March 2021 Greater Owensboro Chamber Matters by Messenger-Inquirer

greater owensboro chamber of commerce

Vol 19/Issue 3

CHAMBER MATTERS 2021

ROOSTER BOOSTER HONORS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH Join us!

Join us via Facebook Live @gochamber

Join us via Zoom by registering on www.chamber.owensboro.com.

MAR.

This Thursday’s Remote Rooster Booster, sponsored by Wendell Foster, will feature a panel of Owensboro women who are leading the way. The panel will be moderated by Tish Correa-Osborne, CEO of Girls Inc. of Owensboro-Daviess County. These women are community leaders across the spectrum of education, business, social justice, non-profits, healthcare, and more, and all are past recipients of the Girls Inc. Athena Award. The Athena Award is presented annually in partnership with the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce. It recognizes individuals in our community who have achieved excellence in business or a profession, have served the community in a meaningful way, and have assisted women in developing their leadership potential. This virtual Rooster Booster program will stream on the Chamber’s Facebook page and on Zoom.

Wendell Foster to sponsor March Rooster Booster Wendell Foster, a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is a multi-service agency located in the heart of Owensboro, Kentucky. Each year, Wendell Foster serves over 2,000 people across 34 counties i n We s tern Kent uck y and Southern Indiana. Our services are known for suppor ting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; however, we are much more of a comprehensive service provider capable of supporting an array of individuals in need by offering outpatient therapy, residential living, community living, an assistive technology lending library,

transportation services, and various support programs. With over 350 “Difference Makers” on staff, Wendell Foster takes its impact as an economic driver in the region seriously. In 2017, Wendell Foster was voted “Best Places to Work” by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Wendell Foster’s core values reflect the selfless lifestyle of its founders, Edith and Wendell Foster. In 1937, Edith and Wendell Foster’s daughter, Louise, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of 5 months old. Because of Louise, the Fosters committed their lives

and opened their home to support children with developmental disabilities. The Fosters provided a residential option to children of seven local families and offered their home as a meeting place while children received therapy in the Fosters’ backyard. In 1947, a volunteer board of directors incorporated the agency, adopted a charter and by-laws, and officially founded the organization known today as "Wendell Foster." This year, Wendell Foster celebrates its 74th year of continuous operation. Wendell Foster has evolved into a community-based organization providing services on-site, in people’s homes, in the area school systems, and in community settings.

Owensboro Women Leading the Way Brenda Clayton is a practicing Certified Public Accountant and has owned her own CPA firm since 2000. Clayton specializes in individual and business taxation and employs two full-time staff. She has served on multiple community boards throughout the past 30 years and currently serves as the Chair-Elect on the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce Board; on the Wendell Foster Center Board; the Owensboro-Daviess County Airport Board; and the United States Tennis Association Kentucky Board. Clayton is an avid tennis player and has played on multiple state championship tennis teams over the past few years. She and her husband Noel Brenda Clayton have two sons, Matthew and Kyle, two daughters-in-law, Clayton Mayme and Eryn, and two grandchildren, Henry (3) and Miles (1). She was the recipient of the 2001 Athena Award.

Jean Wells is the owner of Wells Health Systems. Since 1982, Wells has operated, acquired, and built 30 long-term care centers in Kentucky, including Wellington Parc of Owensboro, the only dedicated Alzheimer’s center in the Commonwealth. Wells has served and continues to serve on a number of national, state, and local boards. She has served as the Legislative Chair and as a past Board Chair for the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities for 28 years. Other positions include the Industry Inc. Board; Owensboro Community and Technical College Foundation Board; Owensboro Riverpark Board; OMHS Foundation Board; Board of Directors for the Greater Jean Owensboro Chamber of Commerce; the only female Chair of Wells Junior Achievement of West Kentucky; the Speed Art Museum Board of Governance; and a member of the Kentucky Economic Partnership Board (1998-2020). She was the 2000 recipient of the Athena Awards.

