March Voice 2014

The voice is online at rockfordchamber.com

ballard CompaniEs Turns 60

disCovEry CEnTEr musEum is #5

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March 2014 | Volume 27 | No. 3

CHAMBER PRESENTS 2014 SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Luncheon guests trained in building referrals to grow their business

By Paul Anthony Arco

As the owner of a six-person marketing agency, Kathy Velasco knows how difficult it is for small businesses to get noticed for the work they do.

Velasco has owned a marketing agency for 18 years. Two years ago, she teamed up with Chris and Heather Kelley, owners of Argyle Marketing, to PHOTOS BY BRIAN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY form V2 Marketing Communications, a Rockford-based firm that specializes Kathy Velasco, owner of V2 Marketing Communications, accepts the Small Business of the in advertising and marketing.

Year Award.

On Feb. 20, V2’s hard work paid Velasco founded Velasco and off when it was named the Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year. The agency was Associates in 1995, before partnering honored during a luncheon at Mauh- with Argyle Marketing, founded in Nah-Tee-See Club, before a crowd of 220. 2010 by the Kelleys. “We went through “It’s a validation for a small company a dating period before we pulled the and the work that we do,” Velasco said. trigger,” Chris Kelley said. “We wanted “I’m proud of the product that we put to make sure we were the right fit for out there. But it’s bigger than that. It’s each other. We each brought a different about providing a place where people skill set to our business, which has made enjoy coming to work. It’s building a us a stronger agency. We can provide team that gets along great and wants to additional services to our existing work together. It was always my goal to clients, while focusing on new business work in a place that addressed quality of development at the same time.” life issues, as opposed to making millions In the last year, V2 has grown from of dollars. I’m proud that 18 years later, 4 to 6 employees and seen an increase we’re still here and we’ve survived.” more on page 3

Rockford Airport, Rock Valley College’s aviation maintenance technology program takes flight visit us online at: rockfordchamber.com n online registration n keynote speaker video clips n event photos n list of Chamber events Questions? 815-987-8100

Join the Chamber’s linkedin Group www.linkedin.com/e/gis/2544

The Greater Rockford Airport Authority (GRAA) and Rock Valley College (RVC) announced plans to create an expanded aviation maintenance technology program that’s expected to quadruple the number of annual graduates. As a part of the proposal, GRAA will lease land to the RVC on airport grounds to build a state-of-the-art, 40,000-square-foot aviation maintenance training facility for its aeronautical maintenance and repair program.

“Our economy is evolving at a rapid rate and in order to close the nation’s skills gap our educational system needs to be as dynamic as our economy,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, original

cosponsor of the Community College to Career Fund Act that would create a competitive grant program to fund partnerships between two-year colleges and businesses that focus on valuable job training-related efforts. “In Illinois, this new partnership between Rock Valley College and the airport is a critical investment in the future of the Rockford region and will provide a great opportunity for students in the area to train for careers in the growing aviation industry,” A motion to approve the proposed lease agreement was presented to the RVC board of trustees and the GRAA more on page 26

Rockford AirFest is back. The Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) announced that Rockford AirFest 2014: Let the Thunder Roll, will take place, June 7 to 8, featuring the USAF Thunderbird Demonstration Team and the U.S. Army Golden Knights. The last AirFest drew 100,000 people and generated more than $3 million for the region.

In 2014, RFD introduces a new, simplified carload admission fee of $20 advanced ticket; $30 onsite ticket to reduce gate entrance wait times. Riding solo? Grab a friend.

AirFest activities include static aircraft displays, family friendly activities, concessions, an RV park, and special attractions to be announced.

Purchase tickets at rockfordairfest.com or any participating area Culver’s restaurants. Also find information on VIP packages to the Captain’s Club or family-friendly Aviator’s Club, benefits for active and retired military, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities and updates on performers and promotions. Follow on Facebook, FlyRFD, or Twitter, @ rockfordairfest.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Celebration of manufacturing

Expo & dinnEr March 20 • Cliffbreakers For more info, see page 27

mid-WEsT Family broadCasTinG dEbuTs TWo radio sTaTions On Feb. 21, locally owned MidWest Family Broadcasting, which owns and operates WRTB, WXRX, NTA, WGFB and WNTA 1330, debuted program changes to two of its local radio stations.

95.3 The Bull premiered as a country music station, featuring 20-Songs-In-A-Row throughout the day and top artists such as Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown and The Band Perry. 100.5 River-FM – Rockford’s Greatest Hits debuted; featuring pop hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s and artists such as the Beatles, John Mellencamp, Journey, Elvis and the Commodores. 100.5 The River will focus on the Rockford community with promotions and community events and features former WLS DJ Fred Winston as the station’s voice.

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President’s Message VIEWPOINT

The Metropolitan Revolution

Cities are picking up where Washington has left off Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley of the Brookings Institute recently authored a book “The Metropolitan Revolution – How Cities and Metros are Fixing our Broken Politics and Fragile Economy,” a book that concentrates on seven metro areas and what they have done to bring about positive change in their region. This brief article will focus on just two of those metro areas.

According to the authors, in the face of federal gridlock, economic stagnation and fiscal turmoil, power in the United States is shifting away from Washington and toward our major cities and metropolitan areas. Across the nation, these communities, and their resolutely pragmatic leaders, are taking on the big issues that Washington won’t. They are reshaping our economy, and fixing our broken political system.

Denver, Colorado After years of aggressive annexation

by Denver, as well as suburban communities trying to carve out their own communities away from Denver, it

became apparent that conflict was not the solution. The conflicts highlighted the fact that the many governments within a metro are almost designed to fight among themselves. State laws make them largely dependent on locally raised tax revenues. In metro after metro, individual communities that could work together—to harness their distinctive assets in innovation, to bring their region’s products and services to new markets, or to integrate new immigrants into their economy— often compete against one another for tax revenue. That competition can fuel a general sense of mistrust between neighboring communities, a mistrust that often derails regional action.

Although it took many years, Denver and its neighbors have moved from mistrust and outright “war,” as one scholarly article called it, to become productive collaborators on the metro’s biggest issues: economic development, arts and cultural amenities, and transportation.

The Takeaway for Denver: The economy doesn’t stop, or start, at the city border. Cities and suburbs within the same metro area are part of the same labor and housing markets, and their economic fortunes tend to rise and fall together.

Rather than fighting among themselves, cities and suburbs have to collaborate to compete on the global stage. That collaboration often takes root, as it did in Denver, during difficult economic times—that’s the time when collaboration is most urgent.

Collaboration has to be cultivated and maintained, through good times and bad. Institutions like the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and the Metro Mayors Caucus reinforce the culture of collaboration and make sure that people from throughout the Denver metro area have occasions to interact, share their concerns, and solve problems together.

fast-forward.

