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Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership December 7, 2011
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:15 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Ethen Johnson of Superior National Bank was introduced. Directors present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Laurie Sterbenz, Lois Kemppainen, Tim Brennan Directors absent: Nick Lindemann, Will Ross, Brian Baccus, Gregg Nominelli, Candy Kanniainen General Members and others present: Karen Ross De Kleyn, Ron Miaso, Ethen Johnson, Scott Byrnes, Lisa Kotler Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Debbie Stouffer, supported by Lois Kemppainen, minutes of the October 5, 2011 meeting were accepted. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Lois Kemppainen gave the Treasurer’s Report and a handout summarizing the account beginning 8/31/11. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance on 10/31/11 of $4,299.96 with $45.00 in deposits and a balance of $4,344.96 on 12/5/11. A motion was made by Debbie Stouffer, with support by Tim Brennan, to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented. Approved. Community Events · Business after Hours – The Human Resource Issues for Small Business series will resume on Thursday, January 5th, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the BCMH Conference Center. This segment will focus on Recruitment and Selection of Employees. · The annual dinner will be held on Saturday, January 28th at the Lakeside. Several ideas were suggested for guest speakers. Debbie will contact Buck Lavasseur (Discovering) and Karl Bohnak (Weather) of TV6 News to see if either are available. Economic Development
Mark introduced Scott Byrnes, Manufacturing Consultant, and Lisa Kotler, Senior Commercial Lender, of Northern Initiatives. Lisa gave a presentation that included a detailed overview of Northern Initiative Lending Services. She explained that fifty percent of NI’s loans are given to start-ups and may be from $500-500,000, but average around $50,000. In 2011, the staff of 12 people which covers Upper Michigan and northern Lower Michigan created 40 new loans totaling $3,000,000. Lisa stressed that Northern Initiatives is a gap financer which works to compliment community banks. Loan applications for $50,000 or less may be filled out online; anything over that must be a paper application.
Scott highlighted the Northern Initiatives Business Advancement Center. The Center, which is currently has a staff of three plus six Northern Michigan University student interns, provides Northern Initiative’s clients with support in key areas of business management including QuickBooks training, financial counseling, marketing, e-commerce, social networking, and manufacturing consulting. Profit Mastery Financial Training Workshops teach participants to track, manage and report their cash flow and profit.
More information is available at niupnorth.org.
Mark attended a meeting about Economic Development sponsored by the Sirolli Institute in November. Baraga and Marquette community groups were invited by Rio Tinto, NMU and Michigan Works to participate in a conversation about entrepreneurship and job growth that can come with new mining activity. Chamber Marketing/Communications There is room for another picture or two in the new brochure. Membership Drive Danielson Contracting is a new member of the Chamber. There are now 62 members with 5 unpaid members in 2011. Old Business There was no old business. New Business The Baraga Volunteer Fire Department requested a donation for their annual children’s Christmas party. On a motion by Tim Brennan, with support by Laurie Sterbenz, the requested donation will be made. Approved. On a motion by Debbie Stouffer, supported by Tim Brennan, the Chamber will renew its KEDA membership in 2012. Approved. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, January 4th, 2012 at 8 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Mark adjourned the meeting at 9:58 a.m. on a motion by Debbie Stouffer.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership October 5, 2011
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:05 am on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Guests, Tim Zwickey and Faye Lozier from Baraga County Memorial Hospital, and Scott Raffaelli of Pettibone were introduced. Directors present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Candy Kanniainen, Lois Kemppainen Directors absent: Laurie Sterbenz, Nick Lindemann, Tim Brennan, Will Ross, Brian Baccus, Gregg Nominelli General Members and others present: Tim Zwickey, Faye Lozier, Bonnie Dompier, Karen Ross De Kleyn, Scott Raffaelli, Lisa Risku, Ron Miaso Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Debbie Stouffer, supported by Candy Kanniainen, minutes of the September 7, 2011 meeting were accepted. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Lois Kemppainen gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance as of 8/30/11 of $1,768.44 with expenses of $233.26 and a balance on 9/30/11 of $1,535.18. Lois will prepare a spread sheet of income and expenses for the next meeting. After further review, a revised Treasurer’s Report will be presented at the next meeting. A motion was made by Candy Kanniainen, with support by Debbie Stouffer to accept the Treasurer’s Report as presented. Approved. Community Events · Faye Lozier reported on the golf tournament. The volunteers who supported the event are prepared to organize the tournament for next year. Faye is looking for additional assistance from Chamber members in recruiting players and soliciting donations for the tournament. · Business after Hours workshop series will be held 11/1/11, 12/1/11, and 1/12/12 with Holly Peoples of MI Works presenting on the topic of Human Resources for Small Business. Faye will check if the BCMH Conference Center is available for the events. · Michigan Tech Entrepreneur Club event is happening without Chamber. It will be held at Michigan Tech.
Economic Development · Ron Miaso presented survey to be distributed to all participants in the Collaboration meeting. He also shared his regional vision in a meeting held on September 27th with Mark and Debbie. He will contact Kim Stoker of WUPDR to request his input on the steering committee idea.
Chamber Marketing/communications · Betsy O’Leary of Graphic Creativity’s proposal for preparation of flier for Business after Hours and the Chamber informational brochure was $325.00. Costs from Homestead Graphics to print 500 brochures are $215 or $225 for 1,000 brochures. Motion by Candy to look for sponsors for the Chamber brochure for the costs of preparation and printing and hire Betsy for her services, as well as print 1,000 copies of the informational brochure, support by Lois. Motion approved with an opposed vote by Karen De Kleyn. · CVB is getting quotes for electronic signs to be controlled by the Visitor’s Center with either 2 or 3 signs as the goal. Mark will follow up. Membership Drive · Two new members – Auto Pro Glass and Cue Master. 62 members with 8 unpaid members. We will add to December agenda membership strategies for 2012. Old Business · Welding Training New Business · Superior Rally is the weekend of October 15th. Volunteers are needed. · Regional skills alliance in Escanaba. Baraga County needs an executive committee to form a comparable entity locally, involving business, MI Works, and educational institutions. Holly Peoples will be invited to coordinate, with Ron and Scott to participate. Bob Eslinger from Northern Michigan University will be asked to participate. Ron will follow up. · Lisa Risku has a new job at CertainTeed in plant administration · Pettibone is doing well, according to Scott. They expect to begin shipping 10/7/11. They have done a fair amount of hiring. · Candy reported on the status of Covington Rest Home, its closure and plans for assisted living facility. · Tim asked to speak at the next meeting on the status of the Baraga County Memorial Hospital. The County no longer owns the hospital. It is now a critical access hospital. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday November 2nd, 2011 at 8 am at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment at 9:30 am. Motion by Lois, support by Candy. Approved. Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership September 7, 2011 Minutes The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 7, 2011, at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call: Directors present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Laurie Sterbenz, Lois Kemppainen Directors absent: Will Ross, Brian Baccus, Gregg Nominelli, Tim Brennan, Nick Lindemann, Candy Kannianen General Membership and others present: Karen Ross De Kleyn, Kevin Manninen, Ron Miaso, Julie Melchiori Mark Massicotte introduced Julie Mechiori, Iron County Extension Director (MSU) and Economic Development Director. Julie described her role in District 1 which includes the nine counties of Keweenaw, Houghton, Baraga, Ontonagon, Iron, Gogebic, Menominee, Marquette, and Dickinson. Part of that role is product center counselor, someone who guides clients in taking a product from an idea to store shelves. She also mentioned that the successful Broad Street Market will be moving to Saturdays, 4 to 7 p.m., beginning September 17th. Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Lois Kemppainen, supported by Debbie Stouffer, minutes of the August 3, 2011 meeting were accepted. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Lois Kemppainen gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in August of $4,200.61 and an ending balance of $1,768.44. A motion was made by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Lois Kemppainen, to accept the August 2011 Treasurer’s Report. Approved. Community Events
Economic Development
Mark thanked Kevin on behalf of the Chamber for all of his assistance as a key contributor during his short tenure with WUUPDR and wished him well.
