Spring 2019 Collective Impact

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GREATER GREEN BAY: DOING BUSINESS ACROSS BRIDGES AND OCEANS

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SPRING

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CONTENT SPRING 2019 | ISSUE 25

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MEMBER SERVICES FROM THE CHAMBER PRESIDENT CHAMBER MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

2 Collective IMPACT | Spring 2019

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Hub partners with post-secondary institutions on training and education including financing tools and low-cost software.

The Hub offers numerous onsite partners: Small Business Development Wisconsin Center, Small Business Initiative, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership and SCORE. In addition, the Green Bay Packers Mentor-Protégé program is headquartered in the facility.

The Startup Hub’s incubation physical space is one of the largest in the state, one of the oldest viable ones in the country and offers manufacturing-focused space in addition to office space.

Startup Hub launches as the front door to Greater Green Bay’s entrepreneurial ecosystem Startups, entrepreneurs, innovators and businesses looking to take their businesses to the next level now have a single front door to all entrepreneurial resources in Greater Green Bay: The Startup Hub. The Startup Hub functions as the much-needed, centralized “starting point” for entrepreneurs and businesses seeking entrepreneurial resources in Greater Green Bay. Its physical facility is located at 2701 Larsen Rd., Green Bay.

The Startup Hub’s offerings are rooted in partnerships, including the small business services of partner organizations that reside in the facility: • Green Bay Wisconsin SCORE Chapter 508 • The Wisconsin Small Business

Development Center at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay • Northeast Wisconsin Technical

College Small Business Initiative & Entrepreneur Resource Center

Learn more about the Startup Hub as well as other resources, partners, virtual services and incubation program success stories, at the Startup Hub’s newly redesigned and expanded website at TheStartupHub.org. You can also follow the Startup Hub on Facebook or Twitter at @startuphubgb, LinkedIn at https:// www.linkedin.com/company/startuphubgb and Instagram at startup_hubgb.

Spring 2019 | Collective IMPACT 3

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Startup Hub launches as the front door to Greater Green Bay’s Entrepreneurial ecosystem (continued)

“W

e recognize entrepreneurs are passionate and knowledgeable about their craft, skill, product or field, but hear time and time again they aren’t the experts when it comes to licensing, permitting, accounting, legalities and other facets of starting or growing their business,” said Kelly Armstrong, vice president of economic development for the Greater Green Bay Chamber. “The Startup Hub is the starting point for all entrepreneurs and small business owners no matter what stage of business they are in. Whether they need physical space, incubation services, mentorship, training, business planning or any other of a long list of business development services, we will connect them to the right resources in the community.”

By acting as the front door to the entrepreneurial resources of the entire Greater Green Bay community, the Startup Hub helps to connect entrepreneurs to the right resources, saving them time, money and frustration. This may result in using the collaborative facility’s incubator program, onsite programming or business partners. However, it is just as likely to steer the small business owner to another entrepreneurial resource in the community

4 Collective IMPACT | Spring 2019

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

such as TitletownTech, T2, Rise & Grind or The Docking Station. The Startup Hub, in collaboration with staff of the economic development arm of the Greater Green Bay Chamber, connects entrepreneurs with the resources and entities that provide specific areas of expertise and focus.

“As with many of the Chamber’s offerings, we are looking to provide solutions and that involves convening and connecting with other experts and resources in the community,” said Laurie Radke, president of the Greater Green Bay Chamber. “No one resource can be everything to everyone; we recognize that each entity brings different strengths and advantages to the table.”

That is a message reiterated by Craig Dickman, managing director of TitletownTech, one of the most visible examples of innovation developments in our community. Established by the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft, the effort is aimed at catalyzing entrepreneurialism

and innovation in Greater Green Bay specifically through digital transformation. TitletownTech seeks to build, enable and invest in early-stage and existing businesses through an innovation lab, a venture studio and a venture fund.

“One of the things we have seen over and over in other communities that are successfully creating innovation and entrepreneurship is that it’s not about self-contained islands,” said Dickman. “Instead, a healthy and diverse ecosystem almost never has one entity that dominates the ecosystem; there’s room for – and a need for – diverse players.”

