BILLINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives
2015 Chamber of the Year
S PE C I A L A DV E RTI S I N G S E CTI O N O F
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Chamber of the year 2015
Congratulations,
Billings Chamber! First Interstate congratulates the Billings Chamber of Commerce on being named the 2015 Chamber of the Year. Thank you for all you do to make our community a great place to live and work.
It’s bigger than banking. It’s you and
together.
firstinterstate.com Chamber of the year 2015
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In 2020 billings will be a dynamic center of regional commerce that draws families, workers, visitors and economic opportunities for our business community like never before. We are the 2015 Chamber of the Year because of our leadership and our willingness to make change. We established a new Strategic Plan this year to lead us in to the future, and the chief architect of this plan is you. “Defining Tomorrow” was a process that enlisted scores of business and civic leaders, partner organizations, and the community atlarge and generated over 1,000 comments and pathways to community success. Attaining this vision requires unwavering alliances with local and regional partners who own a stake in Billings’ success; just as we rely on our entire region’s prosperity for our success. Building a community for the next generation also necessitates that Millennials are part of the decision-making fabric. Just as we chose to embark on the “Defining Tomorrow” initiative at a time when we were at our best, you can expect the Billings Chamber to use the Chamber of the Year recognition as momentum. Organizationally the Chamber will align its resources to meet current demands while understanding that demands of tomorrow may look different from today. Our leadership and decision making process will be both proactive and responsive, and unapologetically decisive when difficult decisions must be made for the good of our business environment and community. The Billings Chamber does not exist to sell memberships, services and seats. We exist to move Billings forward and help your business grow. We are positioned now, more than ever, to do just that. to our future, John brewer
Chamber President/CEO
Jeff Walter
‘15-’16 Chamber Board Chair
PA R T N E R S I N P R O G R E S S BIG SKy LEVEL
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GR ANITE PEAK LEVEL
B E A RTOOTh LE V E L
CenturyLink Crowne Plaza Holiday Station Stores MSU Billings US Bank
Albertson’s District Office Bay, LTD Big Sky Economic Development BNSF Century 21 Hometown Brokers Charter Business Computers Unlimited Crowley Fleck PLLP Denny Menholt Chevrolet ExxonMobil Refining & Supply Co. Gainan’s Integra Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Olsen Ortho Studio PayneWest Insurance Phillips 66 Rocky Mountain College Stockman Bank, Billings Underriner Honda Vertex Consulting Group Walmart, Heights Western Security Bank
Chamber of the year 2015
ThE BEST OF ThE BEST By Kelly McCandless
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The night was finally upon us: in just a few moments, we would know if we were the 2015 category three Chamber of the Year. It had been a while since any of us sitting at the table felt nervous jitters like we were that evening. The entire event had been a slew of announcements honoring a variety of outstanding individuals and projects in the chamber of commerce world, and we’d finally reached our moment of truth. All eight of us from Billings seated at the table seemed to hold our breath as the announcer said, “And the winner of the category three Chamber of the Year for 2015 is.... BILLINGS!!!” And the crowd went wild! Hugs and high fives, a few tears, and a slightly chaotic rush to the stage rounded out our moment. The Billings Chamber of Commerce was officially the Chamber of the Year – meaning we are the number one chamber of our size out of all qualifying chambers in the nation. The honor is the nation’s only award recognizing the dual role chambers have in leading businesses and communities. According to the Association for Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), those honored with the Chamber of the Year designation have demonstrated organizational strength and made an impact on key community priorities, such as education, transportation, business development and quality of life. “Our application process was rigorous to say the least,” said Billings Chamber President and CEO John Brewer. He continued to explain that we had to qualify as an organization to even be invited to apply for the award – a feat achieved by only 33 other chambers across all five categories. Once eligible, we submitted an extremely comprehensive application highlighting our entire organization, our operations, and detailing projects we felt were exceptional examples of our work. “The projects we highlighted were our Trails Initiative and our Defining Tomorrow: Chamber of the Future Initiative,” says Jennifer Reiser, Chief Operating Officer. “The projects showcase our commitment to bettering our community in an inclusive way that spans both quality of life and business/workforce recruitment, as well as our fearless nature to look inward, take risks, and make changes – even when we’re at the top of our game.” The application got the team through to the top three in our category, but we still had one major hurdle to clear: the in-person interview. During ACCE’s annual conference in Montreal in August, John and Jennifer met with a panel of four judges and underwent a thorough question and answer process. They walked away feeling confident, but we knew our competition was stiff. Gainesville, Florida and Waco, Texas had exceptional applications, competitive projects, and impressive professionals. We are humbled to be in such remarkable company. “In the end, we walked away with the honor and we couldn’t be more gratified,” John shared. “I am so proud of the staff and the board. They are simply the best in the nation and should be proud of the work they do.” We often talk about how our organization moves Billings toward a better place for business to thrive and people to live. This is an incredible moment for Billings. As they say, “a rising tide floats all boats.” The Billings Chamber is the rising tide, and we are bringing Billings along with us. A chamber does not get to this position without a board and staff willing to take risks, stick their necks out when required, speak with one voice and support the team. Our leadership is not only making an impact locally, it’s being recognized, celebrated and now imitated all across the country.
Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives
2015 Chamber of the Year
Jennifer Reiser and John Brewer celebrating the 2015 Chamber of the Year Award.
Be part of what’s next for Billings – our community is limitless and your Billings Chamber won’t stop here. It’s a breakthrough year and we hope you’ll join us as we continue to break the mold, reinvent ourselves, and improve our community. Chamber of the year 2015
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W h y W E WO N
A strenuous application process and a competitive pool of candidates – why did Billings come out on top? To even be considered for this honor required a thorough review of the Chambers’ operational programs by our peers. Once we cleared the qualification hurdle, we were invited to submit an application including a review of two projects - a feat achieved by very few. Just 67 chambers were even eligible to apply to be the Chamber of the Year across all five categories, and only 33 submitted applications. We carefully selected the projects we would showcase: our Defining Tomorrow: Chamber of the Future program, which was an in-depth analysis by staff and board of what it will take for continued success and our Trails Initiative. Explore the projects that secured the Chamber of the Year recognition below.
Defining Tomorrow: the Billings Chamber of the Future “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” -Ben Franklin
DEFINING TO M O R R OW The aim of this program was to examine the changing business environment and our regional economy. With the help of our membership and community, we reinvented the Billings Chamber, leaving no stone unturned in a thorough and difficult self-examination.
The Billings Chamber is in the top one percent of all U.S. Chambers with 5-Star Accreditation; we have never been more fiscally sound; we have a record number of members; and our membership satisfaction rating has never been higher. In our prime, we refused to become stagnant and instead reached for opportunities for responsible growth and development. This initiative allowed us to ask, “What next? How can we be even better and remain relevant?” Remaining relevant to your customers in the rapidly changing business terrain is made easier by aligning with partners who have a passion for your success. The Billings Chamber is no different: striving to meet the needs of our members and community while remaining an integral and relevant tool for their growth. Constant competition for dollars, time and interest are making it difficult for chamber’s world-wide to remain relevant, and our goal through this initiative was to both demonstrate our current relevance and to learn from our constituents how we can improve our services. The best way to do this was two-fold: self-examination on every level organizationally and seeking ideas and input directly from our members and community at ChamberListens.com
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g n i n i f De row
What is the future of your business? Remaining relevant to your customers in the rapidly changing terrain is made easier by aligning with partners who have a passion for your success. The Billings Chamber/CVB is no different: striving to meet your needs while remaining an integral and relevant tool for your future growth. Provide us with your best ideas on how we can make Billings an even better community or how we can provide better services to your business.
Tomor
ideas creative ile 1,000 rs at p u m o o y c Provide . goal is to re r tu u fu O e back Help us shape the future of Billings’ business. Share to the or on th ad us in m le o .c to s here, and leave the card with a Chamber staff memrListen Chambe . ber or visit ChamberListens.com and submit rd a of this c your thoughts online.
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The core result of the Chamber of the Future program was our communityinclusive strategic planning process. To get there 1,023 individuals contributed to the exploration phase, including responses at ChamberListens. com, interactive presentations to service clubs and other groups, survey participants reached by a membership consultant, and focus group participants. Today we have a comprehensive Strategic Plan in place to lead us in to the future. As the plan is being put in motion, we’re already seeing major results and added strength to our ability to lead the Billings community.
