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May 2015
Connecting the Chamber with
members in a monthly news source.
Connections
The President’s Perspective
Where do we go from here?
Over the last several months much has happened with the St. Joseph
School District, much of it positive, some of it not. In a Chamber newsletter a couple of months ago I made the comment, “who will provide the
leadership necessary to move the School District forward?” I believe we are
in fact seeing leadership stepping forward with the actions of the Board, the
many people anxious to throw their name in the hat for the vacant School
Board position, the recently appointed new member of the Board, and the
remaining administrators committed to making things right. All are positive
steps forward. But is it enough? Most in the community would say no, and
many would say not nearly enough. So where do we go from here?
In my discussions with many business people in St. Joseph, there is very
real concern about the long-term impact on the education of students. The
truth is the product coming out of the schools today is good, but if we do
not keep our focus on the real job of the district, education, this can quickly
change. Business people see the problems of the School Board and administration and view this as a short-term problem to get fixed. As one executive
told me, these are the types of challenges business leaders at times must
deal with. This is not to understate the challenges ahead, but it is nearly
to emphasize that leadership and management problems will get fixed.
In fixing them, we must keep in mind that the long-term goal must be to
continue to improve the education of young people in our community. We
may think we have a problem now, but what
would happen if student achievement suffered, high school graduation rates declined,
and our future workers could not fill the jobs
we have to offer in St. Joseph? You do not
have to look any further than the Kansas City,
Mo., School District to see what this impact
looks like on a community. In the short term,
there is much to be done and I applaud the
Board and administration for beginning to take
R. Patt Lilly
the steps necessary to address the challenges
President
& CEO
facing the district. But let’s not lose sight of
the most important goal and that is educating students. It will take time to rebuild the administration and regain the
trust of people. The community will need to be patient, but as the process
continues, we must realize that in spite of all that has been said and written,
creating better educational opportunities for our children must be our focus
for the future.
One last comment: the next time you see a teacher, counselor, or
principal, please say thank you. They are doing great work under difficult
circumstances.
400 Attend Largest Area Career Fair
The St. Joseph Employment Coalition, in which the St. Joseph Chamber
of Commerce participates, held its annual career fair on April 7. This is the
largest career fair in Northwest Missouri.
About 400 job seekers participated in the fair this year, which is down
from years past. This speaks to St. Joseph’s low unemployment rate.
However, the group that attended were well-prepared and engaging with
employers, who said they received leads from the event.
This year the fair opened early for high school students who will enter
the workforce directly after graduation. About 30 students participated
and learned what to expect when they start applying for real, full-time
positions, in about a month. St. Joseph high school guidance counselors
screened students to determine those who were not going to college or a
technical school afer graduation.
New Members
The following businesses and individuals have been approved for membership in the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce:
Kiwanis Club of St. Joseph
Brewer’s BBQ
Floyd Jeppesen
3009 Bristol (06)
(816) 351-9609
[email protected]
Jim Brewer
4909 King Hill Ave. (04)
(816) 262-6108
[email protected]
Stetson Outlet Store
AFLAC -- Travis Timmons
community organizations
Mary Ellis
3601 S. Leonard Road (03)
(816) 233-8031
[email protected]
RETAIL
Angels 4 Care
food service
707 N. Sixth Terrace
Savannah, MO 64485
(816) 273-4204
[email protected]
www.aflac.com
insurance
Beverly Denton
518 Felix St. (01)
(816) 261-6719
[email protected]
Steve Sewell Speaker/Educator
Pronto Cafe
education
HOME HEALTH CARE
Amber Lehmer
2513 Frederick Ave. (06)
(816) 752-5311
[email protected]
restaurants
catering
Steve Sewell
4513 Iris Ave. (03)
(816) 262-9066
[email protected]
www.stevensewell.me
National Day of Prayer Committee
Clark Hampton
P.O. Box 8622 (08)
(816) 271-4640
[email protected]
www.stjoendp.com
community organizations
www.saintjoseph.com (816) 232-4461 [email protected]
Clear View Insurance Specialists
Tyson Clark
1307 Village Drive (06)
(816) 232-7400
[email protected]
www.clearviewinsure.com
insurance
Strategic Service LLC
Kevin McWilliams
P.O. Box 392 (02)
(816) 261-7766
[email protected]
www.strategicservice.us
mechanical contractors
Bargain Barn
Russ Carver
8406 S. U.S. Highway 59 (04)
(816) 238-5946
flea market
Malotte-Miller Consulting, LLC
Karla Malotte-Miller
5309 S. 22nd St. (03)
(816) 596-0219
[email protected]
janitorial & maid service
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May Calendar
All members, employees and guests are invited to attend events. Call the Chamber for any dietary needs.
