JULY 2015 The Active Voice Newsletter

07.2015 \\ PORTAGE COUNTY, WISCONSIN

upcoming EVENTS \\

LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST SCHEDULED FOR JULY 17, 2015

PCBC OFFICE CLOSED-HOLIDAY Friday, July 3, 2015 \\ ALL DAY Independence Day Observance

SMALL BUSINESS X-CHANGE Wednesday, July 8, 2015 \\ 7:30 A.M. - 8:30 A.M. Portage County Business Council | Foundation Room 5501 Vern Holmes Dr | Stevens Point, WI 54482

» REGISTER

2015 PORTAGE COUNTY JOB FAIR Wednesday, July 15, 2015 \\ 9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Noel Hangar, Stevens Point Municipal Airport 4501 Hwy 66 | Stevens Point, WI 54482

» REGISTER

LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST Friday, July 17, 2015 \\ 7:45 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center 1001 Amber Ave. | Stevens Point, WI 54482

» REGISTER

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS Monday, July 20, 2015 \\ 5:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. FirstMerit Bank 5597 US 10 East | Stevens Point, WI 54482

» REGISTER

The Portage County Business Council’s Legislative Committee is holding its first-ever Legislative Breakfast on Friday, July 17, at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center.

The event will feature Senator Julie Lassa 24th Senate District, state Representative Katrina Shankland 71st Assembly District, District 72 Representative Scott Krug, and Director Division of Intergovernmental Relations MaryAnn Lippert.

Other officials invited include District 70 Representative Nancy VanderMeer, US Senator Ron Johnson, US Senator Tammy Baldwin, Congressman Ron Kind, Secretary Department of Workforce Development Reggie Newsom, Secretary Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Reed Hall.

Meet and hear from the state delegation as they discuss issues and concerns important to you and other community leaders and constituents. Legislative Committee member Rob Manzke, Chief of Staff of the Office of the Chancellor at the University of WisconsinStevens Point, will serve as moderator for the Breakfast. Registration is from 7:00am7:30am, followed by a brief welcome and breakfast at 7:30am followed by the program from 7:45am – 9:00am. Cost for PCBC members is $16 per person (advanced reservation deadline 7/13/2015) and $25 for non-members. Click here to register online. Price includes a plated breakfast.

Please contact Mary Jo Monday at mmonday@portagecountybiz.com or call the PCBC at 715-344-1940 for more information.

The Portage County Business Council is the recognized leader in strengthening Portage County’s quality of life by promoting a business climate that encourages growth and stability.

PORTAGE COUNTY JOB FAIR 07.15.15 \\ 9:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. \\ NOEL HANGAR STEVENS POINT Whether hoping to find a fresh start, a better job, or a new career direction, job seekers will find a wealth of exciting opportunities at the 2015 Portage County Job Fair. A variety of employers including Associated Bank, Atrium Senior Living of Stevens Point, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, Ki Mobility, Point of Beginning, Portage County, Skyward and others are eager to hire for immediate openings in a wide range of fields.

Hosted by the Portage County Business Council, the 2015 Portage County Job Fair will be held on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 from 9:00am to 1:00pm at the Noel Airport Hangar located on the Stevens Point Municipal Airport grounds at 4501 Hwy 66, Stevens Point.

The Job Fair will bring together local businesses and our community's skilled workforce to help businesses grow and positively impact Central Wisconsin’s economic vitality. Job Fairs help local business find qualified job seekers in the community which creates opportunities for Portage County residents to work close to home. This not only supports our economy, it also reduces the need for residents to commute long distances and work outside of their community.

“Employers like Furniture & ApplianceMart and Ashley Furniture HomeStore are trying to do our part to put people back to work.

That’s why we’re thrilled to be involved the Portage County Job Fair. There are hundreds of jobs open in Central Wisconsin and we all need quality people. From sales people to delivery, we are hiring.” - Bill Fonti, President & CEO, Boston Inc. d/b/a Furniture & ApplianceMart and Ashley Furniture HomeStore.

Last year’s event included 49 businesses and drew more than 500 attendees through the doors. Residents and non-residents, students and graduates are encouraged to attend this one-stop opportunity to meet directly with representatives from companies that are hiring for our area now. From advanced manufacturing and health care and retail to agriculture, job seekers will see, first-hand the exciting employment opportunities available in the area and make valuable face-to-face connections with a variety of businesses.

