February 2013 Newsletter

Y O U R C O N N E C T I O N T O B U S I N E S S & C O M M U N I T Y S I N C E 1 9 6 9

CONNECTIONSFEBRUARY 2013 - Vol. 44, Issue 2

Leadership

P2 - Article by Cathy Haukedahl

P3 - Q & A: Ambassador of the Year

P3 - Ambassador Updates

P4 - Article by Pat MulQueeny

P4 - Sponsorship Corner

Community Building

P5 - Update Eden Prairie Schools

Public Policy P6 - Article by David Olson

Networking P7 - Recognition Committee

P7 - Article by Sammi Dummel

P7 - Article by Brianna Tollefson

P8- February 2013 Calendar

IN THIS ISSUE...

THANK YOU to our 2013

Annual Sponsors!

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NEWSLETTER PREFERENCE- ELECTRONIC or PRINTIf you want to only receive an electronic version of the newlsetter, please send an e-mail to [email protected] and in the subject line, put “Electronic Newsletter Only.”

Valentine VixensValentine VixensThursday, February 14th

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM @ Brunswick Zone

Join us for this important February General Membership Luncheon where we will hear from Terry Moore with Hell-muth & Johnson, PLLC! Terry is going to talk about the ins and the outs of Obamacare and

what you need to know. Terry Moore advises business clients from a variety of industries, with a concentration in the broadcasting and healthcare industries. His practice taps heavily on his experience in negotiations, the broadcast industry and as an entrepreneur himself. Terry advises companies in a broad range of areas, including contract negotiations, sale and acquisition of businesses, employment matters, real estate, regulatory matters, and many other areas. Don’t miss out on this informative luncheon! LOCATION: Olympic Hills, 10625 Mount Curve Road, Eden Prairie COST: $25 for Members / $40 Non-Members

General Membership LunchTopic: Obamacare

Thursday, February 21st 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM @ Olympic Hills

General Sponsor General Sponsorl S

JJoin us for the 5th Annual Valentine Vixens Event at Brunswick Zone! Th is will be our February Women’s Networking event.

Th is event has it all - networking, a delicious lunch, pampering, massages and fun items that you can buy! Our exhibitors include:

• Bouari Clinic - Eden Prairie• Check Engine Express• Encore Consignment• HealthSource Chiropractic• Healthy Training, LLC• Jockey Person2Person• My White Giraff e• PROP Shop• Silpada• Venture Photography

Don’t miss out on any of the fun- sign up today!

LOCATION: Brunswick Zone, 122000 Singletree Lane, Eden Prairie

COST: $25 for Members/$40 for Non-Members

General Sponsor

Leadership

Heart Health Month for Your BusinessBy Cathy Haukedahl, 2013 Chamber Board ChairFlagship Bank

PAGE 2 “Connections” (USPS 729770) is published 12 times per calendar year by the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce, 11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 Periodicals postage paid at Hopkins, MN - POSTMASTER: Send address changes to “Connections,” 11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

How healthy is the heart of your busi-ness? Are you staying on track with your business strategic plan? Is your

social media marketing plan performing? How is the fi s-cal cliff aff ecting your business? Facebook and Twitter on your bucket list for 2013?

To confi rm my promise to you of branding the Eden Prai-rie Chamber of Commerce the “Go-To” Chamber for business, I’m very excited to announce the:

1st Annual Eden Prairie Business Conference

Th e Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the City of Eden Prairie to off er a Business Con-ference, Wednesday afternoon, June 19th at Eden Prairie City Hall. For $35, you’ll participate in panel discussions from Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce experts who will discuss and answer your questions about business tax, networking, social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, sales performance, legal issues, heath & wellness, fi nancial planning, investments, busi-ness banking, lines of credit, marketing and branding. We’ll hear from a keynote speaker and end our day with the biggest after hour networking event of the year. Th ere are over 4,000+ businesses in Eden Prairie. Our business conference is open to ALL businesses in Eden Prairie. However, as a “value add” to your Chamber membership, you MUST be an Eden Prairie Chamber Member to serve as a panel expert. We are limiting the conference to the fi rst 100 participants and opening the after hours networking event to all 4,000+ Eden Prairie businesses. Please watch for Chamber email updates for more information about becoming a panel expert, participant or sponsor of this event.

