I would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year!   We are really looking forward to a productive, beneficial year at the Bloomington and Minneapolis Regional Chambers.  We will be doing some different programs over this next year which should be a great way to get involved and meet your fellow chamber members.

We are two weeks out from our 22nd Annual Gala:  Bootleggers Ball on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at the Hotel Sofitel.  We are still in need of silent auction items.  This event is our major fundraiser for the chamber which allows us to reinvest back into the community.  Restaurant certificates, sporting event tickets and hotel packages are all big sellers.  I would encourage all of you to register soon as this event will sell out!  It will be a fun night filled with great entertainment.

As you know the Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport is a major employer and economic engine for our community and state.   MSP Airport has continually received national and international recognition for customer service, business opportunities, and retail and dining opportunities.  The MAC has been a long time partner with the Chamber and I am pleased to announce the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is hosting the first ever luncheon to address the future of aviation, the state of MSP International Airport and to outline plans for expanding the airport. MSP 2030: The Future Takes Flight will take place Thursday, February 3, 2011 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America.  Featured speakers are Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton who will discuss the importance of aviation to Minnesota's economy and future and Metropolitan Airports Commission Executive Director Jeff Hamiel who will present planned improvements at MSP International.  This will be a must attend event and will sell out fast so register soon!

Maureen Scallen Failor

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Handyman Matters Twin Cities Earns Coveted Angie's List Super Service Award

Handyman Matters Twin Cities has been awarded the prestigious 2010 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor bestowed annually on approximately 5 percent of all the companies rated on the nation’s leading provider of consumer reviews on local service companies.

“Our Super Service Award winners are the cream of the crop when it comes to providing consistently high quality customer service, as judged by the customers who hired them,” said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie’s List.

"Handyman Matters Twin Cities reputation for superior service and dedication to its customers is just what residents in this community are looking for," said owner Mike Sitek.  We have worked hard to establish a solid track record and we want the community to know that they can rely on us for our legendary client service."

Angie’s List Super Service Award winners have met strict eligibility requirements including earning a minimum number of reports, an exemplary rating from their customers and abiding by Angie’s List operational guidelines.

Service company ratings are updated daily on Angie’s List, but members can find the 2010 Super Service Award logo next to company names in search results on AngiesList.com.

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Bloomington's 30-year ruler
By Kelly Smith, Star Tribune

(Photo Credit Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune)

The new year is a big one for Arlene Bush.

She turns 80 and celebrates her 30th year serving on the Bloomington school board -- a rarity among school board members anywhere. This month the Minnesota School Boards Association will honor Bush, the only board member in the state who will reach the 30-year milestone in 2011.

"It's so hard to believe, you know, 30 years," Bush said. "But it is still so important to me that we give a good education to all of our students." According to the state association, the longest service by a school board member on record was achieved by a 92-year-old northern Minnesota man who served on a board for 48 years. So will Bush run again in 2014 when her term ends? She's lost track of which term she's on -- sixth or seventh -- since they changed from three to four years.

"Oh heavens, I don't know," she said.

Daughter Kathy Larson of Lakeville said public service is important to Bush. "She gains as much from doing this as she gives," she said. "She really enjoys what she's doing. She has such a passion for the students."

Since Bush was first elected, Bloomington has changed a lot. She grew up in Odin, a small town in southern Minnesota, and attended classes in a two-room schoolhouse until moving to Minneapolis with her parents. She graduated from the former West High School in 1948 and went to the University of Minnesota to study education and then business, though she did not graduate. She was married and moved to California while her husband served on a Navy carrier in Japan during the Korean War.
They returned to Minnesota in 1957 to the booming suburb of Bloomington. As an involved mother of six daughters, Bush joined the school board in 1981.

She soon learned it wouldn't be an easy job. In her first year, the board voted to close Lincoln High School, which her youngest daughter was attending. "I don't know if her friends have forgiven me yet," she said jokingly.

Since then, the district has become increasingly diverse, and enrollment has declined by about 3,000 students, forcing five schools to close. Technology is now as much a part of classrooms as student desks. "It was a whole different school district," Bush said of when she started in 1981.