There is no registration necessary for job seekers.

Limited space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here for more information. Or contact Mary Jo Monday at 715-344-1940 to learn more.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

FREE RESUME REVIEWS AVAILABLE The Portage County Business Council and Great Impressions Resume & Career Services, LLC, will be joining together to offer free resume reviews on July 9 and 15.

The reviews will be conducted at the Portage County Business Council in Stevens Point on July 9 and at the Noel Hangar at the Stevens Point Municipal Airport on July 15 in conjunction with the Portage County Job Fair.

The reviews will be offered in 30-minute segments on a first-come, first-served basis from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. on July 9 and from 9 a.m. to 12 noon on July 15. Pre-registration is required for a resume review.

To pre-register for a resume review or for more information, call Great Impressions Resume & Career Services at 715-570-2749.

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

member of the MONTH \\

Each month the Active Voice features a PCBC “Member of the Month” selected from a list of members that begins with the same letter of the alphabet.

RR DONNELLY-GLOBAL TURNKEY SOLUTIONS 1600 Disk Drive Plover, WI 54467 (715) 341-0544 http://www.rrdonnelley.com

RR Donnelley– Global Turnkey Solutions is a leading provider of global supply chain services, with vast experience in developing and delivering value-added solutions to the medical sector. We have been a member of the Portage County Business Council since October 2002.

Our broad suite of capabilities can help customers improve market share, increase profits, and achieve even faster speed-to-market.

We utilize our global specialists’ award-winning expertise in design, assembly, configuration and fulfillment for the most complex of products.

We have facilities in North America, Europe and Asia that specialize in meeting these unique needs and requirements associated with medical packaging.

The Plover facility is FDA-registered, cGMP/QSR-compliant, ISO9001 and ISO13485 accredited. We have a dedicated team of facility-based and division-level medical QA/regulatory professionals.

Our facility houses a Class 100,000 (ISO Class 8) clean room and we manage the sterilization (EtO & gamma) and associated laboratory testing requirements.

Our ability to source materials through a worldwide supply network and assemble and package them for customers quickly and efficiently allow us to be a one stop shop for our customers and sets us apart from others in the industry.

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST MEMBERS Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association Tamas Houlihan 700 5th Avenue Antigo, WI 54409 715-623-7683 Formed in 1948, the mission of the Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) is to assist our members to be successful through education, information, environmentally sound research, promotion, governmental action and involvement.

Lavished Essential Oil Therapy Pramela Thiagesan 2300 Main St. Stevens Point, WI 54481 715-496-0079 3

THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

What are the benefits of membership?

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Your business representatives are invited to educational and networking events List your own business’s events, jobs, and deals on portagecounty biz.com Receive referrals from other PCBC members Become a special event sponsor to promote your business Display your marketing materials in the PCBC lobby and on the PCBC website Participate in your local community

DO YOU KNOW A LOCAL BUSINESS THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM MEMBERSHIP? CONTACT Mary Jo Monday 715-344-1940 \\ mmonday@portagecountybiz.com \\

business BRIEFS \\ The Business Briefs column is an avenue to spotlight noteworthy business and professional accomplishments, recognition and awards among our Business Council members. Submit items of interest, in 100 words or less, to: admin@portagecountybiz.com by the 24th of the month prior to the next newsletter issue.

Trees bring great value to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, shading buildings to reduce energy use, adding to air quality and creating a beautiful and appealing campus. The university’s care and upkeep of these trees has earned UW-Stevens Point the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA designation for the fifth year in a row. This national program was created in 2008 by the foundation and is sponsored by Toyota. Four other Wisconsin schools were also designated.

CAP Services’ Free Tax Assistance tops $1 million in area returns. CAP Services’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) served 604 households in its service area this past tax season. Volunteers helped eligible taxpayers claim more than $1 million in state and federal tax refunds for a second consecutive year. A total of 26 VITA volunteer tax preparers assisted 280 households in Portage County, 175 in Waushara County, and 149 in Waupaca County.

Colleges and universities are honored for engaging staff and students in conservation goals as well as for campus forest management. UWStevens Point met the Tree Campus USA program’s five standards, which include maintaining a tree advisory committee, a campus-tree care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning project.