So exciting! Please save the date: Saturday, October 26, 2013. Your Eden Prairie Chamber Gala will be

held at the new Radisson Blu Hotel at the Mall of Amer-ica!!

Sending my best wishes for a heart healthy February - Cathy Haukedahl

Cathy Haukedahl is the 2013 Board Chair for the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce. If you would like to con-tact Cathy regarding the Eden Prairie Chamber, she can be reached at 952-944-6050.

Leadership

11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org PAGE 3

Ambassador Updates from January 2013!The Eden Prairie Chamber Ambassadors serve as goodwill representatives in our business community. Th ey learn about member businesses and encourage membership retention through mentorships, personal phone calls and much more. Below are some of the places that our busy Ambassadors visited during January of 2013! You can fi nd the photos of the visits on our website.

ApplianceSmartTiff any Olson, Marketing Manager14675 Martin DriveEden Prairie, MN 55344 952-356-3322www.ApplianceSmart.com

For 2012, the “Ambassador of the Year” is Steve Bowman, with Tiger Plumbing, Heating & Air!

EPC: Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Steve: I have lived in the Minneapolis area all of my 54 years! I went to South High School and earned an As-sociate’s degree in Sales & Marketing at Normandale Community College. My fi rst sales job was in direct sales, selling a photo program. I then sold seafood for a while. After that, I worked as an installer at a garage door company. In the mid 80’s I landed a job at an appliance repair company where I also learned how to service furnaces and air conditioners.

EPC: Tell us about your role at Tiger. Steve: I have been with Tiger for 9 ½ years now, fi rst as a technician and installer, then as the company grew I was able to take advantage of my sales background and moved into my current position as the Comfort Consultant. I came to Tiger because the owner shared my belief that the customer should come fi rst and quality should not be sacrifi ced for the sake of profi t. It is my job to fi nd a heating and air condi-tioning system which is the best match for your home and budget, design the sheet metal, prepare the rebate forms & the documents the customer will need to claim their tax credits. I appreciate the great people at Tiger who are dedicated to making sure the job is done right the fi rst time. Our customer surveys are showing an overall customer satisfaction rating of 97%!

EPC: What is your favorite part about being an Ambassador for the EPC?Steve: I enjoy meeting the new members & hearing about their businesses. Th rough the mentor program I enjoy working with the new members and help them grow with the Chamber. Th is committee is made up of a group of the greatest people I have ever met. Th ey are all eager to help each other and their fellow Chamber members. Sammi Dummel on staff with the Chamber does a fantastic job of setting up and coordinating the various Ambassador events.

EPC: What advice would you give to members who don’t know how to make the most of their membership?Steve: Th e more involved you are with the Chamber the more you will benefi t from it! Check the Chamber website and look at the “Events” calendar. I started with Business@Breakfast and after hours events which remain my favorites. Usually there are several Ambassadors there, just look for our nametags and let us know you are new. We are always happy to help! Since I became active in the Chamber our business has grown so much we moved to a new facility last spring.

EPC: Tell us some more interesting things about you.Steve: I have lived in my current home in Savage for 22 years now. My wife, Lisa and I recently celebrated our 29th anniversary and have two wonderful sons. My older son has a tremendous mechanical ability and has earned a full time position at four wheel drive shop. My younger son is very athletic. He made the All Conference team his junior year on the Burnsville football team and was named the team captain for 2014. Hopefully we will be playing Eden Prairie for the State Championship next fall! He also plays lacrosse and basketball. I am very proud of both of them! In the warmer months I like to get out of town with our camper as much as possible or relax by my Koi pond.

Q & A: Ambassador of the Year for 2012: Steve Bowman with Tiger Plumbing, Heating & Air!!!

