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Nancy McKeague 2011 ATHENA

Recipient A Career of Advocacy

Focus.December.2011

To people amiliar with Nancy McKeagues career,it would seem ftting she would be selected as theLansing Regional Chamber o Commerce 2011recipient o the ATHENA award. It would also not

surprise people who know her that the unassumingMcKeague never saw it coming.

I was stunned, said Nancy about receiving thenews o her ATHENA selection.

What was her second reaction?

I was still stunned. I have a lot o admiration orthe women who have received the ATHENA award.

It is very meaningul to be considered to be in theircategory.

I there is a common thread that weaves its way through Nancys McKeagues career and

community contributions, it might be in hercommitment to advocacy. Brian Peters, who works with Nancy at the Michigan Health andHospital Association (MHA) and nominated heror the ATHENA award calls McKeague a veryeective and tireless advocate or issues aectingMHA, and in the way she lends support to others.

Nancy has served as a visible role model oraspiring women executives throughout the Lansingregion, said executive vice president o operationsBrian Peters. She has gone above and beyondher day-to-day proessional responsibilities tovolunteer or charitable eorts, political events,

and many other activities that make the Lansingcommunity a better place to live and work.

Nancy McKeague began her career as alegislative aide in the State House and Senate. Shespecialized in insurance legislative and regulatory

issues, which served to put her on a career pathin the advocacy arena. Nancy then spent 13years with the Michigan Chamber o Commerce, working as a lobbyist responsible or labor andemployment law issues, employee benefts,insurance and other regulatory issues. During hertenure at the Chamber, Nancy was consistentlyrated among the states most eective lobbyists byInside Michigan Politics, which she attributes tobuilding relationships, being a good listener and

always telling lawmakers both sides o the story.

I know I am going to talk to them at some pointabout another piece o legislation, and I want themto trust me, said McKeague.

Nancy McKeague joined the MHA sta in 2004and serves as senior vice president & chiehuman resources ofcer. Nancy heads theassociations Corporate Support Services Division, which includes responsibility or internal human

resources. She is actively involved with legislative,regulatory and administrative agencies at thestate and ederal level on MHA related issues.

decemberdecember2011

Under her leadership, MHA was named one oAmericas Best Places to Work in Health in2010 by Modern Healthcare; ranking 5th overall,and runner-up in the small organization category.

Nancy is also credited with helping MHA earn theAlfred P. Sloan Awardor Business Excellence in2009 and 2010, which as an HR proessionalmakes her particularly proud.

That award demonstrated how much we arewilling to work with our employees to help thembalance work/lie demands, said McKeague. Wehave 100 employees who are all part o amiliesand have concerns such as caring or elderlyparents or a newborn baby, and we strive toaccommodate those needs.

Nancys commitment to advocacy is also evidentin her love or the community. When Nancy frstmoved to the area, she assumed she would behere or a short time and move back to her nativeOakland County, but then something happened.

I ell in love with the area, said McKeague.Nancy and her husband, United States Court o

Appeals Judge David McKeague remained in thearea, raised six children and now enjoy eightgrandchildren (number nine on the way).

Throughout her career in the nonproft sector, Nancyhas advocated or recognition o associations andother nonproft organizations that make positivecontributions to our region. She is a member othe Board o Directors o Accident Fund Holdings,Inc., Sparrow Physicians Health Network, the

Sparrow Foundation, Childrens Trust Fund and isvice-chair o the Michigan Fitness Foundation. Sheis also chair-elect o the Board o Directors o theLansing Regional Chamber o Commerce.

Since 1982, the ATHENA award has recognizedindividuals who excel in proessionalaccomplishments, community contributions andopen paths or other women to ollow.

Nancy McKeague is a most deserving addition to

the impressive list o ATHENA honorees that havemade a lasting impact in the lives o others andthe community they have chosen to serve.

If there is a common

thread that weaves its

way through Nancys

McKeagues career and

community contributions,

it might be in her

commitment to

advocacy.

MHA executive vice president Brian Peters says NancyMcKeague has served as a visible role model or aspiring

women executives throughout the Lansing region.


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Ross Woodstock .........................3

Port Lansing ................................9

Blue Cross Blue Shield .............12

2011Board o Directors

OfcersCHAIR OF THE BOARD

Ron SimonAuto-Owners Insurance Company

PAST CHAIRVic Verchereau

Farm Bureau Insurance Company

CHAIR ELECTNancy McKeague

Michigan Hospital Association

LEGAL COUNSELJeff Hicks

Hicks & Mullett, PLLC

TREASURERMichelle Gallagher

Gallagher & Associates

PRESIDENTTim Daman

Lansing Regional Chamber

Division Directors

INTL BUSINESS SERICESJason Sanders

Fifth Third Bank

GOERNENT RELATIONSKevin McKinneyMcKinney & Associates

ARKETING & COUNICATIONPaula Cunningham

Capitol National Bank

EBERSHIP SERICESSteven HessAccident Fund Insurance Company of America

At-Large

FocusEDITOR

Ross Woodstock

PRINTINGSpartan Printing, Inc.