Chamber of the year 2015
TR AILS
Billings has a growing reputation as a “trail-friendly” city. In less than 20 years Billings added 35+ miles of trails, usage increased roughly 10% annually, and the League of American Bicyclists designated Billings a “Bicycle Friendly Community.” This transformation is the product of a unique partnership involving many non-profit organizations, businesses, individuals, and government officials.
SUPPORT BILLING S’ TRAILS License your v ehicle with a Mont ana’s Trailhead Plate
At the center of the partnership is the Billings Chamber of Commerce. As the most respected voice of the business community in our region, the Chamber is a uniquely-effective advocate for community trails. The Billings Chamber is a clearinghouse for trail-friendly organizations and leads the 110-member “Billings Trails Committee” to effectively advocate for, build, maintain, and support trails. By leveraging individual strengths for common goals, this community-wide consortium has accomplished things that never would have happened without the Chamber’s leadership. Several recent accomplishments related to this Chamber-led initiative are the continued development of the Swords Rimrock Park trailhead, the establishment of the Clarks Crossing connection (connecting Garden Avenue to Riverfront Park via Clarks Crossing island), and the momentum of the Yellowstone Kelly Interpretive Site initiative.
u y e l l o w s t o n e k e l l y. o r g
Chamber of the year 2015
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M E E T T h E 2 015 -2 016 B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S Executive Committee:
Jeff Walters Vertex Consulting Group Chair
bill Cole Cole Law Firm Chair Elect
Patrice Elliott EBMS Secretary/Treasurer
Chris Dimock Elation, Inc.
Dr. Randy Gibb Billings Clinic
ron yates Eide Bailly, LLP Past Chair
Kris Carpenter Sanctuary/Joy of Living/Joy of Kids Liaison, Member Development
Directors:
brian brown First Interstate Bank
Ginny hart Residence Inn by Marriott
allyn hulteng Billings Gazette
Julie Dial Western Heritage Center Liaison, Business Advocacy/Gov’t Affairs
Greg Kohn Vistage Billings
Casey mcGowan Trailhead Spirits Liaison, Visit Billings
Nichole Mehling-Miles St. Vincent Healthcare
Ex-Officio Members:
mark mueller SM Energy Co.
Dr. Mark Nook MSU Billings
Lisa Perry NorthWestern Energy
Steve arveschoug Big Sky Economic Development
Bill Kennedy Yellowstone County Commissioner
terry bouck School District 2
tIna Volek City of Billings
T h E B I L L I N G S C h A M B E R S TA F F
(left to right) John brewer CAE, President/CEO, bruce macIntyre Director, Business Advocacy & Government Affairs, alex tyson IOM, Executive Director, Visit Billings, Jennifer reiser Chief Operating Officer, rene beyl Business Engagement Specialist, Kelly McCandless Communications and Leisure Marketing Manager, Nick mann Marketing/Public Relations, Visit Southeast Montana Tourism, megan Stevenson Accountant, Kevin Cremer Business Development Manager, Kate Hagenbuch Events Manager, Andy Austin Social Media and PR Manager, Visit Billings & Visit Southeast Montana, alyssa hall Visitor Services Specialist, Visit Billings, Daniel J. Brooks Member and Visitor Services Assistant, Billings Chamber and Visit Billings, Stefan Cattarin Sales Manager, Visit Billings
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Chamber of the year 2015
TO U R I S M the mission of Visit billings is to generate room nights for lodging facilities in the city of Billings by effectively marketing the region as a preferred travel destination. Working with partners through the state and region, billings is successfully positioned as Montana’s Trailhead.
u The Chamber is proud to have strategic management agreements to further the regional travel industry with both Visit billings and Visit Southeast montana tourism (SEMT).. These two entities greatly impact Billings and the surrounding area by positioning our region as a destination for visitors.
at Visit Southeast montana the goal is to help visitors discover all of the amazing things to see and do in Southeast montana, whether it be the natural scenery at bighorn Canyon or a homemade milkshake from a small town diner. They are working hard to raise the profile of eastern montana as a travel destination and make it a part of the overall Montana tourism story.