Houston, Texas

three times as likely as their U.S.-born

Houston is America on demographic

Between 2000 and 2010, the

Einar K. Forsman Rockford Chamber of Commerce

metro area’s foreign-born population, already high relative to the rest of the nation, grew by 48 percent. More than 60 percent of its residents are people of color. In the suburbs, the foreignborn population grew by 90 percent, compared with 28 percent for the nation as a whole. More than 42 percent of Houston’s children have at least one foreign-born parent, compared with a national rate of 23 percent.

Over the next 40 years, immigrants and

their

descendants

will

be

responsible for virtually all of the growth in the U.S. labor pool. Immigrants have become a key part of America’s innovation and entrepreneur economy: they are 30 percent more likely to start a new business, and among individuals with advanced degrees, immigrants are counterparts to file patents. Studies more on page 26

theVoice rockfordchamber.com March 2014

Seeking referrals is a hot topic at the Small Business Luncheon.

Small Business Continued from front page

in overall sales dollars by 14 percent.

V2 recently was recognized by the American Advertising Federation of Northern Illinois with five 2013 ADDY Awards for advertising excellence.

“V2 is a very creative group,” said Einar Forsman, president & CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

“They have fun together and it shows in their work, which is high quality and thoughtful. They love what they do.”

Giving back to the community also is an important part of V2’s overall mission.

Velasco is a board member for AAF Northern Illinois, Rockford Network, The Literacy Council, Family Counseling Services, and Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois. Heather Kelley is on the Harlem Board of Education and the Boys & Girls Club of Rockford board of directors; Chris Kelley serves on the Transform Rockford Communications team and is on the River District Association board of directors.

As a company, V2 Marketing was recognized last year by United Way of Rock River Valley as a Business Volunteer of the Year.

“Donating our time and talent to the local community, wherever appropriate, is part of the corporate culture at V2,” said Velasco. “We have loving and supportive families; we have cars, we have warm homes; we have groceries in the pantry. Our staff is blessed with these gifts and feels a responsibility to give back to our community.”

Building a Referral System The luncheon’s keynote speaker was Matt Anderson, president and founder of the Referral Authority. Anderson works with business development professionals on how to earn more and better referrals. Anderson gave the crowd simple, yet effective tips on how to develop referrals, including focusing

Matt Anderson, president and founder of the Referral Authority, shared the rules of referrals. on a specific group of prospects, making sure to tell your story, finding others who are willing to introduce you, and making sure to follow up. Anderson will return in April to conduct a workshop for chamber members.

“People need to be reminded that you have to engage, you have to follow through and you have to show up,” said Forsman. “Don’t ask me for a referral if you’re not going to follow through.

It’s vital to follow up immediately and don’t let it drift off.”

The Small Business Luncheon was presented by BMO Harris Bank and sponsored by Humana and SwedishAmerican Health System. n

Chamber Workshop:

How to Set Up a Fearless Referral System Matt Anderson, president and founder of The Referral Authority, returns in April to lead a workshop for chamber members on creating a referral system that works. He’ll explore: How to make it easy for people to help you; How to help the 98 percent of people who like you but don’t know how to introduce you; How to politely nudge people along with their referrals for you.

The 4 Steps to a Fearless Referral System 1. Earned. Did you earn the right to ask for referrals? Ask five of your clients their opinion to get an idea.

2. Who. Who do you want to meet? Envision what your potential prospect looks like?

What do you want to ask them?

3. How. Help your referrals along in telling your story 4. Control. How do you take control of a referral? Be clear on your steps for following up.

Let your Voice be heard The Rockford Chamber of Commerce ­ elcomes and encourages submissions for The w VOICE of the Rockford Business Community.

Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication. Send news releases and other ­ items of interest to the business community to: The VOICE Rockford Chamber of Commerce 308 W. State St., Ste. 190 Rockford, IL 61101

For information about advertising contact Customer Service at 815-987-8100.

The VOICE of the Rockford Business Community (USPS 784-120). ISSN number 1086-0630, is published monthly by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, Illinois 61101.

Periodicals postage paid at Rockford, Ill. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The VOICE of the Rockford Business Community, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, IL 61101.

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Board Profile PROFILE

Working with the chamber to give a voice to businesses What do you want to contribute as part of the chamber board?

cities. This has

Josh Trust Rockford Register Star

provided me with an opportunity to face many challenges.

I plan on being a contributor in as many facets of the board as needed. I also think it will be an amazing opportunity to work with all size businesses.

What book, movie would you recommend right now and why?

Why is the chamber important to business and the community?

title song “everything is awesome” is

The chamber provides businesses of all sizes with a voice in myriad issues and helps find solutions to everyday challenges. The chamber is a great resource.

The Lego Movie. Any movie with the cool with me!

If you could be or do anything else — what?

I would love to play in the NBA. Basketball is a passion of mine.

What is the name/current purpose of your business/organization?

What are you most proud of?

Rockford Register Star. We are a multimedia provider of content and revenuedriving strategies for local businesses.

six-time world champion Pittsburgh

What trend is most strongly impacting your industry?

The trend is our transformation to digital platforms. Our audience wants more of our content than ever before -they just want it faster and more often.

What in your career has had the greatest impact on you?

The greatest impact is the time spent at different-size properties and

My family, for sure. After that, the Steelers.

What’s the one thing about you that few people know?

I am a basketball official here in the local area.

How do you typically spend your leisure time?

I have two little guys Jake, 3, and Johnny, 1, and they take up most of my time. When I’m not with them, I like to play golf (but not very well)!

theVoice rockfordchamber.com March 2014

Member Profile PROFILE

Ballard worked on the Winnebago County Justice Center in downtown Rockford.

Ballard Companies turns 60 Serving energy, power needs in Rockford

By Paul Anthony Arco Ballard Companies has come a long way since it opened for business as a small electrical contractor in 1954. Now the Rockford-based company is celebrating six decades in business. “It’s a very significant landmark,” said Dave Boettcher, president of the company. “Not many businesses make it 20 years, let alone 60.”

Today, the Rockford-based company has grown to include three divisions: Ballard Electric, Ballard Engineering and Pro Com Systems.

Ballard Electric performs multifamily, commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional electrical construction projects, as well as repair, maintenance and emergency services to clients.

Ballard Engineering provides design, engineering, construction and consulting services for clients with energy and power management needs. It works mostly with power generation, cogeneration, combined heat and power, and distribution systems, as well as energy procurement.

Pro Com Systems, a division of Ballard Companies since 1983, has become the largest communications and specialty contractor in the region. Pro Com specializes in all types of electronic communications systems from nurse call, fire and burglar alarm systems, close circuit TV and network cabling systems.

