Phone: 309.444.9921 Email: info@washingtoncoc.com Website: washingtoncoc.com

4th Ever Trivia Night p.1

Sponsor a Trivia Night Round p.2

Be Gold & Silver Sponsors at WDB p.3

Business After Hours p.4

Ribbon Cuttings p.4

Member Memos p.5

New Members & Renewals p.6

Nomination Form Info p.6

2018 Board of Directors p.7

A Welcome & A Goodbye p.7

Good Teamwork p.8

New Laws in Illinois p.9

See pages 2 & 3 for

remaining Sponsorship

Opportunities

for both events.

Deadline for Round Sponsorships is January 12th.

Deadline for Gold & Silver Sponsorships is January 17th.

• •

Our New Partner Plaques are NOW Available! If you have not yet received your new

plaque and window decal, please contact us at the Chamber office - 444-9921 or

info@washingtoncoc.com—to get your name added to our delivery list!

Happy New Year July 10: Countryside Banquet

Feb 13: Heartland Festival

Orchestra

Aug 14: AVAILABLE

Mar 13: Blue Margarita’s Mexican

Bar & Grill

Sept 11: AVAILABLE

Apr 10: Castaway’s Consignment Oct 9: PNC Bank

May 8: McMahon’s Pints & Plates Nov 13: MTCO & WCOC’s

Holiday BAH

June 12: The Villas of Holly Brook WCOC Business After Hours are held on

the 2nd Tuesday each month

If your business is interested

in hosting or co-hosting a

BAH, please contact the

chamber office at

309.444.9921 or

info@washingtoncoc.com

to let us know.

On December 12, 2017, a ribbon cutting was held

at Blue Margaritas Mexican Bar & Grill, to welcome

this business as a new member of the Washington

Chamber of Commerce. The Washington Blue

Margaritas, located at 661 N. Cummings Lane, is

the third location for this central Illinois restaurant

that offers authentic Mexican fare served by co-

owners Ricardo and Mauricio Martinez, Diana

Martinez, and Esteban Pascual. They will take

reservations, casual attire is fine, it’s kid-friendly,

takeout service is available and there is a full bar.

They also cater events such as weddings and

graduations. Their signature is The Blue Margarita –

16 ounces of Azul Tequila, Blue Agave, Grand

Gala, Blue Curacao, and a house-made Blue Margarita mix. Manager Pedro was joined by Freddy

and Francisco for the ribbon cutting, that was also attended by the following representatives of the

Washington Chamber of Commerce: Chevie Kriete, Washington Chamber of Commerce; Matt

Suellentrop, Washington Park District; Scott Hassett, Morningside of Washington; Trevor Hiel, Ipava

State Bank; Kari Johnson, South Side Bank; Jessica Hilst, Heartland Bank and Trust Company; Ginger

Nye, CEFCU; Wendy Wagner, Washington Chamber of Commerce; Barb Fleming, Tupperware; Blake

Mishler, Black, Black & Brown; and Emily Geerts, PNC Bank. For more info about Blue Margaritas

Mexican Bar & Grill go to www.bluemargaritas.com or by calling 309-922-7757.

President Eric Obalil • Alexander Financial Services

Vice President

Brian Tibbs • Washington Park District

Treasurer

Jacob Retz • Washington State Bank

Secretary

Brad Mahony • Washington Community Bank

Past President Yvonne Andresen • The Blend

Kristi Cape • Countryside Banquet Facility

Jim Culotta • City of Washington

Emily Geerts • PNC Bank

Dennis Hermann • Alexander Murray Agency

Kara Kamienski • Kara Kamienski Photography

Craig Myers • South Side Bank

Melissa Wireman • CEFCU

President

Scott Hassett • Morningside of Washington

Secretary

Kari Johnson • South Side Bank

Karen Donaldson • Washington Community Bank

Keith Fayant • Corey North State Farm

Barb Fleming • Tupperware

Ed Foster • Foster’s Pro Lawn & Snow Removal

Tina Glidewell • MTCO Communications

Trevor Hiel • IPAVA State Bank

DeeDee Jackson • Washington Community Bank

Blake Mishler • Black, Black & Brown

Ginger Nye • CEFCU

Matt Suellentrop • Washington Park District

Executive Director Chevie Ruder • chevie@washingtoncoc.com

Communication Manager Candy Liggin • candy@washingtoncoc.com

Membership Manager Wendy Wagner • wendy@washingtoncoc.com

info@washingtoncoc.com

www.washingtoncoc.com

Heartland Festival Orchestra. New Year’s

Greeting That’s Amore. Sat. January 6.