Chamber Marketing/Communications Debbie Stouffer will ask graphic designer, Betsy O’Leary, if she is available to review the brochure before it goes to print. The door prize drawing will be discontinued as it did not increase attendance numbers which was the desired result. Membership Drive Karen Ross De Kleyn updated the group on progress of the 2011 membership drive. Fifty-two of sixty members have paid their dues for this year. Old Business The group decided it was unnecessary to submit a Revolving Loan Funds letter. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wed. Oct. 5th, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 10:25 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership August 3, 2011 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President Mark Massicotte at 8:05 a.m. on Wednesday August 3, 2011, at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. In attendance: Directors present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Brian Baccus, Willie Ross, Lois Kemppainen Directors absent: Laurie Sterbenz, Gregg Nominelli, Tim Brennan, Candy Kannianen, Nick Lindemann General Membership and guests present: Karen Ross De Kleyn, Kevin Manninen, Phil Musser, Scott Raffaelli Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Debbie Stouffer, supported by Lois Kemppainen, minutes of the July 6, 2011 meeting were accepted. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Lois Kemppainen gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in July of $5,081.71 and an ending balance of $4,200.61. Cash receipts from the Lake Trout Festival Fish Fry were $319.00, and the expenses were $218.32. A motion was made by Willie Ross, with a second by Debbie Stouffer to accept the July 2011 Treasurer’s Report. Approved. Motion by Debbie Stouffer to send a check to St. Vincent’s for $100 on behalf of the Chamber, Knights of Columbus, and American Legion from the net proceeds from the Lake Trout Fish Fry, with support by Lois Kemppainen. Approved. Community Events · Motorcycle Rally - Willie Ross had nothing to report. · Harley Run – Candy Kannianen was not in attendance. She will be asked for follow up. · Baraga County Fair – The panel board listing all Chamber members is being updated for the Fair. Karen will bring the board to the fair, decorate the table with balloons, and provide a cover letter inviting the public to future Chamber meetings. · Business After Hours – A three part series on Human Resources will be presented by Holly Peoples, Director of Business Services, MI Works – the Job Force Board. Workshops to be held from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm on Thursdays 11/3/11, 12/1/11, and 1/12/12 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. The series will be free for members of Ontonagon and Baraga County Chambers of Commerce. Otherwise, $10 per session or 3 sessions for $20. Time for networking and light snacks will be served. Input has been solicited from several local businesses for specific topics to be addressed. There will be no charge for Holly or materials, but some costs for the venue and advertising. · Keweenaw Chamber “Eggs and Issues” Breakfast – to be held on Thursday 8/14/2011. Mark will attend and report back. · Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Tournament – the tournament has been re-scheduled for Saturday September 3, 2011. Karen will ask Faye what format she thinks is most effective to follow up for additional participants. Karen will also let Faye know money is available. Motion by Brian Baccus, support by Willie Ross to make $2,000.00 available for the Golf Tournament if the money is needed up front. Approved. Karen will put an ad in the L’Anse Sentinel and fliers around town advertising the Golf outing. · E Fair – no progress yet. MTU students are driving the fair. Mark Massicotte will follow up. · Lake Trout Festival – the rules for those fishing in the tournament will be changed for next year, and all boaters will need to be in attendance on Friday night. Should multiple venues be considered to maximize the proceeds from the dinner event sponsored by the Chamber and K-C? Mark also challenged the Lake Trout Committee to determine the economic impact of the festival.
Economic Development
· Phil Musser of KEDA spoke to the upcoming consolidation of local Revolving Loan Funds. Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has taken a hard line on consolidation, and initially divided the UP into two pools. In 2010, they backed off due to a lack of authority. However, their intent now is to create one UP fund. Local groups have objections, and the status is unclear at this time. Both Northern Initiatives and Lake Superior Community Partnership have expressed interest in managing the underwriting with local resources being utilized to allocate funding. Discussion has also happened at the state level regarding the consolidation of planning regions. A letter from the Chamber will be sent in support of local control of Revolving Loan Funds.
According to Phil, Baraga County is in a good position to expand as Pettibone is moving into the Middle East. Good contacts are being made. Best results for economic growth are on a business to business level. The Smart Zone is not likely to expand into Baraga County.
· Scott Raffaelli, General Manager of Pettibone shared an update on Pettibone. They have been extremely busy, with 62 “swamp buggies” – petroleum exploration vehicles going to Iraq. Local suppliers are doing most of the fabrication work and painting. Pettibone has hired 10 employees since January, 2011.
· Kevin Manninen, WUPDR, spoke of the Uplink meeting which had a good response. The Bioenergy Opportunities for Landowners workshop held at MTU had 40 + UP landowners present and the possibilities of growing bio-fuels in the UP was discussed.
A workshop for the public on wood pellets is being considered. There have been serious inquiries from companies looking to come to the western UP to operate a pellet mill.
The entrepreneurial center at Michigan Works in L’Anse has customized options, as well as templates available for potential business owners to use. There have been no users of the center in L’Anse, yet. · Joint Chamber Meeting – to be held on Thursday August 25th at 5:30 pm at the Hardwood Steak House in Covington. Meeting is open to any and all interested parties.
Chamber Marketing/Communications
· Lois Kemppainen gave an update on the brochure being developed for marketing purposes. Karen is working on pictures for the brochure. The Chamber’s mission statement will be included in the brochure. In order to get discounts on health insurance, businesses need to be members of the Chamber. Membership forms were dropped off at Reliance Agency for that purpose.
· Phil Musser won the $25 gift certificate drawing.
Membership Drive 2011
Karen De Kleyn reported that 46 members have paid, and 13 members have not paid. Second notices were sent in July. Mark will speak to Unique Images about joining the Chamber. Notices were sent to Auto Pro and Tony’s per Debbie’s request.
New Business
A letter from Baraga County Convention and Visitors Bureau was circulated among the attendees. Follow up to be determined. Some discussion occurred about the Michigan Chamber organization and if we should look further into the offerings and benefits.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday September 7, 2011 at 8:00 am at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Adjournment
President Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 10:00 am.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership July 6, 2011 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 6, 2011, at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call:
Directors present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Laurie Sterbenz, Lois Kemppainen, Nick Lindemann, Candy Kannianen Directors absent: Will Ross, Brian Baccus, Gregg Nominelli, Tim Brennan General Membership and others present: Karen Ross De Kleyn, Kevin Manninen, Ron Miaso, Matt Huuki, State Representative.
State Representative, Matt Huuki who was invited to present to the chamber, was welcomed by the group. He discussed the motivation, evolution and eventual passing of House Bill 4746, a bill regarding mineral extraction that he initially introduced this spring. Afterward, he took questions from the group.
Mr. Huuki also requested a picture to represent Baraga County on a wall in his Lansing office.
The Chamber appreciated Representative Huuki’s time spent at the meeting in Baraga.
Prior Meeting Minutes
On a motion by Debbie Stouffer, supported by Lois Kemppainen, minutes of the June 1, 2011 meeting were accepted. Approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Lois Kemppainen gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in June of $5,597.49 and an ending balance of $5081.71. A motion was made by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Laurie Sterbenz, to accept the June 2011 Treasurer’s Report. Approved.
Community Events
Economic Development
The Entrepreneur Support Center is now open for business at the Michigan Works office in L’Anse. He asked for the Chamber’s support in promoting the Center so it is utilized and remains available to our community.
Kevin informed the group that the pellet market in Europe is “exploding” and he is aggressively seeking ways to take advantage of that. There will be a workshop on Bioenergy Opportunities for Landowners in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan from 6-8 p.m. on July 27th at MTU which will educate landowners on the possibilities of converting their idle farmlands to biofuel crops. He handed out a flier with further details about the workshop that is being sponsored by WUPPDR in partnership with MTU, White Pine Electric Power and the L’Anse Warden Electric Plant.
Kevin reported that a Japanese delegation of fourteen toured the Copper Country in June to explore local mining and the potential for future partnering. Greg Andrews from Governor Rick Snyder’s office was present for the mine tours and presentations that involved Michigan Tech’s SmartZone and WUPPDR.
Chamber Marketing/Communications
Debbie Stouffer distributed a letter from Ed Janisse of Eagle Radio, outlining an advertising opportunity for BCCC members. This will be included as one of the membership benefits on our website and brochure.
The brochure/website committee will meet again in July at the Courthouse in L’Anse and will report progress at the August meeting.
Ron Miaso of Western U.P. Michigan Works won the drawing for a $25 gift certificate from Chamber Member Baraga Marathon.
Membership Drive
Karen Ross De Kleyn updated the group on progress of the 2011 membership drive. Forty-two of fifty-nine members have paid their dues for this year.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wed. Aug. 3rd, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Adjournment
President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 9:58 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership June 1, 2011 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 1, 2011, at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Mark introduced guests Molly Belinski of W.U.P.P.D.R and Angie Foley of Superior Events and Expos.
Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call:
Directors present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Laurie Sterbenz, Lois Kemppainen, Tim Brennan, Candy Kannianen Directors absent: Nick Lindemann, Will Ross, Brian Baccus, Gregg Nominelli General Membership and others present: Karen Ross De Kleyn, Paul Stark, Kevin Manninen, Molly Belinski, Angie Foley, Bill Menge, Joseph O’Leary
Kevin Manninen presented the idea of setting up a “satellite” entrepreneur support center in Baraga County, similar to the Jutila Center in Hancock. An existing space would be identified where desks and internet accessible computers would available to prospective entrepreneurs as tools to help develop their new business ideas. An idea for a business would be submitted to Finlandia/SmartZone, and if this idea is selected, a workspace in the “incubator” would be granted for a one time fee of $50. Those selected would have to show progress in developing their idea into a business plan and would follow the same guidelines as the Hancock Center. Participants would also have access to regular workshops held in Hancock. Target to get a center underway is July 2011.
Kevin also reported that he, Mark Massicotte, Greg Nominelli and Lisa Risku were in attendance at the roundtable discussion at MTU which focused on how smaller regions can become more innovative and how doing so can promote economic development. This was held in May during a weeklong visit from European bioenergy experts (BIOCLUS) who are ultimately interested in innovation management.
Angie Foley, Superior Events and Expos, introduced herself to the group and gave some of her business background. She talked about recent Women’s Expos in Baraga, Ontonagon and Ironwood and reported that Baraga County had 31 vendors and 126 guests. She also pointed out that in Baraga the biggest participant age group was 56-65 as opposed to other areas where it is generally 26-45. The Baraga attendees who filled out a survey, reported that they heard about the expo by word of mouth rather than through the newspaper or ads. Angie sought input from the Chamber on ways to increase attendance. Laurie Sterbenz will serve as the point of contact for Angie.
Prior Meeting Minutes
On a motion by Debbie Stouffer, supported by Candy Kannianen, minutes of the April 6, 2011 meeting were accepted. Approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Lois Kemppainen gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in April of $4,027.91 and an ending balance of $5,563.73. The beginning balance in May was $5,563.73 with an ending balance of $5,597.49. A motion was made by Laurie Sterbenz, with a second by Debbie Stouffer, to accept the April and May 2011 Treasurer’s Reports. Approved.