Susan C. Montalvo-Gesser is the Director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Owensboro. She was previously Managing Attorney at Kentucky Legal Aid (KLA). Before joining the staff at KLA, Montalvo-Gesser was an associate at Sullivan & Mountjoy P.S.C. and was a law clerk to Judge Joseph H. McKinley of the Western District of Kentucky. Montalvo-Gesser is the first Latina member of the Kentucky Bar Association (KBA) Board of Governors and the first woman to represent the 2nd Supreme Court District in that role. She is the Vice-Chair of both the KBA’s Immigration and Public Interest Law sections. Montalvo-Gesser is also a former president of the Susan C. Daviess County Bar Assn, a KBF Life Fellow, and serves on the KBA’s Montalvo- Diversity Committee. Locally, she serves on the following boards: Gesser The International Center, The Daniel Pitino Shelter, Crossroads Shelter, Audubon Area Community Care Clinic, Brescia University, and Daviess County Public Library. Montalvo-Gesser graduated magna cum laude from both Washington University in St. Louis and the Brandeis School of Law, where she served as a law journal editor and was honored as the most outstanding graduate of her class. Ms. Montalvo-Gesser has represented people from 71 countries. She has four children: Jackie, JoJo, Michael, and CeCe, and has been married to her husband Chad for 23 years. She was the 2019 recipient of the Athena Award.

Cindy Fiorella is the Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development at Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC), one of 16 colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). Fiorella leads OCTC’s Workforce Solutions division which provides customized business and industry training, workforce assessment services, adult basic education, as well as related programs and services targeted to at risk populations. The division is the largest and most comprehensive unit within the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and is comprised of more than 40 workforce development professionals. The division is recognized for its innovative public/private industry collaborations utilizing “work and learn” delivery modalities. Workforce Solutions has served as a Leadership College in numerous national Cindy workforce development initiatives funded by the Department of Labor, the National Fiorella Science Foundation, and private foundations, such as Bill & Melinda Gates, Robert Wood Johnson, Hitachi, and Ford. Most recently, Fiorella and her team assumed leadership on behalf of KCTCS for the AMTEC: Next Generation Initiative. Partners in this Advanced Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative include community college partners from across the nation, as well as industry partners, such as Amazon, Toyota, Nissan, and Boeing. She was the 2018 recipient of the Athena Award.

Alma Randolph trains management and support staff in workplaces to ensure their policies, procedures and practices meet Equal Employment Opportunity standards. She previously worked as a Diversity/Sensitivity Trainer for Higher Ground Consulting Services, a Kentucky Certified Minority Female Owned Business. At age 24, Randolph was the youngest person and first elected to the Beaver Dam City Council and was the first African American elected to office in Ohio County. In 1993, she founded the Alma Randolph Charitable Foundation, which has invested $1.3 million in upgrading homes and providing clothing for disadvantaged children. She currently serves as a Commissioner for the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, where she served as the 2nd Judicial District Chair from 2018-2021. Her awards include the 1994 Daviess Alma County Bar Association Liberty Bell Award; 1995 Owensboro Board of Realtors Randolph Heritage Award; 2000 Leadership Owensboro Alumni Association Outstanding Alumni Award for Human Needs and Services; 2004 Ohio County High School Wall of Fame inductee; a 2013 Inductee in the Kentucky Commission on Women’s Hall of Fame; 2018 NAACP President’s Award; and the 2020 Athena Award.

Jane Noble

Jane Noble began her travel career at age 30 and hopes to celebrate 50 years of making travel dreams come true in 2022. Noble started Livingston Travel in 1979 and sold the company in 2009, and since then has worked as an independent contractor with The Travel Authority, a travel agency in Owensboro. She has served on many local boards including as the Vice-Chair of Operations for the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce; President of the Owensboro-Daviess County Airport Board; Owensboro RiverPark Center; Owensboro Rotary Club; and Owensboro Daviess County Convention and Visitors Bureau. She was the 2004 recipient of the Athena Award.

