OSCC MEMBER NEWS
October 13, 2017
Conference registration closes October 18th

OSCC has gathered industry thought leaders to share their expertise and inspire Chambers to build their resource tool kits at this year's Annual Conference. Session topics include government affairs, membership, board leadership, workforce development, communications, and tourism. Will you be there to enhance your knowledge? Click here to view Conference agenda

Registration closes Wednesday, October 18th.
Be a small business champion

The Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives is proud to support Small Business Saturday®, which unites communities each year in support of all kinds of small businesses - from local bookstores to food carts to barber shops. We hope you will join us in celebrating this Nov. 25 and help make the day a success by applying to be a Neighborhood Champion.

Learn more at ShopSmall.com/ACCE
Chamber job openings

The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce is hiring for the Director of Business Advocacy position. The Eugene Chamber is a private non-profit organization representing 1300 business members. The mission of the chamber is to serve as a catalytic leader in creating a vibrant and diverse economy that drives economic opportunity and well-being. 
 
The Director of Business Advocacy leads the Chamber's public policy and leadership development efforts including staff support for the Local Governmental Affairs Council and the Board of Directors in the arena of public policy. Additionally this individual will monitor legislative activities by various units of government, lobby on behalf of the organization and help develop and manage issues campaigns. Download job description
OBI selects Mark Johnson as President & Chief Executive Officer

The Board of Directors of Oregon Business & Industry (OBI) has selected Representative Mark Johnson (R-Hood River) to serve as President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Johnson has served in the Legislature since 2011 and is known for his ability to work across party lines and his advocacy for education and workforce development. He also is chairman of the Hood River County School District Board and owns a construction business specializing in residential homebuilding.

Johnson becomes the first President & CEO of OBI since the merger of Associated Oregon Industries and Oregon Business Association on July 1. Read full press release
A message from Brighter Oregon

Oregon's PERS problems just got worse. The latest report from PERS actuaries shows that Oregon's public pension deficit has grown to $25.3 billion, leading to even larger than expected impacts on school, state agency and local government budgets for the 2019-2021 biennium.

PERS increases will be $530 million for school districts, $385 million for state agencies and $500 million for local government and other public employers for a total of $1.4 billion in 2019-2021. The extra $530M that schools must devote to PERS could otherwise pay for more than 2500 teachers or 10 days of school in each year of the biennium.  Similar increases will occur again in 2021-2023.

If there ever was a time to put aside differences and come together as Oregonians to solve this crisis it's now. Developing a plan that is fair to Oregon taxpayers and sustains the state's economic health and serves the needs of Oregonians - providing quality education, health care, human services and public safety - takes time.

Oregonians, including most lawmakers, agree that we need to address Oregon's fiscal crisis. That difficult work should start now.

For more on the latest PERS projections, see Ted Sickinger's piece in The Oregonian/Oregon Live.

OregonSaves launches registration

On or about October 15, 2017, employers with 100 or more employees in Oregon can expect to receive notice about an upcoming deadline for OregonSaves, the State or Oregon's new retirement savings program. We wanted to make sure you knew that these notices would be going out, and we are hoping you might be able to help us raise awareness about the deadline.
 
Employers with 100 or more employees in Oregon will need to either register to facilitate OregonSaves or certify that they are exempt from the program by November 15, 2017. Facilitating employers are encouraged to register early and avoid the crunch at the deadline. Registering early will allow plenty of time for extra support, if and as needed.
 
The notice from OregonSaves will include a link to http://employer.oregonsaves.com  and a unique access code employers will need to complete the registration or certification process online. For employers with an email address on file, the notice will be sent by email from clientservices@oregonsaves.com . For all others, it will be sent by regular mail in an envelope marked "OregonSaves." A sample of the notice is attached for reference.
 
OregonSaves will roll out to smaller businesses according to the timeline attached. Employers can expect to receive notice several months ahead of the deadline for their wave. If an employer doesn't receive the notice and should have, has questions about which wave they're in, or needs assistance, they can reach out to the OregonSaves Client Service team at (844) 661-1256 or clientservices@oregonsaves.com .
National survey for Chambers of Commerce

New Boston Creative Group is conducting a national research study about volunteering, community leadership, and Chamber of Commerce membership. The survey explores topics such as:
  • Why do people choose to volunteer in their local communities?
  • What inspires people to step up and lead?
  • What hurdles keep people from getting more involved?
  • Why do working professionals participate in their local Chamber of Commerce (or not)?
  • How could Chambers and other nonprofits evolve to better meet the needs of today's working professionals?
The project's goal is to recommend what Chambers can do better to recruit and inspire people to lead their organizations and communities. Data analysis will look specifically at Generation X, to see if this age group responds differently than older and younger participants.


If you are interested in participating, click here. 
OSCC requests member logos

OSCC is collecting member logos to include on the membership directory page of our website, OregonChamber.org. Please send your logo to Jessica Chambers.
In This Issue
Important Dates
  • October 25-26:
         OSCC Annual Conference
  • December 4:
    Oregon Business Plan 15th Oregon Leadership Summit
  • January 3-7, 2018: U.S. Chamber Winter Institute
     
Thank You to our Vision Sponsors
 
The following members have stepped up to provide additional funding on top of their dues to contribute to OSCC's advocacy efforts. We are greatly appreciative of this support.
 
Communications Tip

According to Nielsen, Americans spend an average of 5-6 hours/week on social media. This is an increase of 36% since 2015. Take a look at this article from ChamberMaster for some simple socia media tips.
Save the Date
  • Annual Conference - October 25-26, 2017 at Three Rivers Casino Resort, in Florence, OR - Register now