Community Events
Economic Development
Chamber Marketing/Communications
Lois Kemppainen met with Homestead Graphics to get a quote for the Chamber’s new brochure. A motion was made by Debbie Stouffer with support from Candy Kannianen to approve the cost of setting up and printing a new Chamber brochure not to exceed $500. Approved.
The brochure/website committee will meet again at noon on Mon., June 6th at the Courthouse in L’Anse.
Paul Stark of the Baraga Telephone Company won a $25 gift certificate from the Hardwood Steakhouse in Covington.
Membership Drive
Karen Ross De Kleyn updated the group on progress of the 2011 membership drive. Thirty-nine members have paid so far this year and three new members have been added.
New Business
Tim Brennan handed out Lions Club Duck Race fliers (to be held during Baraga County Lake Trout Festival Fishing Tournament) which will help fund improvements to the Third Street Park in L’Anse.
Mark Massicotte announced that the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community will hold a free household hazardous and electronic waste collection at the Ojibwa Casino parking lot on June 4th.
Candy Kannainen has asked Harry Miron for information on the September ATV run.
Joseph O’Leary - Presentation
Mr. O’Leary gave a presentation aimed at the
future plans for the vacated hospital building. He
emphasized that the presentation is strictly informational, and is not intended
to advocate for one side or the other. It is meant to help Baraga County
residents make an informed decision when the issue will be decided by a special
election in August. He shared a video that outlined much of the Courthouse
history and structural condition as well as a “tour” of the soon to be vacated
hospital building. Mr. O’Leary distributed copies of the ballot and also copies of the “Feasibility Study on the Renovation of Baraga County Hospital for Courthouse Facility”, by the Courthouse Improvement Committee and Moyle, Inc. of Houghton.
Mr. O’Leary and Bill Menge then took questions from the audience. His presentation and time given to the Chamber was appreciated.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wed. July 6th, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Adjournment
President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 10:55 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership April 6, 2011 Minutes The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:08 a.m. on Wednesday, April 6, 2011, at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Mark introduced new member, Chad Brunet of Citizens Bank in L’Anse and Faye Lozier and Tim Zwickey from Baraga County Memorial Hospital. Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call: Directors present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Laurie Sterbenz, Nick Lindemann, Candy Kannianen Directors absent: Lois Kemppainen, Tim Brennan, Will Ross, Brian Baccus, Gregg Nominelli General Membership and others present: Karen Ross De Kleyn, Kevin Manninen, Lisa Risku, Chad Brunet, Ron Miaso, Tim Zwickey, and Faye Lozier. Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Candy Kanniainen, supported by Debbie Stouffer, minutes of the March 2, 2011 meeting were accepted. Approved. Treasurer’s Report There was no report due to the absence of Treasurer Lois Kemppainen. Community Events
Economic Development
-Offered his congratulations to Mark Massicotte and the L’Anse Manufacturing Team for being recognized as a Michigan’s Top 50 Companies to Watch company. -Encouraged everyone to invite others to join the Baraga County Economic Development Network Group on LinkedIn, with extra emphasis on those from outside the area. -Informed the group that the next KEDA meeting will include a presentation by the MTU School of Business on the impact of market leakage to surrounding areas like Marquette and Green Bay and on-line shopping. -Talked about a market study being done about growing biocrops on idle farmlands -Announced that during the week of May 9th, a group of Bioenergy experts from European countries will visit the Keweenaw. They will be benchmarking the Keweenaw as a smaller region in the Central U.S., focusing on innovation management. -Announced he is now on the FinnFest 2013 Board.
Chamber Marketing/Communications The committee that was formed last fall (website and brochure) needs to meet again. Good suggestions were given for the monthly drawing. Lisa Risku of Superior Suppliers Network won a $25 gift certificate from Irene’s Pizza in the monthly drawing. Membership Drive Karen Ross De Kleyn updated the group on progress of the 2011 membership drive. She will provide a monthly update. Mark Massicotte took a moment to talk about Michigan Tech’s Summer Youth Program, and scholarships for the program. Faye Lozier announced that the Grand Opening of the new Baraga County Memorial Hospital will be on May 24th, with the ribbon cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. Tours will be given from 3 to 7 p.m. Faye also encouraged everyone to attend upcoming public forums and open sessions the week of April 11th at the old hospital. She added that Tim Zwickey would be happy to provide presentations for future activities. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Laurie Sterbenz, with a second by Karen Ross De Kleyn. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 10:11 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership March 2, 2011 Minutes The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:07 a.m. on Wednesday, March 2, 2011, at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call: Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Laurie Sterbenz, Lois Kemppainen, Nick Lindemann, Gregg Nominelli, Candy Kannianen Directors Absent: Debbie Stouffer, Tim Brennan, Will Ross, Brian Baccus Others Present: Karen De Kleyn, Kevin Manninen, Lisa Risku, Chad Brunet Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Nick Lindemann, with a second by Karen De Kleyn, minutes of the February 2, 2011, were accepted. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn, acting on behalf of Treasurer Lois Kemppainen, gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance on Feb. 1, 2011 of $4,326.36 and an ending balance of $4,263.86. A motion was made by Candy Kanniainen, with a second by Laurie Sterbenz, to accept the February 2011 Treasurer’s Report. Approved. Karen also noted that there were 57 dues paying Chamber members in 2010. Community Events
Post Q1 2011:
Economic Development
The Ontonagon Paper Mill has been sold to American Iron and Metal for scrap, while the power plant and pulping section machines remain for sale. The internet workshops were attended by 17 organizations in Baraga and 26 in Ontonagon. Kevin and Laura Burke are now following up with one-on-one support, and are helping to get interested parties additional assistance.
The City of Hancock will be hosting FinnFest 2013. The event could attract between 5,000-10,000 participants.
The LinkedIn group, Baraga County Economic Development Network, continues to be an important resource for new contacts.
Several ideas were discussed including a coupon book, LinkedIn demo, and grouping attendees by business type to enhance networking opportunities.
Chamber Marketing/Communications The committee will continue to work on a comprehensive list of the advantages of belonging to the Chamber to be used as a recruitment tool. Membership Drive The target for 2011 will be 80 members. Karen De Kleyn will include the list of 2010 Chamber accomplishments with the membership drive mailing. More discussion was held on how to support recruitment. A motion was made by Lois Kemppainen, supported by Candy Kannianen, to offer a 50 percent 2011 membership dues discount for any current Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Member who successfully recruits a new member. Membership will be recognized at the time a completed registration form is submitted to the Treasurer. Approved. New Business Mark Massicotte welcomed guest Chad Brunet of Citizens Bank in L’Anse to the meeting. Discussion was held about awarding plaques or some other sort of item in the future that would be a visible statement of chamber membership. A drawing was held for the new monthly door prize program that rewards chamber members for attending the regular chamber meeting. Lois Kemppainen of ALK Contracting won a $25 gift certificate from the Hardwood Steakhouse in Covington, presented by Candy Kanniainen. A motion was made by Laurie Sterbenz, supported by Candy Kanniainen, to place a monthly ad in the L’Anse Sentinel announcing winners of the drawings. Approved. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Laurie Sterbenz, with a second by Candy Kanniainen. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 10:07 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership February 2, 2011 Minutes The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:16 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call: Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Laurie Sterbenz, Nick Lindemann Directors Absent: Candy Kannianen, Lois Kemppainen, Tim Brennan, Gregg Nominelli, Will Ross, Brian Baccus Others Present: Karen De Kleyn, Ron Miasco Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Nick Lindemann, amended minutes of the January 29, 2011, Annual Meeting were accepted. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance on January 28, 2011 of $4,847.36 and an ending balance of $4,326.36. A motion was made by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Nick Lindemann, to accept the partial January 2011 Treasurer’s Report. Approved. Community Events Target Q1 2011:
Post Q1 2011:
A motion was made by Mark Massicotte, with support by Debbie Stouffer, to pay stipends not to exceed $125 to workshop presenters based on distance traveled and time. Economic Development
