Chamber Members-

Returning from a week’s vacation has given me some additional perspective and increased energy; a week in the south will do that. The challenging circumstances we have all been faced with have been more than a forced trip with Mom, and most of us have done the best we could under COVID-19 restrictions.  I am excited about our upcoming celebration on April 22^nd at Clovernook Country Club where we will recognize our new members in a special way; this will serve as our Third Thursday networking event on the fourth Thursday of the month.

I am also looking forward to the fantastic Spring/Summer events that the Colerain Chamber has planned, including our expanded Hometown Hero fundraising & networking event on June 17^th at Willow Event Center. We are pleased to announce one of our honorees will be local attorney Rob Bilott with the local firm of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister. Rob’s book about uncovering large scale environmental contamination and subsequent litigation against DuPont was made into a blockbuster movie starring Mark Ruffalo called Dark Waters in 2019. You can read more about Rob & the event in the section below. For those that participated in the event last September, be sure to tell others and support the event with your sponsorship and attendance.

With much anticipation, Patti and I finally have our COVID-19 vaccine shots schedule in April as well. I will not go kicking and screaming like a little kid but will do so knowing that it means we are one step closer to the “new normal” we all anticipate. Finally, please join me in welcoming our new members listed below, celebrating successes across the community, supporting one another through our TEAMS small group approach and connecting in a deeper, more meaningful way with one another both in both our business lives and with our respective families. If you have not connected with your TEAMS ambassador, please take the time to do so.

The Colerain Chamber of Commerce membership is quite diverse bringing together local businesses, non-profit organizations, schools, and governmental bodies. Now with over 200 organizations, we continue to grow because each of your increased efforts to share your experiences. The following video was created at last year’s Hometown Hero event. Enjoy ! - NEW CHAMBER VIDEO – Please share this with your team and others interested in looking for involvement in the community.

Tuesday April 13th, 12:00 noon – Women's Networking Luncheon – Hosted by Clovernook Country Club - This popular group meets for lunch on the second Tuesday of each month!

Come join us - We're sharing our experiences and talking about topics that affect working women. 

Our lunch conversations each month may include topics like personal branding, work/life balance, letting go of perfectionism, making your words count, and asking for what you want. Please RSVP to the Colerain Chamber by Monday April 12th so we know you're joining our lunch-in. 

Wednesday, April 14^th – 9:00am - Sales Summit – While currently meeting through ZOOM conference calling, this professional development and networking group will be returning to in-person meetings soon. Designed for business owners that serve in a sales capacity and anyone considering themselves a true sales professional, various timely topics around sales help support one another in a meaningful way. Non-members are invited to plug-in and see how this group can help further their business initiatives.

Wednesday April 21st, 4:30 – Colerain Chamber Golf League (weekly on Wednesday) - The Colerain Chamber of Commerce Golf League kicks off its second year with social golf in a competitive 9 hole format; both men and women are encouraged to play. The league will continue for 18 weeks at the scenic Pebble Creek Golf Course (front 9 one week, back 9 the next) with tee times beginning around 4:30pm each Wednesday. There are only a couple of spots left available for weekly regular players, however, additional players will be able to sign up as weekly "alternate" positions that will be assigned based on available week to week. Every skill level is welcome, this is social completion with play intended to meet each playing level. If you would like one of the open spots, please contact Dave Moravec at 513-923-5036 or president@colerainchamber.org with any questions.

Details:

Thursday April 22th, 5:00-7:30 – Third Thursday Networking - NEW MEMBER RECEPTION - All Colerain Chamber members and guests are invited to get together for informal networking and socializing every Third Thursday of the month, however in April we will be meeting on the FOURTH Thursday, April 22nd. We will also be recognizing new members at this reception and welcoming them with open arms. You are encouraged to drop by from 5:00pm - 7:30pm for appetizers and a free drink ticket. An additional cash bar will be available and a drawing will be held. This event is being sponsored by The Alternative Board (TAB) of Cincinnati and new member Quinn Wang ( TAB - Central Cincinnati ) . For more information and registration for the event, please use the link above or check the formal chamber calendar of events. 

Wednesday April 28^th, 8:00am-9:30am –Personality Assessments - Live Networking & Educational Event – Sponsored by the Emerging Leaders of Colerain and led by Jim Diebold, Susan Bennett and Tatja Cumic, this event will be held in person at the Willow Event Center (7881 Colerain Avenue). Using the DiSC model, we will be discussing workplace challenges and ways to mitigate conflicts by learning more about the people around you. There is no cost for this program and continental breakfast will be provided with registration. This promises to be an incredible session and an opportunity to get out from behind the computer to meet in person.