The VITA program helps individuals and families maximize their tax returns and minimize fees. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation and inform taxpayers about special tax credits for which they may qualify, such as the Child Tax Credit, Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled, and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

Students in the College of Natural Resources forestry program help maintain the university’s tree population. Classes led by professors Richard Hauer and Les Werner created a campus wide inventory of trees that includes tree species, age and health. Students from these classes help prune the trees, plant 10 to 15 new trees each spring and fall and maintain a tree nursery close to campus.

“Our tree program is all a part of our sustainability initiatives,” said Brindley. “Trees and landscaping make a huge impact on our campus, as well as attract students.”

Tree Campus USA colleges and universities invested more than $29 million in campus forest management last year. For more on the program, go to www.arborday.org/TreeCampusUSA.

“The EITC continues to be one of the most significant resources available to low-income families,” said Mary Patoka, CAP President and CEO. “Many do not claim this and other credits due to lack of information or access.”

Primary funders of the VITA program include the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin and United Way of Portage County. BMO Harris Bank and First National Bank of Waupaca made significant donations for the 2014-2015 tax season.

CAP Services is a private, nonprofit community action agency that has been helping low-income people in Marquette, Outagamie, Portage, Waupaca and Waushara counties attain economic and emotional selfsufficiency since 1966.

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“Shredding Party” a great success for Pacelli Schools and our community!

Peoples State Bank announced plans to move into a new location in Eagle River, across from the Trigs grocery on East Wall Street. Peoples will completely renovate the 2,700 square-foot space to create a stand-alone, full-service branch. The new facility is slated for opening in late summer.

For more information visit bankpeoples.com.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to those who donated and participated in our 5th annual “Shredding Party”. We are excited to announce that $3,225 was raised as a result of the shred! In honor and appreciation of the 135+ years of service to our community, all proceeds raised through food sales and donations for the services are for the benefit of Pacelli Catholic Schools. The funds will go to support the Project Lead The Way (PLTW)/Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) course called Automation and Robotics. It will be a 9-week unit for all 8th graders at Pacelli Catholic Middle School (formerly St. Pete’s). The funds will purchase remote controls for the VEX robotics kits as well as the software that links the remotes to the robotics. This will enhance the robotics experience as well as allow for more PLTW classroom competition, a key hands-on element to the program.

On Thursday May 15th, Schulfer & Associates, LLC Financial Professionals hosted a spring-cleaning “Shredding Party”, where individuals and businesses brought over 10,000 pounds of sensitive record-keeping documents to be collected, shredded and recycled by IROW, who donated their services for the event. Collectively, our annual shredding events have raised over $11,800 for Pacelli Area Catholic Schools. We look forward to raising money for Pacelli Schools again, SHREDDED STYLE in May of 2016.

Peoples is a community bank headquartered in Wausau, Wisconsin, serving north central Wisconsin from nine full service banking locations in Marathon, Oneida and Vilas Counties. Peoples provides financial services to business owners and individuals, as well as investment, insurance products and retirement planning services through Peoples Wealth Management, a division of Peoples. ///

If you would like to receive our free guide, “What to Shred / What to Keep”, authored by Schulfer & Associates, LLC Financial Professionals, contact us at (715) 343-9600, schulferandassociates@lpl.com, or visit us at SchulferAndAssociates.com. ///

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

business BRIEFS \\ continued CAP Services held its 49th Annual Awards Reception Wednesday, May 27, in Waupaca to honor the agency’s clients, partners, donors, volunteers and staff that make its anti-poverty work possible.

CAP recognized program participants with Self-Sufficiency Awards for their efforts in achieving economic and emotional self-sufficiency.

Receiving this awards were Rodney Bastin, Menasha; James Besaw, Appleton; David Fletcher, Kaukana; Jennifer Heding, Coloma; Ernie Tovar, Wautoma; Eric Tweed, New London, Julianna Williams, Wild Rose; and Katherine Wynveen, Appleton.

Ted Long CAPartner Awards were given in recognition of individual and organizational partners who have made outstanding contributions to CAP’s anti-poverty efforts. Recipients were Pat Balke, Wisconsin Association for Homeless and Runaway Services; Diane Flanagan, Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin; Tony and Sharon Kempen, Pat’s CARSTAR; and Anthony Meier, Wisconsin HealthCorps.

A new scholarship, the Blake Fenske Memorial Scholarship, was awarded to Cara Gundrum, Coloma, a Waushara County Skills Enhancement Program participant on behalf of Blake’s family. On August 11, 2008 an automobile accident claimed the life of 8-year-old Blake and his grandfather Howard Fenske.