Chamber Marketing/Communications The committee will continue to work on a comprehensive list of the advantages of belonging to the Chamber to be used as a recruitment tool. Membership Drive Roles and responsibilities of directors during the membership drive will be discussed in an upcoming meeting. Several incentives to increase membership and meeting participation were discussed. For example: free one year membership if member in attendance at an agreed upon number of regular meetings in that year. Old Business A new check was issued to the L’Anse Golf Course in the amount of $472.50 to replace a misplaced check. This amount was $27.50 less than the original check to cover the cancellation fee. New Business Mark Massicotte pointed out that the Chamber sponsored L’Anse Golf Tournament was only several months away. He encouraged the group to think of ways to increase participation by local businesses in the tournament The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Laurie Sterbenz, with a second by Debbie Stouffer. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 9:57 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting January 29, 2011 Minutes The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Mark welcomed everyone in the group. Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call of the Board members: Board Members Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Karen De Kleyn, Laurie Sterbenz, Brian Baccus, Tim Brennan, Nick Lindemann, Will Ross Board Members Absent: Lois Kemppainen, Gregg Nominelli A total of 22 people attended the annual meeting, including Board and Chamber Members and guests. Prior Meeting Minutes Nick Lindeman made a motion, with a second by Debbie Stouffer, to accept the minutes of the January 5, 2011, meeting. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in January of $5,130.26 and an ending balance of $4,847.36 as of this meeting date. A motion was made by Tim Brennan, with a second by Brian Baccus, to accept the January 2011 Treasurer’s Report. Approved. Karen also gave an overview of 2011 income and expenses and handed out a summary that gave details for years 2008-2010. Review of 2010 Accomplishments President, Mark Massicotte again welcomed members and thanked them for their participation in 2010. He reviewed highlights from a handout that listed 2010 Chamber achievements, Business After Hours events including the first ever Baraga County Collaboration Forum, and support of numerous community activities. Presentation of Donation to St. Vincent de Paul Society Before presenting the donation, Mark Massicotte shared some of our local “St. Vinnie’s” accomplishments. In 2010, 700 local families benefited by the $75,000 raised for basic survival needs such as utilities, food, and emergency transportation. 190 holiday food baskets were also provided for our elderly citizens in need. After listing numerous other services that the organization makes available to our community members, Mark presented a check in the amount of $250 to Gail and Russ Weisinger, who were representing St. Vincent de Paul. He explained that rather than awarding the customary large door prize to a Chamber member at the Annual Meeting, the group recognizes the deep need that our community is experiencing and chose to make the donation instead. The Weisingers accepted the donation and thanked the members for helping to make St. Vincent’s services possible. Plans for 2011 Mark also talked about plans for 2011, including a free workshop called Free Money for Local Businesses, to be held on February 23rd in L’Anse. He went on to talk about the upcoming EDC Entrepreneurial Fair and its significance to the community. He strongly emphasized the importance of attracting new members as well as engaging current members in order to share and find fresh ideas and new resources and asked for the help of those present in this endeavor. Guest Speaker Kevin Manninen, Regional Economic Coordinator for W.U.P.P.D.R., was the guest speaker. He shared his background and pointed out that he had spent the last fifteen years in Finland, focusing on the small business sector in Finland and Russia. Kevin indicated that the key to success for economic development in our region will be how well we foster the small business segment. He highlighted fundamental points of a report he prepared on job development across the U.P., with the most focus being on jobs created internally, rather than by large outside companies. He emphasized the importance of skilled trades development, encouragement of entrepreneurship and how our public school system could play a pivotal role in these efforts. Kevin talked about the need for Baraga County businesses to work smarter, not harder, by reaching out through the internet to increase sales beyond the region and told of upcoming free workshops that are structured to teach local business people to do just that. He said we have to learn to differentiate ourselves from other areas in order to be able to market our region more effectively. Our proximity to Northern Michigan University, Michigan Technological University and Finlandia University is one of our strongest advantages and should be promoted heavily. Kevin also talked of “thinking outside the box” and is trying to attract foreign investors. He is in close contact with the U.S. Embassy in Finland as well as the Governors Office and is investigating bioenergy and biomass production. He wrapped up his presentation by taking questions from the audience. Kevin’s attendance and presentation at the meeting are greatly appreciated. Election of Directors and Officers Attention was called to the candidate profiles for three Board of Director nominees, including Debbie Stouffer, Candy Kanniainen, and Tim Brennan. Additional nominations were called for, but none were given. A vote by secret ballot took place, to fill three Director positions. The three nominees were elected. Officer elections began with Debbie Stouffer nominating Mark Massicotte for President. For Vice President, Mark Massicotte nominated Debbie Stouffer. Tim Brennan nominated Laurie Sterbenz for Secretary and Debbie Stouffer nominated Lois Kemppainen for Treasurer. A single vote was taken to fill all officer positions and all four nominees were elected. It should be noted that Karen De Kleyn graciously volunteered to continue filling the duties of Treasurer until the position can be transitioned to Lois Kemppainen, hopefully in March. Mark Massicotte took the opportunity to thank Karen for her hard work, energy and the organization that she has brought to the Chamber over the past several years. He noted the many hours of detailed work that Karen provided, and credited her in helping to bring about the many successes that are currently being enjoyed. Installation of New Directors and Officers The new members of the Board of Directors and the newly elected Officers were installed, to be effective February 1, 2011. Prize Drawing The Baraga County Chamber of Commerce provided gift certificates as door prizes, which were purchased from Chamber members. Mark Massicotte reported the next meeting of the general membership and the Board of Directors will be Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 – 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Laurie Sterbenz, with a second by Tim Brennan. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership January 5, 2011 Minutes The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011, at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call: Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Karen De Kleyn, Laurie Sterbenz, Nick Lindemann, Brian Baccus. Directors Absent: Lois Kemppainen, Tim Brennan, Gregg Nominelli, Will Ross Others Present: Lisa Risku, Kevin Manninen, Ron Miaso, Tom Ross, Candy Kanniainen. Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Nick Lindemann, minutes of the December 1, 2010, meeting were accepted. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in December of $5,595.76 and a year end balance of $5,130.26. A motion was made by Nick Lindemann, with a second by Laurie Sterbenz, to accept the December 2010 Treasurer’s Report. Approved. Community Events Target Q1 2011:
Post Q1 2011:
Economic Development Kevin Manninen gave the group updates on projects and progress including a conversation he will be having in January with the Michigan Investment Fund. He, as well as members of the Superior Suppliers Network, will be heading to Escanaba in January for Marinette Marine Small Business Day, where they will learn how to become part of the supply chain that will build ten combat ships for the United States Navy. Kevin also distributed a flyer titled “Improving Your Business Through the Internet”. The Chamber will help promote the workshops which will be held in February according to the following schedule. Workshop 1: Creating and Maintaining an Effective Web Presence on a Budget, Feb. 15 at the Baraga Lakeside Inn or Feb. 16 at the Ewen High School. Workshop 2: Improving Sales Through Integrated E-Commerce & Social Networks, Feb. 22 at the Baraga Lakeside Inn or Feb. 23rd at the Ontonagon Area High School. Chambers of Commerce from Baraga and Ontonagon counties will participate in a joint meeting on January 13th at 6 p.m. at the Hardwood Steakhouse in Covington. The end of first quarter of 2011 is the target for the next Baraga County Collaboration Forum and will be discussed at the February meeting. Chamber Marketing/Communications The group discussed ways of drawing members to meetings. Emails that serve as reminders of upcoming meetings will be used to attract members by announcing door prizes in the subject line. A budget between $250-$300 will be used for this trial campaign to increase meeting participation. Candy Kanniainen pointed out that personal phone invitations may go a long way to increase attendance, and volunteered to undertake that effort. Membership Drive As a recruiting tool, the Chamber discussed granting new members free first year membership. Old Business The Annual Meeting and Directors/Officers elections will be held on Saturday, Jan. 29th at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Social Hour will be at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and speaker, Kevin Manninen, at 7 p.m. A $250 donation will be presented to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and gift certificates will be award as door prizes. Karen De Kleyn will contact St. Vincent’s to invite the manager to the dinner. Discussion was held about whether or not to hold a meeting in February due to the timing of the Annual Meeting. It was decided there will be a February meeting. Mark Massicotte presented a letter addressed to the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment Commission that he wrote as a concerned individual and business owner of Baraga County. The letter is in support of Michigan Animal Farmers, keeping jobs in Michigan, and particularly of the Hogan Land Improvement Company and their hog farm. The Chamber approved of Mark sending this form letter to the general membership, giving them the opportunity to forward the letter to the above organizations if they are also in support as concerned citizens, business owners or sport enthusiasts of Baraga County. New Business Candy Kanniainen thanked the BCCC on behalf of the Covington Parks and Recreation Association for support of the Covington Homes Christmas Decorating contest. There were twelve entries in the contest. Candy also offered information about the group called “Trails in Motion”. This is a growing group of volunteers who are creating trails in our community for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, jogging, biking, etc., as well as cleaning up existing trails. They are currently working on new trails in the L’Anse Township Park. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Brian Baccus, with a second by Debbie Stouffer. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 10 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership December 1, 2010 Minutes The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:08 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call: Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Karen De Kleyn, Laurie Sterbenz, Nick Lindemann, Will Ross Directors Absent: Lois Kemppainen, Tim Brennan, Gregg Nominelli, Brian Baccus Others Present: Kevin Manninen Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Will Ross, minutes of the November 3, 2010, meeting were accepted as amended. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in November of $6,214.63 and an ending balance of $5,595.76. A motion was made by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Nick Lindemann, to accept the November 2010 Treasurer’s Report. Approved. Community Events
Several ideas for upcoming Business After Hours were presented for discussion.