Lunch&Learn
Seminar
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Lunch by Lin
Presented by CliftonLarsonAllen
HR Skills for the Non-HR Professional -- Learn about issues in human resources like performance reviews,
employee terminations, employment laws and correctly classifying employees. Understand what to do, and
not to do, when supervising employees. This will be presented by Kamara Roach, SBG Midwest
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DIPLOMATS CLUB Breakfast
Presented by Mosaic Life Care
The Diplomats Club is a fun group that provides opportunities to promote your
business and serve as a link between the Chamber and the community. Join them
for their monthly meeting!
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PARTIES ON THE PARKWAY
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BUSINESS after HOURS
21
21
Tuesday, May 12
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., $10
St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce
3003 Frederick Ave.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:
816/232-4461or
www.saintjoseph.com
Thursday, May 14
7:15 to 8:30 a.m., $5
Breakfast provided
Pappy’s Grill & Pub
2501 Messanie St.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:
816/232-4461 or www.saintjoseph.com
Thursday, May 14
Join us for Parties on the Parkway! These events are open to the public and allow those who attend to enjoy
food, drinks, live music and St. Joseph’s incredible Parkway system. Food and beverages are available for
purchase. No alcoholic beverages may be brought into the event. Please bring your own lawn chair or blanket.
Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Park. The band will be Missouri Detour.
5 to 8 p.m., FREE
S.W. Parkway and King Hill Drive
(Rain date: May 21)
Tuesday, May 19
5 to 7 p.m., Free
Presented by Altec Industries, Inc.
Please join us for your monthly chance to meet your next client at this business to business
networking event. All Chamber members are invited. Food and drink provided. Bring your
business cards and meet some new people in St. Joseph’s business community.
Spring Chairman’s Breakfast
Hosted by Aramark
Spratt 214,
Missouri Western State University
4525 Downs Drive
Thursday, May 21
7:30 to 9 a.m., $25
Presented by American Family Insurance
Holiday Inn
102 S. Third St.
John Murphy, Vice President in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Trade Division, will be the guest speaker at this, one of the
Chamber’s main speaking events of the year.
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:
816/232-4461 or www.saintjoseph.com
Thursday, May 21
11:30 to 1 p.m., $10
Presented by Altec Industries, Inc.
Join LEAD (Leaders Engaging And Developing) for its monthly meeting. This group of
young leaders in the business community meet monthly for professional development
purposes. This month’s program will be conflict resolution, taught by Dan Nowalk.
St. Jo Frontier Casino
777 Winners Circle
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:
816/232-4461 or www.saintjoseph.com
Mark your calendars now, and confirm your reservation one week prior to the event. Reservations must be cancelled 24 hours in advance to avoid charges.
For more information, call 816/232-4461. CREDIT CARD RESERVATIONS CAN BE MADE ONLINE, www.saintjoseph.com
The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce encourages you to visit its website designed to help small business owners. The Small Business Resource
Center, www.stjosephsmallbusiness.com, provides a wealth of information about a variety of subjects that affect your small business. This can
range from financing and planning to sales, marketing and insurance. Whether you’re just starting a business or you’ve been in business for a while,
there are lots of decisions to make. With the Small Business Resource Center, you will have combined years of experience, proven strategies, and
knowledge for success at your fingertips. The site is presented by American Family Insurance. Please check it out today for articles like:
The Benefits of Shopping Local
Make Your Best Impression
Delegate Now
Small Business Technology Tools You Must
Have for Success
Social Media Shake-Up
The Art of Appreciation: How to Keep it
Alive in the Workplace
Speed Dating Comes to the Business World
And see profiles on Chamber member
businesses:
B.J. Office Products
St.Joe Web
Susan J. Campbell Copywriting Solutions
Apple Market
UNUSED OR UNWANTED GRAVE?
We are proud to introduce the solution
for unused or unwanted graves at
Memorial Park & Mount Auburn.
Visit www.StJoeCemetery.com for more info.
Call today: Memorial Park
816-233-2526 or Mount Auburn 816-232-5191