Projects vary from industrial, healthcare, municipalities and commercial including retail centers, restaurants, movie theaters, office buildings, and grocery stores. Most customers are mainly located within an hour of Rockford. “Our projects are really diverse,” Boettcher said.

Solid Succession The company was started in 1954 by Bert Ballard Sr. and another electrician Norm Knott, and later was incorporated as Ballard Electric. In 1977, Ballard sold the company to sons Bert (Ed) Jr., and Carl, along with employees Ronald Anderson and Larry Branch to form a four-member management team. In 1987, Joe Sinclair became a partner and headed up Ballard Engineering. All five are now retired. One Ballard still is involved. Ed’s daughter, Brynn, works in the accounting department.

Today, the company partners include Boettcher, Dan Raasch, Roxann Burren, Scott Hangartner, Larry Spitzmiller, and David Martindale. “We’re a closely-knit group,” said Boettcher, who joined Ballard as a residential wireman apprentice in 1982. “We work hand in hand. In this business you have to or you don’t survive.”

The company, located on Electric Avenue since 1996, has 24 employees in the corporate office and 55 in the field who are part of the IBEW Local 364. “We have at least 12 employees with more than 20 years of experience,” said Boettcher.

“One of our main focuses is to infuse more youth to make the company even stronger in the future.”

Changing Industry One of the biggest industry trends in the last 10 years is arc flash and thermal image study. This involves an on-site analysis of facilities’ electrical systems performed by trained experts to evaluate potential risk to personnel or equipment.

“The industry keeps changing,” Boettcher said. “They’re putting so many things in buildings in regards to green technology that lighting systems, for example, have become more complicated and versatile and that takes additional training.”

Without question, the biggest challenge for Ballard has been a sluggish economy.

“We’ve had to reinvent ourselves,” Boettcher said. “There was a lot of electrical construction in the 1990s. Now we’ve had to concentrate on repeat business. The past several years we’ve relied on working with loyal customers rather than acquire new building projects.”

Boettcher sees brighter days ahead.

“I think we’ve seen the worst of the recession. The key will be to embrace new technology. If you’re not changing as a company, you’re going to get left behind.”

ballard companieS President: Dave Boettcher 3555 Electric Ave. Rockford, IL 61109 815-229-1800 www.ballardcos.com

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GNC, Inc., and JNC, Inc., invest in Rockford

By Carrie Zethmayr, RAEDC Two new Chinese companies will create 30 jobs in Rockford, when its plastic recycling businesses begin operations in February, 2014; 50 total jobs are expected by 2015. The companies will occupy 50,000 square feet of a 350,000-squarefoot plant renovated with $3 million of improvements by First Rockford Group.

Located at 2020 Harrison Ave., the facility, formerly the site of Tan Books & Publishers, was purchased by First Rockford Group in 2008 for $1.5 million.

GNC Inc. is the first U.S.-based company for the parent Chinese company.

JNC Inc. is relocating from Chicago, will purchase the recycled product from GNC and ship it to China for reuse. The plant will be operational in February, 2014.

Making the Choice for Rockford JNC Inc. and GNC Inc. chose the Rockford Region because of its excellent labor pool, its lower cost of doing business as compared to Chicago and its proximity to Interstate 90 and 39.

According to Bharat Puri, First Rockford Group’s director of finance and commercial development, “the Rockford Area Economic Development Council and local International Trade Center always provide us with data that is helpful for any transaction. This time, particularly with translation services, they were extremely helpful. Whenever you’re dealing with international prospects, you have to establish trust. Carrie Zethmayr, the ITC director, helped us bridge the gap. After she provided the translations in Mandarin, there was a very good trust level between our team and GNC-JNC, so it ‘clicked.’ Without the RAEDC, either it would have taken a lot longer or it would not have happened.”

For more information, please contact at 815969-4263 or czethmayr@rockfordil.com or visit www.rockfordil.com.

Carrie Zethmayr is director of international trade at the Rockford Area Economic Development Council.

Five Reasons to Attend Go Global!

1. Take away practical information on relevant global topics 2. Learn from globally recognized experts in their fields 3. Network and compare notes with business executives from around the Stateline 4. Build your resource network with the highest concentration of experts in the Stateline 5. Brand your organization as a global leader at this premier international trade event

Leave confident and inspired, feeling better informed and genuinely excited about your business’s global growth opportunities!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 8:00 am-6:30 pm Giovanni’s Restaurant & Convention Center 610 N. Bell School Rd., Rockford, IL 61107 $99 per person for the one-day event (All-inclusive. Enjoy a continental breakfast, lunch, and reception with hors d’oueuvres.)

REGISTER:

www.goglobalrockford.com

Globally-recognized Experts Include:

Linnea Bengtsson, International Business Developer, City of Lidköping and Skaraborg County, Sweden Russell L. Dennis Jr., President & Chief Technology Officer, Leading Edge Hydraulics Jim Foley, Director, Turner Center for Entrepreneurship - International Programs Hikaru “Koh” Fujimoto, CPA, MBA, JD, Principal-in-Charge of International Practice, Corbett, Duncan & Hubly, P.C. Luanne Mayorga, Coordinator, Business and Workforce Development, Northern Illinois University Pete Mento, Director, Global Customs and Trade Policy, C.H. Robinson Terry Houghton, PLC Sourcing Supervisor - Global Sourcing, Woodward, Inc. Tom Rohlfs, Supply Chain Director Fuel Systems CoE, Woodward, Inc.

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Does your business have a future?

The answer to this question is YES, but only if you have an effective succession plan in place.

A business succession plan can help ensure that your business continues successfully and your financial goals are met long after you’ve stepped away from daily operations.

Key Issues Planning Can Overcome Generational Transition.

Family businesses account for a staggering 50 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product, and 35 percent of Fortune 500 companies are private or public companies controlled by families. Yet, only a third of all family businesses successfully make the transition to the second generation.

Aligning Interests. Competing interests between current owners and others (including both family and nonfamily) become more pronounced as members retire and turn over the reins to succeeding leadership. This can be messy, especially if the retiring party still is looking to the company for its retirement income.

Fair Terms for Financial Returns.

Creating buyout agreements can be challenging and complicated. When stakeholders look to the value of their interest, they many times utilize a balance sheet number. A professional appraiser can help you determine the true value of a business using concepts both familiar and unfamiliar -- such as an earnings capitalization model.

Taxes, Estate and Inheritance Issues. Planning early affords you more options, especially when it comes to mitigating tax liability and probate delays.

Important Elements of Succession Planning Step 1: Establish Goals & Objectives Develop a collective vision for the business. Be objective. Determine the importance of continued family involvement in leadership and ownership of the company, but consider the option to bring in professional management.

Assess what kind of leadership is required for your business to survive and grow.