Economic Development Chambers of Commerce from Baraga and Ontonagon Counties will participate in a joint meeting in January at the Hardwood Steakhouse in Covington. Kevin Manninen will communicate a date to Debbie Stouffer. The end of first quarter of 2011 is the target for the next Baraga County Collaboration Forum. Kevin Manninen told the group about an upcoming seminar on December 8th at the L’Anse Michigan Works! office from 8 a.m. to noon. The seminar and video will cover social media and tools. There is also an E-Commerce Seminar planned for February. Kevin Manninen talked about the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the role it has in assisting Michigan’s existing businesses or those looking to relocate to Michigan. Donna LaCourt is the Director of Bioenergy Business Development with the MEDC and could play an important role in bring biomass technologies to the U.P. He also talked about biomass technology businesses in Finland and how he would like to attract them to manufacture in our area. Chamber Marketing/Communications As of this meeting, the LinkedIn Group, Baraga County Economic Development Network, has 31 members. Membership Drive 2010 ended with 57 paid members. Old Business Board of Directors nominations and elections will be held on January 29th, at the 2011 Annual Meeting. Discussion will be held on January 5th about whether or not to hold a meeting in February due to the timing of the Annual Meeting. New Business The group agreed to renew the KEDA $200 membership for 2011 on a motion by Karen De Kleyn, with a second by Will Ross. Approved. Discussion was held about a request from Hogan Land Improvement asking the Chamber to voice its opinion in support of their Russian pig farm. As a business owner in Baraga County, Mark Massicotte will construct a form letter that will be sent to Chamber members, asking that they forward the letter if they are in support of the pig farming. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Laurie Sterbenz, with a second by Will Ross. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 9:44 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership November 3, 2010 Minutes The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call: Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Karen De Kleyn, Laurie Sterbenz, Nick Lindemann, Lois Kemppainen, Brian Baccus. Directors Absent: Deb Stouffer, Will Ross, Tim Brennan, Gregg Nominelli, Others Present: Bob LaFave, Roy Kemppainen, Ron Miaso, Kevin Manninen Mark Massicotte introduced and welcomed Kevin Manninen, who has been hired by WUPPDR as the Business Support Specialist for Ontonagon and Baraga Counties. Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Lois Kemppainen, with a second by Laurie Sterbenz, minutes of the October 6, 2010, meeting were accepted. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in October of $6,313.99 and an ending balance of $6,214.63. A motion was made by Nick Lindemann, with a second by Lois Kemppainen, to accept the October 2010 Treasurer’s Report. Approved. Community Events Conversation was held on future Business After Hours. Ron Miaso, MichiganWorks, talked about the $330,000 training grant from the Michigan Department of Labor specifically awarded for displaced workers from Terex Handlers. The group discussed how the Chamber could be instrumental in involving local businesses. Other topics discussed included a tax abatement workshop and small business growth funding (Cathy Cole). Kevin Manninen pointed out value in tapping into the same groups who are putting on seminars in Houghton (SmartZone). · The Marketing Workshop led by Sandra Lytikainen on October 22nd was a success and well received. Plans were made for a follow-up roundtable, however due to conflicts Karen De Kleyn will reschedule. · Baraga County Women’s Expo – Karen De Kleyn reported on the Expo that was held on October 23rd. There were 30 local vendors and around 170 attendees. · L’Anse Christmas Holiday Events – Bob LaFave reported that Village of L’Anse will again be planning activities such as the Christmas tree decorating campaign, parade, Santa at the fire hall, etc. On a motion by Karen De Kleyn, with a second by Laurie Sterbenz, the L’Anse Christmas Holiday Events will once again be supported by the Chamber in the amount of $125.00. · Covington Home Christmas Decorating – Request from Candy Kanniainen for financial support and judges from the BCCC for the contest. Lois Kemppainen and Laurie Sterbenz volunteered to serve as judges. A motion was made by Karen De Kleyn, with a second by Nick Lindemann, to issue a check for $75.00 in support of the event. Approved. President Massicotte congratulated the Chamber on a successful year. Economic Development Discussion of a future Baraga County Collaboration Forum will be held in December. Chamber Marketing/Communications Lois Kemppainen has been in touch with Jim Koskinen at the Reliance Agency in L’Anse. Once the insurance falls into place, the information can be included in the BCCC brochure. Kevin Manninen discussed the importance of local businesses having internet visibility and his intention to facilitate a series of seminars and training. He also talked about the newly formed Baraga County Economic Development Network on LinkedIn. Interested persons will be able to connect with others interested and involved in the economic development of Baraga County. Karen De Kleyn will send an invitation to Chamber Members encouraging them to join the LinkedIn Network where they can join the Baraga County Economic Development Network group. She will also include instructions for joining. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, December 1st, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Karen De Kleyn, with a second by Laurie Sterbenz. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 10:05 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership October 6, 2010 Minutes The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn, following the Baraga County Collaboration Forum. Karen De Kleyn, Treasurer, took roll call: Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Karen De Kleyn, Will Ross, Lois Kemppainen, Tim Brennan, Gregg Nominelli, and Brian Baccus Directors Absent: Laurie Sterbenz, Nick Lindemann Others Present: Kevin Manninen, Candy Kanniainen, Lisa Risku Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Brian Baccus, with a second by Lois Kemppainen, minutes of the September 1, 2010, meeting were accepted. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report for September 2010. The Superior National Bank checking account had a September beginning balance of $6,606.97 and an ending balance of $6,313.99. Karen reported an outstanding check of $500 issued to the L’Anse Golf Course for the June golf tournament. She will follow up with Faye Lozier, golf tournament organizer, to determine why the check has not been cashed. A motion was made by Will Ross, with a second by Brian Baccus, to accept the September 2010 Treasurer’s Report. Approved. Community Events · Meet the Candidates- The “Meet the Candidates” event held on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at the American Legion Building in L’Anse was well-received, with approximately 52 people in attendance. Mark Massicotte commented this was a good collaboration effort between the Baraga County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Baraga County Chamber of Commerce, who co-sponsored the event. · Business After Hours - The Marketing Workshop with Sandra Lytikainen is being promoted through pamphlet distribution and Gregg Nominelli will send an invitation to those who attended the Entrepreneurial Fair held earlier this year, at the Ojibwa Community College. The workshop will be held on Friday, October 22, 2010 - 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. It is free to Chamber members, with a cost of $15 for non-members, which includes a networking lunch to follow the workshop. Will Ross suggested a roundtable¸ brainstorming format, where ideas could be shared, for a future Business After Hours event. · Women’s Expo – A Women’s Expo is scheduled for Saturday, October 23, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Big Bucks Bing Hall in Baraga. The Chamber is assisting Angie Foley, event coordinator, with advertising and promoting the event. The Chamber will have a table at the expo, with the three panel board being displayed, and membership forms available. · Christmas Holiday Program – L’Anse – Will Ross will look into whether there will be a Christmas holiday program/parade in L’Anse this year. Karen De Kleyn reminded the group of the donation made by the Chamber in the past, covering the cost of supplies for High School art students to decorate downtown retail shop windows. Economic Development · Board Collaboration – Debbie Stoffer reported she is planning to meet with Board members from the Ontonagon County Chamber of Commerce. · Baraga County Collaboration Forum - The Baraga County Collaboration Forum was held on Wednesday, October 6, 2010, just prior to this Chamber meeting, with 31 people in attendance, including community leaders, interested individuals, and the press (L’Anse Sentinel and Daily Mining Gazette). Kevin Manninen, the new Economic Development Coordinator for Baraga and Ontonagon Counties spoke to the group. His top priority is to bring jobs to the area. Mark Massicotte deemed the meeting a good start on collaborating – something to build on. Another forum will be scheduled for 2011. Karen De Kleyn will send a follow-up e-mail to attendees, asking for continued input and ideas on improving the welfare of Baraga County and ways in which the Chamber can assist its members and area businesses. Candy Kanniainen suggested the Chamber work with its smallest business members, to help them establish web sites and link them to the Chamber web site; possibly picking ten businesses at a time to focus on assisting. Chamber Marketing/Communications · Web Site – Lois Kemppainen reported on the web site committee meeting held on Thursday, September 23, 2010. Although the committee found the existing web site to be more functional than expected, a joint web site with Baraga County will be pursued. Currently, the County is still accepting bids for developing a new web site, so it may be some time before a joint web site can be accomplished. In the meantime, the Chamber will consider some improvements to its own web site. Lois Kemppainen will look into this. Ideas on who to contact include Edwards Media (a local company),a local high school student, and Keith Almli (a local technical resource). The committee viewed the web site for the Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. It was noted Eagle Radio provides some free advertising for new members of that Chamber, as shown on the web site. The group thought something similar for Baraga County might be worth pursuing as something to offer members. The web site also has a page showing benefits provided to their Chamber members. The committee is considering a similar page for the Baraga County Chamber of Commerce web site. · Brochure – Lois Kemppainen further reported she is working on the insurance aspects of the brochure of benefits of Chamber membership. She was advised by Reliance Agency in L’Anse (Chamber member) to obtain proof of the Chamber’s non-profit status. Karen De Kleyn indicated the Chamber is organized as a 501c)6 non-profit under IRS rules. Lois will conact member, Grandchamp & McBride, CPAs for further advice in this matter. Membership Drive 2011 Karen De Kleyn reported dues were collected from one more existing member. Dues have now been collected from 55 members, with 4 members still owing dues for 2010. Lisa Risku suggested offering a referral discount on membership dues if an existing member brings in a new member to the Chamber. Discussion took place about forming a committee to work with the Baraga County Convention and Visitors Bureau on membership issues. One idea is to consider discounting dues for those who are members of both the Chamber and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Old Business · Board of Directors Nominations for 2011 – Three Board members’ terms expire at the end of 2010: Debbie Stouffer, Tim Brennan, Karen De Kleyn. At least two of the positions need to be filled to comply with Chamber bylaws which require at least nine Directors (for 2010, there are ten Directors). Karen De Kleyn nominated Candy Kanniainen, who accepted the nomination. Debbie Stouffer and Tim Brennan accepted nominations; however, Tim Brennan’s acceptance is contingent on whether he might find another candidate. Mark Massicotte mentioned Jack Reid might be interested in returning to the BOD; Mark will follow up. The BOD is accepting additional nominations. Elections will be held during the annual meeting in January 2011. New Business · KEDA – Brian Baccus reported he is now a member of the BOD for KEDA, the only one from Baraga County. Kevin Manninen plans to attend KEDA meetings. · Annual Meeting – Mark Massicotte suggested Kevin Manninen, Economic Development Coordinator for Baraga County, as the speaker for the Chamber’s annual meeting, to be held in January 2011. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, November 3, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Will Ross. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 10:47 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership September 1, 2010 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call: Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Karen De Kleyn, Laurie Sterbenz, Nick Lindemann, Tim Brennan, Lois Kemppainen and Brian Baccus. Directors Absent: Will Ross, Gregg Nominelli
Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Karen De Kleyn, minutes of the August 4, 2010, meeting were accepted. Approved.
Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in August of $6,870.96 and an ending balance of $6,606.97. A motion was made by Tim Brennan, with a second by Nick Lindemann, to accept the August 2010 Treasurer’s Report. Approved.
Community Events · Business After Hours –
Meet the Candidates - will be held on Tuesday, September 28th at the L’Anse American Legion beginning at 6:30 p.m. This event is a joint collaboration with the Baraga County Convention and Visitors Bureau. It is “hamburger and fries night” at the Legion so attendees have the option of purchasing their meal. Chamber members will donate desserts and will have the 3-panel board on display.
Marketing Workshop – will be planned for late October/early November with Sandra Lytikainen. Debbie Stouffer will contact Sandra to set up date and location.
· Baraga County Fair - Karen De Kleyn gave an overview of the Baraga County Fair. Karen reported that it was fairly well attended and the panel board was displayed, but that no membership forms were picked up. The Chamber will support the Fair again next year.
· Debbie Stouffer informed the group of the Baraga County Women’s Expo, to be held on October 23rd at the Big Bucks Bingo Hall from 10-2 p.m. There is a $35 fee to display. Debbie will be attending as Ameriprise, but will bring the display board and membership application forms to promote the Baraga County Chamber of Commerce.
Karen De Kleyn will prepare a survey for the purpose of gathering contact information and feedback to be used at regular meetings and future events. Mark Massicotte suggested contacting someone with experience in conducting surveys before starting this project, in order to avoid pitfalls others have run into.
Economic Development/Collaboration
A Baraga County Collaboration Forum is being planned for Wednesday, October 6th at 8 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn (followed by the regular Chamber meeting). Among those being invited are the Tribal and Baraga County EDC’s, Baraga County Commissioners, L’Anse and Baraga DDA’s, Covington Parks and Recreation Committee, Baraga County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the new Regional Economic Director (WUPPDR). The public will be encouraged to attend. The intention of this “Baraga County Collaboration Forum” will be to hold a public discussion highlighting the different organizations’ plans and goals. An agenda will be distributed.
Laurie Sterbenz will place an ad in the L’Anse Sentinel and will email a flyer to the general membership along with an invitation to attend. The larger conference area will be reserved and refreshments for the meeting will be ordered. Mark Massicotte will invite appropriate individuals of the above mentioned organizations.
On another note, Lois Kemppainen offered her business, ALK Contracting in Alston, as a potential and convenient location for future collaboration meetings between counties.
Chamber Website A website committee was formed by Lois Kemppainen, Karen De Kleyn, Tim Brennan and Laurie Sterbenz. The purpose of the committee is to investigate examples of other chamber of commerce websites and to bring ideas back to the membership on the direction and purpose of the BCCC website and brochure. The committee’s first meeting will be held on Thurs., Sept. 23rd in Tim Brennan’s office.
Old Business Brochure - In the future, the BCCC brochure and website development will be grouped together under communications/marketing.
Membership drive - Focus on the membership drive will now move to 2011.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, October 6th, 2010, directly after the Baraga County Collaboration Forum which is being held at 8 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Brian Baccus. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 9:20 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership August 4, 2010 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call: Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Karen De Kleyn, Laurie Sterbenz, Nick Lindemann Directors Absent: Will Ross, Lois Kemppainen, Tim Brennan, Gregg Nominelli, and Brian Baccus
Prior Meeting Minutes On a motion by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Nick Lindemann, minutes of the July 7, 2010, meeting were accepted. Approved.
Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in July of $8,033.42 and an ending balance of $6,870.96. A motion was made by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Laurie Sterbenz, to accept the July 2010 Treasurer’s Report. Approved.
Community Events · Business After Hours – Plans will be made for a Marketing Workshop with Sandra Lytikainen. Also, “meet the candidates” will likely be scheduled for September. · Baraga County Fair – Will Ross will deliver the display boards to the fair site and Karen De Kleyn will provide membership forms and pick up the boards on Sunday, August 15th.
Karen De Kleyn will prepare a survey for the purpose of gathering contact information and feedback to be used at regular meetings and future events.
Economic Development
The group made plans for a special meeting to be held on September 1st. The Tribal EDC, Baraga County EDC, Baraga County Commissioners, the new Regional Economic Director, as well as the public will be invited. This “County Collaboration Forum” will hold a public discussion highlighting the different organizations’ goals and plans.
A special agenda will be prepared in addition to the regular meeting agenda.
Laurie Sterbenz will place an ad in the L’Anse Sentinel and will secure the larger conference area and order refreshments for the meeting. Mark Massicotte will provide invitations to appropriate individuals of the above mentioned organizations.
Plans for September 1st is dependent on availability of the new Regional Economic Director. Backup date is October 6th.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Karen De Kleyn, with a second by Laurie Sterbenz. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 9:57 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership July 7, 2010 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:27 a.m. on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Karen De Kleyn, Treasurer, took roll call: Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Karen De Kleyn, Brian Baccus Directors Absent: Will Ross, Nick Lindemann, Lois Kemppainen, Tim Brennan, Gregg Nominelli, and Laurie Sterbenz General Membership Present: Bob LaFave, Village of L’Anse
Prior Meeting Minutes Debbie Stouffer made a motion, with a second by Brian Baccus, to accept the minutes of the June 2, 2010, meeting. Approved.
Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in June of $5,129.46 and an ending balance of $8,033.42. A motion was made by Brian Baccus, with a second by Debbie Stouffer, to accept the June 2010 Treasurer’s Report. Approved.
Community Events · Business After Hours – Debbie Stouffer and Karen De Kleyn reported that 15 people attended the June 24th Business After Hours and the presenters, Ron Miaso from Michigan Works! and Kathy Flagstadt, from Michigan Rehabilitation Services were well received. William Doan, candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives – 110th District also attended with his campaign manager and made a short presentation. Karen De Kleyn expressed thanks to Debbi Kissel, at Espresso on Main, for hosting the event and providing delicious refreshments.
Future events will include a marketing workshop and “meet the candidates” program in the fall. For the marketing workshop, Debbie Stouffer suggested asking the new county economic development person to speak. The “meet the candidates” event will be held after the primary elections as it might be difficult to get attendees during the summer.
Ideas from members for future Business After Hours events are welcome.
· Chamber of Commerce 5th Annual Golf Tournament – The golf tournament held on June 19, 2010 was a big success again this year. There were 29 teams participating and a profit of $716.92 was realized. Next year, the Directors of the Chamber will need to get an earlier start on gathering prizes. Many thanks to Faye Lozier and Sue Brunet and their crew for all their efforts to make this a fun event that people look forward to each year.
· Baraga County Lake Trout Festival – The festival on June 11th and June 12th was well-attended, in spite of less than ideal weather. The kick-off fish fry on Friday, June 11th, held at the L’Anse American Legion, yielded $463 for the Chamber. Of that amount, $400 was donated to St. Vincent de Paul Society, with $63 held back to pay for a L’Anse Sentinel thank you ad. Laurie Sterbenz is working on this ad. · ATV Run – The Chamber will consider promoting an ATV Run in 2011. It should be included on the agenda for March or April 2011. Karen De Kleyn drafted an e-mail to Skip Schulz, President of Mi-TRALE, and will send it at the appropriate time. · Lumberjack Days - July 4th –The Chamber had a float in the parade for the first time, thanks to a lot of hard work by Willie Ross, Nick Lindemann, and Karen De Kleyn. There were 27 members who took advantage of the free advertising. · Covington Parks and Recreation-July 4th Celebration –The $250 donation was sent to the Covington Parks and Recreation for their July 4th celebration, held on July 3rd. · Baraga County Fair – The display boards created for the 4th of July parade float will also be used at the Baraga County Fair, advertising membership. The three-panel display board with all member names will be placed on a table with membership forms, and the larger boards from the parade float will be placed behind the table. Brian Baccus made a motion, with a second by Debbie Stouffer, to donate $500 to the Baraga County Fair. Approved. · KBIC Fishing Derby - Per Karen De Kleyn, she heard the Derby was well attended on June 26th.
Economic Development Mark Massicotte and Bob LaFave shared information with the Chamber regarding the Economic Development position for Baraga County. An individual has been hired and will be covering Baraga and Ontonagon Counties.
Mark Massicotte will continue to work on board collaboration with Baraga County Economic Development Corporation and the KBIC Economic Development group and the Baraga County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Chamber of Commerce Web Site Karen De Kleyn reported the Chamber’s web site domain name www.baragacc.org came up for renewal and cannot currently be accessed. According to an online communication from Network Solutions, the registration expired on 6/24/10. Karen will contact web host, up.net, to determine if Network Solutions is a legitimate company; if so, she will register the domain name with that company for one year.
Mark Massicotte will continue to pursue a joint website with Baraga County.
Old Business Discussion took place about the Chamber informational brochure. Lois Kemppainen will be asked for an update before the next meeting.
Membership Drive According to Treasurer, Karen De Kleyn, 54 members have paid dues for 2010. She will send Mark Massicotte an e-mail identifying the five members who have not yet paid dues. Mark will contact these members.
New Business Mark Massicotte suggested we consider not having a meeting in July in the future, due to typically lower attendance in this month.
