Emphasis Magazine - March 2011

8/7/2019 Emphasis Magazine - March 2011

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emphasisM O N T H LYM a r c h2 011

Meet our Athena Award nominees8-9 Capture those tax deductions7 Events calendar14

Travel tips

and tricks

A L S O I N S I D E

Group purchasingcomes to Chamber

T H E G R E A T E R F O R T W A Y N E C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

Chamber member Covington Travel tellsyou the benef ts o using a travel agency.Theres a Member or That, Pages 10-11


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E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY 3

4 How to give lawmakers youropinion

5 Group purchasing comes toThe Chamber

5 Tapestry celebrates 10 years

6 Eating healthfully on the go7 Capture those meal and

entertainment deductions

10-11 Corporate travel: Tips andtricks for a great trip

12 Your guide toChamber discounts

12 New and renewingmembers: January 2011

13 It takes a region to retain a generation14 Chamber calendar of events

Chamber members and riends,As spring approaches yes, it really is just a

ew weeks away Im excited to see so manybusiness people becoming more involved in ourgreat city. A ter all, it is you, the local businessperson, that makes the dif erence day a ter day inour community. T e Chamber is proud to repre-sent you, support you, stand by your side, andmake your voice heard.

By being actively engaged in T e Chamber, youbecome actively engaged in your city. Whetheryoure attending a Chamber event, participatingin a CEO or Leadership Roundtable, meeting yourlegislators at a T ird House Forum, or workingwith our Graduate Retention team, your gi t o time and talent to T e Chamber improves ourgreat city.

I know the challenge it can be to carve out timeto become involved here at the Chamber, so I

want to say you not only make a dif erence toour team who enjoys seeing you, but you make

a dif erence in how things get done. By being anactive Chamber member, you build your businessthrough the people you connect with, you pavethe way through input in the legislative process

or business to be done better, and you mentorand lead without realizing the impact o yourwords or actions. Without you, our Chamber andour community would not be what it is today.

So i youre one o our great volunteers or activeChamber members, we thank you or all you do

or everyone. I youre on the ence, trying to de-cide how to become involved, call us. We have lotso ideas and are waiting or you to join us. You arethe reason were here!

Volume 21, Issue 3

Mike LandramPresident/CEO

Maribeth CallicoatController

Dave YoungVice President o AirService DevelopmentMichelle MerrittVice President o Membership andCommunications

Jon SwerensDirector o Communications andEmphasis Editor

Lauren RichwineCommunications Specialistand Photographer

A limited amount o advertising in Empha-sis Monthly is availableexclusively to Greater FortWayne Chamber o Com-merce members.

For rates and in ormation,contact KPC Media Group:

Lynn Srou eFort Wayne generalmanagerlsrou [email protected](260) 426-2640 ext. 304

Sherri AyresFort Wayne advertisingsales [email protected](260) 426-2640 ext. 323

Or visit the web site:wbusiness.com/emphasis

L E T T E R F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

Thank you or being involved

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

Mike LandramCEO and PresidentT e Chamber

mlandram@ wchamber.org

emphasis MONTHLY

Emphasis Monthly is a publication o T e Greater FortWayne Chamber o Commerce.

826 Ewing Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802(260) 424-1435 | www. wchamber.orgcommunications@ wchamber.org

Printed by KPC Media Group Inc., publishers o theGreater Fort Wayne Business Weekly

T e mission o the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber o Commerce isto create a vibrant economic environment by supporting business,advocating on behal o the business community, and osteringcommunity partnerships to advance a common economic vision.

COVER PHOTO OF ANN BOBILYA OF COVINGTON TRAVEL: LAUREN RICHWINE 8-9 The 2011 Athena

Award nominees


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4 E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY

You will hear regularly that contact with yourlocal o cials is important. As a constituent, your

opinion is valued by those that represent you.It is your opinion. Share it!Your legislators want to hear rom you. We en-

courage you to contact them and voice your opin-ion on issues that matter to you.

T ere are many ways to contact your legisla-tors that t every style o communication. Youcan write a letter, send an e-mail, make a phonecall, set up a meeting, or speak with them at lo-cal events they attend. Attending the ChambersT ird House Forums is a per ect opportunity toget some individual time.

Ask your legislator to actIn your communication with your legislator, al-

ways re erence a bill number and give some back-ground on the issue you are addressing and why itmatters to you. T en ask them to act; that is, writean action message.

For example, House Bill 1450, the unemploy-ment insurance bill, would af ect my business inthe ollowing ways . I would urge you to supportthis balanced, business- riendly approach to xingthe unemployment insurance trust und problem

acing our state.

Leave something behindAlways leave something behind when you meetwith your legislators.

Leave a business card stapled to a one-page sum-mary o how the bill will af ect you personally plus your action message. T is will be valuable whenlegislators speak on the issue.

T is can also be done with an e-mail or a letter.Attach your one-page summary with your con-tact in ormation so they can keep your in orma-tion with them and access you quickly i necessarywithout having to access their e-mail.

Say thank youWhen speaking with a legislator, always ollow

up with a simple thank you. Send an e-mail orwrite a personal note thanking them or their timeand their attention to the issue you addressed.T eir job is a thankless one, so extending that ac-knowledgement is important.

T e Constitution only gives people the right topursue happiness. You have to catch it yoursel .