Determine personal retirement goals and cash flow needs of retiring family owners. Identify both personal and business goals of next generation management, company officers and loyal

employees.

Seek help. Consult your accountant and attorney about reducing your family’s tax obligations and avoid possible legal complications between partners and family. Identify and retain a team of professional advisors.

Step 2: Establish the Succession Plan Identify successors. Identify active and non-active roles for all family members and partner owners. Identify required additional support for the successor(s).

Step 3: Establish a Decision-Making Process Establish a method for dispute resolution if needed. Communicate the decision-making process clearly, openly and directly. Help family/stakeholders understand your reasoning.

Step 4: Create a Business and Owner Estate Plan Address taxation implications to the owner/business upon transfer of ownership, death or divorce. Review owner estate planning to minimize taxes and avoid delays in transfer of stock to remaining owners or spouse.

Step 5: Create a Transition Plan If the business is to be purchased, consider financing options. Consider an outright purchase, gift/bequest or a combination.

Determine a timeline for implementation of the succession plan.

When Should You Start?

Start now. In addition to your close circle of legal and financial advisors, there are resources available to help jump-start the process including: • IL Small Business Development Center -www.rockvalleycollege.edu/ Business/SBDC/index.cfm • Rockford University Family Business Center - www.rockford.edu/?FBC • Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center - www.imec.org/familybusiness-advisors.cfm

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“What do you want?”

Being thoughtful about business transition

Transition and strategy Did you know?

It’s easy to let the everyday challenges of manufacturing consume you. When you’re managing everything from product quality to supplier relations to operational efficiency, it’s hard to find the time or energy to focus on more strategic efforts. That’s why strategic planning and business transition should be simple and straightforward.

Here’s the “how to”…

Envision the future for your company, delineate the steps to get there — building “ownership” among your leadership team and setting you up for successful implementation.

Now, is it strategic planning or business transition, or a combination of the two? Let’s explore the approaches of both:

Strategic Planning Every strategic planning initiative is different – customized to your business and needs – but typically structured for six to eight weeks and focused on vision, value and goal definition with established action plans to reach milestones and initiate policy deployment. Ultimately, you

want to walk away with a well-defined strategy to communicate to your entire organization. And more importantly, you’ll have the tools and training to implement it successfully.

Business Transition Transition planning provides companies with a set of tools and access to resources to help you transition smoothly. The holistic approach goes well beyond financial valuations and legal transfers to developing future leaders and retaining key employees, opening communication channels and facilitating difficult conversations, establishing advisory boards, and making sure your team gets what they need personally and professionally.

With the right team, you can customize a path forward that puts the long-term health of your business first.

IMEC’s technical specialists are well qualified to help you explore the best option for your organization and engage on a journey to future wellbeing and success. If you’re interested in learning more about IMEC’s strategic services, please contact Amy Fitzgerald at afitzgerald@imec.org or call 309-677-2977.

Think back. Think back to the last time when you were asked to talk about your personal and business transition (or more likely the words used were “exit strategy”). Think back to the question…

“What do you want?”

Think again. Think about your answers to that question and ask yourself…

■■ Was it an answer that let me adequately explore what might be possible?

■■ Did my answer consider a variety of options or beyond those I know about?

■■ Was that answer truthful about my needs and aspirations for my own future?

■■ Was it an answer that I gave because it seemed like it was expected and not what I wanted?

■■ Did I answer the question only so I might make the questioner happy?

■■ Frankly, did I give an answer so I could avoid answering a question I don’t have an answer for?

■■ Think ahead. Think about how important that question is … “What do you want?”

■■ The question is about your next career – retired or still working?

■■ The question has generational impact on the future of your family.

■■ The question addresses the future of a business you have spent a lifetime building.

■■ The question defines you and your business legacy.

For a family- or private-business owner, the question impacts personal financial future, the future of the family,

the future of Steve Barnhart the business, IMEC the future of employees and even the community. As more than one owner has said: “If it was about the money, it would be easy.”

The Best Possible Answer So, the next time the question comes up recognize that you deserve to explore the best possible answer. You deserve to have your options explored and to have the implications of your decisions considered. You deserve the opportunity to open up important conversations with those around you in order to co-create the best possible scenario. You deserve to explore what’s possible – even if you never dared dream it could be.

So, the next time someone asks you – “what do you want?” – tell them you want to develop your answers in a manner that respects the complexity of the situation you are in. You want to dig around to understand how you – and those around you – feel about the possible answers. You want to find ways to move ahead in small steps that you can manage. You want to create answers that will successfully balance the interests of you and your family with you and your business. You want answers that will offer confidence about your decisions for the future.

For more information about how IMEC can help you answer these important questions, visit www.imec. org/strategy.cfm or contact Steve Barnhart, IMEC technical specialist at sbarnhart@imec.org. Not just surfacelevel want. Really, really want. You deserve it.

Manufacturing News is sponsored by IMEC

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Illinois achieves recordbreaking tourism in 2013 RACVB wins marketing awards Early in February, about 500 Illinois tourism professionals convened in Chicago for the 2014 Illinois Governor’s Conference on Travel and Tourism.

The annual conference began with exciting news highlighting estimates that indicate Illinois welcomed more than 101 million visitors in 2013 for only the second time in history. Also, hotel motel tax collections for 2013 were projected to reach a record-breaking figure of nearly $230 million statewide.

Although figures for Winnebago County have not yet been released, I feel good about what this means for our region.

In addition to a state of the industry discussion, the conference honored the innovative work of industry professionals with Illinois Excellence in Tourism awards, presented in 11 categories and judged by a panel of marketing and tourism professionals on clarity of message, creativity, originality and overall success.

The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau was honored to receive the following Illinois Excellence in Tourism Awards: Best Tourism Branding for Misery Loves Company. Launched in March, 2013, Misery Loves Company was a fun, friendly, tongue-in-cheek tourism campaign masquerading as a response to Forbes magazine’s latest ranking of the Rockford region as the third most miserable city in the United States. The campaign included video created by RACVB’s advertising agency, Graham Spencer, and was promoted through email blasts, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, creative imagery and messaging on RACVB’s website and social media channels; news releases and media outreach/interviews to regional/ Midwest media outlets; and t-shirt sales at eight locations.

Best Social Media Marketing for Stroll on State. The social media

John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

campaign for November’s Stroll on State event reached 294,692 Facebook fans, 381 Instagrammers, 200 Twitter users and received 1,805 views on YouTube. The success and awareness of the event was due in part to the intentional integration among these social media platforms, allowing RACVB to engage hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors.

It is truly an honor to be recognized by our peers as the best of the best in the tourism marketing industry. More than 100 other projects and campaigns were submitted for each of these categories.

While Misery Loves Company and Stroll on State were very different initiatives, these awards demonstrated the importance of having marketing efforts worth remembering if we want to remain a leader in the destination marketing space.