Brian Baccus would like to see the industrial park in Baraga given some attention to make it look better – e.g. cut the grass, update the signage for current businesses, etc. Brian will follow up with the Village of Baraga and/or the Baraga County Convention and Visitors Bureau to see if there are resources available for this.
Mark Massicotte would like to see signage for the L’Anse industrial park. Bob LaFave will look into this.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Brian Baccus. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 9:45 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership June 2, 2010 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:04 a.m. on Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call:
Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Karen De Kleyn, Nick Lindemann, Lois Kemppainen, Tim Brennan, Gregg Nominelli, and Laurie Sterbenz
Directors Absent: Brian Baccus, Will Ross
General Membership Present: Roy Kemppainen, Village of Baraga
Prior Meeting Minutes
Greg Nominelli made a motion, with a second by Debbie Stouffer, to accept the minutes of the May 5, 2010, meeting. Approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance in May of $7,348.74 and an ending balance of $5,129.46. A motion was made by Lois Kemppainen, with a second by Greg Nominelli, to accept the May 2010 Treasurer’s Report. Approved.
Community Events
· Business After Hours – Debbie Stouffer reported that the June Business After Hours is finalized for June 24th at Espresso on Main in L’Anse. Michigan Works! And Michigan Rehabilitation Services will be presenting. A brochure was distributed. · Chamber of Commerce 5th Annual Golf Tournament - June 19, 2010 · Baraga County Lake Trout Festival June 11 & 12 – There will be a kick-off Fish Fry on Friday, June 11 at the L’Anse American Legion. The Chamber will work alongside other local organizations at the Fish Fry. Lois Kemppainen will be taking tickets at the door and Nick Lindemann will cook. Profits are being donated to St. Vincent de Paul Society. · ATV Run – The Chamber will look at the ATV Run for 2011, focusing on it in March and April. · Lumberjack Parade, July 4th – Deadline will be extended to June 15th for members to submit business cards for float. · Covington Parks and Recreation-July 4th Celebration - There has been no communication from this organization yet; Lois Kemppainen will contact the individuals in charge. A motion was made by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Karen De Kleyn to donate $250 to the Covington Parks and Recreation July 4th celebration, if requested. Approved. · Baraga County Fair – The display boards being created for the float will also be used at the fair, advertising membership. · KBIC Fishing Derby - The Derby will be held on June 26th. A motion was made by Tim Brennan, supported by Lois Kemppainen, to donate $100 to support the Derby. Approved.
Economic Development
Mark Massicotte shared information with the Chamber regarding the Economic Development position. Baraga County is invited to put together a list of its needs and priorities as it relates to this position.
Chamber of Commerce Web Site
Karen DeKleyn mentioned that events from outside Baraga County may appear on the website due to requests she has received. The group agreed that honoring these requests that generate interest in neighboring communities is beneficial for all.
More discussion was held about the advantages of the Chamber pursuing a joint website with the County. Mark Massicotte will continue to investigate whether or not this is an option that is available to the Chamber.
Old Business
According to Treasurer De Kleyn, fifty-one members have paid dues so far this year.
New Business
Mark Massicotte passed around handouts from U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow that he collected at a recent Round Table in Washington D.C. The handouts outline the 21st Century Manufacturing Plan and health insurance reform.
Possibilities for the next Business After Hours were discussed. Among the ideas was a pre-election season “Meet the Candidates” session and perhaps a marketing workshop in lieu of a standard Business After Hours.
Rationale for the cost feasibility study being done by the road commission to purchase the vacant Terex Handlers building was discussed. It was mentioned that the county commissioners are aware that this purchase would not necessarily have a positive affect on the community, but that they have to look at it from a financial aspect.
The rumor of Pettibone pulling out of Baraga and moving to the Barko manufacturing facility in Superior, Wisconsin, was addressed. There are no plans to move Pettibone anywhere according to Nick Lindemann.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Adjournment
A motion to adjourn was made by Debbie Stouffer with a second by Karen De Kleyn. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 9:28 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership May 5, 2010 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call:
Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Brian Baccus, Karen De Kleyn, Nick Lindemann, Will Ross, Laurie Sterbenz
Directors Absent: Tim Brennan, Gregg Nominelli, Lois Kemppainen
General Membership Present: Faye Lozier, Baraga County Memorial Hospital
Prior Meeting Minutes
Karen De Kleyn made a motion, with a second by Nick Lindemann, to accept the minutes of the April 7, 2010, meeting. Approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance of $8,551.74 and an ending balance in April of $7,348.74. A motion was made by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Will Ross, to accept the April 2010 Treasurer’s Report. Approved.
Community Events
· Entrepreneurial Fair (E-Fair) – Mark Massicotte gave a summary on the event which was very well attended and an overall success. Debbie Stouffer reported that she was able to provide the Chamber sponsored lunch and refreshments at the approved amount. · Business After Hours – Several ideas were discussed for upcoming events. Debbie Stouffer will begin setting up the July Business After Hours. · Chamber of Commerce 5th Annual Golf Tournament, June 19, 2010 – Faye Lozier updated members on the upcoming tournament. Letters will be sent to last year’s participants. Mark Massicotte suggested an email challenge to local business owners to sponsor participants. Representation from the Chamber will be needed to help serve lunch. A motion was made by Will Ross, supported by Brian Baccus, to offer financial support in the amount of $2,500.00. · Baraga County Lake Trout Festival June 11 & 12 – There will be a kick-off Fish Fry on Friday, June 11 at the L’Anse American Legion. · ATV Run – Will Ross and Nick Lindemann will try to form a committee and will contact the Convention Bureau. · Lumberjack Parade, July 4th – Nick Lindemann and Will Ross will work on a float. Karen De Kleyn will email members requesting copies of business cards for display. Members will be asked to mail business cards by June 1st to Chamber Post Office Box, drop off at Ameriprise Financial or First Choice Auto Body in L’Anse or email to Nick Lindemann. Laurie Sterbenz will get a quote for different ways of displaying Chamber Member’s business cards on display boards. Mark Massicotte volunteered Bonnie Dompier to carry the Chamber banner with him. · Covington Parks and Recreation-July 4th there has been no communication from this organization yet. · Baraga County Fair – The display boards being created for the float will also be used at the fair, advertising membership. · KBIC Fishing Derby – will be discussed at future meeting.
Economic Development
Brian Baccus reported that the Superior Supplier Network is starting interviews now with the three final candidates for the Coordinator position and should have someone in place within thirty days.
Mark Massicotte will send email to Gregg Nominelli requesting an update on board collaboration.
Chamber of Commerce Web Site
Mark Massicotte recommended that we pursue a joint website with Baraga County and discussion was held.
Old Business
According to Treasurer De Kleyn, forty-five members have paid dues this year. Second requests have been sent out. Members will be listed in the 2010 Summer Guide in the L’Anse Sentinel.
On a motion by Will Ross, supported by Laurie Sterbenz, $50.00 was approved for an ad in the L’Anse Sentinel’s 2010 Summer Guide. Approved.
New Business
The group agreed to continue to support the Baraga County Convention and Visitors Center phone charges.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Adjournment
A motion to adjourn was made by Debbie Stouffer with a second by Will Ross. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 9:28 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership April 7, 2010 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:07 a.m. on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call:
Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Brian Baccus, Karen De Kleyn, Nick Lindemann, Will Ross, Laurie Sterbenz
Directors Absent: Tim Brennan, Gregg Nominelli, Lois Kemppainen
General Membership Present: Pete Massie, Massie Manufacturing
Prior Meeting Minutes
Karen De Kleyn made a motion, with a second by Nick Lindemann, to accept the minutes of the March 3, 2010, meeting. Approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report for February-March 2010. The Superior National Bank checking account had a beginning balance of $6,289.48 and an ending balance in March of $8,551.74. The increase was due to receipt of membership dues. A motion was made by Debbie Stouffer, with a second by Nick Lindemann, to accept the February-March 2010 Treasurer’s Report. Approved.
Community Events
Economic Development
Brian Baccus noted that the Superior Supplier Network has received between twenty and thirty applications for the Business Development Coordinator and they are progressing forward.
The group also had discussion on furthering the development of a Board Collaboration Committee.
Chamber of Commerce Web Site
Karen De Kleyn and group discussed the design, scope and purpose of website.
Old Business – The Chamber membership drive will require assistance. All board members not present will be volunteered for service.
