For a "hole" lot more information about our Golf Classic click here!
Thank you to our presenting sponsors: US Bank and Mall of America |
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A FREE treat for Chamber members.
Want to start saving on business supplies with your chamber membership?
Don't let this offer go to waste- please pass it on to the person responsible for purchasing office supplies within your company.
Enjoy a free canister of Twizzlers? Strawberry Licorice with your qualifying delivery order of $125 or more!
Use coupon code 39199023 when checking out. Click here for details.
Returning Customer | New Customer
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Got the Urge to Network?
ConnectForLunch Dramatically Updated
Our ConnectForLunch program has just been dramatically updated. Instead of the current version, which offered only one day each week, the new version will now be available three days every week: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 52 weeks a year.
And there's more improvements. Lots more:
- You'll have more choices: Now you can choose which restaurant you'd like to go to, instead of being assigned to a particular restaurant by the software. French cuisine? Italian? Vegetarian? A restaurant that's close by? The choice is yours.
- And more choices: You can choose to meet new contacts, renew contacts with businesspeople you've met before, or both. Just pick the group you'd like to join... or start your own group.
- And more flexibility: Instead of the current twice-a-month subscription which restricted you to only two lunches a month, you'll be able to buy packets of five, ten or twenty lunches which can be used at any time. Any unused lunches are fully refundable within six months after purchase.
- And even more flexibility: Have an opening in your schedule? No more waiting until next week to go to lunch: you can go to lunch as early as the next day.
Click here to see upcoming lunches.
Enhanced Listing Opportunity
Click here for details.
Did you know that over 31,000 people visit the Chamber's website every month? And that for as a little as $150 you can show off your company to thousands of potential clients? The Chamber now offers Enhanced Listings in our Online Membership Directory. Your company is immediately bumped to the top of your category in search results and includes a YouTube video, a photo gallery, 1,600 character description, 20 additional keywords and much more!
You can check out the Minneapolis Regional Chamber's Enhanced Listing by clicking here and compare it with your listing in our online directory.
Contact Lisa Myhre at (612) 370-9137 or Rhonda Bernard at (612) 370-9121 today!
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Meet the Chamber! Bloomington
 Tuesday, June 9
7:45 to 9 a.m. / Bloomington Chamber of Commerce |
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Chamber Town Talk: Investing in a Stronger Workforce
Thursday, June 11
8 to 9:30 a.m. / Jax Cafe Thank you to our series sponsors: Comcast, Eastside Food Cooperative. Wells Fargo and Jax Cafe |
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Public Policy Forum: Session's End. Transit's Future?
Friday, June 12
7:30 to 9 a.m. / Wells Fargo Center Thank you to our presenting sponsor: Wells Fargo |
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Meet the Chamber! Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Post Office
Wednesday, June 17
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. / Minneapolis Post Office Thank you to our series sponsor: Panera Bread |
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Happy Hour Networking at CRAVE Mall of America
Thursday, June 18
4:30 to 6:30 p.m. / CRAVE Mall of America |
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DRIVE Roundtable: Craft Distilleries: Minnesota in a Bottle
Friday, June 19
7:30 to 9 a.m. / the Local Thank you to our series sponsors: Foley & Mansfield, PLLP, Wells Fargo, Cara Irish Pubs and Xcel Energy |
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