Benjamin Franklin

How to give lawmakers your opinio

Katy Staf ordDirector o GovernmentAf airsT e Chamber

kstaf ord@ wchamber.org

A dispute between American Airlines and someWeb-based travel companies is having a ripple e -

ect in the travel industry. Its a battle that couldultimately af ect how iers shop or tickets and

nd the best ares.American stopped displaying and allowing its ights to be booked through Orbitz on Dec. 21,

and less than two weeks later, Expedia, the largestonline travel company in the world, stopped dis-playing Americans ights.

At the center o this controversy is Americansnew booking hierarchy which, Expedia says, wouldbe costly to implement and would hinder travelagents ability to of er iers the best choice. T atsa position the airline disputes.

Ironically, American also got into a dispute withSabre, the biggest o the centralized systems that

unnel are in ormation to travel agents, and theoriginal reservations system that American itsel

developed. American has subsequently led a law-suit in exas.

For now, though, i youre looking or an Ameri-can Airlines ight speci cally, it is best to go di-rectly to your travel agent or to American Airlinesweb site, AA.com.

As a note, Southwest has or years of ered itsares only on its web site,www.southwest.com .I believe this dispute may well carry over to more

and more airlines as individual distribution con-tracts come up or renegotiation, so the travelingpublic will need to keep themselves educated onthis matter.

Its the consumer who may suf er, says GeorgeHobica o Air arewatchdog.com in an article inUSA oday last month. T eyll have to searchmore to nd the lowest ares and best schedulesand may end up having to book separate ights onseparate airlines to save time or money.

Airline, Web travel f rms in tussle

C H A M B E R N E W S

Dave YoungVice President o AirService DevelopmentT e Chamber

dyoung@ wchamber.org

Meet yourlegislators

Exclusive events orChamber members:

March 1: NortheastIndiana Day at T eStatehouse.

March 19: T irdHouse Forum

Details are on Page 14.


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C H A M B E R N E W S

Registeronline

apestry 2011Friday, April 29

Go to www.ip w.edu/tapestry or call the o ceat 260-481-6854 toregister. Preregistration isrequired.

By Ruth StoneWhen the idea o apestry was born in 2001,

IPFWs goal was to create a day o inspiration, re-newal, and education or women in all stages o li e. Parkview Health shared this vision and to-gether they held the rst apestry in 2002. Eversince, the public has wholeheartedly supportedthe event and made it more success ul each year.

$370,000 has been raisedT e apestry Parkview Health Sciences endow-

ment und has gone rom a balance o zero to morethan $275,000. o date, 24 students have receivedscholarships to study health and sciences at IPFW.Last year broke a record with ve students beingawarded a total o $28,000. apestry 2011 is ontarget to break that record as well.

Women have taken a day or themselves

No work, no carpool, no demands to be anythingother than a woman. Every woman reading thisknows how critical (and rare) this is. Women donto ten take days of rom their lives.

More than 7,000 guests over the last nine yearsshow that women cherish this day. With 13 edu-cational breakout sessions, shopping, time with

riends and colleagues, abulous keynote speakers,

and more shopping this is not a surprise.

Female role models have been recognizedFort Wayne is lled with amazing emale role

models whose positive activities have encom-passed all aspects o li e: amily, community, andpro ession. T e challenge has been to choose justone to honor each year at apestry.

Previous honorees include Weezie Dormer, Pa-tricia Miller and Barbara Bradley Baekgaard, Patri-cia Kunkle, Ione Auer, Harriet and Julie Inskeep,Colleen Bettingho , Suzon Motz, Patty Martone,and Betty Stein.

Stars have shared their storiesErin Brokovich, Marlo T omas, Dyan Canon,

Dana Reeve, Linda Ellerbee, Patty Duke, Marie Os-mond, Clinton Kelly, and Sandra Lee have gracedthe apestry stage. Some were inspiring. Many

made us laugh. And all brought out our smiles.T e 2011 apestry keynote speaker is Molly

Ringwald, 1980s Brat Pack actress, theatre a-vorite, best-selling author, and current star in theABC Family show T e Secret Li e o the American

eenager. At apestry, Ringwald will share hertips on Pretty is a State o Mind: EmpoweringWomen to be T eir Best rue Selves.

Tapestry celebrates 10 years

The 2011 Tapestrykeynote speaker is MollyRingwald

T e Greater Fort Wayne Chamber o Commerceis excited to partner with Prairie Quest Consulting

to of er Chamber members group buying power.Prairie Quests Group Purchasing Organization

(GPO) will provide Chamber members the oppor-tunity to purchase products and services at pricestypically only available to large companies.

We believe the GPO is a win-win or our Cham-ber members, said Chamber President and CEOMike Landram. T rough their Chamber member-ship, businesses have the buying power typicallyreserved or larger companies, ultimately improv-ing their bottom line.

T e program, called BuyWithPQC, marketsChamber members as vendors in various catego-ries such as landscaping, I services, janitorialservices, and uel cards. Prairie Quest Consultingwill be adding additional categories to the GPO as

contracts are being awarded. T e team at PrairieQuest has been working to evaluate the most com-

mon needs o businesses so that the initial of er-ings o the GPO allow or immediate savings orChamber members.

Prairie Quest Consulting was started by Presi-dent and CEO Stacey Smith six years ago. oday,Prairie Quest has more than 45 employees in vestates with its main ocus assisting in acquisitionstrategies or governments and military branches.Prairie Quest has been a Chamber member sincethe business began.