7:30p.m. at Five Points Washington. A musical

salute to Italy, with timeless hits of legends

Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, and opera

favorites by the greats: Puccini and Rossini.

Now, that’s a fun evening—that’s amore!

Vocal soloists: Sarah Jane McMahon & Sal

Viviano. $38 adults; $10 students & kids. For

tickets, call 309.444.8222 or 309.339.3943, buy

them at Kidder Music in Peoria, or go to

www.heartlandfestivalorchstra.org.

CardConnect. Washington based Ignite Pay-

ments benefits from a brand change to Card-

Connect and brings huge value to local busi-

nesses. This transformation not only brings a

change in name but provides the Agent

channel of First Data the most innovative tool-

set in the merchant processing industry. For

more information, contact Brad Franzen at

309.481.9081 or brad@cardnetco.com.

Starting a Business in Illinois Workshops. Regis-

tration is required. These free informal work-

shops are offered by Bradley University’s Small

Business Development Center. Each workshop

is held from 3 pm - 5 pm. Tues, January 9 at

PeoriaNext Innovation Center. 801 W. Main

Street, Peoria. Tues. January 23 at Fondulac

Bank, 201 Clock Tower Drive, East Peoria.

Please call 309-677-2992 to register for a work-

shop.

McMahon’s Pints & Plates . is now serving

Eysals Coffee and East Peoria Popcorn. Gift

baskets are available for Ordering. Call them

Today! 309.745.9050

Goodwill Industries of Central Illinois. Re-

ceived a $2,000 grant from Ameren Illinois to

be used for Goodwill’s GoodJobs program,

which provides young adults, ages 16-19, with

employment resources and job skills training.

Allstate/Jami Renfrow. Is accepting donations

all winter long at their 1293 Peoria Street office

for S.O.S. Peoria. Help the homeless by donat-

ing: coats, gloves, winter hats, scarves, socks,

blankets, hand warmers, warm clothes for all

sizes, pregnancy clothes and anything baby!

Member Memos is the place where a short

announcement can be made to convey

information about your business. Information

needs to be submitted by the 20th of the month

preceding publication. Chamber members are

encouraged to submit notices of accomplish-

ments, upcoming events, or data that would be

of interest to the membership.

It is our goal to always provide the most current

and accurate information; however, we are

limited to the information that is provided to us.

Details are subject to change between the time

information is received & the time of publication.

6 Heartland Festival Orchestra “That’s

Amore”. Five Points Washington

8 Book Chatters. Washington Library

9 Starting a Business in Illinois. Peoria

NEXT, Peoria

9 Knit Night. Washington Library

16 Business Strategy Session. Connect

Center

17 Movie Night. Washington Library

18 Storm Preparedness & Energy Savings.

Washington Library

20 WCOC’s 4th Ever Trivia Night. Country-

side Banquet

23 Starting a Business in Illinois. Fondulac

Bank. East Peoria

23 Writing Workshop. Washington Library

26 Genealogy Meet-up. Washington

Library

DO YOU HAVE AN EVENT THAT YOU’D

LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOUR FELLOW

MEMBERS? Send your information to

info@washingtoncoc.com and we’ll

add it to this new feature in the

monthly newsletter, and in the weekly

emails. Want to know more about this

benefit? Call the Chamber office at

309-444-9921.

If you are a new chamber member

(having joined within the last 6

months) and have not arranged to

have your official welcome

scheduled…

please contact the Chamber office

to set a date!