Other awards included: •

Joanna Sherman Scholarship and Betty A. Gellerup Memorial Scholarship, awarded to Skills Enhancement Program participants in Waushara County, went respectively to Michelle Parks (Wautoma, WI) and Bonnie Jenkinson (Red Granite, WI).

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Arlene Stahmer Volunteer of the Year Award, honoring an exemplary volunteer, went to Jim Oliva (Stevens Point, WI).

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Golden CAP Media Award, recognizing media doing an exemplary job informing their communities on poverty issues, went to Randy Melzer and Tony Busch, hosts of the BizTalk with Score radio show; and Ed Wodalski, former editor of The Business News.

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Joseph Award, recognizing an outstanding contributor to CAP’s anti-poverty efforts from the faith-based community, went to St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Stevens Point Women in Action group.

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Corporate Citizen of the Year Award, recognizing an outstanding contributor from the business community, went to Waupaca Foundry.

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Gaylord Nelson Poverty Warrior Awards, recognizing outstanding individual efforts in combating poverty, went to retired Mid-State Technical College Stevens Point Campus Dean Steve Smith (annual recipient) and Family Crisis Center Advisory Board member Marg Coker-Nelson (lifetime achievement recipient).

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Pnazek’s Box Award, recognizing an individual who, through innovation, initiative, insight and integrity creates “outside the box” solutions that have a positive impact on the people served by CAP or similar organizations, went to Sue Sippel. ///

Melissa Sylte, marketing manager at RPE Inc., has been named as a 2015 honoree of Produce Business Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Awards. The 40 Under 40 program recognizes leaders in the produce industry who are under the age of 40 and are making significant industry and community contributions. The honorees are being featured in the June print issue and website of Produce Business.

In her current role as marketing manager at RPE Inc., Sylte has worked hard to create a professional internal marketing department for the company and its partners, successfully launched multiple consumer brands, and has planned and executed successful integrated marketing campaigns to support and sell those brands. Additionally, Sylte has helped develop strong internship and community outreach programs to further enhance the company’s marketing efforts.

Outside of the company, Sylte is involved with the Wisconsin FFA Alumni Association and has been a co-chair of the Rally to Fight Hunger and the Day of Service for Wisconsin FFA members for the past six years. She also serves on the development committee of her local public museum and has been a volunteer for ThedaCare Foundation’s annual fund drive since 2010, serving as the chair since 2014.

Sylte’s recognition comes just six months after her brother and RPE Inc., senior agronomist Michael Copas was awarded a 40 Under 40 award from Vance Publishing for his work in agricultural research at RPE Inc. “We are thrilled to have these individuals as a part of our RPE family,” says Russell Wysocki, president and CEO of RPE. “Our organization continues to grow and it is our goal to seek out talented individuals for every aspect of our organization, allowing us to continue to be the expert for category growth, innovation, and product development for potatoes and onions.”

RPE, a second generation family farm, is a category leader and key grower/shipper of year-round potatoes and onions. RPE prides itself on maintaining a high level of business integrity that includes commitments to environmental sustainability, as well as category innovation and retail solutions. /// Holly Carter, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group’s Stevens Point office, has been awarded the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR®) designation by the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR).

Carter joins more than 30,000 real estate professionals in North America who have earned the ABR® designation. All were required to successfully complete a comprehensive course in buyer presentation and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty, both in addition to submitting documentation verifying professional experience.

Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group is the number one real estate company in northeast Wisconsin with 18 offices and over 450 sales professionals. Locally, Stevens Point office is located at 5725 Windy Dr. More information can be found by calling 1-800-236-1550 or at www.ColdwellHomes.com.

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

business BRIEFS \\ continued Randy Sharp has joined The Samuels Group as the new General Manager for the Iowa offices. Randy comes to The Samuels Group with over 20 years experience in varies project management and leadership roles. Randy will be responsible for managing and directing the company’s Iowa operations, interfacing with clients, developing new business, and participating in long-range planning. In addition, Randy will lead the project management teams working out of the company’s Des Moines, Iowa location.

With more then 26+ years in the field of general contracting and construction management he brings with him skills in all phases of construction; from conceptual, design and planning, through postconstruction as well as day-to day management of staff and marketing efforts. In addition to his vast industry experience, Randy holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Engineering from Iowa State.

