Blount Partnership News and Events

 
IT'S MORE THAN A RIBBON CUTTING
Join us Thursday, May 4 at 4 p.m. for the Brookdale Sandy Springs - Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening.

We've been making some big changes, and we just had to celebrate in an even bigger way! You are invited to be among the first to see Brookdale Sandy Springs newly added Alzheimer's and Dementia Care services and community addition. During our event, you will be given a "passport." As you enjoy casino games, DJ, photo props, chair massages, food & drink and other entertainment through the tour of our new community, make sure you have your passport stamped for an entry into a drawing for a $1,000 gift certificate from Carnival Cruise Lines.
 
TOWNSEND SPRING FESTIVAL
Celebrate the natural beauty of the Smokies in springtime at the Townsend in the Smokies Spring Festival and Old Timers Day, May 5-6, which was created to celebrate the heritage of the Smoky Mountains, and to keep Appalachian culture alive while giving visitors a hands-on look into the area's unique traditions. Just a few of the activities taking place at the festival include bluegrass performances and jam sessions, woodcarving, Appalachian demonstrations, clogging, arts and crafts and storytelling. Complete schedule of events.
 
HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP
Join us Tuesday, May 9 from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Blount Partnership (201 S. Washington St., Maryville) for an opportunity to learn more about the Chamber and the many opportunities that go along with being a member. Learn how to make the most of the benefits afforded to you. RSVP to Amy.

Remember, your membership is a corporate membership. Please encourage co-workers to get involved, educated, network and promote your company via Blount Chamber events and opportunities.
 
JOIN THE BLOUNT COUNTY JOB FAIR
The Blount County Job Fair sponsored by Cirrus Aircraft and Pellissippi State Community College is coming to the Second Harvest Food Bank on Friday, May 19, 2017, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. If your business is interested in participating to hire new employees, email Claire for more details.
 
WOMEN IN BUSINESS
business_group_women.jpg Make plans to attend our next Women in Business meeting on Monday, May 15, noon at the Airport Hilton led by Sharon Hannum.

This is a Dutch Treat lunch from Cooper's Restaurant. You can either do soup or salad bar for $8.95 + tax, this includes drink, and dessert or the whole buffet for $12 (including tax) and includes drink, buffet and dessert. RSVP to Amy by Friday, May 12 if you plan to attend.
 
Check out our 79th installment of The Dialogue at the bottom of this email as we visit with Eric Weatherbee, CEO/Administrator at Foothills ENT Allergy and Hearing Center.
 
If you or someone you know is looking for a job, please check out www.BlountAreaJobs.com. Additionally, if you need employees, please utilize the job board to advertise your open positions. Click here to get started.
 
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: VALUED MEMBERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY WORKFORCE
Come to the Blount Partnership (201 S. Washington St., Maryville) on Wednesday, May 3, from 3-4 p.m. as Robert B. Nicholas, Ph.D. of Tennesseeworks will present on the increasing number of the nation's leading employers have recognized the value of people with disabilities in meeting their workforce needs and have established disability recruitment initiatives.
This presentation will provide information on:
Why hiring people with disabilities makes good business sense;
Examples of companies who have benefited from disability hiring initiatives;
Resources here in Tennessee that are available to assist employers with recruitment, training, and retention of jobseekers with disabilities.
RSVP to Amy.
 
USE CHAMBER DISCOUNT TO ATTEND EAST TN WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
As a Blount County Chamber member, you can attend the 2017 East Tennessee Women's Leadership Summit "Leading Beyond Limits," on Friday, June 9 at the Airport Hilton for $99. Use code BCC2017

The East Tennessee Women's Leadership Summit is an annual event, hosted by the Women's Leadership Council, a group of women volunteers who share a common interest in improving the lives of women in East Tennessee. The Summit's speakers and activities are targeted to help women in East Tennessee Live. Learn. Lead. in all aspects of their lives.

Sign up here or get the 411.
 
ANOTHER CHAMBER MEMBER DISCOUNT
Can you believe your luck? Another Chamber member discount from Express Employment Professionals. Receive $150 off an HR or Marketing service through Express Strategic Services, a division of Express Employment Professionals. Click on the flyer to learn more and schedule a free consultation.
 
PSCC SUMMER CAMPS
STEAM camps provide fun and exciting ways to introduce students to careers in science & technology on a college campus. $320 fee includes daily lunch and a t-shirt. All camp times are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Ages 10+. Register at pellissippi.campbrainregistration.com
Minecraft: Use math and technology to dive deeper into the game as you engage in modding techniques, understand what makes the game work and learn creative game design!
Videography: Mix creative artistry with technical skills for an action-packed experience as you record and edit film to create and produce your own powerful videos for a film festival finale!
Robotics: Explore the vast field of science and engineering through robotics as you conduct physics experiments and use your imagination to build a bot you'll take to a team competition!
Week 1&2: June 12-16/19-23, Blount County campus
Week 3&4: June 26-30/July 10-14, Hardin Valley campus
 
SIGN UP FOR FINAL SOFT SKILLS CLASS
Registrations are currently being accepted for the final free soft skills session set for Friday, May 19 entitled "Managing Change in the Workplace." While change can seem scary for some people, managing change well is what helps people grow in their work and stay relevant. Join us to explore effective strategies for selling and managing change at work.

All classes are conducted in the Blount County Library's learning lab located at 508 N. Cusick in Maryville and limited to 50 participants. Those interested must register online at www.blountchamber.com/community/soft-skills. A complete class description is located on the registration site. All classes run from 8-10 a.m. with networking beginning at 7:30 a.m.
 
