THE
PRESIDENT'S PERSPECTIVE
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Open For Questions
Maureen Scallen Failor, DCR Chamber President
Greetings, All!
It seems as if it was just yesterday that we sent out the inaugural “President’s Perspective.” I am pleased to report I have received positive comments, and there were some questions asked by members. I would like to share my response to this question from Chris B.
“I’m wondering how many months prior to your big events do you start planning for them? The caliber of them have been clever, fun, informative, and from all aspects very successful.”
Chris, thank you for your question and compliments of our signature events. We normally start planning a year out. Booking a venue is paramount as our events have size, location, and date requirements that need to be met. We then will budget for the event, outlining revenue and expenses. Six months prior to the event we focus on the theme of event/program, schedule speakers, entertainment, and décor timetables, and committee responsibilities are determined as well. From there the marketing, promotion, and social media plans are developed. Then starts the execution of all details related to the event. For instance, we film our popular sponsor video for our Business Excellence Awards & Gala about three months prior to the event as it is a labor-intensive project. Our signature events’ committees are critical to our success as we do not have a large staff, so if you are looking to get engaged this is a great short-term commitment and opportunity!”
Got questions? Send them my way and I will respond with my perspective in an upcoming issue.
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Thank You!
A special thank you to our Golf Classic sponsors, golfers, volunteers, and guests who attended the 2022 DCR Golf Classic! We had a sold-out event, and it truly was a “hole-in-one day!” even with it being the hottest Golf Classic day in years!
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There is no rest for the DCR Staff as we move on to our next signature event, the Business Excellence Awards & Gala. Please mark your calendars for this fun-filled awards event on Friday, October 28, 2022.
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Meet A Board Member
Brent Cory
President/CEO of Enjoy Eagan (the City's official destination marketing organization)
Role with the Chamber: Proudly serving as a Board Member for the past 16 years.
What is one thing you would tell a member about being in the DCR Chamber? Your membership is what you make of it. If you elect to sit on the sidelines, unfortunately you’ll miss out on so many amazing opportunities. However, by attending events and volunteering for committees and initiatives, you’ll quickly build a brand which will no doubt improve the bottom line of any business.
What is your favorite thing to do in Dakota County?
Promote Eagan of course, specifically our City’s 100+ delectable dining destinations and 20 exceptional hotels along with our awe-inspiring attractions which include the likes of the Minnesota Vikings Museum, TCO Stadium, Vikings Training Camp, Twin Cities Premium Outlets and Cascade Bay Waterpark!
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Legislative Session Takeaway
It has been over a month since the 2022 Legislative session ended without passing important, critical legislation that was important to our businesses. Negotiations over a special session of the Legislature have reached an impasse leaving billions of dollars from the State's surplus unspent. The governor and top leaders in Minnesota's divided Legislature have been meeting for weeks since the regular session ended in May, trying to finalize a deal to pump billions into tax cuts and new spending over the next three years without delivering a plan for the dollars. Senate Republicans said they don't plan to bring any more offers to the table.
However, there were a few important pieces of legislation that did get passed. Here is some of what did get done:
Unemployment insurance: The divided Legislature agreed to spend $2.7 billion to cover federal debt and replenish the fund, staving off payroll tax hikes on businesses.
Broadband: State leaders will spend $50 million over the next three years to expand high-speed internet access through a border-to-border broadband grant program. Minnesota is also using federal dollars for broadband development, with $60.7 million from the American Rescue Plan and $100 million in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act cash.
Drought relief: A drought relief package was passed that includes more than $8 million in grants to livestock and specialty crop producers, $5 million for tree planting, and $2.5 million to the Rural Finance Authority's disaster loan account.
ALS research: Legislators devoted $20 million to research grants to try to cure ALS and improve the lives of people with the disease. The state is also spending $5 million on caregivers.
Mental health: A mental health bill was passed to include the creation of a process for people who are found incompetent to stand trial, plus increased funding for mental health provider loan forgiveness and mental health programs connected to schools and youth shelters.
Southwest LRT audit: All sides agreed early in session to spend $200,000 for the Legislative Auditor's Office to review the troubled Southwest light-rail project. The agreement also requires the Metropolitan Council to provide status updates on the project twice a year to legislators.
Veterans funding: The House and Senate agreed to spend tens of millions to fund veterans homes and cemeteries, bonuses for military service, and efforts to end veteran homelessness in the state.
Now, I wish I could move on from this topic, however, this is called the “President’s Perspective” and the views and opinions expressed are those of my own and not necessarily DCR Board approved.” I have spent many years advocating for the business and hospitality industries and with each year it gets more partisan and polarized. The parties are now two extreme entities with the moderate member of almost extinct. Special sessions are no longer “special,” rather it is expected. A legislator who I had a recent conversation with said “Maureen, if we only had more time, we would have gotten the spending and tax bill done.” My response was, “You had five months to get the deals done.” I am not sure what it will take to get us back to the middle ground where compromise was a badge of honor that many our leaders in the house and the senate wore. I hope as we move to the 2022 primaries and the mid-term elections, we ask ourselves will this person who I vote for be my voice? Time will tell. Over the course of the next several months the chamber will be providing candidate forums for races that are important for our region.
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