Panel Moderator Tish Correa-Osborne, CEO of Girls Inc. of Owensboro-Daviess County

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

CHAMBER MATTERS

March Calendar 4 Remote Rooster Booster,

Sponsored by Wendell Foster Featured Program: Owensboro Women Leading the Way 7:30 a.m. OCTC Fourth Annual Trail Blazer Event Featured Program: Julie Croteau, the first female to play and coach in NCAA men’s baseball 5:30 p.m. via Zoom, registration required

American Freight 2512 Calumet Trace (270) 942-1266 www.americanfreight.com

ProRehab Owensboro 1102 Triplett Street, Suite 2300 (270) 926-7779 www.prorehab-pc.com/location/ owensboro-ky

Living Hope Community Church 1709 Alexander Avenue • (270) 993-3604 www.facebook.com/LivingHopeOwensboro

5 Ribbon Cutting: Centre Court –

Owensboro Daviess County Tennis Association 2965 Bittel Rd 12:15 p.m.

17 Virtual Chamber Ambassador Meeting 12:00 p.m.

CYP St. Patrick’s Day Virtual Trivia Night 5:30 p.m.

18 Leadership Owensboro: Education Day 19 Ribbon Cutting: Mile Wide Beer Company 119 East 2nd St. 12:15 p.m.

CANDANCE CASTLEN BRAKE PRESIDENT & CEO cbrake@owensboro.com SHELLY NICHOLS VICE PRESIDENT shelly@owensboro.com HANNAH THURMAN DIRECTOR, TALENT PROGRAMS, COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENTS

Air Evac Lifeteam All About You Salon & Spa AT&T Audubon Area Community Care Clinic Bill’s Restaurant Bowen Tire Co. Brescia University Carts Gone Wild, Inc. Century Aluminum of Kentucky Century Property Management CherriCare Medical Equipment & Supply Chick-fil-A Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls Club, Inc. Daviess County Sheriff’s Office Deig Brothers Lumber & Construction Domtar Paper Co., LLC Edward Jones - Financial Advisor: Kevin Young En Vogue ERA First Advantage Realty, Inc. ERB Equipment Company Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union Five Guys Burgers & Fries Glenmore Distillery Goodfellows Club Gorman Recruiting Greater Owensboro Realtor Association H & R Agri-Power Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown/Waterfront HawesWay, Inc. Hobgood Landscaping LLC J.D. Byrider of Owensboro Kentucky Wesleyan College Key Heating and Cooling, Inc. Koger Properties, LLC L. Steve Castlen Realtors

L. Steve Castlen Realtors, Tyler Shookman Nick T. Arnold Jewelers Owensboro Catholic Schools Owensboro Dance Theatre, Inc. Owensboro Grain Company, LLC Paul Martin Builders, Inc. Prairie Farms Dairy Profile by Sanford Puzzle Pieces, Inc. Research Integrity, LLC Right to Life of Owensboro Rotary Club of Owensboro S & S Earthscapes Springs Urgent Care South Central Bank State Farm Insurance, Ryan Vincent Steinkamp Home Center Storm Insurance LLC - Scott Stoermer Studio Slant The Center The Empowerment Academy, Inc The Family Bakery The Harris Jarboe Group - Keller Williams Elite Timmons Electric Co., Inc. (TECI) Trinity High School Twin Rivers Nursing and Rehab Unique Granite & Marble Van Meter Insurance Vancil Insurance Services LLC Volunteer Owensboro Ward Family Dentistry, PSC. Wax Works, Inc. Western Kentucky Regional Blood Center YellowBanks Lawn and Landscape, LLC

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LEADERSHIP OWENSBORO hthurman@owensboro.com SUSAN HIGH BUSINESS MANAGER susan@owensboro.com MARTHA MICHAEL COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR mmichael@owensboro.com LYDIE BOONE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT lboone@owensboro.com Chamber Matters is published monthly in the Messenger-Inquirer for the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 825, Owensboro, KY 42302-0825 (270) 926-1860 • chamber.owensboro.com

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

CHAMBER MATTERS

Ambassador of the Month

KEVIN GIBSON Kevin Gibson is Vice President/ Commercial Lender at South Central Bank. He has been a Chamber Ambassador since 2010 and earned the Ambassador of the Year award in 2013 and 2016. Kevin is past Chairman of the Board of Hospice of Western Kentucky and previously served on the Board of Directors for Kiwanis. He is a graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College, The Kentucky Bank Management Institute, Stonier Graduate School of Banking and Leadership Owensboro. Kevin and his two sons, John and Jack, are proud to call Owensboro home.