AirMaxx Trampoline Park, LLCMike Balfanz, Owner7000 Washington AvenueEden Prairie, MN 55344320-290-3410www.AirMaxxTrampolinePark.com

Link to Life Stacey Stelter, Instructor14255 Valley View Road, #203Eden Prairie, MN 55344612-250-3928 www.LinkToLifeCPR.com

My White Giraff e Janelle Carlyle, Owner 8560 Mission Hills Lane Chanhassen, MN 55317 952-949-0875 www.MyWhiteGiraff e.com

Leadership

PAGE 4 11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

Have Your Voice HeardBy Pat MulQueeny, IOM, PresidentEden Prairie Chamber of Commerce

As a member of the Eden Prairie Cham-ber, there are a number of ways to have your business voice heard on issues at

the local, state and federal levels. Th e Chamber’s Govern-ment Committee is focused on being the voice of our local businesses. Th e committee discusses issues, brings in guest speakers and recommends positions on issues to our Board of Directors. Top issues discussed include the proposed South-west LRT line, education issues, taxes and other government regulations. Th e committee typically meets the third Tues-day of the month at 7:30 a.m.

In the coming months, the Chamber will be hosting pro-grams with our elected offi cials and publishing updates from our State elected offi cials in the Chamber newsletter. If you have questions for our city council members, State Represen-tative or Senator or Federal offi cials, please submit those to us at [email protected].

Business Development Committee Hears from Local Businesses

Th e Chamber’s Business Development Committee conducts face-to-face Grow MN meetings with local businesses to fi nd out how we can help them, what are the issues and gov-ernment policies that are impacting their busi-ness. Grow MN is a state wide program from the Minnesota Chamber that the Eden Prairie Chamber partners on in getting 25 visits com-pleted each year. Th e committee looks for ways to help businesses or connect them to resources they can utilize.

If you would like to schedule a visit (which will also give your business additional visibility in fu-ture Chamber newsletters), then please send an e-mail to [email protected].

BusinessConnectionBusinessConnectionYour connection to business answers.

...ours will GROW your business.We know times aren’t easy for Minnesota businesses these days. You need a resource that provides direct and immediate help for all of your important business questions. BusinessConnection is your free, go-to service in Minnesota for any and all business questions. Its purpose is to help Minnesota businesses grow by breaking down barriers, opening doors and answering questions – so you can get back to business.

Connect anytime: www.mnbizconnect.comCall toll-free: 1-888-MINN-BIZ / 1-888-646-6249Personal assistance is available 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.

BusinessConnection is a service of Grow Minnesota! and sponsored by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, its local chamber partners and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Connect online: www.mnbizconnect.com

Everyone’s got an answer...

7922 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie952-374-6464 www.goumbria.com

Ambassador Lunch Sponsor (All Year)

Sponsorship Corner~ JANUARY ~

General Membership Luncheon

5309 West 70th Street, Edina952-829-4504 www.xcelenergy.com

Community Building


Update from the Eden Prairie School DistrictBy Eden Prairie Schools

With the start of a new year, Eden Prairie Schools continues to focus on initiatives that will directly benefi t students. Here are some of the highlights happening in Eden Prairie Schools:

• At its organizational meeting in early January, the Eden Prairie School board elected offi cers for 2013. Th e offi cers are the same as last year and include:

- Ranee Jacobus, chair - John Estall, vice chair - Holly Parker, clerk - Chuck Mueller, treasurer

• Work on the district’s draft strategic plan is in high gear. In late November, the core planning team – comprised of 25 parents, staff members and community members – de-veloped the draft strategic plan. In early January, the draft plan was handed off to the action planning teams and the measurement team. Th ere are fi ve action planning teams, one for each of the strategies included in the draft plan. Th e purpose of the action planning teams is to develop spe-cifi c action steps to be implemented for each strategy. Th e purpose of the measurement team is to develop tools and metrics to measure progress as the plan is implemented. Both the action planning teams and the measurement team will fi nalize their work in March. Th e draft plan and other materials will be fi nalized by the core planning team in April and presented to the board in May. More information about the district’s strategic planning process is included on the district’s website at www.edenpr.org.