AILINGHot Prospects Direct

Tim DamanPresident and CEO

Lansing Regional

Chamber of Commerce

From its roots in Lnsing,

Micign s grown

glol movmnt

tt is onoring grt

civmnts worldwid

nd ncourging futur

gnrtion to spir to

similr grtnss.

There are so many things in our regions history o which we should be

proud. Our heritage as a manuacturing hub and a century-long

relationship with General Motors has done much to shape our community.

The impact o Michigan State University as a world leader in education,research and innovation cannot be over stated. O course, being the home

o the state capital in the great state o Michigan is no small consideration

either.

We should also be proud o a very important recognition that started right

here in Lansing, Michigan. The ATHENA Award ounded in 1982 in an

eort led by ormer Lansing Regional Chamber o Commerce board chair

Martha Mertz has not only recognized great leaders in our region, but

has grown into a global movement. Since ATHENAs inception, more than

6,000 awards have been presented in over 500 communities in theUnited States, Canada, China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the

United Kingdom.

For most o the past 29 years, The ATHENA Award was announced each

year as part o the Chambers Annual Dinner program, which was a ft ting

tribute or the ATHENA recipient and contributed to the celebration at the

Chambers most important annual networking event.

As ATHENA continued to grow in stature internationally, many in our

community, including several past recipients, elt it was time to giveATHENA a higher profle in the region that ounded the award. In 2010,

the Chamber hosted the frst annual ATHENA Luncheon, which oered

ATHENA a much deserved spotlight or the annual honoree. Nell

Kuhnmuench was a ft ting recipient or that frst ATHENA luncheon a year

ago. The tradition o honoring great women leaders continues with the

selection o Nancy McKeague as the 2011 ATHENA recipient.

The ATHENA inuence reached another exciting level a couple o years

ago when several women leaders ormed the ATHENA Womens Interest

Network, Mid-Michigans women-to-women network connecting themost inuential women in the area. ATHENA WIN has rapidly become a

valuable networking resource or women in our regional business

community.

ATHENA continues to recognize individuals who excelled in their

proessions, gave back to their communities and helped raise up other

leaders, especially women. From its roots in Lansing, Michigan has grown

a global movement that is honoring great achievements worldwide and

encouraging a uture generation to aspire to similar greatness.

A MessageFrom The President

Focus.December.2011

The ATHENA Award

Supporting, Developing and

Honoring Women Leaders

Melanie BergeronTwo Men & A Truck International

Lon BohannonNeogen Corporation

John BrownJackson National

Life Insurance Company

Mark BurnhamMichigan State University

Patrick DeanDean Transportation

Joe FordNetvantage Marketing

Pat GillespieGillespie Group

Mark KelloggFraser Trebilcock

Bill KimbleC2AE

J. Peter LarkLansing Board of Water and Light

Deborah MuchmoreMarketing Resource Group

David MulderMeijer

Brian PriesterLSJ Media

Timothy Salisbury

PNC Bank

Jean G. SchtokalFoster, Swift, Collins & Smith

Heather Shawa-DeCookDemmer Corporation

Dennis SwanSparrow Health Systems

Ryan VartoogianSpartan InternetAdvertisers


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News &Events

Focus.December.2011

Thursday, december 1ChaMbe 360, 8 9:30 a.m., Lansing Regional Chamber o Commerce Insur-ance Capital Board Room, 500 E. Michigan Ave., Ste. 200, Lansing, MI 48912. New, veteran andprospective members are encouraged to attend Chamber 360, sponsored by ASK, to learn about the ullrange o Chamber benefts and how to maximize your investment. Meet our sta and fnd out how we areworking or you through business growth and advocacy initiatives, exclusive member beneft programs,member exposure, networking and educational event opportunities. This is a FREE event, but space islimited. To register or this event please visit www.lansingchamber.org.

Wednesday, december 7 DeLa GeMe eLa CMMee, 8 9 a.m. Delta Township

District Library, 5130 Davenport Drive, Lansing, MI 48917. The Delta Government Relations Committeemeets the frst Wednesday o each month to provide a orum or business leaders to discuss important issuesaecting Delta Township. To ensure adequate seating, please RSVP to Jason Green at [email protected].

Thursday, december 8 2011 ahea aaD Peea, 11:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m. Kellogg Hotel& Conerence Center, East Lansing. Welcome Nancy McKeague as the 2011 recipient and take a look backat the history o ATHENA at this celebratory event. $55 member, $400 table o eight. To register or this eventplease visit www.lansingchamber.org.