T e service is ree to Chamber members. Nolimit on company size is placed on the GPO socompanies both large and small may participate.Members interested in taking part in the GPO asa vendor or purchaser can nd the in ormation onT e Chamber web site: www. wchamber.org.

GPO comes to The Chamb

Find out moreLearn more at anin ormational meetingMarch 10. More details inour calendar on Page 14.

Visit buywithpqc.comor call the o ce at260-481-6854 or morein ormation.


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On the go and eeling hungry? Running romone place to the next can sometimes lead you tothe nearest drive-through to grab lunch or a quicksnack. Although the value meal may be easier onyour wallet, it may not be easier on your body.

According to the American Heart Association,60-70 percent o Americans are overweight orobese. By taking control o what you eat, you candecrease your risk o heart disease, diabetes andcancer. Some ast- ood value meals have enoughcalories, at and sodium or your entire daily in-take. What can you do to make healthier choices?

Choose healthier options. Educate yoursel on the nutritional content o the ood served at

ast ood restaurants. T is in ormation can be

ound on the ast ood restaurants corporate website or on independent web sites such as www. ast-

ood.com or www. ast ood acts.in o.Here are a couple o things to keep in mind when

ordering rom the menu.

Order grilled, not ried. Drink water. Remove the extras such as cheese and may-

onnaise. Pass on the ries: A lot o ast ood restaurants

have begun of ering healthier alternatives. Slow down: ake time and savor your ood,

youll ll up aster and eel better.Pack healthy on-the-go snacks. I you know

you are going to have a busy day, plan aheadby packing healthy snacks to help you make itthrough the day.

A ew options or healthy on-the-go snacks: Fresh or dried ruit Veggies

Granola Unsalted nuts Rice cakes Low- at cheese Bottled water

H E A L T H M A T T E R S

Eating health ully on the go

At O ce Depot, our initiatives to help womenin business are guided year-round by our WomensExecutive Steering Committee, Womens Market-ing eam and a 15-member Womens AdvisoryBoard comprised o women business leaders romaround the country. T ese individuals have beeninstrumental in identi ying areas where O ce De-pot can provide signi cant support.

O ce Depot provides ree Online BusinessSeminars to help with the many challenges acingwomen in business today. ake a break rom yourhectic workday and join us in the O ce DepotWeb Workshops or ree online seminars that o -

er expert advice to busy women in business. Visit

www.o cedepot.com/webca e or more detailson seminar agendas and scheduling.O ce Depot also of ers supplier and vendor

diversity programs or women executives. o seehow O ce Depot can help you enhance your busi-ness, whether through promoting your product orservice or engaging in a strategic alliance, contactus at supplychaindiversity@o cedepot.com .

O ce Depot is an active partner with a varietyo womens business organizations that of er re-sources or women who are seeking support andknowledge in running their business.

Check the ollowing groups to see which wouldbe best or your needs:

Center or Womens Business Research:www.womensbusiness.in o

Dress or Success:www.dress orsuccess.org

eWomenNetwork:www.eWomenNetwork.com

Global Summit o Women:www.globewomen.com

National Association or Female Executives:www.na e.com Women Impacting Public Policy:www.wipp.org

Women Presidents Organization:www.womenpresidentsorg.com

Womens Business Enterprise NationalCouncil:www.wbenc.org

Initiatives or women in busines

S M A R T S O L U T I O N S

The ChamberdiscountI your business has 2 to50 employees, you quali y

or a discount o up to ve percent on your small

business insurance pre-miums rom PHP. Averageannual savings is $2,500.

o receive a ree quote,call PHP at (800) 982-6257 or visit www.phpni.com and click onthe Chamber DiscountProgram link.

The ChamberdiscountChamber members cansave 60 percent on corecatalog items and ourpercent of retail catalogpurchases. You can alsomonitor expenses withmonthly reporting, andorder online, via phoneor ax, and through retailstores.

For more in o, contactChris Michaels at (260)249-3977.


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T I P S A N D T R I C K S

By Kurt BerryIn one o the largest revisions to the income tax

code, the ax Re orm Act o 1986 began limitingdeductions or business meals and entertainment.Prior to 1986, business meals and entertainmentwere 100 percent deductible; business meals andentertainment are now typically subject to a 50percent limitation.

Many taxpayers may be unaware o the excep-tions to the 50 percent limitation and could poten-tially be overpaying their income tax liabilities. Astaxpayers ocus on yearend tax planning opportu-nities, they may want to re-evaluate policies andprocedures or capturing and reporting businessmeal and entertainment in ormation.

Here are examples o expenses that are 100 per-cent deductible:

Recreational activities or employees: Ex-penses related to recreational, social or similar ac-tivities primarily or the bene t o employees areexempt rom the 50 percent limitation. Examplesinclude, but are not limited to, holiday parties,company picnics, retirement parties, new em-ployee lunches, team-building events and projectcompletion parties.

De minimis ringe bene ts: Expenses ex-

cluded under the de minimis ringe bene t rule in-clude items such as cof ee, donuts and other break

ood provided to employees, occasional meals pro-vided to employees during meetings and occasion-al business meals involving only employees.

Charitable contributions: I a charitableevent includes a meal and/or entertainment, onlythe amount attributable to the meal and/or enter-tainment is subject to the 50 percent limitation.T e remaining portion is deductible as a charitablecontribution.