444-9921

Blue Margaritas Mexican Bar &

Grill ** Ricardo Martinez, owner

661 N. Cummings Lane

Washington, IL 61571

309.922.7757 www.bluemargaritas.com

Restaurant. Dine-in. Catering. Events. Blue

Margaritas

Misty’s Family Restaurant * Misty Kaufman, owner

1869 Washington Road

Washington, IL 61571

309.481.5300

Family restaurant. Homemade food.

Homemade specials. Homemade soups.

Nomination Forms for Washington Day Banquet Awards are now available:

Request your nomination forms by:

P: 309.444.9921

E: info@washingtoncoc.com

W: www.washingtoncoc.com/washington-day-banquet

Deadline for nominations to be accepted for consideration is

Wednesday, January 24, 2018.

Have questions? Give us a call at the chamber office.

Invoices for January renewals were mailed on January 5th. If you’re not sure when your

renewal date is, give us a call and we’ll look that up for you. If you have any questions or

want to get together with our new Member Manager, Wendy Wagner, give us a call at

309-444-9921 and we’ll arrange for that to happen.

Collectively accomplishing what we can’t do individually.

The following is a list of persons were approved and are ready

to serve the Washington Chamber of Commerce on the Board

of Directors for year of 2018.

Executive Committee

President —

Eric Obalil, Alexander Financial Services

Vice President —

Brian Tibbs, Washington Park District

Treasurer —

Jacob Retz, Washington State Bank

Secretary —

Brad Mahony, Washington Community Bank

Past President —

Yvonne Andresen, The Blend

Full Board

Yvonne Andresen, The Blend

Kristi Cape, Countryside Banquet Facility

Jim Culotta, City of Washington

Emily Geerts, PNC Bank

Dennis Hermann, Alexander-Murray Agency

Kara Kamienski, Kara Kamienski Photography

Brad Mahony, Washington Community Bank

Craig Meyers, South Side Bank

Eric Obalil, Alexander Financial Services

Jacob Retz, Washington State Bank

Brian Tibbs, Washington Park District

Melissa Wireman, CEFCU

The Chamber would like to welcome

Wendy Wagner as the new Membership

Manager. Wendy started in this position just

before the holidays, and she has hit the

ground running! She’ been out meeting

many of our existing members, as well as

potential new members. She’s excited to be

working with the new

board and current

staff to ensure that all

of our member part-

ners are aware of the

many benefits and

advantages that are

available as a mem-

ber of the Washing-

ton Chamber of

Commerce.

“I have always said that my dream job

would be getting paid to have the opportu-

nity to meet people and to be the liaison

between them and a great organization,”

said Wendy. “Well, I think I’ve found it! It’s

been great meeting with so many of our

local business owners and representatives,

and helping them to understand how the

Chamber can assist them in growing their

thriving business here in the Washington

area. I’m looking forward to meeting with

everyone throughout this coming year.”

Wendy has lived in Washington for over 14

years and has been a very active member

of the community. She comes into this new

position with a great deal of background in

business ownership, management, and

marketing skills. We’re glad to have Wendy

on the WCOC team!

After almost 10 years here at the Chamber of Commerce, Gail Nettles, has moved on

to a new position. She will be greatly missed here in the office. When she first came to

work at the Chamber, she was the part time receptionist. Over time, Gail eventually

became the Finance Manager, taking care of all the bookkeeping tasks. But she

didn’t limit herself to only the finances … she did a little bit of everything from filing and

bulk mailings to keeping the welcome packet items stocked to working on whatever

needed to be done at the moment to everything in between.

Gail would give 110% to whatever task she was doing, proving to be a very conscientious

and reliable employee ... and a good friend. We wish her well in her new adventure.

Working Small Business Saturday 2017 -

Giving out a $25 gift certificates to one of the

25 lucky SBS shoppers

tppevents.com

A positive work environment isn’t born out of thin air. It takes hard work and commitment to foster teamwork in an office or organization. Looking for ways to get your team in sync? These five strategies can help with teamwork.

Be a good leader. Whether you are a manager, or have seniority as a result of company loyalty, you are setting the tone for the rest of the employees in the workplace. Gandhi is often quoted for saying, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” We add, “Be the type of leader you want to be led by.”