The Next Generation Award honors a second or third generation CARSTAR owner who is excelling at leading a family business. For 2015, the Next Generation Award was presented to husband and wife, Tony and Sharon Kempen who run CARSTAR Pat’s Auto Body in Plover, WI and CARSTAR Eau Claire South, in Eau Claire WI. “It takes a great deal of innovative thinking, strong leadership and teamwork to satisfy so many customers while meeting the challenges of today’s economy and ever-changing business environment.” Dean Fisher, VP of Operations for CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts. ///

The Samuels Group is a Midwest commercial construction contractor specializing in owner’s representation, construction management, design/build, and general contracting for the commercial, healthcare, education and government sectors. Their experienced staff assists with new construction, renovations, budget and schedule analysis, pre-construction services, feasibility, funding and on-site analysis. The Samuels Group has offices in Wausau, WI, Waterloo, IA and Des Moines, IA. They also offer interior space planning, design and commercial furnishing services provided by Environments, a division of The Samuels Group. ///

BE BOLD III BRIEFING You are invited to a special briefing on regional and state economic growth!

Friday, July 24, 2015, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

DUC Alumni Room Dreyfus University Center, UW–Stevens Point Learn about efforts and what you can do to help turbo-charge economic activities locally, regionally and around the state.

Mid-State Technical College, Portage County Business Council, and UW–Stevens Point, along with local education, business and economic and workforce development leaders across the state are teaming up with Competitive Wisconsin, Inc. (CWI) to host an upcoming two-hour economic briefing. The local briefing is part of a series of CWI BE BOLD III gatherings being held across the state in late June and July.

You’re invited to attend and participate in the briefing session. At the briefing, you’ll learn more about statewide research and regional issues and share input that will be used in advancing significant research that will help turbo-charge economic activities in several vital areas already producing real jobs and wealth in Wisconsin.

BE BOLD III is the latest iteration of CWI’s continuing efforts to conduct significant research that examines important economic issues with the goal of developing programmatic and policy recommendations designed to help Wisconsin compete nationally.

The upcoming briefing is a unique opportunity for area stakeholders to share insights and learn more about rapidly and effectively growing jobs, especially in key performance areas. This event is targeted to CEO’s and other leaders in regional economic and workforce development.

The briefing is free, but to ensure space please register by July 17th at:

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

Rob Manzke, UWSP rmanzke@uwsp.edu 715-346-2123

AMBASSADORS SHOW THEIR SUPPORT On June 5, 2015 Veterans of the Brookdale Stevens Point Community experienced a flight of a lifetime through the Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation.

Members of our Ambassadors Club attended the ceremony at the Stevens Point Municipal Airport.

This year’s most needed items include:

Officially on June 22, 2015 Brookdale Stevens Point celebrated their new name. The Ambassadors Club attended the celebration and took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony. Brookdale Stevens Point is located at 5625 Sandpiper Drive, Stevens Point.

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Durable backpacks for older grades 1” or 1 ½” binders Single subject notebooks (wide & college rule) Composition notebooks Two pocket folders Loose leaf paper 3 x 5 index cards Pencils Blue or black pens Red pens Pencil boxes & pouches Sharpeners Dry erase markers Sharpies Highlighters Scissors Glue bottles & sticks Colored pencils Rulers

Drop off some supplies today!

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

ARE UWSP FIRST YEAR STUDENTS PART OF YOUR CUSTOMER BASE? >>CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION FORM Are you seeking a cost effective method of building awareness of your business with new first year students and their parents?

Then join the Portage County Business Council in welcoming future students at UWSP. This will be the only promotional mailing “welcoming incoming first year students” sent by the Business Council. The Business Council will not sell this list.

The cost to participate in this promotional effort is $75.00 for members and $145.00 for non-members. Members must be in good standing with their membership dues.

The “Welcome to UWSP” packet will allow Business Council members to include a one page brochure or a promotional flyer to help increase student foot traffic in their place of business.

To Participate: •

Fax back completed form (see above) to reserve space for your promotional material by Friday, July 17, 2015.

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Submit 525 promotional brochures/flyers to the Business Council by August 7th.

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Literature/promotional flyers are limited to one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.

Please call Karen at 715-344-1940 or email at kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com with questions.