Tuesday, december 13 MeMbe Mxe, 5 - 7 p.m., Sponsored by Lisa Wall Interior Design at TheTurner Dodge House 100 E. North Street, Lansing, MI 48906. $10 member, $30 non-member. Includeshors doeuvres. *EVENT COST IS COMPLIMENTARY FOR THESE ENHANCED MEMBERSHIP LEVELS: BRONZE,SILVER, GOLD, PLATINUM*

Thursday, december 15 eCMC CLb, 11:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m., Kellogg Hotel & ConerenceCenter, East Lansing. Speaker: Richard Yamarone, Bloomberg Economist. Sponsored by Comcast.Program begins at noon; please arrive early or registration & networking. Single tickets $40, or tableso 8 $300 (includes lunch). Pre-registration is required. To register or this event please visitwww.lansingchamber.org.

Wednesday, december 21 ea LaG / MeDa GeMe eLa CMMee,8 9 a.m. Hope Network, 2775 E. Lansing Dr., East Lansing, MI 48823. The East Lansing / MeridianGovernment Relations Committee meets the third Wednesday o each month to provide a orum or busi-ness leaders to discuss important issues aecting East Lansing/Meridian Township. To ensure adequateseating, please RSVP to Jason Green at [email protected].

Thursday, January 4 DeLa GeMe eLa CMMee, 8 9 a.m. Lexington LansingHotel, 925 S. Creyts Road, Lansing, MI. The Delta Government Relations Committee meets the frstWednesday o each month to provide a orum or business leaders to discuss important issues aectingDelta Township. To ensure adequate seating, please RSVP to Jason Green at [email protected]

Thursday, January 10 MeMbe Mxe, 5 7 p.m. Guys & Dolls Hairstyling, Inc., 418 FrandorShopping Center, Lansing, MI 48912 $10 member, $30 non-member. Includes hors doeuvres. *EVENTCOST IS COMPLIMENTARY FOR THESE ENHANCED MEMBERSHIP LEVELS: BRONZE, SILVER, GOLDPLATINUM*

Thursday, January 12 eCMC CLb, 11:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m., Kellogg Hotel & ConerenceCenter, East Lansing. Speaker: Mark Lange, Executive Director; Penny Lewandowski, Directory o Entrepre-neurship Development; Edward Lowe Foundation. Sponsored by Rehmann. Program begins at noon; pleasearrive early or registration & networking. Single tickets $40, or tables o 8 $300 (includes lunch).

Pre-registration is required. To register or this event please visit www.lansingchamber.org.

Event cost is complimentary or these enhanced membership levels:Bronze Gold Silver Platinum

SV TH DTLansing Regional Chamber

of Commerce

100th Annual Dinner

Wednesday, February 22

5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Lansing Center

Ross Woodstock

Executive and Professional CoachingKolt Communications

HelpingPEOPLE Succeed.HelpingORGANIZATIONS Grow.

[email protected] | 517-706-0001

www.ROSSWOOdSTOck.com


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Thank YouRenewing Members

WelcomeNew Members

Focus.December.2011

Please remember to use the member login portion of the Chamber website to keep your

contact information up-to-date. This will ensure that you receive all Chamber

communications in a timely manner. Contact us at 517.487.6340 if you have

any questions or are not receiving our communications.

Apple Vacations

Bake N Cakes

Capital Quality & Innovation

(CQI)

Cracker Barrel

Horizen Hydroponics

Kordenbrock & Associates, P.C.

Magnesium Products o America, Inc.

Neuropathy Relie Centers

o Mid-Michigan

Sams Club #4781

Showtime Events

St. Johns Motel

State Farm Insurance

Agate Sotware, Inc.

AMPM, Inc.

AP Cleaning CompanyAuto-Owners Insurance Co.

Beggars Banquet

Bouma Interiors

Breslin Student Events Center

Browde Rehabilitation Consulting,L.L.C.

Capital Box

Capital HondaCapital Urological Associates

Care Planning Associates

Ciesa Design

City o East Lansing

Clark Foundation Co.

Clear Channel Interspace Airports

Cornerstone University,

Proessional & Graduate Studies,Lansing Campus

Cottages Decorating

Dart, Papesh & Co., Inc.

Dible Builders, Inc.

Doty Mechanical, Inc.

Douglas J SalonEconomic Development Corp.

o the City o Lansing

Ecosynthetix, Inc.

Full Circle Financial Planning, LLC

Great Lakes HR Solutions, LLC

Hamilton Meetings & Incentives,LLC

Health Staers o MI, Inc.

Holt Senior Care and Rehab

Hospice Advantage

i2Integration

Image Builders Unlimited

Ingham County Economic Dev.Corp.

Inventure Enterprises, Inc.

J&L Restoration & CleaningKendall Electric & Lighting

Kramer Management Group Inc.