“A lot of activity in a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem can happen virtually, but we find the most effective include a few strong hubs that can connect and anchor the network,” said Dickman. “The Startup Hub will be a critical anchor point in connecting our entrepreneurial resources.”

with opportunity to support a vibrant startup community. It may be at the physical Startup Hub facility or one of many other startupfocused resources in the community such as T2,” added Paul Belschner, president and CEO of Base Companies, LLC, and, through DDC Holdings LLC, a partner in T2, a technology accelerator and co-working space in the Rail Yard Innovation District in downtown Green Bay. “T2 gives high-performing young professionals and professionals of all types a place to collaborate and be a differencemaker. We have worked very closely with the Startup Hub team, and they understand the advantages and expertise we provide at T2 versus other resources for entrepreneurs in the community. We recognize that all of us have an important place in serving the innovators and entrepreneurs, and it’s that overarching focus on the innovation community that will make Greater Green Bay economically viable in the future.”

“We see the entire ecosystem really being ripe

Spring 2019 | Collective IMPACT 5

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Greater Green Bay Economic Development Strategic Plan task force updates

T

he Greater Green Bay community has been actively working on moving forward the strategies and tactics that comprise the 11 initiatives in the Greater Green Bay Economic Development Strategic Plan. Here are some highlights of their most recent work: Business development task force (Initiatives 1, 2 and 3). This task force continues its efforts to build on the region’s manufacturing strengths (Initiative 1) by leveraging existing partnerships with organizations such as the NEW Manufacturing Alliance to provide educational and networking opportunities for manufacturers.

The task force carries on the focus of supporting existing businesses (Initiative 2 – Respond to the needs of existing businesses 6 Collective IMPACT | Spring 2019

and industries) through the business retention and expansion (BRE) program largely executed

by Josh Bernhardt, the Chamber’s business retention & expansion specialist. They also continue to assist staff in connecting with existing businesses. A big focus for the coming year is to visit the headquarters of businesses that have a strong presence in Greater Green Bay, but are based out of the state, to encourage continued growth in operations housed locally.

Additionally, the task force is partnering with local firms to begin messaging the Greater Green Bay area externally for the recruitment of new business and investments (Initiative 3 – Recruit new businesses and investments).

Growth strategy programming is being explored by targeting companies in the $1 million to $12 million revenue base. The program will

connect these companies to resources and assist in growth strategy.

Talent and education task force (Initiatives 4 and 5 – Expand the size/ scope of regional higher education assets and attract, retain and develop talent).

This task force continues to work on expanding education assets along with attracting and developing a talented workforce. Discussions are happening regarding having a local college presence in downtown Green Bay. Also, Chancellor Gary Miller is hard at work on the re-missioning of the University of WisconsinGreen Bay. The college alumni directors sub task force has identified an opportunity to enhance efforts and communication of how community recruitment is supported.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

new tax strategies including the incentive to stimulate significant economic development.

Further, a stakeholder meeting was held with a variety of organizations to discuss enhancing arts and culture in the downtown area and how it fits into the Economic Development Strategic Plan.

The innovation task force (Initiative 7 – Build a robust ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship).

This task force hosted its first meeting which was well attended and proved to be a great information-sharing session.

Downtown Green Bay & urban development task force (Initiative 6 – Accelerate downtown and urban development). The task force is working on its next site visit to explore best practices of successful downtowns.

Potential locations for the second visit are Kansas City and Louisville.

The group is also researching public incentive opportunities for Green Bay and Brown County.

We coordinated an Opportunity Zone event in conjunction with Baker-Tilly to share powerful

The Startup Hub (the front door to the Greater Green Bay entrepreneurial ecosystem) launched on Feb. 22. The Hub functions as the much-needed, centralized “starting point/one-stop shop” for entrepreneurs and businesses seeking entrepreneurial resources in Greater Green Bay. The Startup Hub’s offerings are rooted in partnerships, including the small business services of partner organizations that reside in the Startup Hub’s physical facility: Greater Green Bay Chamber, Green Bay Wisconsin SCORE Chapter 508, The Wisconsin Small Business Development Center at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Small Business Initiative & Entrepreneur Resource Center. (See more in this issue.)

Alignment and conferences task force (Initiatives 8 and 9 – Encourage greater alignment with the Green Bay Packers and elevate the role of events and conferences). The Wisconsin Technology Council will host its spring symposium at TitletownTech.

This is the first time this conference will be held in the Greater Green Bay area. TitletownTech continues in Phase II with its residential development; more than 1,000 people expressed interest in leasing.

Diversity & inclusiveness task force (Initiative 10 – Ensure diversity and inclusiveness). As a follow up to the CEO Pledge Breakfast, task force members have been busy reaching out to attendees to offer further support and encouragement to sign the pledge.

They are doing initial consultations and training with interested companies.The task force also developed a charter to get members actively involved with this initiative.