While Minnesota does not have term limits for board members, only a handful will serve as long as Bush. Twenty years ago, about a half-dozen board members served 30 years; now, it's one or two people a year.  "We have seen a lot more turnover," said Greg Abbott of the state school board group. "We're seeing a lot of people barely make it one term. It ends up being a lot bigger job than a lot of them thought it would be."

Nationwide, 93 percent of school board members serve four years or less. Most are 40 to 59 years old.
Bush said she's stayed on the board because of her firm belief in education. It's also helped her stay active since her husband died 16 years ago. "That's been tough," she said. "After my husband died, it was good to stay busy."

Bush served on the state school board group for 11 years. She's had more than 1,000 hours of school board training, more than any other Minnesota board member. When she's not at school board meetings firing up her Mac laptop, she's regularly attending sporting events, concerts and other school events.
"She's been so involved in the community," said board chair Jim Sorum, who will celebrate 20 years on the board. "And she just has the biggest heart for children and Bloomington schools."

In July she'll celebrate her 30th year on the board and her 80th birthday with her six daughters and 14 grandchildren. "I'm thankful to be here," she said of her time on the board. "It's just been a great, great place."
~Reprinted with permission Star Tribune 2011

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Business Matters/Safety Matters: Preparing for and Responding to Crisis

On Wednesday, January 12, the Bloomington Chamber and the Bloomington Police Department presented its 2nd program of the Chamber’s new series Business Matters/Safety Matters.We were privileged to have Randy Ferris, Senior Director of Loss Prevention, SuperValu present to over 39 businesses.  It is imperative that our member business have a plan in place to deal with crisis as it can have major consequences if we don’t.

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2011 Golf Committee Members Needed

Blue skies and warm sunny afternoons on the links.it will be here before you know it! We are looking for committee members to assist in planning the Golf Classic scheduled for June 20, 2011 at Minnesota Valley Country Club. Please contact Anna Stinson at 612.370.9123 for more information.

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Volunteer Outreach Opportunity - Pond Early Childhood Family Center

Join us for an opportunity to network with other members of the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce while giving back to your community – all at NO COST! Join a group of committed Chamber and community members as we read stories to preschoolers at Bloomington’s Pond Early Childhood Family Center, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 16, 2011. The Pond Center is located at 9600 3rd Avenue South, Bloomington, MN 55420. To register, go to http://minneapolischamber.org or contact Anna Stinson at astinson@bloomingtonchamber.org or 612.370.9123.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Pond Center

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2010-11 Ambassador Committee

Are you looking for a way to get more involved in the Chamber? Would you like to meet new contacts every month and network with a fun group of people?  We are looking for new Chamber Ambassadors!  Through new member visits, ribbon cuttings and serving as greeters, ambassadors support member attraction and retention at Chamber events.  For more information and an application, please contact Anna Stinson at 612.370.9123 or astinson@bloomingtonchamber.org.

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Daymaker of the Year

Bloomington Daymakers Rotary invites business and nonprofit organizations to celebrate the ideal of service at the Annual Celebration of Service Matters on February 28, 2011.  This unique, interactive event recognizes organizations who promote service, as well as individual finalists for the "Daymaker of the Year" award.  The Daymaker of the Year award has been presented annually since 1996 to someone who lives, works or volunteers in Bloomington, and recognizes a person's commitment, dedication and example of humility.

Organizations whose nominees are selected as finalists for the Daymaker of the Year award will have a chance to highlight their service work.  Event participants will be able to share their joys, rewards and life-changing experiences that come from being a volunteer, leader, steward, servant – or however they describe "giving back."  This award-winning event begins at 5:30 pm at the Hilton Minneapolis/Bloomington, and is presented by the Bloomington Daymakers Rotary Club.  Event registration and award nomination details are found at www.daymakers.org.

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B-Town! Beyond our Borders

Bloomington businesses: B-Town! Beyond Our Borders needs your help!  In partnership with Feed My Starving Children, a group of individuals and churches in Bloomington is coming together with area businesses and schools to pack 1,000,000 meals March 4 -6, 2011 at the Mall of America and Bethany Academy.  In order to succeed, we need to get the word out, raise $190,000 (just 19 cents a meal) and recruit 5,000 volunteers (to work 2 hour shifts)! 

Ways you can help:

Sponsorship Levels:

Sponsors will receive:

For more information please visit our website www.btownbeyondourborders.com

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