Reimbursed meal expenses: Amounts in-curred in connection with services rendered toanother person under a reimbursement or otherexpense allowance arrangement are not subject tothe 50 percent limitation. It is important to com-municate to your customers and/or vendors whichparty is subject to the 50 percent limitation orbusiness meals and entertainment.

Expenses or items made available to thegeneral public: Items such as promotional pop-

corn, snacks or meals preceding a sales presenta-tion to potential customers are exempt rom the50 percent limitation.

In addition, here are some expenses that haveadditional limits to their deductibility:

Luxury boxes or skyboxes: Expenses re-lated to the purchase or lease o a skybox or otherprivate luxury box are generally nondeductible.T e deduction is limited to the ace value o non-luxury box seats.

Country club or other social membershipdues: No deduction will be allowed or amountspaid or membership in any club organized orpleasure, recreation or other social purposes.

Special rules also apply to the cost o ood andbeverages consumed while away rom home byindividuals subject to Department o ranspor-tation hours-o -service limitations. T ese rulesapply to certain air transportation employees, in-terstate truck operators, railroad employees andmerchant mariners.

Business meal and entertainment expenses arehighly scrutinized by the IRS, especially whendealing with closely held businesses. T ere ore,it is important to retain the necessary documen-tation to support the amount o an expense andits business purpose. Implementation o internalpolicies and procedures to capture the necessary

in ormation will not only protect you against u-ture IRS scrutiny, it may also uncover signi canttax savings opportunities.

For larger taxpayers, the IRS has provided statis-tical sampling methods that can be used to estab-lish the amount o substantiated meal and enter-tainment expenses exempted rom the 50 percentdeduction allowance.

How to capture those meal

and entertainment deductionsAbout BKDBKD LLP is the top-tierU.S. CPA and advisory

rm that delivers its ex-perience and service witha deep understandingo your business, yourneeds and what it takesto improve your businessper ormance.

BKDs approximately

2,000 personnel, includ-ing about 250 partners,serve clients in all 50states and internation-ally. o learn more, visitbkd.com.

PHOTO: STOCK.XCHNG


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Nancy Eshco BoyerJudge, Civil Division of the Allen Superior Court

Nancy Boyer has served as judge in the Civil Divisiono Allen County Superior Court since 1991, when shebecame the rst woman in Allen County to hold theposition o judge. Nancy was appointed to the IndianaCivil Instructions Committee by the chie justice o theState o Indiana. T is committee was charged with theresponsibility o rewriting all o the civil jury instruc-

tions in plain and understandable English.Nancy graduated cum laude rom DePauw University

in 1973 with her B.A. She also went on to graduate cumlaude rom Indiana University School o Law in 1976with her J.D.

Most recently, Judge Boyer is serving on a statewidemortgage oreclosure prevention task orce. She hassuccess ully implemented one o a hand ul o pilot ore-closure prevention programs in Allen County, Indiana.

Congratulations to the2011 Athena nominees

Sharon EisbartPresident/Owner, Sharon Eisbart Corporate Art

For the past 25-plus years, Sharon and her rm, Sha-ron Eisbart Corporate Art, have provided local, regionaland national art to corporate and residential clients inthe Fort Wayne community and region. Her rms ser-vices also include consulting, raming, delivery and in-stallation.

Sharons love o art and the arts has extended to com-munity involvement as she has served as president o

the Fort Wayne Museum o Art, winner o the T eo-dore T ieme Award, vice president o Fort Wayne CivicT eatre, and most recently was nominated or the Foel-lingers Carl Rol son Award.

Sharon is a ounding member o Francines FriendsMobile Mammography, is chairperson or the FortWayne Museum o Art Gala, involved with ParkviewFoundations Cookin Men, a United Way Mentor anda board member o the Fort Wayne Jewish Federation.

Colleen HuddlesonAssistant to the Dean/Assistant Professor,

University of Saint Francis School of Creative ArtsColleen began her career at the University o Saint

Francis in 2005 a ter completing her Masters o Busi-ness Administration degree.

As assistant to the dean in the School o Creative Arts,she coordinates and applies or grants to support com-munity outreach programs such as the Outdoor Gallery-I Am Art-Public Art Project, Fort Waynes Global Villageon Stage: A Celebration o Diversity in the Arts, andCloser Look Lecture Series.

Colleen serves on the board o the Fort Wayne Mu-seum o Art and is a member o their education com-

mittee. In addition to her support o the arts, Colleen isan avid historic preservationist who serves as the vicechair on the City o Fort Wayne Historic PreservationCommission.

She also served on the board o ARCH, Fort Waynesnon-pro t historic preservation organization, and is amember o the Historic Landmarks Foundation o In-diana and ACRES Land rust. She has volunteered onmany historic preservation activities such as the AllenCounty Lincoln Highway Survey.

Louise JacksonDirector of Development and Womens Philanthropy,Manchester College

Louise Jackson received her undergraduate degree inbusiness administration rom Saint Marys o the WoodsCollege in 1997 and earned a master o business admin-istration rom the University o Saint Francis in 2003.She has served as the chie executive o cer o the Boysand Girls Club o Fort Wayne and as a development o -

cer at the University o Saint Francis and Indiana ech.Jackson began her volunteer work with the Junior

League in 1984. A ter caring or her mother in the nal

stages o li e, she served on the Visiting Nurse and Hos-pice board rom 1999 to 2009. She served Hospice inmany capacities, including two capital campaigns.