Transportation access & connectivity task force (Initiative 11 – Enhance transportation access and connectivity). This task force has been working on supporting the expansion of passenger freight operations at Green Bay-Austin Straubel International Airport. Private meetings have been held with several airlines to discuss increasing airline services, including more direct flights from Greater Green Bay. As a result of one of these meetings, Frontier announced non-stop flight service from Green Bay to Denver.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

G

rowing up in Montrose, Colo., Lauren Cooling was surrounded by majestic mountain ranges. She’s equally at ease scaling the challenges of a new position in the economic development arm of the Greater Green Bay Chamber as its taskforce coordinator.

Cooling joined the Chamber team in February, taking over all the inner workings of managing, communicating with and shepherding the seven task forces that comprise the Greater Green Bay Economic Development Strategic Plan.

Cooling was drawn to the opportunity to play a project-based role with the plan and to help move along the 11-initiative plan that’s a first for the region.

“One thing that struck me was the degree of business and corporation engagement with the Chamber, especially with the economic development plan,” she said. “Community

members of all levels want to be involved in this plan and are very vested in it.”

Day to day, Cooling juggles anything and everything associated with the task forces, some of which meet quarterly, others monthly; as well as any subcommittee meetings. She compiles information, performs research, records meeting to do’s and – in addition – supports the economic development team of the Chamber that’s housed in the Startup Hub at 2701 Larsen Rd., Green Bay. Working in the newly rebranded and expanded Startup Hub – the front door/ one-stop shop to the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem of Greater Green Bay – has been eye-opening as to what Greater Green Bay has to offer entrepreneurs and entrepreneur wanna-be’s.

“I’m surprised by the number of entrepreneurs in the area, the volume of ideas and the fact that while most people think of Green Bay in

relation to manufacturing, there are so many other opportunities and growth areas as well,” she said.

Since Cooling thrives on developing relationships, her new role is proving to be an excellent fit for further connecting her to the community she’s called home the past three years. She’s also been able to apply her background in customer service and sales.

And on a personal forefront, she is quite taken with Greater Green Bay’s many water amenities as a self-professed water lover. She and her fiancé enjoy stand-up paddle boarding, wakeboarding, boating and other water sports.

In addition, she’s found the community very warm and welcoming. “People here are very genuine, open and easy to talk to,” she said.“It’s been a great place to develop new friendships.”

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Spring 2019 | Collective IMPACT 9

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

W

e live in a global economy and need to think globally when it comes to doing business and economic development, says Kelly Armstrong, vice president of economic development for the Chamber since September. It’s easy for Greater Green Bay residents to “get stuck” on crossing the Fox River. But in reality, we need to be thinking about crossing the ocean, she says.

Armstrong knows what it’s like to live nationally and internationally, as she is a self-described military brat who grew up “all over.” She was born in New Jersey but has lived in Texas, Alabama, Ohio, Kentucky and Germany, although she considers Louisville her adopted home as that’s where her family resides. Prior to joining the Chamber team, she spent a few years in Milwaukee as the director of sector strategy development for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation with responsibility for sectors including manufacturing, energy, power and control; and supply chain management with a focus on the Internet of Things (IoT), automation and manufacturing productivity. The Chamber role spoke to her, especially since it’s driven largely by the Greater Green Bay Economic Development Strategic Plan.

10 Collective IMPACT | Spring 2019

“It’s really about the work; the plan and how comprehensive it is and the stakeholders who are involved in and supporting the plan,” she said. “It’s an excellent plan and it’s built with things you can actually get done, and that’s exciting.”

stories and learning about the community, meeting with and touring companies and understanding individual businesses’ drivers and how their story fits into the broader picture of how we position and sell the Greater Green Bay community.

Armstrong acknowledges that many communities do strategic plans but they are rarely as comprehensive. And often, all they are doing is gathering dust on a shelf. She’s been pleasantly surprised on many occasions to be at a meeting of one of the plan’s seven task forces, only to have a member of the task force pull out their copy of the strategic plan and flip to a section of it in reference to what the task force is doing.

“It’s such a good fit for me because I can take what they share with me and put it with other things to start conversations, identify synergies, make connections and seize opportunities,” she said.

“I love that it’s not just Chamber staff using it but people on the task forces and in the community who want to drive the change,” she said. “They are actively using this document as foundation to move the needle.”

Creating purposeful change is something that drives Armstrong to get out of the bed in the morning. She knows her strengths as a highinput connector, thriving on taking in a lot of information and putting like things together.

