AMCHAM NEWS Networking is our business

Panama: The Best Place in the World to do Business.

MARCH 11, 2010

Phone: 301-3881 Fax: 301-3882

amcham@panamcham.com www.panamcham.com

Aquilino de la Guardia Ave and 47 St, Ocean Business Plaza Bldg, 17 floor.

AmCham Events and Committee Meetings

Legislation & Taxation Commit-tee, 7:30 AM, Tuesday, March 16th at AmCham.

Environmental Committee meeting, 12:00 noon, Tuesday, March 16 at AmCham. The topic for this meeting will be “The Amazing Versatility of Algae.”

Real Estate Committee, 7:30 AM, Wednesday, March 17 at AmCham.

Remember to check our web-site: www.panamcham.com, to verify the data on your com-pany page. If it needs updat-ing, send your new information to Flor Suárez at fsuarez@panamcham.com

US Department of State

The US Embassy invites all US citizens who are interested in testing for the Foreign Service Career to access http://careers.state.gov/. The US Department of State is the lead US Foreign Affairs agency, hiring for the Foreign Service and State Department Civil Service for work at State Department offices in the U.S. and over 265 posts abroad. Career options: Foreign Service Officer

Foreign Service Specialist

Civil Service

Jobs in Iraq

Jobs in Afghanistan

Local Employment in U.S.

Employment in U.S. Embassy and Consulates abroad.

Testing is currently being con-ducted until the end of March 2010.

On February 25th, the Organizational Develop-ment & Human Capital (ODHC) Committee met at Amcham with twelve people in attendance. In this meeting the members heard from Modaldo Tuñón, Rector of Universidad Latina de Panama, who spoke

about the program UNEE. This program tries to create a link between universities, companies and the government to facilitate business devel-opment, technology and human resources. Mr. Tuñón also talked about the different pro-

grams that are being developed in Panama by both international and national organizations to improve the educational system in Panama. The members also heard from Mrs. Ahden Busch, who is in charge of the Customer Service Sub-committee. This sub-committee was created to help improve cus-tomer services in Pa-nama. Mr. Glenn Tjon, Chair of the Information & Com-munication Technology, was also invited to this meeting to speak about the 2010 Advanced Business Leadership Fo-rum that will be organ-ized for both commit-tees.

Organizational Development & Human Capital Committee Meeting

Photo: Organizational Development & Human Capital Committee Chair: Maria Eugenia Fonseca

Humor Time

You lovers of the English

language might enjoy

this.

There is a two-letter

word that perhaps has

more meanings than

any other two-letter

word, and that is UP.

It's easy to understand

UP, meaning toward

the sky or at the top of

the list, but when we

awaken in the morning,

why do we wake UP?

At a meeting, why does

a topic come UP?

Why do we speak UP

and why are the offi-

cers UP for election and

why is it UP to the sec-

retary to write UP a

report ? We call UP our

friends.

And we use it to

brighten UP a room,

polish UP the silver; we

warm UP the leftovers

and clean UP the

kitchen.

We lock UP the house

and some guys fix UP

the old car.

At other times the little

word has real special

meaning.

People stir UP trouble,

line UP for tickets, work

UP an appetite, and

think UP excuses.

To be dressed is one

thing, but to be

dressed UP is special.

A drain must be opened

UP because it is

stopped UP.

I can’t explain it, so it

is UP to you to figure it

OUT.

Real Estate Committee Meeting

The Real Estate Com-

mittee had its monthly

meeting on February

24th, in which its mem-

bers heard a progress

report on projects that

the committee is devel-

oping this year, includ-

ing the Guidebook of

Real Estate in Panama,

Educational Seminars

presented by Gail

Gairling, the promotion

of Law 41 (presented by

Frank Morrice), and Sta-

tistics (presented by

Chairman C.E. Maurice

Belanger).

During the meeting, the

members discussed re-

cent bad publicity focus-

ing on alleged ethics

violations by certain

brokers, and on how to

improve the image of

the Real Estate Brokers

in Panama. The mem-

bers are considering

what actions to take.

The next meeting will be

held on Wednesday,

March 17.

Photo: Real Estate Committee Chair: C.E. Maurice Belanger

Now More Members Can Re-ceive AmCham News and Events Notification

During its monthly meeting, the

AmCham Board of Directors

agreed to expand the number of

officers of member companies

that can receive communica-

tions directly from the AmCham.

Effective immediately, member

companies may designate up to

ten people within the organiza-

tion that may receive periodic

notification of AmCham news

and events. Simply send your

list with names and business

email addresses to Flor Suárez

at fsuarez@panamcham.com

and we will add those names to

our data base for the AmCham

News, events, and other notifi-

cations.