Jackson was also elected president o the Fort WayneWomens Bureau in 2007 and, during her three-yearterm, oversaw the reorganization o leadership and suc-cession planning.

She also helped launch the annual Walk a Mile und-raiser to support the Womens Bureaus Rape AwarenessProgram.

T e event raised nearly $100,000 in 2010 and set aGuinness World Record or number o participants.


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Marilyn Moran-TownsendChairman and CEO, CVC Communications

As chairman and CEO o CVC Communications, Mari-lyn has spent 30 years working directly with clients inaddition to her executive duties.

Marilyn has provided executive speech coaching or

community leaders such as Olympic Greco-Roman GoldMedallist Rulon Garder, a ormer Disney executive, amayor, and more.

In 2001, Marilyn was named Indiana Business Leader

o the Year by the Indiana Chamber o Commerce.In 2003 she was one o ve people inducted into the

Indiana Academy which honors citizens who have con-tributed to cultural, scienti c, literary, civic, religious,and educational development in Indiana.

Presently Marilyn is the vice chair o the Indiana

Chamber o Commerce Foundation, chair o the BetterBusiness Bureau Foundation, secretary to the board o directors or Parkview Hospital, and a member o theboard o directors or the History Center.

Jane SchmittTreasurer, Aboite New Trails and Fort Wayne Trails

Jane has served as treasurer o Aboite New railsInc. since its ounding in 2002. During her tenure, Janesuccess ully managed all nancial audits and nancialactivities or the organization, including the numerous

nancial tasks during Oprahs Big Give, Fort Wayne,which raised more than $1.2 million or the trails.

Jane has been elected to continue her role as treasurer

o Fort Wayne rails Inc., the newly ormed non-pro t

rom the merger o Aboite New rails, Greenway Con-sortium, and Northwest Allen rails.

Jane has also volunteered in various education andyouth organizations in the community including presi-dent o Deer Ridge Parent eacher Club, treasurer o Woodside Parent eacher Club, and treasurer and meritbadge counselor or her sons Boy Scout troop.

She also served on the auction committees or Con-cordia Lutheran High School and Anthony Wayne Area

Council.

Heather SchoeglerDirector of Communications, Parkview Foundation

Heathers work at Parkview began in 1998 while ob-taining her B.A. at IPFW. A ter some time away romthe organization and having obtained her MSOL romIndiana ech, she returned to serve in her current roleat Parkview in 2009.

She is responsible or increasing the awareness o theParkview Foundations through marketing, public rela-tions, social media and other community engagement

opportunities.Heather invests time in serving with the regions

Vision 2020, leading an intern at Parkview through theUniversity o Saint Francis EPIC program, and mentor-ing a senior at Manchester College.

Heather is active in several location organizations in-cluding board service with Young Leaders o NortheastIndiana, Ronald McDonald House Charities o North-east Indiana, and Junior Achievement o NortheastIndiana.

Nancy SteigmeyerDirector of Career Services, Harrison CollegeAs director o career services and an instructor at

Harrison and Indiana ech, Nancy has the continuedopportunity to develop uture business leaders throughworking with students in class and one-on-one, helpingthem recognize and achieve their goals.

Nancy is actively involved with the Fort Wayne Wom-ens Bureau where she has chaired committees or theHidden Heroine award and the Womens Night o Shoes.She has also been active in organizing teams and sup-

porting the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event which brokea world record in 2010 or the most people walking amile in high heels.

Nancy is very active with the Greater Fort WayneChamber o Commerce where she is currently on theSmall Business Advisory Council, co- ounder o theLeadership Roundtable groups, Chamber ambassadorand has been the recipient o the Chamber VIP o theyear award.

In 2007, she was nominated and selected as a recipi-ent o the Upstate Indiana Future 40 Award.

Tonya Vojtko skyCo-Founder, Fort Wayne Derby Girls

onya not only co- ounded the Fort Wayne DerbyGirls, but also ounded the Fort Wayne Derby Brats inJanuary 2009, a junior at track roller derby league orgirls 9-17, teaching young girls the undamentals o playing in a team sport along with empowerment, cour-age to avoid peer pressure and acceptance o peers romall social backgrounds.

T e Fort Wayne Derby Girls, now celebrating its sixthseason, have donated more than $55,000 to local wom-

en and children organizations including SCAN, FortWayne Sexual Assault reatment Center, Hoosier Burn

Camp, Erins House, Easter Seals, urnstone, Big Broth-ers/Big Sisters, Great Lakes Burn Camp, A Day AwayCamp, and the largest donation to date rom our T irdAnnual Bust-A-Move Event, $10,000 to Cancer Services o Northeast Indiana.

In 2009, she was nominated or the nationally recog-nized Break T ru Woman with CNNs Robin Meadeand last year was a nominee or the Athena Award.


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1 0 E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY

T H E R E S A M E M B E R F O R T H A T

By Lauren RichwineAs general membership at the Greater Fort Wayne

Chamber o Commerce continues to grow, so does thevariety o organizations and companies that make upthat membership. Each issue o Emphasis will introduceor reacquaint you with a ew Chamber members who allunder that months specif c theme. Whether your need isindustrial, medical, or retail related, theres a member orthat!

The insider advantageWith so much in ormation on the Internet, a re-

source ul researcher should be able to piece togethera trip just as well as a seasoned travel agent, right?