• Since the announcement of the long-term roll out plan of i-Learn@EP in late November by Superintendent Curt Tryggestad, many steps have been taken to begin the imple-mentation of the initiative. Th e fi rst major action step was a pilot program at Central Middle School. In early Decem-ber, students on the Amber Team received an iPad that will be theirs for the duration of the school year. Th e purpose of the pilot was to receive initial feedback on the use of the devices before the school-wide launch of iPads for all CMS students in late January. Th e other signifi cant action step was the decision to roll out MacBook Air laptop com-puters for all Eden Prairie High School students for the 2013-2014 school year. Each teacher at the high school will receive a MacBook Air computer in the coming weeks to begin using. Th e district is also considering a pilot roll out

of the laptop computers at the high school this spring.

• Sarah Wilhite, an EPHS senior, has been named the Gato-rade Minnesota Volleyball Player of the year. Th is is the sec-ond consecutive year that she has received this recognition. Th e Gatorade Player of the Year award honors top high school student athletes in 12 varsity sports for their athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character. Th e Gatorade high school sports leadership team works in partnership with USA Today high school sports, along with top sport-specifi c experts and veteran prep sports journal-ists.

• As part of its transition to a policy governance model, the Eden Prairie School Board sought input from its “owners,” which are defi ned as Eden Prairie residents and taxpayers, on the “ends” policies that are an essential part of the policy governance model. Th e ends policies indicate the results that the board is seeking from the school system. Th e board has developed a draft of the ends policies and wanted input from the public on the draft. Th e board conducted two community meetings and an online survey to solicit input. Th e input from the survey and public sessions will be sum-marized and used by the board to fi nalize the ends policies.

• Two Eden Prairie Schools teachers have been named as “Exceptional Teachers” by TIES, a state-wide education technology collaborative, for their use of technology in their classrooms. Allison Grajkowske is a math teacher at EPHS, and Gretchen Kleinsasser teaches fourth grade at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion. Teachers around the state are nominated by their peers for this recognition. Grajkowske has been teaching at the high school for seven years. Kleinsasser is in her fourth year with the district. Th e two received their awards from Brenda Cassellius, commis-sioner of the Minnesota Department of Education.

We are now accepting Charles DeBono Volunteer of the Year Nominations!!!

Nominations are due Friday, March 29th

You can find the form inserted into this newsletter

Public Policy

PAGE 6 11455 Viking Dr. #270, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • Ph: 952-944-2830 • Fax: 952-944-0229 • www.epchamber.org

Advancing Our 2013 Agenda: United for JobsBy: David Olson, President / www.mnchamber.comMinnesota Chamber of Commerce

Candidates of all political stripes and backgrounds ran in this year’s election on an agenda of jobs and how they are going to build the economy. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves and assist. Th e Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and our statewide network of local chamber part-ners know what it takes to keep and create private-sector jobs. Minnesotans face a dramatically diff erent political landscape at the State Capitol. A single political party controls the executive and legislative branches for the fi rst time in 22 years. Th at said, we are confi dent that no newly elected legislator wants to harm the economy or stall the recovery.

Our six legislative priorities are focused on strengthening the business environment and improving the lives of all Minneso-tans:

Education/workforce development: Strengthen our education and workforce development systems at every point in the pipe-line if Minnesota is to distinguish itself as the skilled workforce state.

Spending/taxes: Reform the spending system to have long-term fi scal stability by making spending decisions based on statewide priorities and measurable outcomes. Improve the tax system with a focus on keeping and growing jobs in Minnesota in our increasingly competitive global economy.

Health: Implement a health insurance exchange that ensures quality health care at a good value.

Energy: Restructure electric rates so all customers are paying for the actual cost of service.

Environment/natural resources: Implement additional effi cien-cies in environmental review systems at state agencies while still protecting our natural resources.

Elections: Move the primary election from August to June so challengers and incumbents compete on a level playing fi eld.

Minnesota is facing a new set of demographics. We have one of the widest achievement gaps in the country between whites and minorities, and an increasing number of Minnesota students are on the wrong side of the gap. State revenues are growing

at a slowing rate while costs are increasing. Our population is graying; more Minnesotans are demanding government ser-vices while there are fewer workers to pay taxes to provide the services.

Above all, policy-makers must understand that we live in a global economy. Companies pay close attention to costs and regulations for doing business in other states and nations when deciding whether to locate and/or expand operations in Min-nesota.