Practice clear communication. Convoluted communication is a recipe for disaster. Team members must feel safe in sharing their ideas, points of view, and feelings. Every idea might not be THEE idea you go with, but there are no bad ideas. Make sure to foster communicating in the work environment through verbal reward.

Define responsibilities. The more clearly you define each team member’s role and responsibilities, the more effec-tively they can meet expectations. However, the team should be encouraged to help one another when needed.

Conflict resolution. Any tension or conflict should be resolved as quickly as possible to prevent communication breakdowns and a division of team members. Make sure to put in place clear and concise ways for employees or the members of an organization to resolve issues so they know their voice is heard.

Remain positive. As the team leader, your positive and motivated energy will help to inspire the others. So don’t forget to drink that positivity juice in the morning!

Every organization relies on good teams. Effective teamwork in the

workplace helps drive the organization toward success. Here are 10

qualities that can make outstanding team players.

Show Genuine Commitment. Team players are genuinely committed

to their cause. Good team players might make sure they are in the

office when needed, but great team players will make “seat” time

worth it and contribute as much as possible. They strive for excel-

lence.

Be Flexible. Instead of sitting on the bench watching the rest of the

crew perform, an outstanding team player wants to see the magic

happen through their efforts as well. They are flexible to the

situations thrown their way, and they participate and tackle

challenges without showing too many signs of stress or pressure.

Don’t Stay in the Shadows. It is not in your interest to just sit quietly

and get your work done. It’s a good thing to involve others, as long

as you aren’t bothering people with questions you should know the

answers to. Great team players come to their teammates having

prepared their ideas clearly.

Be Reliable and Responsible. Excellent team players will complete

the tasks in order of priority, not necessarily in order that they’re

given. When you’re not sure of what should take priority, ask your

team leader.

Actively Listen. You are only a team player if you respectfully

consider the viewpoints and ideas of other people as well. This is

why diverse teams have the potential to be effective, and it all

depends on active listening. Active listening is harder than you think.

When you hear someone saying something you don’t initially agree

with, keep from interrupting and don’t let your mind prepare any

counter remarks. Just listen, and consider what they’re saying, and

more importantly, why they believe that.

Keep Your Team Informed. Share your opinion and ideas without

trying to come up with a plan for taking credit for it. Transparency is

key on a team, so keep your team members informed. Planning for

your own success is important, but whether you get promoted may

have a lot to do with how well you communicated with your team

members.

Always Be Ready to Help. Even if it is in not your job description, be

generous with pointers or tips to help your team members. For

example, if a member of your team is having trouble with a

technology tool that is easy for you, offer to sit down with them

and show them what you know.

Support and Respect Others. It seems obvious that you wouldn’t

want to shut someone from your team out, or laugh or talk about

other people’s ideas, but we do these things in a subtle way, without

realizing it, all the time. It is important to become more self-aware of

how you treat others. An ideal team player knows how to have fun,

but he would never do it a someone else’s expense.

Be a Problem-Solver. Your team leader may be working on solving

problems, but there is no reason why you can’t offer solutions your-

self. Your teammates will appreciate your skills, and this may pay off

later when your team leader considers you for a promotion!

Recognize When You Are Wrong. A good team player will back off

an idea when it becomes clear it’s not the right path. If you believe

strongly that your team is making a mistake, you can find a way to

come back to the issue when the time is right, but being a stubborn

stick in the mud - someone who is only wanting their own way - is not

a quality of a good team player.

Lara Pole. June 22, 2017

Several pieces of legislation that pertain to the business community will go into effect on January 1, 2018. The

following list provides a brief synopsis of business-related laws that will go into effect in the new year, and

could have some bearing on some of the local businesses in our Chamber. Source: Illinois Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber advocates, promotes, and provides for

our membership to collectively accomplish

what we can’t do individually.

THRIVING BUSINESSES LEADING A HEALTHY COMMUNITY

Public Act 100-0346 prohibits a new or used auto dealer

from allowing a person to leave their lot with a vehicle with

sign, decals, paperwork, or other material that could block

a driver’s vision.