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS 07.20.15 \\ 5:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M.

» CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE » CLICK HERE FOR A MAP

HOSTED BY:

Held at: FirstMerit Bank 5597 US 10 East Stevens Point, WI 54482 (Corner of Highway 10 East and Brilowski Roadnear Fleet Farm, Jung Garden Center & Applebees)

RSVP by Friday, July 17, 2015

Enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres, refreshments and door prize giveaways.

A social event designed for and hosted by Business Council members to give business professionals an opportunity to network, share ideas, and have their facility seen by other members. The member host furnishes refreshments and hors d’oeuvres for the evening.

No Cost to Attend

A different Business Council member hosts Business After Hours every month.

Members are welcome to co-host the event with another Business Council member.

Members should call Karen Schanock at 715-344-1940 or email at: kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com to book the month they are interested in.

SAVE THE DATE Friday, October 30th for our 14th Annual Wines of the World Event 6:00PM – 9:00PM Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center, 1001 Amber Avenue Stevens Point, WI Join us for an international journey as we sample a selection of wines from around the world featured by The Bottle Stop.

A taste-tempting array of fine cuisine prepared by the Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center and Rockman's Catering, a silent auction, beer bars, and soft live jazz music to complement the evening.

Sponsorship Opportunities Are Now Available! Contact Karen Schanock with details at 715-344-1940 or kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com.

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

SMALL BUSINESS X-CHANGE 07.8.15 \\ 7:30 A.M. - 8:30 A.M. \\ PCBC FOUNDATION ROOM

» CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NO COST TO ATTEND. CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST IS INCLUDED.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER:

TOPIC: “Estate Planning Demystified: Key Concepts for Individuals and Business Owners”

Michael J. Lauterbach has practiced in central Wisconsin since 2006. He founded Lauterbach Legal in January 2014. His practice focuses on estate planning and administration, planning for nursing home care, and services to small business.

Mike is a frequent presenter on estate planning and other topics to business and other groups.

This presentation is designed to give individuals and business owners an understanding of what estate planning is and how different types of plans work. This is useful both for Portage County Business Council members with questions about their own planning and members who may be assisting their parents or others with their affairs.

Special THANK YOU to Lauterbach Legal LLC for their sponsorship of this program.

Small Business X-Change meets regularly throughout the year at the Portage County Business Council office. A roundtable series of meetings that allows business owners and their employees the opportunity to discuss pertinent topics, learn from local industry leaders and, most importantly, learn from each other.

7:30 A.M. - 8:30 A.M. in the Portage County Business Council Foundation Room

Key Points at this X-Change: 1. Basic estate planning: understanding wills, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations.

2. Revocable trusts: what they are, how they work, and who should have one.

3. Special estate planning considerations for business owners and farmers.

4. Lifetime gifts: should we give the house to the kids now?

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

Michael J. Lauterbach, Attorney/Owner Lauterbach Legal LLC

WOMEN IN BUSINESS- SAVE THE DATE 09.24.15 \\ 11:15 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. \\ PRESENTED BY WISCONSIN PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATION

» CLICK HERE TO REGISTER Thursday, September 24, 2015 Presented by Wisconsin Public Service Corporation Cost: $25.00 / Members $30.00 / Prospective Members Watch for more information in our August newsletter edition.

For questions contact Karen Schanock at 715-344-1940 or kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com.

11:15 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. Stevens Point Country Club (Club House) 1628 Country Club Drive, Stevens Point

Photos from the June 25th Women in Business event sponsored by Sentry Insurance and SentryWorld Sports Center.

Women from the Marketing Department at Sentry Insurance enjoying the event.

Guest Speaker, Stephanie Smith from Sentry Insurance presents “Advice I’d Give My Daughter”.

Special thanks to our Media Sponsor – Midwest Communications Radio Group

A crowd of nearly 125 enjoyed the beautiful Grand Hall of SentryWorld.

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

For questions contact : Karen Schanock 715/344-1940 kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com

A Look at Partners In Education 2014-2015 Accomplishments

The 2014-2015 academic year is wrapped up and what a busy year it has been for PIE! •

3 programs went through major changes Golden Apple HR Help PIE Social

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8 new programs were added Business-Education Forums Business-Education Summit Etiquette Smetiquette Family Career Exploration Girls in Technology & Engineering Soft Skills for Success Spring Celebration Tours for Teachers

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122 events and programs were offered

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235 volunteers helped with the events and programs

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477 educators, faculty, academic staff, and community members attended events and programs

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1,640 students actively participated in events and programs

Thank you to everyone that helped make 2014-2015 a successful year. Without the support of business, volunteers, sponsors, and education PIE would not have been able to reach so many individuals with their career exploration and employability skill development programs.