She’s absolutely energized by people’s business

Economic development is obviously a passion of Armstrong’s, but interestingly, it’s something she more or less fell into after starting a career at a public utility in marketing, serving on several boards of directors and doing work for a mayor’s office. Armstrong also spent time as a main street director in Iowa, economic development director for a regional economic development organization and an economic development consultant in Louisville.

“It got the point where I laughed and said, ‘I guess this economic development thing is for real’ and actively pursued it,” she said. “It took me being exposed to it, the roles within it and the different seats you sit in economic

development to recognize this is what I wanted and enjoy doing. Is it work? Yes. But it’s not a job to me.”

In her role for a public power utility, Armstrong was required to take a generation/transmission 101 class that she absolutely dreaded the thought of taking. All she could think was, “How am I ever going to use this information again?” Well, she says that what she gleaned from that experience is the basis of her economic development career given the significant role utilities play in economic development.

“I use that information all the time,” she said. Add to that 15 years’ experience in economic development, building collaboration with local government and spearheading corporate partnerships.

Prior to her work with the WEDC, Armstrong served as economic development director for Greater Louisville Inc., where she successfully launched a new health care cluster strategy, resulting in $20 million of investment in the first 18 months. While heading business attraction efforts, she also designed and implemented a new cluster strategy and strategic plan for the craft distilling industry resulting in three new craft distilleries located in downtown Louisville.

Since joining the Chamber’s economic development arm, she has driven and furthered the efforts of the seven task forces and 11 initiatives executing the Greater Green Bay Economic Development Plan. In addition, she has steered the repositioning and rebranding of the Startup Hub, the front door to Greater Green Bay’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Armstrong said 80 percent of an area’s growth and as a result, economic development – hinges on existing businesses and how they grow and develop. And as such, the economic development plan takes that into account in prioritizing the work of Armstrong, her five-member team and the volunteers on the seven task forces affiliated with the plan.

And while her days are filled with learning and making connections to grow the local economy, she says her biggest challenge is getting people to step back and take a global perspective from where they stand in Greater Green Bay. By default, many people think economic development is about bringing a huge company to town that will create 1,000 jobs. But she says the reality is that attraction like that is a small part of economic development. Those companies don’t come to town without the right infrastructure, talent pipeline with the local universities and other quality of life elements in place – all of which are an outgrowth of existing businesses’ growth and development.

“That’s another thing I like about the economic development plan – it has a comprehensive strategy of all components that affect economic development outcomes,” she said. “I am very results-oriented. We can talk all day long but I want to get things done and this plan is our playbook to strengthen the Greater Green Bay area.”

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View the plan, its strategic and tactics at greatergbc.org/ economicdevelopmentplan Spring 2019 | Collective IMPACT 11

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

F

rom mowing lawns as an eight-year-old, to selling bike parts as a teenager, and through several entrepreneurial endeavors as an adult, Ron Franklin has walked in an entrepreneur’s shoes.

Franklin is the manager of the Startup Hub, formerly known as the Advance Business & Manufacturing Center, incubator, Business Assistance Center and a few other names.

But the Startup Hub is not merely a renamed physical facility. Instead, the Startup Hub represents “the” front door to the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem in Greater Green Bay. What that means: Regardless what type of entrepreneurial resources someone needs, he or she can start by walking through the Startup Hub’s doors as the starting point. Franklin is the guide that then connects entrepreneurs to the right resources in the community, funneling people to the right programming, facilities and other resources. He takes the alphabet soup of entrepreneurial resources – TitletownTech, Rise & Grind, Digital Fertilizer and so much more – and helps provide direction based on each entrepreneur’s needs.

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It’s something Franklin has been working toward since childhood. In fact, he’s currently working on obtaining patents and finalizing a business plan for an autonomous public protection system involving drones. It’s a venture he’s had in the works for a few months, but only one of many ideas that ping-pong around his brain on an ongoing basis.

“A startup is only a startup when it starts. After that, it becomes a business,” he said. “And when you become a successful, growing business, you enter the corporate world. I’ve had experience on both sides – corporate and entrepreneurial – and that’s not something that happens very often, but it’s an advantage to Startup Hub’s clients.”

“I come up with at least one entrepreneurial idea per week,” said Franklin, a native of the east coast of Australia who moved to the United States to attend his final year of college at St. Norbert College. Since graduation, he’s held a number of sales, sales leadership, business and category management positions with large industry players including Coca-Cola, Campbell Soup, Kimberly Clark and Polaris. He spent 15 years in the corporate world and adds to that a solid 10 years of entrepreneurial experience.