These things don’t happen by accident. We have a strategic approach and a great staff that work together to implement solid plans.

In February, we also learned that the industry’s trade association, Destination Marketing Association International, reaccredited RACVB, which certifies that it meets the highest standards in destination marketing and management. We were first accredited in 2009, and remain only one of 180 in the nation to be an “accredited” bureau.

This accreditation, essentially the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for our industry, communicates to the community, buyers and potential visitors that RACVB demonstrates a significant measure of excellence in destination management and marketing.

John Groh is president/CEO at the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The views expressed are those of Groh’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Jen Hoelzle, director of the Illinois Office of Tourism; John Groh; Jay Graham, Graham Spencer, and Bridget French receive good news about Illinois tourism at the 2014 Illinois Governor’s Conference on Travel and Tourism.

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Working in collaboration to fashion schools of the future Unless I’m very careful, I might slip up: You might hear me use the word “charrette” or “co-lab” to describe the process our community is going through now to arrive at the schools of the future.

Forgive me. The teacher in me gets excited when terms so perfectly describe the brainstorming and consensus I’m seeing in focus groups for the Rockford Public Schools. We are taking advantage of a once-ina-generation opportunity: to create flexible educational facilities with the best possible learning spaces. These will be spaces to fit learning styles not just now, but decades from now.

Charrette is French for cart or chariot. In the 19th century, as deadlines bore down on design students at the famous École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, carts were wheeled through town with the documents that students needed for their designs. They would work in teams to meet the deadline and come up with their best work. Co-labs are like charrettes – people engage to come up with ideas that will fit diverse needs.

Preparing to Make Decisions These two terms best describe the work we have been doing with DLR Group to evaluate our facilities. We are looking at positives and negatives.

We are looking at wants and needs.

We’ve held focus groups with parents, students, staff, board members and our Community Input Committee.

We have asked these groups to visualize learning labs, places where students build their knowledge to prepare for college, career and a life full of continuous learning. These spaces should support the critical thinking we know the world demands.

We have asked these questions: Which sites are energy efficient? Which schools are in densely populated

areas of Rockford? Which schools have the green space and capacity to accommodate our students? What should the footprint of the Rockford Public Schools look like as we follow best practice in education?

This we know: We will consider the public’s investment carefully, and readjust and calibrate as needed to fit the community’s vision. There will be no more fad-following. We don’t want the modern equivalent of the outdated pod design for schools.

By spring, our facilities footprint will begin to take shape. By summer, our School Board will be poised to make decisions. However, nothing is locked in right now. The foundations of this process are transparency and inclusion: Until we get those two things right, we won’t move forward.

We have proof already of how this process can work and work well. In the middle of one of the toughest winters we’ve had in this region in a long while, we celebrated in January and February.

We hosted six open houses to show off a taxpayer investment that allowed us to upgrade six elementary schools with new cafeterias and kitchens, new gymnasiums, secure entrances, resource rooms and badly needed storage space. Even amid piles of snow and bitter temperatures, these facilities were shining examples of the promise of education. The spring ahead.

Please join us as we move forward to shape the future of our school buildings and help realize the potential of our students.

Elementary and middle school-age children take part in experiments and hands-on activities on Feb. 22 at Discovery Center Museum as a part of National Engineers’ Week. The museum ranked fifth in best museums for families in February.

USA TODAY names

Discovery Center #5 in top 10 “Best Museums for Families” Discovery Center Museum announced on Feb. 19 that it earned fifth place in the USA Today/10Best. com Readers’ Choice contest for “Best Museum for Families.” In 2013, it served almost 140,000 visitors on site and another 72,000 through its outreach programs.

“We believe this kind of positive, national recognition will not only be advantageous for our museum, but for the City of Rockford as well,” said Sarah Wolf, executive director of Discovery Center Museum. “What is good for us, is good for the city. And we are very grateful to everyone who voted for us.”

An expert panel of USA TODAY and 10Best.com editors and contributors selected the museum as a contender in its readers’ choice award contest. Readers got four weeks to vote for the candidate of their choice. Winners were announced on 10Best.com and in USA TODAY.

Dr. Ehren Jarrett is superintendent of Rockford Public Schools.

Other Distinctions for Discovery Center

The views expressed are those of Dr. Jarrett’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Ranked fourth in 2002 in Child magazine’s first-ever survey to identify the 10 best children’s museums in the nation.

Was included in 2009 in the book, The Ten Best of Everything: Families in the category of children’s museums.

Was named in January 2012 as one of Forbes.com’s “12 Best Children’s Museums in the Nation.”

Top 10 Best Museum for Families Discovery Center shares the spotlight with these children’s museums, and history, natural history and science centers.

1. Children’s Museum of Indianapolis 2. Children’s Museum of Houston 3. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, N.M. 4. Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix 5. Discovery Center Museum, Rockford 6. Explora! Children’s Museum, Albuquerque, N.M. 7. National Museum of Play, Rochester, N.Y. 8. Henry Ford Museum, Detroit 9. Center of Science and Industry, Columbus, Ohio 10. The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Washington, D.C.

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theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Rockford University PERSPECTIVE

Developing leadership skills When I first started out in my career, one of my father’s friends asked me, “Who is mentoring you?” I can remember thinking for a moment and answering, “I really respect the director in our business unit.” I went on to explain the qualities she had that I admired and how I wanted to be able to lead as effectively as she did. My father’s friend responded with a smile and it was only later that I realized I hadn’t really answered his question. I had told him who I respected but failed to give him the answer he was looking for which was, “How were the leaders in my company developing future leaders?”

As I progressed through my career, I realized that very few organizations put an emphasis on mentoring. It’s somewhat surprising given all the slogans and catchphrases you see companies using like “Our people are #1”; or proclaiming to employees, “You are the people that make our success possible.” With that general belief espoused so often in the business community, why aren’t companies making the mentoring of leaders a formal priority?

Some would argue that mentoring takes time both of the leader and the protégé and that, in today’s fast-paced

Building your own development plan

world, it gets lost in the shuffle. Very few people have the time to hammer through a leadership challenge or discuss an ethical dilemma that presents itself.

Most people, no matter how high they are in the organization, want to get as much accomplished as they can during the course of the day. As is always the case, the immediate gets priority ahead of the future.

So if you work for an organization that doesn’t have a formal mentoring program that fosters leadership skills, what do you do? Many people choose to be in charge of their own mentoring by seeking opportunities where they might be challenged to develop leadership skills in situations outside of their professional experience.

Here are some ideas to kick-start your personal mentoring.

Board Membership, Committee Chairmanship Boards regularly look for good candidates to fill open positions. Often times, they will look for people who can “round out their skill set” with either technical or creative abilities.