Th e new circumstances require that Minnesota be innovative and forward-looking in our solutions if we are to maintain a vibrant economy. We encourage all business owners and man-agers to contact your legislators and underscore how important their decisions are to your ability to provide jobs in Minnesota.

Networking


Thanks for taking a moment to read about what is happening with the EPC Recognition committee in 2013. Our primary responsibility is to obtain nominations and determine the winners of the following awards:

• Charles DeBono Volunteer Appreciation Award - Due: Friday, March 29th

• Small Business Person of the Year• Th e Athena Award• Th e Dr. Jean L. Harris Scholarship• Th e Golden Apple, Student Citizenship and Post-Secondary Scholarships

As we look to improve upon the great track record set forth by the Chamber with these awards we are seeking your help in bringing forward more nominations. We would also like to recruit more members to our committee, especially those with ties to our local educational institutions. So, if you are looking for a rewarding volunteer experience, please get in touch! As always we are also on the lookout for speakers for our luncheons and any input you may have regarding our existing or new awards.

EPC Recognition Committee UpdateBy: Mike Jessop, Chair of the Recognition CommitteeBux Back

2012 Volunteer of the Year Winner, Randy Royse pictured above with Ms. DeBono.

It’s Not Goodbye...It’s See You Later! Hello: Welcome Brianna Tollefson!

Everyone welcome Brianna, the newest edition to our staff ! She will be taking over as the Marketing & Communica-tions Manager.

Brianna graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato in with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis in

Public Relations and a minor in Marketing. She is a social media enthusiast and has enjoyed creating promotional and marketing materials in her previous positions. During college she was a member of AmeriCorps and trained volunteers to feed the greater Mankato area. Th roughout her college career she was also an active member of the Marketing Club and Public Relations Student Society of America.

She grew up in Apple Valley and is excited to work close to home. In her free time she loves to watch sports and her fa-vorite team is the Minnesota Twins. She enjoys learning new things and plays co-rec softball with friends in the Summer. She is very excited to start her journey as the new Marketing and Communications Manager for the EPC.

If you haven’t already heard, my fi ance and I are moving to the great state of Indiana at the beginning of February! I wanted to take a minute to say “see you later” and express my gratitude.

I have been very blessed to have such a wonderful opportunity to work here at the Eden Prairie Chamber. I have met some of the most helpful and amazing people. In my opinion, this Chamber defi nitely has “one-up” on the other Chambers in the area!

I have the best co-workers, they are fun, nice and are like a family. I have the best volunteers, they have all been so sweet and made my job really easy. I was able to grow profession-ally and improve on my skills. Seriously, what more could a girl ask for?!

I want to THANK YOU for making my experience at the Chamber such a great one! I am sad to go but would love to connect with you on LinkedIn, if we haven’t already - look me up. So for now...thank you and see you later!

This is a publication of:Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce

11455 Viking Drive, Suite 270Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Ph: 952.944.2830Fax: 952.944.0229

www.epchamber.org

FEBRUARY 2013 - EPC Calendar of EventsMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1

4 5 6 7 8

11:30 AM - Ambassador Com-mittee Mtg. at EPC Offi ce

7:30- 8:30 AM, Business@Breakfast at The Colony

7:30 AM - Business Development Committee @ EPC

7:30 AM - Breakfast Networking @ Fairview Hospital & a chance to win the Chamber Jackpot

11 12 13 14 157:30- 8:30 AM, Business@Breakfast at The Colony

7:30 AM - 1:00 PM- Board Meeting

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Valen-tine Vixen Event @ Bruns-wick Zone

*Newsletter ads due to EPC

18 19 20 21 227:30 AM - Government Commit-tee Meeting @ EPC

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM- Fusion Meeting @ STAR BANK


11:30 AM- 1:00 PM, General Membership Luncheon - Obamacare @Olympic Hills

*Newsletter inserts due to EPC

25 26 27 28


4:30 - 6:00 PM - After Hours Expo at Brunswick Zone & a chance to win the Chamber Jackpot!

PLEASE RSVP FOR ALL EVENTS BY 12 PM THE DAY PRIOR! Visit epchamber.org to view details, pricing or to RSVP today!

February 2013 Newsletter

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