Lansing Community College

Lansing Symphony Orchestra

Lorann Oils, Inc.Maloney Carpet Company

Michigan Automobile DealersAssociation

Michigan Legislative Consultants

Michigan Virtual University

Mortons Fine Catering &Lakeview Banquet Center

Motion Marketing & Media

MSU Forest Akers Gol Courses

Murawskis Tax Service, Inc.

NCG Eastwood Cinema

Northwood University - UniversityCollege

NTH Consultants, Ltd.

Peckham, Inc.

Potter Park Zoological SocietySewer Specialists First, Inc.

Spartan Signature Catering

Chamber

MilestonesWed like to oer a special salute to thesegreat organizations that reached milestoneanniversaries as Chamber members thismonth. Thank you or your continuedsupport through the years!

Special Olympics MichiganArea 8

Stamp-Rite Supersine

Stillwater Grill

Summer Place Townhouses

Sycamore Equities, Inc.

Tee To Green Printing &Promotional Products

Telamon Corporation

Thatcher Construction Co., Inc.

The Doctors Company

The English Inn

The Gallagher Law Firm, P.L.C.

The Paula Blanchard Companies,LLC

The University Club At The HenryCenter Complex

TranSystems Corporation

Tripps Autoshop Collision Centers

University Quality Inn

Wal-Mart Super Center

Zeeb Animal Hospital

Lansing Symphony Orchestra30 years

Michigan Legislative Consultants20 years

The nglish Inn20 years

Great Lakes HR Solutions, LLC15 years

Murawskis Tax Service, Inc.15 years

Ciesa Design5 years

Cornerstone University,

Lansing Campus5 years

Doty Mechanical, Inc.5 years

Mortons Fine Catering & LakeviewBanquet Center

5 years

MSU Forest kers Golf Course5 years


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The regions premier annual networking eventhits the century mark in 2012. A gala celebrationis planned or the 100th Annual Dinner o theLansing Regional Chamber o Commerce, whichwill be held on Wednesday, February 22nd at the

Lansing Center.

The 100th Annual Dinner will be a truly specialevent or this great organization and our region,said LRCC president and CEO, Tim Daman. Wevehad a number o the Chambers past presidentsinvolved in the planning process, which will helpus recognize the history o the Chamber and itsrole in making this region great.

Prformnc brings wrds

Dividends are paid based on your groups overallloss perormance, rewarding you or your saetymanagement. To help you create a sae workenvironment, Accident Fund Insurance Company

o America provides you with tools you can useto reduce losses. Contact the Lansing RegionalChamber at 517-487-6340 or more inormationon the Accident Fund Workers CompensationDividend Program.

Heidi Brumbach,CMP, CTA oTechnisch Creative

(ormally knownas Event Depot)has been namedthe 2012 AthenaP o w e r L i n k recipient.

Athena PowerLinkis a businessmentoring program

designed to increase the growth and proftabilityo women-owned businesses. As the 2012recipient, Heidi will receive ongoing mentoringrom a panel o volunteers that will advise her onimportant issues specifc to her business with thegoal o increasing the development and successo her business.

Technisch Creative is an award-winningevent management and production company

headquartered in East Lansing. The companyprovides a variety o event management, technicaldirection and creative design to corporations,associations, government and charitableorganizations.

Lansing Regional Chambers 100th Annual Dinner Set or

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Accident Fund Group Beneft Program:

Giving You More or Your Money

Heidi Brumbach

Named 2012 Athena

PowerLink RecipientWorkers compensation costs can oten be aburden to small-business owners. To help relievesome o that burden, Accident Fund InsuranceCompany o America created i ts Group Program.As a group member, Lansing Regional Chamber

members can save money and still get great workers compensation insurance or youremployees.

When you belong to an Accident Fund GroupProgram, your business can expect the ollowingbenefts:

5% up-ront savings on your premium

Opportunity or dividend payments based upon

the entire groups loss history

Access to saety materials through our LossPrevention Tool BoxTM

General underwriting guidelines apply.

vings itout cric

As an Accident Fund Group member, you receivethe most competitive rates available withoutsacrifcing quality, compassion or competence

on your workers compensation claims. Anaverage dividend return o 7.4% has resulted in$34 million in dividends to policyholders since1995.

Membership

Focus.December.2011

Two o the regions most prestigious businessawards will be presented as a part o the AnnualDinner estivities. The Chamber is solicitingnominations or the Outstanding Small Businessand Community Service awards. Completed

nominations must be received by 5:00 p.m.on Friday, January 13. Inormation about thenomination process can be ound at www.lansingchamber.org, or by calling the Chamberat 517-487-6340.

Lyman & Sheets Insurance Agency was amongthe Chamber members that received a dividendpayout rom the Accident Fund Workers Compen-sation program. Picture l-r: Tony DeLuca (LRCC),

Matt Waligorski, Cynthia Eiseler (LRCC), DaveDrayton, Del Dreja and Peter DeWan.