Wrong. Margaret Klingenberger, president o Cov-ington ravel, knows rsthand the dif erence havinga travel agency behind you can make.

O course, there are certain business trips or vaca-tions you can plan on your own, but time is money,Klingenberger said. Hiring a pro essional saves timeand money.

Covington ravel has been a member o Virtuosoor 23 years, a by-invitation-only organization com-

prised o the worlds nest travel agencies. T is givesthe company a distinct edge and global outlook,speci cally when it comes to travel problems thatmay arise. Klingenberger is able to call on her con-tacts around the world to assist travelers during badweather or to rearrange the entire schedule o a visit .T eres also the requent chance o being upgraded,something that remains largely unattainable orthose who travel independent o an agency.

We work with companies to nd the best acilitieswithin the budget they have in mind, Klingenbergersaid. Employers are always looking or discounts tolower the cost o travel and we have access to the ma-jority o these as well.

In the event o ight complications, we work di-rectly with the airlines to get our clients on a plane

aster than i they were standing in line with every-one else. Well do whatever we can to ensure our cli-

ents have the smoothest experience possible.

Knowledge on the goYou dash of the plane, grab your luggage, and ei-

ther look or your contact or nd a taxi to ag down.T ere are hidden bene ts to the use o a taxi serviceother than the constant availability.

axi drivers are renowned or knowing the ins

and outs o the city they drive in, said Dave Burian,general manager o Deluxe axi. T ey know the hotspots, the overrated places. T ey are a wealth o in-

ormation just waiting to be tapped that you prob-ably cant get anywhere else.

Some clients book Deluxe axis services online asmuch as a month or two early. T anks to a partner-ship with Citilink, the company now of ers wheel-chair accessible vehicles as well.

Weve been in town or 23 years so its clear thatwe are doing things the right way, Burian said. axidrivers are o ten the rst individuals to create an im-pression o the city being visited so use ul in orma-tion is vital to what we do.

Ensuring a great hotel stayCurtis Lazof , property manager o the Hampton

CORPORATE TRAFor morein ormationVisit the eaturedmembers online:

Covington ravelcovingtontravelinc.com

Deluxe axideluxetaxi ortwayne.com

Hampton Innhamptoninn.com

Theres aMember

or ThatShowcaseCorporate ravel

Meet Chambermembers who canhelp you create agreat stay or youremployees.

Wednesday, March 3010 a.m.-2 p.m.T e Chamber buildingAdmission is open toeveryone and ree

For more in ormation,contact MichelleMerritt at (260) 424-1435.


11/16

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY 1 1

Inn Southwest, will be the rst to tell you that not all

hotels are equal. ravelers should be aware

that not all hotel chains o -er the same amenities such

as ree WiFi, shuttle van ser-vice, reward points and com-plimentary break ast, Lazof

said. Just because a hotelhas a low rate doesnt mean itwill t your business needs.

He advises travelers to callhotels ahead o time and askquestions personally ratherthan relying on third-partyin ormation. T e last thing a traveler needs is to ar-

rive and realize they wont be able to work rom thehotel or one reason or another.

T e most requently orgotten questions arewhether or not a hotel welcomes pets and what ourcancelation policies are, Lazof said. T ere are onlytwo things a typical business traveler will rememberabout your hotel: a horrible stay or an amazing stay.

A common misconception about hotels is that al-most any speci c need can be met. In truth, many o

the chains have set standards that prevent certain re-quests rom being attainable. For example, requestingspeci c items or break ast that are not already on themenu may be impossible.

T e hotel may very well want to meet every expecta-tion but be unable to. In the end, a quick phone call isan easy way to ensure a great stay no matter whereyou are headed.

Curtis Lazof Property ManagerHampton InnSouthwest

Tips and tricks for a great trip


12/16


M E M B E R B E N E F I T S

New membersJanuary 2011American Family InsuranceApricot Lane BoutiqueCirrus ABS Corporation

Cohoat Business GrowthAdvisors, LLC

Deister ConcentratorFrame ServiceGeorgetowne PlaceGibson Insurance GroupHappy Cleaning, Inc.Juice PlusK-Industrial o Indiana LLCMorning Dew Lawn & Land-

scapingO ceMaxPak MailPriority 1Proactive Elder Care, Inc.Ricker Oil Co.

Solid Path Financial, LLCSprint Wireless RevolutionSummit CPA Group

Renewing membersJanuary 2011AAA Acceptance CorporationAboite Eye Care, PCAIDS ask Force, Inc.

All Star Construction & Exca-vating, Inc.

Allen Dental Laboratory, Inc.Angel CorpsAnthony-Patrick Insurance

Corp.Don Ayres Pontiac-GMC-

HondaBaker & Daniels LLPBank o America Home

LoansBarnes & T ornburg LLPJudy Baumgartner/Century

21 BradleyBonar Group-A GAI Com-

pany

Brooks Construction Com-panyCDMCPS Marketing Group, Inc.Chick- l-A at Glenbrook

SquareChosenLan echnology

Group, Inc.Comcast Business ServicesCommonwealth Engineers,

Inc.Connollys Do It Best Hard-

wareCookie Cottage, Inc.Cordes Drywall Co., Inc.