New Business – Phone charges from Baraga County Convention and Visitors Center
The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Adjournment
A motion to adjourn was made by Brian Baccus with a second by Will Ross. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 9:15 a.m. Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership March 3, 2010 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:08 a.m. on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call: Directors Present: Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Will Ross, Lois Kemppainen, Gregg Nominelli, Nick Lindemann, Laurie Sterbenz Directors Absent: Brian Baccus, Tim Brennan, Karen De Kleyn General Membership Present: Bob LaFave, Village of L’Anse Prior Meeting Minutes Lois Kemppainen made a motion, with a second by Debbie Stouffer, to accept the minutes of the February 3, 2010, meeting. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn was not present for the meeting. The Treasurer’s Report for February and March will be given at the April 7th meeting. Scheduled guest, Renee Marion of Goodwill Industries, was unable to attend due to a timing conflict. Laurie Sterbenz distributed a summary prepared by Karen De Kleyn that highlighted the Chamber’s 2009 activities/events as well as current plans for 2010. Community Events
Economic Development
A new Board Collaboration Committee will be formed and headed up by Gregg Nominelli. Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, and Laurie Sterbenz volunteered to join Gregg in this new effort. Nick Lindemann talked about the need for a county wide “hierarchy chart” to be developed as a communications tool. Superior Suppliers Network A position has been posted by Superior Supplier Network for a Business Development Coordinator. Chamber of Commerce Web Site – Portal to Member Websites Karen De Kleyn was out of town for the meeting but wanted the group to know that she will focus on this upon her return. Membership Drive The 2010 membership drive has begun with a mailing. Lois Kemppainen reported on research she had done about potential benefits to joining the Chamber of Commerce. A flyer could be developed to be handed out to encourage membership signings at such events as the upcoming Entrepreneurial and County Fairs. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Lois Kemppainen with a second by Debbie Stouffer. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 9:20 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership February 3, 2010 Minutes The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:10 a.m. on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Laurie Sterbenz, Secretary, took roll call: Directors Present: Karen De Kleyn, Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Tim Brennan, Will Ross, Lois Kemppainen, Laurie Sterbenz Directors Absent: Nick Lindemann, Brian Baccus, Gregg Nominelli Prior Meeting Minutes Will Ross made a motion, with a second by Debbie Stouffer, to accept the minutes of the January 23, 2010, Annual Meeting. Approved. Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report for January 2010. The Superior National Bank checking account balance on January 31, 2010 was $6,683.48. A motion was made by Lois Kemppainen, with a second by Tim Brennan, to accept the January, 2010, Treasurer’s Report. Approved. Business After Hours The group was reminded that Business After Hours (Small Business Ideas, Strategies, and Financing) will be held on Tuesday, February 16th at the Obiwa Community College. An ad will be placed in the L’Anse Sentinel and a notice will be sent to the Daily Mining Gazette as well. Flyers will also be placed around town. Radio advertising will be looked into by for this and future Business After Hours events. Potential future Business After Hours themes were discussed. The next Business After Hours will be held in April with the goal for 2010 being between 4-6 events. Community Events Community activities suggested for 2010 support or participation were the ATV Run, July 4th Lumberjack Parade, and the Baraga County Lake Trout Festival. By request, Karen De Kleyn will email the Board a copy of the Baraga County Chamber of Commerce objective as well as a 2009 review and summary of 2010 plans. Membership Drive Karen De Kleyn will begin the 2010 membership drive with a mailing this month. Discussion was held about including a flyer outlining benefits to joining the Chamber. Lois Kemppainen will do research to present at the next regular meeting. Economic Development Partnering for Economic Success in Baraga County – Northern Initiatives/Baraga County Economic Development Corporation Meeting: President Massicotte reported to the group that the collaboration meeting held on Tuesday, February 2nd at the Baraga County Convention and Visitors Bureau was very beneficial. Presenter Dennis West of Northern Initiatives spoke to members of the Chamber and the Baraga County EDC and offered assistance from his group going forward. Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf Tournament Mark Massicotte volunteered to lead the effort to collect prizes for the golf tournament. The goal is for each member to collect 5 prizes. The next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, March 3, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Lois Kemppainen with a second by Debbie Stouffer. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 10:20 a.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting January 23, 2010 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 6:42 p.m. on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Karen De Kleyn, Secretary/Treasurer took roll call of the Board members:
Present: Bonnie Dompier, Karen De Kleyn, Will Ross, Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Tim Brennan, Brian Baccus, Candy Kanniainen Absent: Nick Lindemann
A total of 24 people attended the annual meeting, with 10 members represented.
Welcome/Review of 2009/Plans for 2010 President, Mark Massicotte welcomed members and thanked them for their participation in 2009. He recounted 2009 Chamber activities, including four Business After Hours events, and support of several community events. Mark also touched on plans for 2010, including an emphasis on increasing membership and collaboration with other area Chambers of Commerce and organizations. Directors plan to assist Faye Lozier and Sue Brunet with the annual Chamber of Commerce golf tournament, to be held in June 2010. Mark expressed condolences regarding the passing of Sally Ott, wife of Phil Ott, a former Director of the Chamber.
Prior Meeting Minutes Candy Kanniainen made a motion, with a second by Bonnie Dompier, to accept the minutes of the December 2, 2009 meeting. Approved.
Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report for December 2009. The Superior National Bank checking account statement balance was validated as of December 31, 2009 at $7,082.73, with a checkbook balance of $6,683.48. A motion was made by Tim Brennan, with a second by Bonnie Dompier, to accept the December 2009 Treasurer’s Report. Approved.
Guest Speaker John Tembreull, Administrator of Baraga County Memorial Hospital was the guest speaker. He shared the mission statement of BCMH, a recap of 2009, and a comprehensive overview of the new hospital project. He wrapped up his presentation by taking questions from the group. John’s attendance and presentation at the meeting are greatly appreciated.
Constitution and Bylaws – Proposed Revisions The proposed revisions to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Baraga County Chamber of Commerce were presented to the general membership. A motion was made by Debbie Stouffer, to accept the revisions, with a second by Tim Brennan. Approved.
Election of Directors and Officers Attention was called to the candidate profiles for five Board of Director nominees, including Mark Massicotte, Will Ross, Laurie Sterbenz, Gregg Nominelli, and Lois Kemppainen. Additional nominations were called for, but none were given. A vote by secret ballot took place, to fill five Director positions. The five nominees were elected.
Officer elections began with Karen De Kleyn nominating Mark Massicotte for President, with support by Tom Ross. A vote was taken and Mark Massicotte was elected as President. For Vice President, Karen De Kleyn, with support of Mark Massicotte, nominated Debbie Stouffer. A vote was taken and Debbie Stouffer was elected as Vice President. Debbie Stouffer nominated Karen De Kleyn for Treasurer, and was supported by Candy Kanniainen. A vote was taken and Karen De Kleyn was elected as Treasurer. Karen De Kleyn nominated Laurie Sterbernz for Secretary, and was supported by Tim Brennan. A vote was taken and Laurie Sterbenz was elected as Secretary.
Installation of New Directors and Officers The new members of the Board of Directors and the newly elected Officers were installed, to be effective February 1, 2010.
Prize Drawing Several door prizes were given away at the meeting. The Baraga County Chamber of Commerce provided one of the prizes, but the others were donated by members of the Chamber, including Superior National Bank, Baraga County Memorial Hospital, Pat’s Foods, Kissel’s Chevrolet, Ojibwa Casino, and the L’Anse Sentinel. The Chamber thanks these members for their generous donations.
Karen De Kleyn reported the next meeting of the general membership and the Board of Directors will be Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 – 8:00 a.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Adjournment Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 8:38 p.m.
Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Meeting of the Board of Directors and General Membership December 2, 2009 Minutes
The meeting was called to order by President, Mark Massicotte at 8:08 a.m. on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Karen De Kleyn, Secretary/Treasurer took roll call:
Directors Present: Karen De Kleyn, Mark Massicotte, Debbie Stouffer, Candy Kanniainen, Tim Brennan, Will Ross, Brian Baccus
Directors Absent: Nick Lindemann, Bonnie Dompier
Others: Laurie Sterbenz of Terex
Prior Meeting Minutes Candy Kanniainen made a motion, with a second by Brian Baccus, to accept the minutes of the November 4, 2009 meeting. Approved.
Treasurer’s Report Karen De Kleyn gave the Treasurer’s Report for November 2009. The Superior National Bank checking account statement was not yet received for November; however, the checkbook had a balance of $7,222.73 as of November 30, 2009. A motion was made by Tim Brennan, with a second by Debbie Stouffer, to accept the November 2009 Treasurer’s Report. Approved.
Community Events
Economic Development - Partnering for Economic Success in Baraga County
· Superior Suppliers Network – Brian Baccus reported the Superior Suppliers Network is moving ahead with its business development plan and feasibility study. The group will meet on Friday, December 4, 2009.
Business After Hours Debbie Stouffer will chair the committee for the next Business After Hours event, tentatively planned for February 2010. The event will be held at the Ojibwa Community College and the theme will be assisting new businesses in getting started.
Thank you notes will be sent to Irene’s Pizza and Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn for providing appetizers for previous Business After Hours Events.
2010 Board Member Vacancies, Officer Vacancies, Administrative Clerk Duties Four Directors’ terms will expire at the end of the 2009 Chamber year; therefore, replacements will be elected at the annual meeting in January 2010. Karen De Kleyn will solicit profiles from the four people who accepted nominations for Director positions, including Greg Nominelli, Lois Kemppainen, Laurie Sterbenz, and Mark Massicotte. Candy Kanniainen will let Karen De Kleyn know if she decides to run for an additional term. Officers will also be elected at the annual meeting.
Chamber of Commerce Web Site – Portal to Member Web Sites In the interest of time, this will be discussed at the next meeting.
Annual Dinner Meeting – January 2010 Karen De Kleyn will organize the Chamber’s annual dinner meeting, tentatively planned for Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn. Invitations will be mailed to all members by the end of December 2009. The meeting will be open to the community and will be advertised in the L’Anse Sentinel. Candy Kanniainen will contact John Tembreull, Administrator – Baraga County Memorial Hospital to see if he will speak at the dinner. Tim Brennan suggested we demonstrate how to access the Chamber web site; Karen will ask MichiganWorks! if their LCD projector is available for use.
After the January 23, 2010 annual dinner meeting, the next regular meeting of the Board of Directors and general membership will be held on Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 8:00 .m. at the Best Western Baraga Lakeside Inn.
Adjournment A motion to adjourn was made by Debbie Stouffer with a second by Will Ross. Approved. President, Mark Massicotte adjourned the meeting at 8:58 a.m. |
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