This type of “leadership learning” is an invaluable tool in building your ability

to lead. Most boards ask that you sit on at least one committee as part of your responsibilities. In doing committee work, you will be able to test your ability to set goals and accomplish them with a team.

of the MBA

Mentoring a Child/Young Person

that emphasizes learning in a broad-

This is a form of self-mentoring that can be extremely helpful. One of the best ways to learn how to lead is to lead another person through life’s experiences and challenges. In addition to helping develop leadership talent, the rewards you reap from helping and listening to a child can be very gratifying and, ultimately, very humbling.

Enroll in Formal Training Formal training can be anything from going back to school for a degree to taking courses in certificate programs and learning centers. Meeting new people from different areas and different segments of the workforce can have a huge benefit in that it allows you to have a different perspective outside your organization’s culture.

The Executive Development Program at Rockford University is one such way to train for leadership. As part

department, the EDP is a 16-week leadership

long

Andrea Gibbs Rockford University

institute based interactive classroom. Training executives who want to continue to develop their executive leadership skills, the program works to foster creativity and the opportunity to hone current leadership skills with other professionals.

The program currently is offered in a public course but also can be designed with specific company needs in mind, for a customized leadership focus. For more information, go to www.rockford.edu.

Andrea Gibbs is a principal at Act2 Strategists and a trainer, strategist and coach. She is an adjunct professor in the BSMS and MBA programs as well as an instructor for the Executive Development Program at Rockford University.

The views expressed are those of Gibbs’ and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com March 2014

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Guest Perspective INSIGHT

The double bottom line Should a nonprofit run like a business?

Ask Jim Collins that question and he will say, “We must reject the idea -- wellintentioned, but dead wrong, that the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is to become ‘more like a business’.”

The reality is that the nonprofit sector has significant differences and is more complex than the business sector. At an operational level, perhaps many of the same skills important in business are required in nonprofits. There may not be a particularly “nonprofit” way of running payroll, implementing a new IT system, or maintaining a facility. But nonprofit management is significantly different from management in the business sector in a variety of ways and, therefore, warrants a distinct profession and specific field of study.

Tied to the Mission First and foremost, a nonprofit is a mission-based group or corporation serving the public good. The sector is large and diverse, ranging from churches to civil rights groups, human service providers to environmental organizations, garden clubs to national affiliations focused on eradicating disease. The public’s trust is the heart and soul of what keeps a charitable nonprofit’s mission alive.

Nonprofits rely on the public’s trust to do their work by attracting volunteers and donors to contribute to their cause. A nonprofit’s mission, grounded in its core values, is the litmus test for all they do.

The mission, no matter how great the cause, requires necessary and sufficient resources. The term “nonprofit” is a tax status not a business strategy. To survive, nonprofits must ensure that there is a surplus of revenue over expenses. But unlike businesses, set up for the sole purpose of making a profit, nonprofits have a double bottom line (mission and profit).

Businesses have the freedom to change products and services to meet customer demand. There is flexibility, including instances where increased sales translate

into increased revenue and unprofitable products/lines are eliminated. In a down economy, demand for business products may decline, reducing production and correlating expenses. In the case of nonprofits, programs and activities can change to meet the changing needs, but the essence of the organization — mission/ purpose — legally is required to remain intact.

In a down economy, the demand for many nonprofits’ services dramatically increases without additional resources to meet that demand. As Judy Vredenburgh, former executive of Big Brothers and the March of Dimes stated, “Every time we in nonprofits satisfy customers, we drain resources, and every time for-profits satisfy a customer, they get resources.” This is a substantial difference.

Another significant difference between nonprofits and business is the way excess funds/profit are distributed. Nonprofits do not distribute profits to individual owners in the form of dividends or use profits to enhance the wealth of owners. Nonprofits reinvest profits into the mission work of the organization.

This brings us to the issue of revenue production. Nonprofits obtain resources from multiple sources, but most nonprofits cannot generate adequate income from fees for service because most clients/customers are unable to afford to pay for services. This requires additional episodic fundraising and continual fund development to sustain operations and meet mission.

Differences in Human Resources Volunteers are another distinct factor within the nonprofit sector. Voluntarism is one of the foundations of the sector and many nonprofits use volunteers to assist in a variety of duties within the organization. Using free labor to fulfill mission is a critical part of efficient delivery of programs and services. In order to quantify the value of volunteers within nonprofits, Independent Sector,

a national organization mobilizing the nonprofit and philanthropic communities, estimates that the value of volunteer work is $19.51 per hour. The 61.8 million people or 26.4 percent of the population volunteering have a tremendous impact on the affordability of program delivery and the distinction in human resource issues within the business sector.

Ownership or leadership is another significant distinction between business and nonprofits. Nonprofits are governed by a volunteer board of directors who have a duty of care, loyalty and obedience to the organization. They do not receive any financial benefits and function best when abiding by a clear set of roles and responsibilities. The governing board holds ultimate responsibility for the welfare of the organization, ensuring it is on track with mission, and connecting the organization to the community.

Nonprofit management requires balancing relationships with multiple stakeholders that include customers/ clients, board members, volunteers and donors. Nonprofit managers must be skilled at negotiation and compromise and comfortable with a high degree of ambiguity. There is not a clear top-down flow of authority. Nonprofit management requires a multi-faceted approach and not a singular or canned model from the business world.

In Nonprofits, What is Success?

Success in the nonprofit sector also is more difficult to measure. The dual bottom line requires nonprofit leaders, first and foremost, to pursue their social mission while paying close attention to the financial bottom line. A nonprofit’s sole purpose is not to maximize profit. It exists to serve a social purpose, but must keep an eye on the bottom line. Without a profit, nonprofits cannot sustain their work. But measuring success in changed behavior or improved conditions is not as clean as measuring increased market share or profit.

Nonprofit organizations Pam Clark confront our Reidenbach most difficult NICNE social problems.

Their leaders are faced with the task of sustaining the business, providing quality services that don’t touch the demand, and satisfying the pressures of various stakeholders. In contrast, for-profit businesses face the fear of not enough customers, while nonprofits managers face the reality of too many.

Suggesting that nonprofit management is more complex than running a business is not meant to demean the skills of business leaders and their clear focus on profit. Our business leaders have built great companies and made significant investment and economic progress in our community. Most importantly, it is the support of the business community that allows nonprofits to sustain efforts to meet the critical needs of our most vulnerable people.

So to summarize, nonprofits are guided by mission and values. They have different financial systems and laws to abide by. They are governed by a volunteer board of directors, must raise money for their sustainability, and have different goals with demands to measure impact. As servants of society, nonprofits leaders have a complex role to fill and significant responsibility in advocating for the marginalized individuals in our community. That is a daunting, yet critical responsibility that warrants respect and recognition of nonprofit management as a vital and distinct field of study.