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The Lansing Regional Chamber o Commerce(LRCC) has called on Lansing City Council to putan end to its history o infghting and bickeringand begin a new era o collaboration with anemphasis on improving relations with Mayor VirgBernero. Though City Council incumbents CarolWood and Derrick Quinney won reelection to ofce,newcomers Rory Neuner and Thomas Stewart madeextremely strong showings at the polls, whichChamber ofcials say reect a level o voter unrestwith politics as usual in Lansing City Hall.

We knew it would be an uphill battle or Rory andTom, given they had zero name recognition goingagainst two well established incumbents, said TimDaman, LRCC President and CEO. The act theyboth received so many votes urther underscoresthat voters are tired o the dysunction at LansingCity Council and want to see a more conciliatoryand cooperative approach in the uture.

Chamber ofcials expressed a desire to join together with Lansing City Council and Mayor Bernero toidentiy and support important policy initiatives thatwill lead to growth and investment in the City, andhelp the region grow.

Lansing Chamber Urges Lansing City Council to Begin

a New Era o Collaboration and Improved Relations

Advocacy

Focus.December.2011

We should all recognize that this election haschanged the dialogue in Lansing and everyoneinvolved needs to approach the uture with awillingness to put the interests o the region frst andend the negative partisan bickering, said KristinBeltzer, LRCC senior vice president or governmentrelations and public policy. The Chamber willcontinue to aggressively participate in these policydiscussions and we look orward to working with allour elected ofcials in that process.

City Council President ALynne Robinson, whowas supported by the Lansing Regional Chamber,was reelected in the Third Ward. LRCC endorsed

candidates Nicole Armbruster and Peter Spadaorewere elected to the Lansing School Board.

Celebrating the grand opening o XIAO China Grille & Loungeat 3415 East Saginaw in Lansing are: Diane Sanborn (LRCC),Teri Beard (LRCC), Jane Mitchell (LRCC), Tim Daman (LRCC),Frank Cheng, Michelle Cheng, Patrick Hurst and John Creighton.

Cutting the RibbonThe Lansing Regional Chamber o Commerceis proud to congratulate three members ontheir recent grand openings. Ribbon cuttingceremonies were held at Zoe Lie Spa & Salon,Goodwill Industries and XIAO China Grille &Lounge.

Celebrating the grand openingo Zoe Lie Spa & Salon at

6452 Millennium Dr., Lansingl-r: Row 1- Paige Emmons,

Reneee DeMarco, Molly

Stebbins, Wendy Bradley, ToddBradley, Ginger Wit tman and

Anthony Latunski (LRCC). Row2- Matthew Smith, Rebecca

Street, Tiany Clementin,Saundra Hawkins, Gloria

Murchison and John Hawkins.

Celebrating their grandopening o the GoodwillIndustries Store at 5353 W.Saginaw Highway are; JamiPoehlman, Erin Kusche,Will Ingram, Kevin DWondt,Ken Bauer, Shar Systma,Sue Burdick, Mark Petersand Terri Bidelman


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InternationalTrade

Focus.December.2011

Laura Dierlein hasbeen hired by theMichigan EconomicD e v e l o p m e n t Corporation (MEDC)to serve as a ull-

time internationaltrade manager. She will be overseeingthe central Michigansection o MEDCsnew Pure Michigan

STEP program (State Trade and Export Promotion), which is designed to help companies start orimprove exporting activities and eliminate barriers

or entering oreign markets. Laura will be basedat the Lansing Regional Chamber o Commerce(LRCC), and serve the 19 county Central RegionalExport Network (REN). Last month, MEDC namedthe Lansing Chamber as host organization orthe Central Michigan portion o the new statewide

exporting initiative.

Laura brings twenty years o marketing andinternational business experience including 11years o product sourcing with APAC countries andCanada. Ater working with New Bright Industries(Wixom), Colorbok Paper Products (Dexter), andLeonardo, Inc (Ann Arbor), Laura acted as thepresident and general manager o Tale Feathers, Inc.(New Hudson) on behal o a Chinese partnership.

International Trade Manager To Work With LansingRegional Chamber on State Exporting Initiative

Fathy Shetiah, ounder o 7C Lingo located in Lansing,also made the trip, The trip was an adventure and atremendous value. Amazing scenery and history tobe seen, the ood was great and the hotels wereantastic.

The cost o the trip or double occupancy will bepriced at $2,990 or less, and include airare romLansing, hotel accommodations, 17 meals, andtours. The Chamber will also arrange to have multipleinternational business experts talk with travelersabout doing business in China. Additionally, 7C Lingo

will acilitate cultural tutoring sessions which will beavailable or those that register or the trip. Travelers

will be matched with Chinese MSU students to learnabout Chinese culture and customs, dos and donts,etiquette when doing business and eating meals,and some basic Chinese words to use while there.Details will be announced and posted on the Chamber

website soon!