Chamber Young Professionals (CYP) provides a great opportunity for professionals age 21 to 40 to network and educate themselves on important issues facing the Greater Owensboro area. Through community service projects, social events, corporate tours and professional development workshops, members develop strong ties in the Owensboro community. The Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce encourages members to become more involved throughout the community and to serve as future leaders. CYP Membership is $50 per year if you or your employer is a Chamber member and $100 per year if you or your employer is a non-Chamber member. (Many employers will cover this fee.) Contact cyp@owensboro.com to join now! Check out CYP on Facebook (@cypowensboro) and Instagram (@ cyp_owensboro).

Left: The Chamber Young Professionals are off to a busy start in 2021. Several members helped make repairs and continued filling their Little Free Pantry in Germantown Park, located at 824 Crittenden St. CYP partners with First Christian Church to keep the box filled. Anyone in need of food or toiletry items can take items from the pantry. Pictured: Sara Williams (center) the Chair of CYP, Janet Luckett (left) and Nancy Connor (right) of First Christian Church.

Above: CYP hosted their first virtual lunch meeting of the year on February 24. The event, sponsored by EM Ford, featured guest speaker Priya Malani. Malani is a thriving young entrepreneur formerly of Owensboro.

Right: CYP members like Nicolette Vizuet gave out over 400 Valentine’s Day cards and treats, including artwork donated by Owensboro Catholic Schools students, to residents of several long-term care facilities around Owensboro.

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

CHAMBER MATTERS

February Members of the Month Alexander Francis Films 4701 Burstone Ct (270) 570-3002 www.alexanderfrancisfilms.com Facebook: @AlexanderFrancisFilms Alexander Francis Films provides beautiful story-driven wedding films and quality video production services.

T & T Vendors Mall 601 Commerce Dr. (270) 685-4650 Facebook: T&T Vendors Mall- Owensboro, KY At T & T Vendors Mall, vendors can sublease space within the 50,000-square foot store to sell items.

Owensboro Family YMCA 900 Kentucky Pkwy (270) 926-9622 www.owensboroymca.org Facebook: @OwensboroYMCA Since 1895, the Owensboro Family YMCA has aimed to provide a family-friendly experience that’s inviting to seasoned athletes and beginners alike through membership, community health programs and outreach.

Puzzle Pieces 2401 New Hartford Rd • (270) 926-7813 www.puzzle-pieces.org Facebook: @puzzlepiecesowb Puzzle Pieces’ mission is to provide a safe environment for individuals with intellectual disabilities and promote independence, life skills, community access and involvement, social interaction, communication, self-worth and build trusting relationships between clients, staff, and families.

Photo by Alan Warren, Messenger-Inquirer

Chamber keeps its members in legislative loop

COVID-19 vaccines add another

Learn how you can get a COVID-19 vaccine to keep you and your family safe.

Working with our local, state, and national leaders as well as our Capital Link lobbying team in Frankfort to keep our Members informed continues to be a priority for the Chamber. We are in contact daily with our legislative team to monitor hundreds of bills moving through the Kentucky General Assembly during the legislative session, and 2021 is no different. The Chamber team works hard to advocate for legislation that benefits our businesses, our families, and our community. We believe it is essential to inform our Members of the work being done so that we can better advocate for them. Our legislative updates are communicated to our Members via email and include a comprehensive digital legislative report and bill tracker tailored to legislation the Chamber is following. In addition to legislation, we communicate important notices to our membership, which have recently included topics such as false unemployment insurance letters, expanding high-speed internet access across the state, COVID-19 vaccine updates and relief fund programs.

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