Friday April 30^th, 10:30am - Networking Event - PIVOT - People interacting virtually over technology - This Zoom conference call/web meeting continues to grow by giving chamber members the opportunity to network on a 1-to-1 basis with other participants from across the area. Be sure to bring not just your elevator pitch to share, but an openness to share more about yourself in an effort to get to know others in the chamber in a more meaningful way.

SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, June 17^th , 5:00pm – 9:00pm – Hometown Hero Fundraising Event – Be sure to save the date for this year’s Hometown Hero Event which will again be held at the fabulous Willow Event Center. Festive food trucks, local food favorites, craft beer & wine along with a return of the popular bourbon tasting VIP experience will help make this an incredibly special evening that you won’t want to miss. Additional information about tickets and sponsorship opportunities will be available in the next couple of weeks, but in the meantime, we hope that you can both save the date and tell others about this terrific event.

One of our honorees this year will be Rob Bilott, author of the book "Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont" which inspired the 2019 blockbuster movie, "Dark Waters” starring Mark Ruffalo. Rob was named by The New York Times Magazine as “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare”. Rob currently sits on the board of directors of Green Umbrella here in Cincinnati and continues his efforts to serve on behalf of our environment. We will also be celebrating other local heroes from the community as we have done in years past. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to Dave Moravec at president@colerainchamber.org or 513-923-5036. 

Join Vineyard Church this Saturday, April 10th at 10am as they head into the Colerain community to serve and show love in practical ways. They will meet at the church at 10am and then divide into teams with specific, creative, and fun missions. They will be serving in a variety of ways including water bottle giveaways and random cleaning of local business’ restrooms. Afterwards they will convene back at the church for pizza and stories about the time out serving. Contact Wilson Cochrane at wilson@vcnw.org . We hope to see you Saturday!

An initiative is underway in partnership with Colerain Township and many other organizations to help our community environmentally. This green movement is being spearheaded by several area companies & chamber members, governmental bodies as well as organizations like Green Umbrella and Hamilton County Waste & Recycling. If you would like more information or would like to get involved, please contact Dave Moravec, Geoff Milz gmilz@colerain.org or Dean Ferrier from Rumpke at dean.ferrier@rumpke.com .

Businesses across the Colerain community have been challenged this past 12 months as they have with the Y2K phenomenon and the 2007 recession. That said, daily businesses hurdles exist on a day-to-day basis, and sometimes you just need a professional to talk you through the options or provide some guidance.

As you may have already seen or heard, our small group initiative has recently kicked off. Each key person within our membership and some that are new or kicking the tires (so to speak) will be contacted by a small group ambassador with the intention of building on and expanding relationships within the community. Using our Support-Connect-Celebrate foundational Core Focus, each team will have a different personality, meeting cadence, and participation experience based on the leadership of that group and its participants. If you have not been contacted by the end of March or are interested in more information, please contact the chamber office where Debi or Dave can help you plug in. Again, a special thanks to the 20+ leaders who have stepped up as volunteers to make this an integral part of our chamber community.

Each Colerain Chamber member is eligible for a wide variety of member benefits which include affordable health, dental & vision insurance, savings on their energy bills, and reduced workers compensation premiums. Two of the many benefits are:

Chamber Members enjoy discount pricing, time-saving convenience and administrative efficiencies with 401(K) retirement plans available through Long Schaefer Financial Advisors. Chamber members can get free quotes on a variety of options with verified membership. Contact Michael Long or Tom Goodwin at 513.245.0300 or Login for more information

Strategic HR, Inc. has partnered with SOCA (Southern Ohio Chamber Alliance) and the Colerain chamber to bring short-term and long-term HR support to your organization at a fair price. They can provide the extra hands and the experience needed to accomplish your goals. They save clients time by tackling their HR challenges, allowing them to focus on what they do best. If you are already a member you can Login for more information or contact Melissa Dern, HR Service Solutions Lead at

513-697-9855 or chambersales@strategichrinc.com.

As always, we want to promote your business in any way that we can. If you have news that you would like to share with our membership, please send it along for us to post on Facebook or in our newsletter.

 Opportuniti

As always, we want to promote your business in any way that we can. If you have a milestone event or grand opening planned, we would love to help you promote your business across the community. If you have news that you would like to share with our membership, please send it along for us to post on Facebook or in our newsletter.

As you may have seen, several new branding initiatives are in place with our various small groups. If you are interested in joining or hearing more about any of these groups please contact Dave Moravec, president@colerainchamber.org. A special thanks goes out to our student intern, Ana Lu Gehner for her efforts to come up with logos that represent our community and incorporating the colors/logo already branded with the Colerain Chamber of Commerce.