Give back to the community while connecting with your future workforce through upcoming PIE Events. To volunteer contact Judy Rannow at jrannow@portagecountybiz.com or 715-344-1940.

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

2015 PIE Business-Education Summit The PIE Business-Education Summit was held on June 17, 2015 at MSTC, Stevens Point Campus with 60 educators, administrators and business representatives attending.

The event was a follow-up to the April 1, 2015 PIE Business-Education Form held at Sentry World. The participants learned about the future Wisconsin workforce as well as the realities of education and business in Portage County. They reviewed the Employability Skills Certificate checklist, Youth Apprenticeship checklists and discussed moving forward with the Collective Impact items presented by Partners in Education.

The PIE Committee will meet on July 1, 2015 to put together a plan for moving forward based on input from those in attendance.

The following items were discussed and agreed upon to guide future work: Common Agenda: To prepare Portage County students to successfully transition from school to career through integrated community, business, education and career pipelines while working to meet local employer needs.

Shared Measurement: • Increase the number of students and businesses involved in career exploration and employability skills development programs.

• Increase the number of students and businesses involved in formal school-to-work programs (PIE co-ops, internships and youth apprenticeships).

• Increase the number of individuals obtaining CTE Act 59 Industry Certificates and Certifications.

• Increase understanding of career assessments (Work Keys, ACT, SAT, and Accuplacer) and utilize them in meaningful ways (for students, educators and employers).

Mutually Reinforcing Activities: • Buy-in from stakeholders to work toward common agenda and shared measurements.

• An asset map of organizations providing education, programs and services tied to the common agenda and shared measurements.

• Form and utilize Career Cluster Advisory Groups.

• Create a School-to-Career Consortium.

Continuous Communication: • Business-Education Forums (3 per year) • Annual Business-Education Summit • Active Voice Newsletter & PCBC/PCBCF Social Media Backbone Support: PCBCF

2015 PIE BusinessEducation Summit

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS Mark your calendar for upcoming LPC Alumni Events: LPC Alumni On the Road (July 23, 2015 from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM) Have you missed the LPC experience? Are you interested in visiting a neighboring community to learn about their strengths? If so, join us for LPC Alumni On the Road. We will take the LPC experience to a different community to learn more about what is going on around Portage County. This year we will be visiting Wisconsin Rapids. Cost is $50/person and includes transportation and program expenses. Register by visiting: http://business.portagecountybiz.com/events/details/lpc-alumni-on-the-roadjuly-23-2015-2289.

ACCEPTING 2015-2016 LPC APPLICATIONS Fall Picnic (October 2, 2015 from TBD) If you would like to learn more about Portage County, network with others and give back to the community while enhancing your leadership skills apply to be a Annual Meeting & participant in the Leadership Portage County program.

Professional Development (February 2, 2016 from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM) For more information about the LPC program and to access the electronic application visit our website at: Spring Social (March 17, 2016 from 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM) http://portagecountybiz.com/leadership-portagecounty/ LPC Fun Fact: Did you know that over 70 Spring Celebration (May 3, 2016 from 5:00 PM – 8:30 PM) Holiday Social (December 17, 2015 from 5-7)

volunteers help out with the LPC program each year? Without them, the program would not be as dynamic as it is.

Get Involved as a LPC Alumni:

LPC Alumni are encouraged to get involved by completing the LPC Alumni Involvement Opportunities form and returning it to Judy at jrannow@portagecountybiz.com.

LPC ALUMNI EMPTY BOWLS BOWL PAINTING CHALLENGE

LPC Alumni members painting bowls

On June 24th LPC Alumni painted 16 bowls for Empty Bowls. Alumni that participated said it was a fun, relaxing time and a great way to give back to the community. After painting bowls, LPC Alumni left re-charged and ready to tackle things back at work. We are planning to make this an annual event so be on the lookout for the June 2016 date.

We would like to double the number of bowls painted in 2016 so be thinking about the great bowl you will paint. For inspiration, take a look at the bowls that were painted this year.