Country Inn & SuitesCoventry MeadowsCurrent MechanicalDoc Dancer Heating & A/C,

Inc.ENS GroupFacts Paper Co., Inc.Findley Financial Corpora-

tionFort Wayne Public ranspor-

tation/CitilinkFort Wayne inCapsGenesis elecommunicationsGerig-Ottenweller Contract-

ing, LLCGraber & Graber Contractors

Grabill Cabinet CompanyGranite City Food & BreweryHagerman Construction

CorporationHamil, Lehman & England,

P.C.Hamilton House Assisted

LivingHawk, Haynie, Kammeyer &

Chickedantz

Heritage Food Service Equip-ment, Inc.

T e Heritage o Fort WayneHeritage ParkHoliday Inn Fort Wayne

Hylant o Indiana, LLCIndiana Pathology Consul-

tants, Inc.Indiana-Purdue University

Fort WayneKPC Media GroupKee er Printing Company,

Inc.KinderCareKoomler & Sons, Inc.L Spa ModernL.M.L. Estate Management

Corp.MarkleBankD. O. McComb & SonsHarold McComb & Son, Inc.

McCrory PublishingMcIntosh Energy CompanyMcMahon Paper & Packag-

ing, Inc.Michaels Photography, Inc.MidWest America Federal

Credit UnionMoake Park Group, Inc.T e Nichols CompanyPaychex, Inc.

Personal Care Medical Sup-plies

Physical Medicine Consul-tants

Premier, Inc., Realtors

Preston Pointe at InvernessCentre

Pro orma VikingQuadrant, EPPRaytheon CompanyReam Steckbeck Paint Com-

pany, Inc.T e Resource Development

Group, LLCSeely O ce SolutionsShoemaker, Inc.Roger Sipe CPA Firm, LLCStaybridge Suites-Fort

WayneStrahm Construction, Inc.Strategic Bene t Consultants

Mike T omas Associates/F.C. uckeritle Express, Inc.rotter Law O cerue North Strategic Advi-sors, LLC

Volunteer Center @ RSVPWabash Electric Supply, Inc.Windamatic Systems, Inc.Wired Communications, LLC

N E W A N D R E N E W I N G M E M B E R S

Find more about thesebusinesses in ouronline directory atwww. wchamber.org.

Heres a list that explains the money-saving ea-tures o your Chamber membership:

PHPI your business has 2 to 50 employees, you

quali y or a discount o up to ve percent on yoursmall business insurance premiums rom PHP. Av-erage annual savings is $2,500. o receive a quote,call PHP at (800) 982-6257 or visit phpni.com andclick on the Chamber Discount Program link.

O ce DepotChamber members can save 60 percent on core

catalog items and our percent of retail catalogpurchases. For more in o, contact Chris Michaelsat (260) 249-3977.

Group Purchasing OrganizationPrairie Quests GPO provides Chamber mem-

bers with the opportunity to purchase productsand services at prices typically only available to

large companies. In o at buywithpqc.com.

Event discounts and admittanceEvery employee o each o our members receives

the member price or Chamber events. Also, allemployees o members can attend member-onlyevents, such as the T ird House Forums.

Meeting roomsMembers get ree usage o meeting rooms large

and small in the Chamber building during busi-ness hours. Call 424-1435 or details.

Promotion and re erralsMembers can create and of er member-to-mem-

ber coupons on the web site. Members also getree promotion to a readership o 24,000 through

Emphasis and ree phone and web re errals.

Notarization and certif cation o originFree or members by our ront desk staf .

o learn more, contact T e Chamber at (260)424-1435 or visit our web site at wchamber.org .

Your discount guide


13/16

E M P H A S I S M O N T H LY 1 3

G R A D U A T E R E T E N T I O N

Im sure youve heard the old adage It takes avillage to raise a child. T ere is probably a lot o truth in that statement. We can all have an impacton young people.

I think the same concept could be applied tokeeping our young people in the Northeast Indi-ana region. So o ten you hear young people sayingthat there is nothing keeping them in the area a -ter high school and college. T ey seek big and bet-ter things in other places and Northeast Indianaloses potential talent and an employee pool that

could help drive the regions companies into theuture.I we are not working together to engage our

young people, it could mean that Northeast Indi-ana will have a short all in quali ed, well-trainedemployees in the uture. T is could be damagingto our region on many levels.

Everyone can do somethingT ere are many ways that our region can en-

gage our young people but it truly takes all o usto make an impact. I our businesses and organi-zations are not engaged in keeping young peoplehere, why would they want to stay?

T ere are many things that we can do to helpyoung people understand the opportunities avail-able to them in this region and help them developskills that can make them better employees in thelong run.

Ive discussed a ew in past articles but here aresome great ways high school and college studentsin Northeast Indiana can be introduced to the ca-reers and businesses here.

Employers can provide job shadow opportu-nities or high school and young college students.T ese hal -day or day-long experiences can be asnap shot look at the work world and provide a

young person with a beginning understanding o careers available in the region.

Short-term externships can be a great oppor-tunity to give a young person a project that canlast rom one week to one month. T e studentgains real-world experience that looks great ontheir resume while the employer gains rom the

resh energy and perspective o a young person! An internship lasts one month or more and

can give a total immersion experience or a highschool or college student. T is is the per ect chance

or a company to provide a young person with theskills, knowledge, and understanding they need tohelp them become success ul employees.

Getting started is easyO course, Im sure you know by now that you

can advertise internship opportunities on www.indianaintern.net .

Its easy to get signed up and started. You canalso post up or short term project based intern-ship/externship opportunities on the site.