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B illings C h amber of C ommerce is on a roll B y To m H o w a r d o f T h e B i l l i n g s G a z e t t e
O r i g i n a l l y p u b l i s h e d i n t h e S e p t e m b e r 2 015 i s s u e B i l l i n g s B u s i n e s s When Jeff Walters joined Vertex Consulting Group three years ago, he joked that the upstart computer services company had established a goal of “world domination.” Vertex is still growing. Meanwhile, Walters has become involved in another effort that has put Billings on the map. He is chairman of the Billings Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for 2015-16. Walters, other board members and staff were on hand recently when the Billings Chamber received the Chamber of the Year Award at a meeting in Montreal, Canada. Billings was among five award winners recognized by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). “It’s an exciting time. The trip to Montreal was amazing,” Walters said. “It was very positive for us to measure where we stand from an
initiative standpoint and within the Chamber industry as a whole.” Billings won in the Category III competition, beating out finalists from Waco, Texas, and Gainesville, Fla. The Billings Chamber received the award for demonstrating organizational strength and making an impact on key community priorities, the ACCE said.
information, strategic plans, community initiatives and communication with the public. That was followed by an in-person interview of two chamber staff members by a four-judge panel. The Billings Chamber highlighted a couple of specific projects in its application: the trails initiative that has led to improvements in cycling and walking trails in the Billings area, and the “Chamber of the Future” project that launched a couple of years ago, Brewer said.
Instrumental to the chamber’s success has been its close relationship with Visit Billings, the Visit Southeast Montana tourism promotion agency and the Tourism Business Improvement District, Brewer said. This is a great time to be involved with the chamber, Walters said.
“We have a great marriage of the right people in the right chairs,” Walter said. “I like the composition John Brewer, Billings Chamber of the board. We have a group president and CEO, said the that’s not afraid to challenge the application process for Chamber In developing its Chamber of the status quo and take on some tough of the Year requires many hours of Future project, the Billings Chamber issues. We’ve developed a vision of work and thorough documentation. solicited comments from the the future for the Billings Chamber, Initially, a chamber submits public about important community and the staff has done a great job benchmarking information initiatives and what direction of implementing that vision.” that quantifies budgetary and the chamber should take in the operational practices. Chambers So, congratulations to the Billings future. that make the first cut then go Chamber of Commerce. It’s almost through a more extensive review. As part of the project, the as good as world domination. The Billings Chamber ended up chamber sought to collect 1,000 submitting about 1,000 pages creative ideas that could be put into of information, including tax play and benefit the community.
B illings C h amber among c h amber of t h e y ear award winners B y To m L u t e y o f t h e B i l l i n g s G a z e t t e
O r i g i n a l l y p u b l i s h e d i n t h e T h e B i l l i n g s G a z e t t e , A u g u s t 2 015 The Billings Chamber of Commerce has been named one of five Chamber of the Year award winners by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.
of directors and staff leading the Billings Chamber of Commerce,” said John Brewer, Billings Chamber president and CEO in a press release. “Their hard work and visionary spirit continues to place The award was given to the your Billings Chamber at the top of Billings Chamber for demonstrating our industry across the country.” organizational strength and making an impact on “key community According to ACCE, there priorities.” were 33 entries from chambers throughout the United States. Only “This new recognition from ACCE five winners were selected. Winners showcases the incredible board 10
were from categories based on: annual revenue, membership, area population, and other factors. The Billings Chamber has 1,178 members in a community with more than 7,350 businesses. Its total revenue, including tourismrelated funds, is $3.1 million. Those numbers empowered Billings to punch above its weight in a contest that otherwise put communities with populations below 249,000 in
the second lowest tier. The Billings Chamber won the tier III category. The other winners were the Newnan-Coweta, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Omaha Nebraska Chamber.
Chamber of the year 2015
BE PART OF THE MOMENTUM!
BECOME A MEMBER OF THE 2015 CHAMBER OF THE YEAR
Call Kevin 245-4111
kevin@billingschamber.com
CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS Billings Chamber of Commerce on your Chamber of the Year achievement!
To subscribe, call 406-657-1298
Congratulations Billings ChamBer!