Along the way, he gained a thorough grasp of corporate structure and how the corporate world works. All of that built upon the first-hand experience he had witnessing his parents’ entrepreneurial journey throughout his childhood.

What attracted Franklin to the Startup Hub role? Working with entrepreneurs and small businesses, connecting them to resources, establishing them and helping them to grow.

He thrives on coaching, teaching, leading and mentoring, as well as being plugged into the entrepreneurial community and being a convener for entrepreneurs and the resources they need to take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey.

As Startup Hub manager, Franklin links individuals to solutions, such as business plan assistance, funding, patent/licensing/permitting expertise, reviewing business documentation and so much more. He also loves to “spitball concepts” entrepreneurs are considering to determine the viability or market for said ideas.

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“As you can imagine, I can’t know everything in-depth. But I know where to funnel people and where to find answers,” he said. “When someone comes to me with what someone else might think of as a strange idea or request, I am open to it.”

He enjoys helping entrepreneurs hone in on specific ideas. “The tough thing with entrepreneurs, specifically serial entrepreneurs, is that we always have ideas bouncing in our heads, and it’s how to focus and then make that happen that is the challenge,” he said.

media, all of which happened within a two and a half-month window – no small feat. He’s now working to infuse more technology into the facility’s seven conference rooms and to attract more entrepreneurs who are tech-oriented and tech-enabled.

He’s also attuned to certain elements of business. For example, one client had an idea for four businesses ranging from manufacturing to technology, and he helped to vet those out, determining what made sense for bringing her idea to market.

It’s a challenge Franklin has wholeheartedly embraced. As you can imagine, no two days at the physical Startup Hub facility are the same, and his job also takes him to numerous events and entrepreneur-focused resources throughout the community. In his first 14 weeks on board, he provided nine presentations to community groups, met with dozens of entrepreneurs and prospective entrepreneurs, met with numerous community partners, coordinated internal events, established onsite programming for Startup Hub’s physical facility clients and – perhaps most visibly – driven the rebranding, refurbishing and relaunching of the Startup Hub.That relaunch, included renaming and rebranding the building, planning a launch event, establishing a brand new website at www. thestartuphub.org, overseeing the refreshing of the building in terms of paint, flooring and signage, and establishing a presence on social

If it sounds like Franklin’s project to-do list – both done and pending – is extensive, that’s because it is. His vision for the Startup Hub physical facility is for there to be a waiting list for businesses to enter the Startup Hub and for them to move out within three to five years as viable, thriving businesses, providing room for the next entrepreneur. In addition, he loves connecting entrepreneurs who don’t need onsite space to other resources they need – being the place where anyone in the region comes to start or build their business.

“She thought about going down the path of Kickstarter and selling online and had visions of making lots of money. But there are plenty of other things that go into it. Having an e-commerce site doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to be a millionaire. We also discussed the realities of going retail; for example, if you’re selling to Walmart or Target, they have set planogram times twice a year. If you miss one, you have to wait six months for the next one.”

“I want us – the Startup Hub – to be seen as the key resource in the entrepreneur marketplace,” he said.

Spring 2019 | Collective IMPACT 13

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

We need you to help us know who we are and what our talents are.

Parents We Need You!

C

ritical and creative thinking, problem-solving, communication skills and dependability play a vital role in today’s workforce. Every child deserves to have the best possible success in life, and the good news is that everyone can help make a difference.

Dr. Jeff Rafn, president of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, interacts with students.

Parents We Need You is an initiative of Partners in Education (PIE), the workforce development arm of the Chamber, the initiative is focused on reaching parents and all influential adults in a number of ways – to not only engage children about career paths and choices early on, but also have intentional and purposeful conversations about developing life skills.

Together we can build educational and work paths for youth, and retain them in our local community.

While it can be overwhelming, it is as easy as starting a conversation. “It’s just an awareness,” said Sue Zittlow, vice president of workforce and leadership

14 Collective IMPACT | Spring 2019

development for the Greater Green Bay Chamber. “Point out strengths and positive behaviors in your children. Make sure they understand they are doing a good job.”

Jeff Rafn, Ph.D., president of Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, is a longterm member of PIE. “I have come to recognize that parents often do not have the information or knowledge regarding careers other than their own,” he said.

“How can we encourage parents to have career conversations? What information and tools can we provide them so that they are comfortable?”

Parents We Need You is a tool that has made an impact for countless families in the past year-and-a-half. The initiative is creating a broader awareness of how the community as a whole can support youth in knowing who they are and the talents they have, exploring their career interests and helping to plan their futures.