Some of the finished bowls

For more information regarding Leadership Portage County, Partners In Education or Workforce Development contact Judy Rannow, Director of Workforce Development, at 715-344-1940 or jrannow@portagecountybiz.com.

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER

2015 pcbc / foundation board of DIRECTORS \\ Executive Board Keith Pilger - President, Anderson O’Brien Ken Erler - Vice President, Sentry Insurance Sue Wille - Treasurer, Ligman & Wille CPA LLC Scott Glinski - Member at Large, Skyward Erik Carlson - Member at Large, Ellis Stone Construction Company Lisa Sobczak - Member at Large, ABR Employment Services Doug Ballweg - Member at Large, Delta Dental of Wisconsin Todd Kuckkahn - Interim Executive Director, Portage County Business Council

Board of Directors Tom Altmann - Altmann Construction Company Lorraine Avery - Associated Bank Dan Beighley - Wisconsin Public Service Corporation Lee Bush- Stevens Point Area Public Schools Patty Dreier - Portage County Executive David Eckmann - University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Jim Firminhac - WoodTrust Bank James Gifford - Portage County Board O. Phillip Idsvoog - Portage County Board Gregg Hansel- Pacelli Catholic Schools Deb Marten - Marten Machining Cherrie Marti - Ministry Saint Michael’s Hospital Richard O’Sullivan - Mid-State Technical College Jeremie Pavelski - Heartland Farms Inc. Susan Placzek - SentryWorld Sports Center Tom Davies - Village of Plover Dawn Thrun - International Bank of Amherst Attila Weninger - Stevens Point Area Public Schools Mike Wiza - City of Stevens Point Ward Wolff - First Weber Group Realtors Robert Worth - The Worth Company (Director Emeritus)

Board Advisors Sara Brish - Stevens Point Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Volker Gaul - Mid-State Technical College Dan Mahoney - Village of Plover Michael Ostrowski - City of Stevens Point

meetings & other DATES \\ JULY 2015

8 Small Business X–Change 7:30-8:30 A.M., PCBC Office 9 Ambassadors Club Meeting- 8:00 A.M., PCBC Office 13 Membership Marketing Committe Meeting- 7:30 A.M., PCBC Office 15 2015 Portage County Job Fair-9:00 A.M.- 1:00 P.M. Noel Hangar 16 SalesNet Meeting- 11:45 A.M. - 1:00 P.M., PCBC Office 17 Legislative Breakfast- 7:00 A.M.-9:00 A.M., Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center 20 Business After Hours- 5:00-7:00 P.M., FirstMerit Bank 22 Board of Directors- 7:30 A.M. PCBC Office

CONNECT WITH US ON... www.PortageCountyBiz.com

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advertise with US \\ » CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO For questions, please contact Tonya at 715-344-1940 or tkowalsk@portagecountybiz.com.

PORTAGE COUNTY GIFT CERTIFICATES Purchasing Portage County gift certificates continues to be a successful way to “Buy Local”.

Portage County gift certificates make great gifts. Gift certificates can be purchased at area banks, credit unions, the Convention and Visitors Bureau or at our office. They can be used at any business with a Portage County address and are available in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $25, $50 & $100.

The PCBC would like to thank everyone who participates for helping make the program successful. We would also like to thank BMO Harris Bank for their financial support of the gift certificate program.

the TEAM \\ they make things happen!

PCBC / Foundation Staff

Email Addresses

The Active Voice

Todd Kuckkahn - Interim Executive Director Mary Jo Monday - Director of Member Relations Karen Schanock - Director of Programs & Events Judy Rannow - Director of Workfoce Development Kari Thompson - Business & Office Operations Director Tonya Kowalski - Administrative / Marketing Assistant

tkuckkah@portagecountybiz..com

Questions / Comments:

mmonday@portagecountybiz.com

Tonya Kowalski \\ tkowalsk@portagecountybiz.com

kschanoc@portagecountybiz.com jrannow@portagecountybiz.com kthompso@portagecountybiz.com tkowalsk@portagecountybiz.com

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PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL & FOUNDATION \\ 5501 VERN HOLMES DRIVE \\ STEVENS POINT, WI 54482 \\ P 715-344-1940 \\ F 715-344-4473

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THE ACTIVE VOICE \\ PORTAGE COUNTY BUSINESS COUNCIL NEWSLETTER