MAY MEMBER-TO-MEMBER PROMOTIONS ARE IN
The May member-to-member promotions are in. Check out Pellissippi State's summer camps, Express Employment Professionals' HR discount and Patriot Threads' promotion to benefit Kingdom Design Ministries. See these and other promotions at member-to-member promotions. New offers are being posted almost daily, so check out the Blount County Chamber of Commerce Member-to-Member promotions online. This Member-to-Member Promotional Program offers you and your company the opportunity to market your products and services to the membership.
 
Here's how it works:
1. Submit a PDF of a service, product or discount you'd like to offer to the Chamber membership to jmuir@blountpartnership.com. Be sure to include an expiration date.
2. An email with all the promotions will be sent out on the final Monday of every month to our member database.
3. All promotions will be posted on www.BlountChamber.com
 
SNAPCHAT: A NEW, FRESH WAY TO STRENGTHEN YOUR BUSINESS' IMAGE
Facebook, Twitter, Google+...these are probably the top social media outlets to promote a business. It is expected that any business post on these sites is a promotional post. I've been noticing more companies introducing themselves to Snapchat. Read more

Learn more about marketing your small business in a digital world, ask questions about social media, and take the time to discuss future campaign ideas. What are you waiting for? It's free with your chamber membership. Schedule your FREE session today.
 
If you have any questions regarding your free digital marketing member benefit ( Save Local Now), your digital platform, or online marketing in general please reach out the Blount Chamber's Rachel Coffman.
 
REMEMBER TO SHOP LOCAL
Think local first + Buy local when you can = Being a local!
 
Buying locally grown produce and other food products is one of the easiest ways to shop small in your community.
 
Find what you're looking for in the Chamber Directory.
 
GOT AN EVENT OR NEWS? WE'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT
Is your organization hosting an event in the community? Submit it here on our community calendar. If it's a tourism event, please email Ashlee so she can post it on www.SmokyMountains.org.
 
Also, please send us any news releases or good news about your business. We'd love to share it with the community.
 
REMEMBER WHEN
""Can't Buy Me Love," composed by Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles was finishing its five-week run atop the Billboard Top 100 this week in 1964. It also ended a string a three consecutive No. 1 hits by The Beatles which spanned 14 straight weeks. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" began the string on Feb. 1 before being overtaken by "She Loves You" on March 21 which then gave way to this single.

Events

 

May 1-7

 

May 3 -- People with Disabilities: Valued Members of the 21st Century Workforce
May 4 -- Brookdale Sandy Springs - Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening
May 4 -- "Visit A Park" Day
May 4 -- Community Food Connection Annual Fundraising dinner
May 4 -- May the Fourth Be With You: Star Wars Trivia @ Blount County Public Library
May 5-6 -- Townsend Spring Heritage Festival and Old Timers Day
May 5 -- UT and UTMC to Co-Host Stop Physician Burnout
May 5 -- Hops for Hope
May 6-7 -- University of Tennessee Executive MBA for Strategic Leadership - Open House
May 6 -- Kingdom Design Ministries Annual Golf Tournament
May 6-- Tennessee Pottery Festival @ The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
May 6 -- First Annual Blount County Imagination Library Graduation
May 6 -- Little River Railroad Days
May 6-7 -- Nawger Nob Arts and Crafts Festival
May 6 -- Sassafras Does the Derby - Blount Memorial Foundation's Spring Gala

 

May 8-14

 

 

Save the Date

 


You can access the entire calendar here to see other community events and submit your own.

The Dialogue

This feature is a question-and-answer session with a new Blount County Chamber member. So here we go with our 79th installment visiting with Eric Weatherbee, CEO/Administrator at Foothills ENT Allergy and Hearing Center which has been providing excellent specialists in ear, nose, and throat for over 25 years. It's a group that is progressive-thinking while keeping the focus on how to make a difference locally.
 
Describe what an ENT does. The treatment and prevention of ear, nose, and throat related ailments. Allergy treatment and testing. Hearing aid sales and servicing.
 
How did you get started? I was raised in a household that was very medical-oriented, and found familiarity and comfort in working in a similar environment. I was afforded the opportunity in college to do an internship where I discovered the opportunities available on the operational/financial/business side.
 
What is your background? Healthcare is a tricky beast, one of the most heavily regulated industries. Many of the skills necessary come from working in healthcare. You learn as you go. Good training, from clinical coursework to business classes, goes a long way as well. There are very few colleges that cater to medical practice/healthcare administration, but I found that by applying general business topics to my interest in healthcare that I was able to prepare myself fairly well.
 
Who is your mentor? My biggest supporters have been my family. My parents and wife have been there to celebrate successes and comfort during failures. Prayerful efforts to find the right fit, coupled with their support, have been driving factors in my pursuit of an opportunity like this.
 
What impacts your business environment? The external pressures on healthcare are tremendous. Regulation, reimbursement, and cost pressures make every day a challenge to innovate and do things that make the patient experience better. We also struggle to get the word out, that a high-level of ENT care is available right in our backyard.
 
Name three things you wish you knew when you started. 1- Be humble. Recognize that God is in control and we are simply executing the masterful plan that He has created for us. 2- Never underestimate local business connections. It's vitally important for employees to be at work, and we need to be connecting with local industry to ensure their employees are receiving high-quality care and quicker return to work rates. 3- Know your audience. Being able to communicate effectively and lead a multi-generational workforce takes patience, planning, and perseverance.
 
What do you enjoy about your position? Every day presents new challenges. If you aren't willing to adapt and change, you won't be in business long. People come to us looking for help to feel better, and that's a big responsibility.
 
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