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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Setting an example

D

ave Pisani, a father of four, serves on the PIE board and parent engagement task force. As senior vice president of strategy and operations for Camera Corner Connecting Point in Green Bay, he was one of the first business leaders to host a 30-minute Parents We Need You presentation for employees.

Dave Pisani, Camera Corner Connecting Point

“I felt like we were on to something,” he said.“Having these resources available was a very

pleasant surprise. Parents did not know about these tools and were excited to find out about them.”

Pisani strongly encourages other businesses to offer this 30-minute session.“It provides a great service to their employees with kids, because they need to be ready for the next step—whether entering the workforce full-time, going to college or some combination of the two,” he said.

Community volunteer and mom, Kimberlee Karcz, also witnessed first-hand the impact of the on-site business presentation.

“There is so much being missed on what we can help our children to achieve in life,” she said.“The more they see and experience Parents We Need You, the more we will have kids wanting to succeed, Let’s help them create their story.”

“It takes a village”

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his parental engagement initiative is an outgrowth of the PIE board of directors of the Chamber, which regularly convenes educators and educational leadership, as well as area business leaders.

Karmen Lemke, Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes

16 Collective IMPACT | Spring 2019

Karmen Lemke is a busy mother of three, CEO of Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, long-time member of the PIE board, current co-chair of the

parent engagement task force, and a firm believer in the creation of business-education partnerships.

She has dedicated many years to ensuring success for everyone involved.

“It’s a win-win,” she said. “With the help of parents and supportive adults, students are more prepared to enter the workforce with essential life skills, and the business community benefits because they

employ parents and eventually hire students.”

Lemke explained that the Parents We Need You initiative asks businesses to consider hosting an information session and inperson demonstration of the online resources.“Your employees will know that you care about them and their families, while also investing in the future workforce,” she said.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Go! Help your child have the best possible future using their life skills.

Spreading the word

I Jay Zollar, general manager at WLUK FOX11, is a Partners in Education board member and supporter of the Parents We Need You initiative.

n addition to area school districts and local businesses promoting the initiative, Parents We Need You has been sharing its message through the media. Those who tune in to local television stations WLUK FOX 11,WBAY-TV and WFRV Local 5 will recognize public service announcements (PSAs) written and produced by WLUK FOX 11 and General Manager Jay Zollar, featuring children telling parents “We Need You.” According to Zollar, these PSAs have been seen by nearly 70 percent of the Northeast Wisconsin market.

“The biggest thing I have noticed is that this initiative has really strengthened the relationships between the various school districts and business community,” he said.

“We recognize we are all in this together

for the benefit of the child who eventually will benefit society and business.”

Zollar said he enjoys the creative elements of production, so to be directly involved from a media perspective is fulfilling.

“I get a personal charge out of seeing initiatives like this come from collaborative discussions amongst many participants,” he said.

In fall 2018, other Northeast Wisconsin media outlets also stepped up to share the PSA. These included Woodward Radio Group radio stations 105.7 WAPL, 95.9 Kiss FM, KZ 104.3 and Razor 94.7, and Midwest Communications radio station WTAQ 97.5 FM.

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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Now it’s your turn

I Jill Sobieck, Brown County United Way

f you would like to schedule a Parents We Need You presentation at your business or school, do not hesitate to reach out. “We recognize how busy everyone is in their workplace, and time is precious for all,” said Jill Sobieck, education portfolio manager at Brown County United Way. “We want to come in for just half an hour to share and show the resources parents

[and] caregivers have available to them, and encourage them to work with their child’s school district and the business district about the opportunities their children have—right in their own backyard.”

Through her work with Parents We Need You, Sobieck has met with many businesses that care about not only their employees, but also

the whole family. “Our community is wealthy in opportunity; we just have to encourage our young people to take those first steps towards creating their vision,” she said. “When you see various sectors unite and work together on issues that affect the future success of children and families, it is a powerful advocate for change!”

“I love the concept. The Parents We Need You presentation was well-organized and informative. Our daughter is crossing over from eighth grade to high school next year and was recently choosing her classes. We discussed a few of the concepts covered in the seminar. Having more of an end goal in mind really helped her narrow down the options.”

- Matt Johnson, inside sales support manager, Camera Corner Connecting Point

18 Collective IMPACT | Spring 2019

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

“It’s good to know this framework is out there and available. My oldest kids are still in elementary school, so we are really focused on helping them get to know themselves and get exposure to lots of different activities to see what they enjoy doing.”

- John Renier, controller, Paper Transport, Inc.

