 |
IIPAC Endorses Gov. Kim Reynolds in Gubernatorial Race
Gov. Kim Reynolds received the Friend of Iowa Business Endorsement from ABI's political action committee, IIPAC, today. Several ABI and IIPAC Board members were on hand for the announcement at the ABI offices, where Reynolds was praised for her support of policies that make Iowa a better place to do business. Among other comments, Gov. Reynolds remarked, "I'm honored to have this endorsement, and let's keep Iowa moving forward." Read the news release.
|
Gov. Reynolds has worked to make Iowa a better place for the employers and employees who reside in Iowa, and we are pleased to endorse her as a Friend of Iowa Business.
Employee Voter Registration Week is September 24-28
Iowans have many opportunities to register to vote in advance of the November election. At ABI, we believe employee education about voting is important enough that we partner with BIPAC to support Employee Voter Registration Week (EVRW). This is the fifth year of EVRW, and ABI has many resources for you to share with other businesses, as well as messages to share with your employees. The purpose of EVRW is to get more employees registered to vote and engaged in the political process. If you would like more information about EVRW, including sample messages and graphics, or to become a partner,
click here
. For more information about general election and Get Out the Vote communications, please contact
Nicole Crain
.
Members of Work-Based Learning Advisory Board Unveiled
ABI President Mike Ralston and several ABI members--along with non-profit organization employees, educators, elected officials and students--were selected by Gov. Reynolds to serve on a
clearinghouse advisory board
. The governor announced this new board on Monday, and the virtual clearinghouse was created under
Executive Order No. 1
. Its purpose is to expand work-based learning opportunities for K-12 students. Keep reading.
IWD Rules Noticed
The Iowa Department of Workforce Development has proposed new rules touching on unemployment benefits, including voluntary quits for supplemental employment, vacation pay, shared work plans and overpayments, and a rule implementing the new workers' compensation online system (WECS). The rules are open for comment until mid-September, and ABI is gathering feedback. Members of the ABI Workplace and Product Safety and Employment and Workforce Committees have received information regarding the noticed rules. Contact Jessica Hyland for more information.
DNR Survey on Hazardous Household Materials
The Department of Natural Resources is seeking feedback regarding Iowans' attitudes, knowledge and behavior concerning recycling and disposal of hazardous household materials via a survey. Its staff projects it will take approximately 10 minutes to complete, and responses will remain confidential. If you are interested in taking the survey, click on the
link
. If you have questions related to the study, contact Christy Ryken at 319-273-7314 or at
[email protected].
Federal Spotlight: U.S. Reaches Tentative Trade Deal with Mexico
President Trump declared on Monday the United States and Mexico have come to a preliminary agreement on a trade pact. The announcement comes following talks that have taken place for more than a year in regards to renegotiating NAFTA. The deal would initially be for 16 years, with an option to re-examine issues in six years, and then extend the accord for another 16 years. Canada is not included in this arrangement, but the development between the U.S. and Mexico has paved the way for Canada to rejoin the discussions on Wednesday. Keep reading.
|
|
Executive Open Highlights
|
|
Iowa's Premier Executive Golf Event Was Held Monday
Conditions were sunny and windy with a 100% chance of networking on Monday as 118 golfers enjoyed the Executive Open at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club. And even more members attended the post-golf reception. Thanks to a terrific turnout and engaged sponsors, the Executive Open continues to be one of ABI's most popular events.
View photos from the event.
|
|
Elevate Ambassador Program
|
|
Share Ideas on How to Better Ambassador Program
Elevate Advanced Manufacturing is working hard to build the quality of its ambassador program, and its staff wants to hear from you. It's
partnering with all 15 Iowa community colleges to host five regional meetings for ambassadors to share their ideas on how to better the program locally and statewide.
By attending one of the five meetings, you'll learn new ways to use the ambassador program, discuss ways to promote manufacturing in Iowa, tour the community college's advanced manufacturing programs and network with manufacturing leaders. Click here to see the regional meeting dates/locations and to RSVP.
|
Teaching Companies How to Execute for Results
As a business owner or senior executive, have you ever thought about or questioned the way that you are leading your team(s)? Have you ever asked yourself, "How can I know that my people are being managed consistently each day?"
Lately, we've become obsessed with metrics, balanced scorecards and other data to drive our decision making. There is nothing wrong with data, but often it means different things to different people and can vary in interpretation at every level of your organization. Growing to $100 million in sales or reducing inventory by two percentage points are solid achievements and worthy initiatives to pursue, but they don't necessarily ignite a fire inside of all the team members that will be charged with accomplishing them. So, what do you do to change that?
Keep reading.
|
Maximize Your Training Dollars by Joining the Business Partners Training Consortium
|
Kirkwood Corporate Training is collaborating with eastern Iowa businesses to identify common training needs and to leverage funding for enhanced educational opportunities, greater access to high-profile trainers and relevant training topics at a reduced cost. To join the consortium, invest in a bundle of eight seats for the year-long 2018-19 training sessions. Your seats can be filled with different staff members based on the content of each training session. Training sessions begin September 11 in Cedar Rapids. For more information or to register, contact a Kirkwood Corporate Training sales manager at 319-398-5888 or visit
www.kirkwood.edu/corporatetraining.
Andrea Olson Publishes Second Book, "The Customer Mission"
Upending some of our most fundamental beliefs, customer-centricity expert Andrea Olson, CEO of Pragmadik, helps businesses radically rethink how to understand and serve customers in her new book. She provides insights to help you revamp your definition of customer, customer engagement, customer relationship management and your organization to make sure you focus directly on the needs of your customers and increase profits for the long term.
Buy the book
on Amazon.com.
BrownWinick Attorneys Named to 2019 Best Lawyers® List
Twenty-seven lawyers at BrownWinick in Des Moines have been included in the 2019 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Since it was first published in 1983,
Best Lawyers
has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.
See the list of BrownWinick attorneys
. F
ive BrownWinick attorneys have been named as Best Lawyer of the Year 2019 in Des Moines:
Marc T. Beltrame (government relations),
Michael R. Blaser (mergers and acquisition law),
Catherine C. Cownie (health care law),
Michael A. Dee (litigation -- intellectual property) and
Camille L. Urban (trademark law).
UNI's Metal Casting Center Receives $1.5 Million Grant from IEDA
Last week, the Iowa Economic Development Authority board approved a $1.5 million Strategic Infrastructure Program grant to the University of Northern Iowa's Metal Casting Center. The Metal Casting Center
works closely with the manufacturing sector in promoting and providing advanced technology support, and the funding will be used to further equipment capabilities. Read the news release.
"The Journey to Your Vision" Seminar for Top Decision Makers to Be Held in Treynor
Every business faces peaks and valleys as it progresses through stages of growth. Do you know what stage your business is in and how you can reach the next level? Attend this valuable one-day seminar, October 9 in Treynor, presented by Iowa Farm Bureau's Renew Rural Iowa.
Learn more and register
.
Voice of Iowa Business Newsletter Mailing List Update
In an effort to have the most current member contact information, we will be sending the newsletter out to a new list beginning next Thursday. If you do not receive the Voice of Iowa Business in your inbox next Thursday, please contact David Hildahl at ABI.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