In September 2012, the Lansing Regional Chamber oCommerce plans to host a trip to China to providemembers exposure to the culture and market. Whilenot a ormal trade mission, the trip will providetravelers with a strong sense o the businessopportunities that exist in China. The trip will include

stops in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou withguided tours o the Great Wall o China, The ForbiddenCity, Temple o the Heavens, Tiananmen Square,West Lake, actories where green tea, pearls, jade,and other Chinese products are made, in addition toother sites and tours.

Details are being fnalized, but a team o executivesrom the Greater Lansing region recently returnedrom China which allowed them to scout out thebest possibilities or next years venture.

The trip was just amazing, more than I could haveever imagined, said Brent Case, LRCC vice presidento international services.

A trip highlight wasthe awe inspiring

scene at the GreatWall o China.

2012 China Trip Planned or Chamber Members

Laura then began ocusing on import and exportcompliance and international logistics and spent10 years with FedEx Trade Networks Transport &Brokerage in operations and account managementor Michigan and Ontario.

A graduate o Central Michigan University, Lauraworked 2 years as vice-president o the CMU AlumniAssociation in Metro Detroit. Having volunteered ornearly 10 years with Big Brothers & Big Sisters,Mentors Plus o Oakland County, and assisted witha Hurricane Katrina rebuild project, she supportshands-on civic responsibility.

Learn more about the STEP (State Trade & ExportPromotion) program at http://lansingchamber.org/

international-trade.

Photo taken romTiananmen Square othe entrance to theForbidden City withGeneral Maos photo.

The Lansingdelegation ollowing

a tutoring session onChinese meal etiquetteat EveryDay ChineseRestaurant in EastLansing. Picture l-r:Brent Case (LRCC),Fathy Shetiah (7CLingo), Pan Li (MSU),Yuan Gao (MSU),Nicole Lapworth (7C),Lin Gao (MSU)


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Attorney brittny Cmpll has joined the Gllgr Lw Firm with ofces in Lansing, Detroit,Grand Rapids and Mt. Pleasant.Ms. Campbell will ocus her prac-tice on representing lenders and

corporate clients in litigation and regulatory matters.

tvntg Mrkting has recently announcedthat or every new Facebook Like and Twitter Fol-lower o the Every Child Is Yours initiative, the EastLansing-based marketing frm will donate a dimeto one Michigan charity that improves the lives ochildren.

Grtr Lnsing Convntion

nd isitors buru (GLCVB) ispleased to announce it has hiredamnd oy, Ca, as a sales

manager or the organization.

Clinton County economic allinc (CCEA)Executive Committee is pleased to announce theappointment o six new Executive Committeemembers to its Board o Directors. They are: DnCoss, city administrator, City o DeWitt; Dr. ynCunningm, superintendent, Ovid-Elsie AreaSchools; roy Fltmn, township superintendent,Bath Township; Dv vn, state specialist, com-

munity & economic programs, Michigan StateUniversity Extension; Mik Kttlwll, presidentand chie executive ofcer, Christman Construc-tors; Micl L, chairman, DeWitt DowntownDevelopment Association.

The local CPA and business advisory frm oManer

Costrisn is pleased to announce the addition oKristin Ltcw as the new director o adminis-tration.

Best Lawyershas named Drrlla. Lindmn o Frsr rilcockDvis & Dunlp, P.C. as theLansing Best Lawyers EmployeeBenefts (ERISA) Law Lawyer othe Year or 2012.

Two attorneys romthe Lansing ofceo Fostr, wift,Collins nd mit,

P.C. have beennamed Lawyer othe Year by Best

Lawyers, including Micl hrrison, or Media-tion and tv wn, or Banking and FinanceLaw.

Attorney Kt Ftknir o theGllgr Lw Firm, PLC attendedthe Rocky Mountain Mineral LawFoundation (RMMLF) oil and gasseminar in Colorado.

Mnr Costrisn is pleased to announce thatMrk Lockwitz, CPa, has been appointed to theboard o the Capital Area Humane Society andwill serve as a member o the fnance committee.

J.J. Mrini recently joined edg Prtnrsips asa student intern.

POPL NWS

Clrk Construction has announced the ollowingsta additions: Cndc Jons has been hired

as accounts payable administrator, KimrlyMcntyr will serve as project engineer, and oddPrkinsonwill serve as project superintendent.

Micign 2-1-1 has named Dvid eic as its newexecutive director, as o October 1, 2011.

allstt nsurnc Compnyagent Pm Curri was awardedthe Chairmans Conerence Award

or outstanding business achieve-ment.

edg Prtnrsips welcomes Mtt imon as anew graphic designer.