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GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Dissecting the Evers administration’s first state budget proposal

Manufacturing and Agriculture Credit (MAC) Limit the Manufacturing and Agriculture tax credit by limiting the qualified production activities income that may be claimed by a manufacturer.

This limit would be $300,000 per year. The agriculture portion of the tax credit will remain untouched. This is a $500 million tax increase on manufacturers.

By: Jayme Sellen, vice president of government and community relations

S

pring time is my favorite time of year. I love listening to birds chirping, seeing my neighbors emerge from their homes after a long winter and, of course, enjoying the warmer weather. For me, every other year is a bonus year. It’s the year when the two-year state budget is proposed. I know I’m unique, but I really geek out reading about our state’s priorities for the next two years.

This year wasn’t as fun as previous years. First, spring took a lot longer to arrive than in past years. Second, many of the policies our members have fought for over the years, policies that have improved our state for business and talent attraction, are proposed to be repealed, removed and readjusted.

While the Joint Committee on Finance and both houses of the Legislature still get their turn to write the budget, gov. Evers’ budget raises several red flags. Following is a summary of the major changes to our state’s priorities from Gov. Evers’ proposed budget.

20 Collective IMPACT | Spring 2019

There are manufacturers throughout Wisconsin who point to the MAC as the reason they were able to expand, retrain and pay higher wages.

Without this credit, manufacturers may have many tough decisions to make.

Capital Gains Exclusion Limitations Gov. Evers, proposed budget would eliminate the 30 percent long-term capital gains exclusion for individuals with a federal adjusted gross income above $100,000 for single filers and $150,000 for married-joint filers.

This would amount to a $505 million increase in the capital gains tax.

Minimum Wage The budget proposes increasing the minimum wage by $1 on Jan. 1, 2020.

On Jan. 1, 2021, the minimum wage would increase by 75 cents every year until 2023. After that, it would be tied to the consumer price index.

Motor Fuel Tax Increase An increase of eight cents per gallon has been proposed to help pay for our infrastructure needs. The Greater Green Bay Chamber has been outspoken about the need for a moderate increase in the gas tax, up to 5 cents. An eight-cent gas tax increase would bring in about $240 million in increased gas tax revenues. If you combine the increase in the motor fuel tax with increased fees for heavy truck titles and vehicle title fees, a total of $600 million will be collected for transportation infrastructure.

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) A proposal to lower the employee threshold by which employers are subject to the Family Medical Leave Act also was included.

Current law requires employers with 50 or more employees to observe the act. The proposed change would require employers with 25 or more employees to be subject to FMLA. It also expands the uses for FMLA to care for a grandparent, grandchild or sibling with a serious health condition.

Eliminated Talent Attraction and Retention Initiatives Over the past year, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Departments of Tourism and Veterans Affairs have run a series of campaigns to attract talent. These campaigns included visiting military bases that serve as a transition post for members of the military leaving service. Other campaigns include running ads in strategic areas pointing out the many advantages of living and working in Wisconsin. Gov. Evers’ budget recommendation eliminates the $6.8 million in funding for these talent attraction initiatives.

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MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

Why having a Chamber membership

is worth the investment “We joined the Chamber two years ago because most people weren’t familiar with our organization. We strongly believed getting our name in the community would be beneficial for families with young children with autism spectrum disorder.

“The Chamber truly helps to connect businesses and organizations. There are so many different types of member businesses, and it’s a great way to learn about resources and find ways to collaborate. Participating in events, meeting people and making key connections is beneficial to all businesses, big or small.

“We have found all sorts of resources and connections we weren’t expecting, and it makes me realize how beneficial our Chamber membership is!”

“I never realized the reach the Chamber has.

We’ve had the opportunity to meet with a

– Vanessa Mahlik, intake coordinator, Wisconsin Early Autism Project

“I was new to the area, having practiced in Southeast Wisconsin. I’d always heard about the Chamber, so I thought I’d check it out, especially since I only knew two people in the City of Green Bay when I started my business.

I thought there wouldn’t be a better place to get started making business connections.

introduced to the many great things going on in the area, along with the challenges we face in a community, as I’m interested in learning where to help.

“I began by going to the Power Networking Breakfast meetings and followed up with new connections. Out of that has come a better understanding of the role the Chamber plays in the community and multiple introductions to potential referral partners and clients. In addition, I applied for and was accepted into the Leadership Green Bay Class of 2019. The programming is excellent and a great way to be

22 Collective IMPACT | Spring 2019

few different organizations or connect with an organization because of someone we met with through a Chamber event. We always refer families to apply for Katie Beckett funding if they receive a diagnosis of autism. Redebra connected me to one of the representatives for Brown County and it was very helpful because we were able to let families know with more detail what to anticipate.