Public Act 100-0486 requires an LLC to first obtain a certifi-

cate of registration before providing professional services.

Public Act 100-0166 expands the cyber-stalking offense to

include installing tracking software and causing threats.

Public Act 100-0194 provides any individual who has com-

pleted a minimum of eight hours of Department of Public

Health-approved training shall be considered a certified

food sanitation manager or certified sanitation manager

instructor. Removes provisions allowing DPH to charge a $35

fee for a certificate.

Public Act 100-0207 provides that it is not an unfair business

practice to charge different prices based entirely on time,

difficulty, and market conditions as it relates to hair stylists,

barbers, alterations, dry cleaners.

Public Act 100-0174 provides that the Illinois State Board of

Education must post resources regarding teaching entre-

preneurial skills in secondary schools. States that the ISBE

shall gather input from universities and business groups when

developing the list of resources.

Public Act 100-0175 requires ISBE to post resources on the

teaching of high skilled manufacturing to be used in high

schools and vocational education programs.

Public Act 100-0207 provides that it is not an unfair business

practice to charge different prices based entirely on time,

difficulty, and market conditions as it relates to hair stylists,

barbers, alterations, dry cleaners.

Public Act 100-0543 would require life insurance companies

to cross-match lapsed or expired policies against the Social

Security Administrations Death Master File to find potential

beneficiaries of unclaimed life insurance benefits. The bill as

passed both chambers, requires all insurers to search poli-

cies in force as of Jan. 1, 2012, and to Jan. 1, 2000, if a com-

pany has electronically-searchable records.

Public Act 100-0475 removes requirements that the notice of

cancellation be mailed by an insurance company to the

mortgage or lien holder at the last mailing address know by

the company,

Public Act 100-0378 clarifies chiropractic physicians’ and

licensed optometrist’s rights and responsibilities and that the

consent protections currently provided to minors under the

Consent by Minors to Medical Procedures Act apply to the

performance of health care services by chiropractic physi-

cians and licensed optometrists.

Public Act 100-0385 eliminates the Medicaid requirement

that health providers be present in the room with a patient

while receiving tele-health psychiatry services..

Public Act 100-0386 provides that no policy of individual or

group accident and health insurance issued, amended,

delivered, or renewed on or after the effective date of this

amendatory Act may impose any preexisting condition ex-

clusion with respect to that plan or coverage. Supplement

policies are exempted from this mandate.

Public Act 100-0495 allows for the electronic delivery of auto

insurance documents.

Public Act 100-0202 reinforces that no person can operate,

register, or maintain registration of a motor vehicle in Illinois

unless the motor vehicle is covered by a liability insurance

policy.

Public Act 100-0022 , otherwise known as tax omnibus bill,

that among other things included the new income tax

rates, has provisions that are set to go into law Jan. 1, 2018.

While majority of the tax provisions are already in effect, two

pertinent articles (Art. 15 and 17) make sweeping changes

to the state’s unclaimed property statutes. The most con-

cerning aspects of the law would strip away the business to

business exemption and allow third party auditors to retro-

actively audit businesses that have unclaimed property.

Public Act 100-0359 allows motorist to pass bicyclists in no-

passing zones and allows bicyclists to drive on the shoulder.

Public Act 100-0209 creates three new classifications of

electric bicycles and allows local authorities to regulate low

-speed electric and gas-bicycles.

*Chamber event

+Chamber participates in event

(events & dates subject to change)

114 Washington Square . Washington, IL 61571

2018 Chamber Events

Jan

20

WCOC’s 4th Ever Trivia Night*

@ Countryside Banquet, 6pm

Feb

22

Washington Day Banquet*

@ Five Points Washington, 6pm

May

30 -

Jun 3

GOOD NEIGHBOR DAYS

Jul

21

Summer Small Business Saturday*

Fall WCHS Homecoming Parade+

Oct

27

DAX Fest+

Nov

15

Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast*

Nov

24

Small Business Saturday*