Divyknt b. Gndi, MD, FaC,

FC, has been appointed medicaldirector o cardiovascular thoracicsurgery atngm gionl Mdi-cl Cntr.

ort b. hugs, CL, CFC, LCF, LC oPrincipl Finncil Group in East Lansing hasbeen inducted into the Michigan Insurance Hallo Fame located at Olivet College. Hughes waschairman o the Lansing Regional Chamber oCommerce in 2005 and 2006.

MembersOn The Move

Focus.December.2011

Send your news to

Maeve MacDonaldat mmacdonald@

lansingchamber.org

KimberlyMcIntyre

Todd ParkinsonCandace Jones

MichaelHarrison

Steve Owen


9/12

9

COMPN NWS

The teams at work behind the construction o

the Lnsing bord of tr & Ligt (BWL) REOTown Plant Electric-Steam Generation Facilityare declaring a united ront to ensure the healthand saety o every worker on the project, withthe goal o having zero injuries or accidents. Micign ccuptionl fty nd hlt

administrtion (MIOSHA), the Micign Dprt-mnt of Licnsing nd gultory affirs (LARA)and Cristmn Compny together with theproject trade workers and contractors signed aormal partnership to ensure the advancement osaety on the project.

Among those celebrating the saety partnership, romront row center are Peter Lark, General Manager, Lansing Board o Water & Light; Doug Kalinowski, Director,Michigan Occupational Saety and Health Administration(MIOSHA) and Jay Smith, Senior Vice President,The Christman Company.

McLrn Mdicl Group announces the additionoholt Fmily Prctic to its organization o phy-sician practices.

The Great Lakes Health Inormation Exchange(GLHIE) has announced an agreement that wasadopted on October 17th to connect the Univr-sity of Micign hlt ystm (UMHS) to theGLHIE, extending the availability o electronicpatient health inormation across much o lowerMichigan and northern Ohio.

The Fift ird bnk Foundtion has granted the

Cpitl ar nitd y (CAUW) a $10,000corporate git.

Pulic Policy associts, nc. was one o 24Michigan frms to win the 2011 Alred P. SloanAward or Business Excellence in Workplace Flex-ibility, and one o just 12 that has been honoredeach o the past three years.

Okemos based building and commercial man-

agement company, M Commrcil, wasrecently assigned responsibility or leasing368,500-square-eet o ofce space primarily intwo high-profle ofce parks at Woodlands OfcePark in Okemos and Capitol Commerce Park inDelta Township.

Lmrt, edwrds & associts, nc. (LE&A),one o the Midwests leading public relations frmsand a top-15 IR frm nationally has acquiredAtlanta-based IR Squared, an investor relationsfrm with a roster o national public company cli-ents.

ngm gionl Mdicl Cntr has greatlyexpanded its minimally invasive robotic programor physicians and patients in the Greater Lan-sing area by upgrading their current platorm toinclude two o the most innovative da Vinci Sur-

gical Systems, as well as a ellowship-trainedcardiothoracic and robotic surgeon, Dr. Mom-md hssn.

Yo & Yo has been named one o the 2011Best Accounting Firms to Work for. The annu-al list o Best Accounting Firms is compiled byAccounting Todayand Best Companies Group.

Moor rospr Construction Compny has

recently achieved their 2011 Minority BusinessEnterprise Certifcate and is now afliated with theMichigan Minority Supplier Development Council(MMSDC).

Prompted by Jaxine Wintjens visit to a quilt dayat a local church on National Quilt Day, the staatFostr wift Collins nd mit completed sixquilts or the national Quilts o Valor program. Themission o the Quilts o Valor Foundation is to

cover ALL combat service members and veteranstouched by war with a comorting and healingQuilt o Valor.

Ford dealerships in seven counties are ensuringless ortunate mid-Michigan children will experi-ence a holiday with some cheer this year. Dealerswill collect local donations o unwrapped toys,books and clothes during the 8th Annual hppyholidys for higlds Kids campaign, orga-nized by WLNS TV6. The drive benefts more than500 local children ranging in age rom inant to18, served by Highfelds community servicesprograms.

Grt Lks Cristin Collg has ofcially bro-ken ground on The Knowles Learning Center,a $1.5 Million library/ofce acility which willexpand the capacity or learning on the Colleges

47-acre campus in Delta Township.

Consumrs enrgy will launch a series o year-

long events on December 6 to celebrate 125 years

o doing business in Michigan.

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10/12

10

Economic Club Closes the Year

With Annual Economic Outlook

Three Lansing Chamber Members

to Receive Support Under MEDC

Pilot Program

The Lansing Regional Chamber Economic Club will continue itstradition o ending the year with an economic outlook or thenext 12 months. Bloomberg senior economist RichardYamarone will present his 2012 economic orecast at theDecember Economic Club luncheon, held at the Kellogg Hotel

and Conerence Center rom 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. onThursday, December 15. Tickets are $40 or $300 or a table o eight.Registration inormation can be completed at www.lansingchamber.org. TheDecember Economic Club luncheon is sponsored by Comcast Business Class.