“Prior to joining the Chamber, I didn’t realize just how much was going on in terms of connecting people. The Chamber is wellorganized and structured, and I really appreciate the [Greater Green Bay Economic Development Plan] because they are doing so many things in the community.

– Dave Ferguson, owner and managing director, IKOR Life Care Management

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

Chamber membership has given me great tools to enhance my business. If I think, ‘Where can I go with this’, I know the Chamber is there to guide me.

– Wendy Willems, independent member, the Life Company

“I became an ambassador in 2000. Once I was involved, I saw how the Chamber treated its members. When I started my own business in 2011, I knew I had to become a member. It is like one big family. They always ask, “Is there anything we can help you with?”

“Chamber membership has given me great tools to enhance my business. If I think,‘Where can I go with this,’ I know the Chamber is there to guide me.

“When I am in a business setting, one of the first things I ask other businesses is if they are a member of the Chamber. If not, then I let them know how the benefits and programs have helped me in my business.”

– Wendy Willems, independent member, the Life Company

“The most valuable thing to me as a member is [the programming] the Chamber offers. I love the Chamber Business After Hours, Power Networking Breakfast, Membership ROI, lunch and learns and more.

Spring 2019 | Collective IMPACT 23

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Our mission is to strengthen member businesses by enhancing economic and workforce development, resulting in improved quality of life in our community and region.

I

t’s easy in the hubbub of everyday work life to fall into the mode of working in the business versus on the business. That mind-set rings true for the Chamber, too, including being mindful stewards with the resources our members provide.

That’s why we’ve taken a purposeful step back to revisit our mission statement and what it means in the everyday things we do, versus simply doing things “because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Our mission is to strengthen member businesses by enhancing economic and workforce development, resulting in improved quality of life in our community and region.

How we live this takes many forms but they fall under the Chamber’s four pillars: • Economic development • Government affairs/advocacy • Member services • Workforce development We’re also guided by a document that was challenging to fit onto one page but we did it – the often-mention “plan on a page” we created as a Chamber. It highlights how we live our mission and vision across our pillars as well as the impact we seek to have. (You can view it at www.greatergbc.org/strategicplan.)

But on a broader scale, we do what we do 26 Collective IMPACT | Spring 2019

because we know – and have known since being established in 1882 – that we build business because business builds community. That results in quality of life and placemaking that is increasingly important in a world in which escalating talent wars are at play, competing for the same pool of employees.

Why the Chamber is relevant hinges on the member’s needs; for some, it’s about engagement in events that provide connections.

For others, it’s a matter of supporting workforce development efforts that provide a direct talent pipeline for their business down the road. For still others, it may be supporting economic development and telling the Greater Green Bay story outside county lines. It’s interesting to see which things stay the same (that members look to the chamber as a connector or convener, for example) but HOW we do that has evolved as well.

A great case in point: Seeing the pendulum swing and the increased use of technology and social media as means of reaching out and connecting.

Those play a bigger role at the Chamber than they did even three years ago. Did you know that across Chamber programs and platforms, we have 15 social media accounts? I attribute this growth to the fact that people are still hungry for the ability to connect and engage.

That said, members still value the personal touch. So while an introduction may begin via an email or LinkedIn message, there’s still that need to develop the relationship, build trust

and be connected. So much of that still happens at the various events and venues we offer as a convening organization. The beauty of this is that it transcends industry and company size; we can be that one-stop shop whether you’re a one-person show or representing a large company. And we’re here when you’re ready. It’s not an all-sum game where you have to commit to every program and every event.

There’s flexibility to be as engaged and involved as you choose to be.

While connection is a frequent common denominator, we don’t like to guess why members value their membership. That’s why we’re going to offer a survey this summer to gauge what matters to you. I don’t take doing so lightly; I recognize that we all receive more emails than we’d like. But your voice matters in the work we’re doing. We will seek your feedback to ensure we’re being strategic, visionary and adaptable to your needs. I do read every single survey, and survey results and comments will be shared and discussed with our entire leadership team. If you’d like to share insights before then, or simply want to learn more on a one-on-one basis about how to take full advantage of your membership, please reach out to Renae Schlies, vice president of membership and retention at the Chamber at 920.593.3418 or rschlies@greatergbc.org.

— Laurie Radke

President, Greater Green Bay Chamber

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