T e Graduate Retention Program team can helpset up job shadow, externship, and internship pro-grams that provide a young person with a betterunderstanding o careers available to them in this

region.Your organization gains by creating a potentialpipeline o young people who are interested andexcited about what you do, and, lets be honest, intwo to ve years you may need these young peo-ple, so you could very well be training your utureemployees.

It takes a region to retain

(and train) a generationJenni er FisherGraduate RetentionProgram ManagerT e Chamber

j sher@ wchamber.org

Upcoming eventsSummer Internship search season: February-May 2011, www.indianaintern.netEducator Summit and Roundtable Discus-sion : March 2, 5-7:30 p.m., T e ChamberNortheast Indiana echFest 2011: April16, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., Sweetwater Sound. In o atneitech est.com.Supervisor Bootcamp: April 28, 3-5 p.m.,T e ChamberIntern Bootcamp: April 29, 3-5 p.m., T eChamberSign up at www. wchamber.org or call ormore in ormation at (260) 424-1435.

Saturday, April 16

T is event will eaturevideo game tournaments,problem solvingcompetitions, an iPodbattle o the bands,guest speakers who willtalk about S EM relatedcareers in the region, andmuch more.

Get involved bysponsoring a game,providing a donation toensure that all NortheastIndiana high schoolstudents can participate,donating a small item orthe gi t bags, or havinga table at the event withyour product.

Visit neitech est.com or more in ormation

about the eventand sponsorshipopportunities.


14/16


Northeast Indiana Day at theStatehouse

Round-trip bus ride to the state capitalIncludes breakout sessions on key issues

and luncheon with area legislators.

Cost: $35. Open to Chamber and NEICCmembers onlyuesday, March 1 | 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

Contact Christina Mitson at (260)424-0863 or in ormation

Chamber AcademySocial Media ools and Strategies: Proven

Ways to Maximize ROI Anthony Juliano, Kevin Erb and Julianne

Will o Asher Agency take a close look atthe pros and cons o Facebook, witterand other social media tools.

Cost: Members: $19 | Nonmembers: $39Wednesday, March 2 | 8-10 a.m.T e Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.Register online at wchamber.org Educator Summit and

Roundtable DiscussionEducators and industry leaders talk about

bridging the gap between their f eldsFree to educators. Dinner is included.Wednesday, March 2 | 5:30-7:30 p.m.T e Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.

More in o online at wchamber.org Workplace Wellness SeminarLearn how to build a culture o wellness and

move your employees toward healthIncludes break ast. Cost: Wellness Council

members: $25 | Chamber members: $30| Nonmembers: $35

Wednesday, March 9 | 7:30-11:30 a.m.IPFW Walb Student Union BallroomRegister online at wellnessindiana.org

GPO In ormational SessionRead about our new GPO benef t on Page 5Free meeting or members includes

continental break ast.T ursday, March 10 | 7:30-9 a.m.T e Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.Register online at wchamber.org

Meet Me @ 5Enjoy an evening o networking with hors

duvres and a cash bar.Cost: Members: $5 | Nonmembers: $10T ursday, March 10 | 5-7 p.m.

Parkview Field, hosted by T e inCapsRegister online at wchamber.org

Lunch n LearnLinkedIn In DepthHost: Anthony Juliano o Asher AgencyCost: Members: $10 | Nonmembers: $15Wednesday, March 16 | noon-1 p.m.T e Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.Register online at wchamber.org T ird House ForumMeet your Northeast Indiana legislatorsShare your thought regarding legislative

issues or policies that are o concern toyou with our representatives.

Event is ree, but open to members onlySaturday, March 19 | 10 a.m.-noonT e Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.Register online at wchamber.org

7th Annual A HENA AwardsCelebrating exceptional individuals

who have achieved excellence in theirpro ession, have served the community

in a meaning ul way and have assistedwomen in their attainment o pro essional goals and leadership skills.

Cost: $35 | RSVPs required by March 18Wednesday, March 23 | 11:30 a.m.-1:30

p.m.T e Diamond Room at Cerutis

Summit Park, 6601 Innovation Blvd.Register online at wchamber.org

T eres a Member or T atShowcase

Corporate ravelMeet Chamber members who can help youmanage your employees travel

Event is ree and open to the publicWednesday, March 30 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m.T e Chamber building, 826 Ewing St.Register online at wchamber.org

Morein ormationon eventsGet the most updatedevents listing at our website: www. wchamber.org

Do you have an interestin teaching one o our events, such as aChamber Academy orLunch n Learn? Or doyou have questions aboutan upcoming event?

Contact Michelle Merrittat (260) 424-1435 ormmerritt@ wchamber.org.

C H A M B E R C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S

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15/16

ATHENAAWARD

AWARD LUNCHEONWEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2011THE DIAMOND ROOM AT CERUTIS SUMMIT PARK6601 INNOVATION BOULEVARD, FORT WAYNEREGISTER BY MARCH 18 AT FWCHAMBER.ORG

Celebrate the fabric of women at this day ofinspiration, renewal and education.

Preregistration required by April 11

C e l e b r a t i n g 10 Ye a r s

Friday, April 2www.ipfw.edu/tapestry1980s Brat Packactress, theatre favorite,best-selling author,and current star in thebreakout hit The Secret Life of the American Teenager

Molly Ringwald


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Emphasis Magazine - March 2011

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