Three members o the Lansing Regional Chamber o Commerce are amongfty-our small and midsize companies rom around Michigan that have beenselected to receive business development support through the Pure MichiganBusiness Connect Economic Gardening Pilot Program being oered by theMichigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), according to MEDCCEO and President Michael A. Finney.

The goal o this program is to help these second-stage companies grow and

in turn, generate new private investment and create new jobs or Michigan,Finney said. The program is part o our toolkit or economic gardening thatsbuilt on Michigans broad asset base o strong corporate enterprises,innovative entrepreneurs and rich technology resources.

Lansing Regional Chamber members selected as par t o the pilot project are:KI Technologies, Niowave and LorAnn Oils.

The program will be administered through the Cassopolis-based EdwardLowe Foundation and will include our areas o support: strategy and

management; market research/competitive intelligence; Internet and socialmedia strategy; and geographical inormation systems to help identiypotential customers in other states.

The 54 companies were selected by an independent review board rom a poolo 108 nominees that were submitted by local economic developmentrepresentatives rom throughout Michigan. The companies were chosenbased on the type and size o the markets they serve, their growth potential,and their likelihood o beneftting rom the service.

Each companys CEO will be paired with a Strategic Research Team or a total

o 35 hours spread across all our members o the team. The team works withthe CEO to determine the specifc areas o need and then supplies the CEOwith relevant and actionable inormation about their competitors, markets andcustomers. Each company engagement is expected to take a total o two tothree weeks to complete

EconomicClub

Focus.December.2011

Neogen Corporation chairman and chie executive ofcer Jim Herber t will beamong the eatured speakers during what promises to be an outstanding2012 Lansing Economic Club series. Herberts presentation, scheduled orMarch 29, will highlight the Neogen success story, which has seen thecompany grow into an internationally recognized manuacturer o ood and

animal saety products.

The 2012 Economic Club series will kicko on January 12 with a presentationby Mark Lange and Penny Lewandowski o the Edward Lowe Foundation.Established in 1985, the Edward Lowe Foundation is a national nonproftorganization that supports entrepreneurial development through research,recognition and educational programs, which are delivered nationally throughentrepreneur support organizations. Other scheduled speakers in 2012include Catherine Creamer o Art Prize and Howdy Holmes, president andCEO o Chelsea Milling Co., (Jiy Mix).

The 2012 Economic Club schedule is nearing completion, and includes:

January 12 Speaker: Mark Lange, executive directorPenny Lewandowski, director o entrepreneurshipdevelopmentEdward Lowe Foundation

Sponsor: Rehmann

February 16 Speaker: Catherine Creamer, executive director, Art Prize

March 29 Speaker: Jim Herbert, chairman o the board and CEONeogen Corporation

April 19 Speaker: Howdy Holmes, president & CEOChelsea Milling Co. (Jiy Mix)

May 10 Regionalism Discussion and Dashboard

September 13 TBD

October 11 Healthcare Forum

November 17 Celebration o Regional Growth

December 13 Speaker: Mitch Stapley, chie fxed income ofcerFith Third Bancorp

Tickets or the Economic Club luncheon series can be ordered or the entireseason. Tickets are $40 per event or $300 or a table o eight. Tickets can bepurchased at www.lansingchamber.org. Economic Club luncheons are heldrom 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Michigan State University Kellogg Hoteland Conerence Center.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available or the 2012 Economic Clubseries. Please contact Michelle Rahl, Director o Events and Programming, at517.853.6457 or [email protected].

2012 Economic Club Promises

Impressive Speaker Lineup


11/12

ChamberIn Action

Focus.December.2011

The sixth annual Celebration of

Regional Growth on November 10

honored four businesses for their

signicant community investments.

More than 400 people attended

the event at the Kellogg Center.

Celebration of Regional Growth

Congratulations to our 2011

Celebration honorees:

Air Lift Company(International Trade Award)

Biggby Coffee

Dowding IndustriesGillespie Group

Thanks to the sponsors o the Celebration of Regional Growth

Gillespie Group was also a proud Celebrationhonoree. Picture l-r: Tim Salisbury (PNC),Tim Daman (LRCC), Rachel Michaud(Gillespie) and Jack Davis (Loomis)

From Dowding Industries: Christine Dowding-Mettsand Je Metts

Celebration o Regional Growth recipients, l-r: Je Metts(Dowding Industries), Kevin Mehigh (Airlit Company),Rachel Michaud (Gillespie Group), and Bob Fish (Biggby Coee).

Biggby Coee recipients: Bob Fish,Mary Roszel and Mike McFall

Proud Airlit employees at theCelebration o Regional Growth

include: Tony Signorelli (Expeditors),Josh Coombs, Dale Ward, Kevin

Mehigh, Heather Harrold,Brian Berry and Larry Finney.


12/12

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