Pam Clark Reidenbach is director of Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence at Rockford University.

The views expressed are those of Reidenbach’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

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March 2014 theVoice rockfordchamber.com

ACCELerating your company’s growth: EIGERlab assists new business

By Sherry Pritz, EIGERlab Paul Niedermann, owner of Prescient Audio, partnered with the EIGERlab’s leaders, and their business development associates, to start his business and commercialize his invention. During his recent press conference, Paul shared that he is ready to ramp up production of his music- and smartphone-related products.

Feb. 20, Prescient Audio started its Kickstarter crowdfunding efforts, which will run through March 4.

What Other ACCELerator Services Did EIGERlab’s Coaches, Partners Provide?

Niedermann simultaneously met with business coaches from the EIGERlab and the IL Small Business Development Center at RVC. He received business development assistance — necessary for starting and running a business — and product development assistance for perfecting his invention. This included utilizing a portion of EIGERlab’s Center for Product Development services; engineering and additive manufacturing.

After both his business and financial plans were started, Niedermann met with EIGERlab’s CTeam; “C” standing for commercialization. CTeam’s core group of professionals have owned, managed, bought and/or sold businesses and therefore bring solid expertise to startup or existing businesses of any size. In addition, EIGERlab’s leaders reach out to the regional business community to seek the appropriate experts to address an entrepreneur’s specific industry-related issues. Niedermann and his management team received sound advice, which refined his business development thought-process and next steps.

How Did He Acquire Funding?

Where is His Business Today?

In the beginning, Niedermann bootstrapped the business, including spending his savings, and, of course, contributions from “Family, Friends and Fools.” Winning second place in the 2012 FastPitch Competition assisted with services from the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center. But, during the 2013 FastPitch World Series event, he hit a home run when a local investor heard his pitch and decided to provide both financial assistance and guidance. On

Niedermann and his partners recently have purchased a building in Rockford, and plan to manufacture and assemble their products locally. They had the forethought to buy a sizeable building with room for expansion, including a dedicated R&D space, which will allow him continually to work on the “next big thing.”

Where Did He Start?

Products such as the Prescient Audio smart phone will be manufactured and assembled at a building recently purchased in Rockford.

Sherry Pritz is marketing coordinator/business development, at EIGERlab/Rock Valley College.

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March 2014

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Cyber attack on Winnebago County thwarted On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the Winnebago County Health Department was targeted by a computer exploitation attempt, which was detected and neutralized immediately. An in-depth investigation revealed that no personal or otherwise sensitive county government data was exposed.

The county’s Department of Information Technology determined that the focus of the hack was to use the server for relay purposes and that the attacking internet protocol addresses were registered in Poland. Electronic and manual monitoring of the county’s computers and networks caught the activity as it happened and stopped it immediately.

The county offers these strategies to reduce threats to cyber-attacks: 1) Use a complex passphrase that is 12 characters long and contains capital and lowercase letters, numeric and symbols (example: StrangeBr3w%).

2) Change passphrases frequently, do not reuse passphrases, do not use your email passphrase on more sensitive accounts (like your bank account) and use and keep current virus software on your PC and mobile device.

Internet safety: Putting the issue into perspective There have been some highly publicized cases of exploitation involving the internet, yet the vast majority of people using the internet do not get into serious trouble. Families can greatly minimize the chances their children will be victimized or confronted with inappropriate material by teaching them to follow some safety rules. Here are some family rules to consider.

Never give out identifying information Don’t offer home address, school name or telephone number in a public message such as chat or newsgroups.

Make sure you know and trust the recipient before giving out the same information by e-mail. Also think carefully before revealing personal information such as age, financial information or marital status. Don’t post photographs of children in newsgroups or on websites available to the public.

Consider using a pseudonym, avoid listing your child’s name and e-mail address in any public directories and profiles and find out about your ISP’s privacy policies. Exercise your options for how your personal information may be used.

Get to know any internet services your child uses Have your child show you what he or she does online and become familiar with all the activities available online.

Find out if your children have a free web-based, e-mail account such as those offered by some ISPs. Learn their user names and passwords and the places, such as school and the library, where they can access those accounts.

Plan face-to-face meetings carefully Never allow your child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they first “meet” on the internet without an adult family member’s permission. If a meeting is arranged, make the first one in a public place and be sure to accompany your child.

Don’t take the bait Never respond to messages that are suggestive, obscene, belligerent, threatening or make you feel scared, uncomfortable or confused. Encourage your children to tell you if they encounter such messages. Forward a copy of the message to your ISP and ask for their assistance. Instruct your child not to click on any links contained in e-mails from persons they don’t know.

Such links could lead to sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate web sites or could be a computer virus. Report to the police any messages or images that are indent, lewd or obscene with the intent to abuse, annoy, harass or threaten you.

People online may not be who they seem Because you can’t see or even hear the person, it would be easy for someone to misrepresent him or herself. Someone indicating “she” is a “12-year-old girl” could in reality be a 40-year-old man.

Remember everything you read online may not be true. Any offer that’s “too good to be true” probably is. Be careful about any offers involving you going to a meeting, having someone visit your home or sending money or credit card information.

Set reasonable rules with children Discuss and post these rules near the computer as a reminder. A child’s excessive use of online services or the internet, especially late at night, may be a clue there is a potential problem.

Check out blocking, filtering and ratings applications.

Make this a family activity Consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than a child’s bedroom. Get to know their “online friends” just as you get to know all of their other friends. If your child has a cellular telephone, talk with him or her about using it safely. The same rules that apply to computer use also apply to the use of cellular telephones.

Source: National Center of Missing & Exploited Children, www.missingkids.com

Ales & Apps update IT community challenged to develop solutions to area problems In late 2013, civic-minded web developers, designers and data scientists worked with organizations towards the development of web-based solutions to city problems with the Rockford OpenData Challenge and Ales & Apps events. The OpenTech Challenge gave civic technologists a chance to build an app to solve an issue or educate the public about an issue posed by the City of Rockford and local non-profits.

On March 8, technologists will return to EIGERlab, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., to finish the winning apps from the November 2013 OpenData Challenge. Discussion also will take place on plans for a Code for America brigade in Rockford. Code for America is a non-profit that envisions a

government by the people, for the people, by using technology to connect citizens and governments to design better services, encourage low-risk settings for innovation and support a competitive civic tech marketplace.

On July 29, a second Ales & Apps event will take place, 6:30 p.m., at Prairie Street Brewhouse. The hope is to launch the apps from November, launch the Code for America Brigade and issue the next OpenData Challenges.

The OpenData Challenge project is a partnership between EIGERlab; the City of Rockford; Christopher Whitaker, Smart Chicago Collaborative/Code for America, and Alya Adamany Woods, Illinois Science and Technology Coalition.