We Are Proud to Be Members of the Chamber of the Year. 406-259-0999 • montanastravelagency.com 313 North Broadway Billings, MT
S G N I L L I B U S M M O R F S N O I T A L U T A R CO N G Thanks for making Billings and our region a vibrant place to learn, live, work, and play. MSU Billings has known for years that you are the best Chamber of Commerce in the country because of the work done by the brilliant people you employ. However, some Chamber employees are just a cut above — after all, they’re our alumni: Kate M. Hagenbuch ’10 Kelly McCandless ’07 Alex L. Tyson ’95 Kevin C. Cremer ’06
Keep up the great work!
msubillings.edu 1.800.565.MSUB Chamber of the year 2015
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W h e r e w e ’r e g o i n g a n d w h y y o u s h o u l d g o a l o n g f o r t h e r i d e .
R E AC h I N G N E W h E I G h T S I N 2 015 -2 016 By John Brewer
Your Chamber staff, board of directors and you, our members: simply the best in the country! Receiving the Chamber of the Year award from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives in August was an honor that every chamber in the nation aspires to. As a member of this organization you volunteer on committees, financially support the Chamber and its initiatives, evangelize all the great work we are doing—and the work that still needs to be done—and offer direction to move Billings toward a brighter tomorrow. The Chamber of the Year Award was earned by the Billings Chamber in large part because of you. It was a great 2014-2015, however, we are fully aware that this honor was only a stepping stone to what will come next; and big things are in store. With this win comes renewed excitement for our fresh program of work this fiscal year and into the future. I am enthused about our direction as a Chamber and as a community. This plan, building upon past goals and successes, comes after a tremendous amount of member feedback as well as significant recognition from our national association.
our long range plan leads us to the following goals for the 2 0 1 5 -2 0 16 F i s c a l Ye a r ( J u l y - J u n e): u
advance billings as the Dynamic regional Center Billings is Montana’s Trailhead: a desirable, regional destination to conduct business, for travel, relocation and business recruitment. By virtue of being the largest city in a vast region, our economy thrives. But being the largest isn’t good enough: Billings must be the best by offering a dynamic urban setting and quality of life that is viewed as paramount. Goals include: Improve air service and the airport experience; Connect business to the issue of public safety; Expand the Heritage Trail System and improve historical assets (Yellowstone Kelly Interpretive Site); Improve meeting/convention space.
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Grow and recruit trained talent Billings’ unemployment rate is hovering near 3%. A comprehensive roadmap produced by BillingsWorks (a partnership between the Chamber, MSU Billings, Rocky Mountain College, private business and others led by Big Sky Economic Development) will be the driving structure to address workforce needs. “We will be a premiere, business-driven workforce development hub by 2023.”
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Lead Visitor Growth Tourism is Montana’s second largest industry and impacts nearly every business. Visitors to Billings are exposed to our community, opening the door to future economic opportunities including relocation and business development. They are our future residents and workforce. As the region’s urban destination, Visit Billings will capitalize on our significant regional trade area as a target. Managing tourism promotion for Visit Southeast Montana (13 counties and two Indian Reservations) connects our region and creates marketing, sales and political synergies. 12
Chamber of the year 2015
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Inuence Public Policy We serve as the voice for business at all levels of government: local, state and federal. The Chamber will advocate for issues impacting business and community and communicate to our members to create a better understanding of issues affecting the Billings region and eastern Montana, and efforts will be coordinated with a regional voice. Our top priority will be the successful development and introduction of enabling local option tax legislation in 2017.
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enhance Value to members With over 1,170 members who employ over 46,000, the Chamber will provide platforms to cultivate leaders, grow customers for our members and help them establish business relationships.
The Billings Chamber does not exist to sell memberships, ser vices and seats. We exist to move Billings for ward and help your business grow.
C h e e r s t o t h i s p a s t y e a r, a n d l o o k o u t t o m o r r o w !
THANKS TO OUR MEMBERS
THANK YOU to our 1,170+ members employing over 46,000 people. The Billings Chamber of Commerce would not be the 2015 Chamber of the Year without each of you.
Chamber of the year 2015
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FROM THE 2014 SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR TO THE
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Chamber of the year 2015
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