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March 2014 theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Why is my high bandwidth internet connection so slow?

What does the 50Mbps download speeds claimed by data service providers mean in the speed of your internet connection?

Bandwidth vs. Latency When talking about network speeds, at least two elements in play: bandwidth and latency.

Bandwidth always is measured in bits per second (bps) and refers to how many bits are sent to your computer every second or how “wide” the communication path is.

It’s analogous to a highway. Adding more bandwidth can be compared to adding more highway lanes. The more lanes, the more cars can travel the link simultaneously. So adding more bandwidth means more data can be transmitted in parallel.

Latency is the other half of the speed

equation. If bandwidth is analogous to how many lanes you have on the highway, then latency is the length of the highway. It’s analogous to building a three-lane road connecting New York City to Anchorage. Latency would refer to the time this would decrease in a single car driving from one city to another.

So adding more bandwidth means you can send more data concurrently, but it doesn’t decrease the time required to send each nugget (packet) of data. This is why it doesn’t matter if you have a 50Mbps link, a 100Mbps link or even a 1000Mbps link, because all you’re doing is adding more lanes or increasing the girth of the pipe.

So if you have a high bandwidth link with high latency (high delay) then when you click a bookmark to a web site, there’s a brief pause because

of latency but then after a moment all the web elements such as the images, text and layout instantly appear (high bandwidth).

What Can You Do? If you have a lot of bandwidth but your network connection still is boringly slow, the first thing to do is to get a hard number on your latency.

Ping On a windows box you can perform a quick check by using a popular troubleshooting tool called ping. Click Start, and enter: cmdNext, type ping followed by the web address of the website that’s taking forever to load.

You’ll see the IP address of the host and how many bytes were sent: time=8ms.

That’s the latency. The ping utility is saying it sent four packets to google.

com, and it took 8 milliseconds, which is pretty fast.

If you ping your home router, for example type ping 192.168.1.1 (or whatever your home router IP is), your latency should be extremely low; usually 1 ms since the distance is so short.

Pathping Pathping is like ping on steroids.

It pings each node and analyzes the results over a period of time. You can actually see how many routers your packet had to pass through. Ultimately, when it comes to latency, you can measure it with ping and pathping, use a wired connection, and if possible, try to access servers in your proximity.

Content taken and more available at www.fixedbyvonnie.com, Nov. 11, 2013.

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March 2014

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Guest Perspective INSIGHT

The evolution of the Wireless Access Point Opening the connection bottleneck In modern business, having a wireless network is no longer just a convenience — it’s a requirement.

But as broadband speeds evolve, along with user expectations — and potential security threats — so must your wireless network, the heart of which is the Wireless Access Point (WAP).

Five years ago, business owners would buy an access point from a big box store and think they’re okay. They could jump on the internet from their laptops without plugging in and that made them feel like they were in the 21st century. But today, we’re no longer just accessing the internet over our wireless devices. We’re running video, conducting meetings, accessing cloud-based software services, and so much more.

We used to think that a DSL connection at 768K up and down was acceptable. Then we stepped up with pride to a T1 — providing 1.44MB up and down. Today, I regularly get 5MB or more on my phone through AT&T’s LTE Network, almost five times more than an entire business got just a short time ago. So connection speed is no longer the bottleneck — now it’s the WAP itself that’s become the bottleneck.

Think of everything we’re connecting to that trusty, crusty five-year-old device.

When you bought it, maybe you thought it would be used once in a while by people in the conference room and that one or two people might be on it at one time. But now everyone has one to three devices connecting to that access point and expecting broadband access, and it simply wasn’t designed for that.

We also used to think that wireless access in the conference room was sufficient. Today, we want it in the conference room and then as we walk through the building we expect to keep the coverage. But one access point can’t cover an entire building, so the business owner goes out and buys another $100 access point. This doesn’t fix the problem — it only complicates it.

Now when your computer (or phone or tablet) moves from one access point to the other, your older or inexpensive access points “fight” for your computer and force it to decide who to connect to.

The intimidated computer then holds on to the current access point as long as possible before switching to the new one. But because these access points can’t talk to each other, one doesn’t gracefully take over for the other.

And it gets more complex. These older access points are not managed together, leaving the network administrator to manage each one individually and try to keep track of all the passwords and ensure that every office device is synced up. It’s like a never-ending game of tag.

The final and most serious shortfall of these legacy WAPs — and the most overlooked — is lack of security: What happens when an employee leaves? Many businesses don’t change the WiFi password, leaving their network exposed to a potentially disgruntled employee.

What happens when a guest wants to use the network? Often they’re given the same access as everyone else because no Guest Network exists.

The modern reality of “the mobile workforce” means that users who are connecting wirelessly now are in the majority. They expect to be connected in a secure, fast and effortless manner.

As a result, business owners are finding that access points from just a few years ago no longer cut it. It’s not that these devices no longer work — it’s that they no longer meet the needs.

How Does a BusinessClass Device Differ?

Business-class WAPs address all those challenges head on and create additional advantages in the process.

Some of the key benefits are: ■■ Extensive user management, solving the problem of what to do when an

employee leaves and should no longer have access to the network.

■■ Wireless guest access, allowing visitors to connect but not access your private PCs and data.

■■ Expanded wireless coverage, minimizing weak or dead spots throughout your facility.

■■ Industry-grade encryption and Virtual Private Network (VPN) functionality, allowing employees to securely access the network outside the office while protecting sensitive data as it’s shared in “the cloud.”

■■ Mature security technologies, including Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and extensive management options built to serve your business as it grows.

■■ Full visibility into your wireless spectrum, enabling you to manage interference and prevent unexpected and costly downtime.

If you’re like a lot of small to midsize businesses that still are using the same basic access point you’ve always had, you’re not only limiting the capacity of your high-speed internet but are also exposing your critical business data to serious threats. In more ways than one, your wireless network has a real financial

impact on your business. Don’t let outdated technology limit your ability to succeed.

Tim Ancona Ticomix

Tim Ancona is founder and CEO of Rockfordbased IT and software firm, Ticomix, Inc. The views expressed are those of Ancona’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Half-Day Technology Showcase Cisco and Ticomix present a complimentary half-day technology showcase event on wireless technology on March 18, 12:30 to 5 p.m., at Giovanni’s, Rockford. Includes informational booths and featured speakers on the latest IT solutions to manage critical technology, run a data center more efficiently and save money in the IT budget.

Complimentary light hors d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic drinks. Space is limited. Register at 779-423-6200. More details at www.ticomix.com/techday14.

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March 2014

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Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Will social security be there when you retire?

Steve Schou Klaas Financial

Today on average, Americans live 14 years longer, retire three years earlier and spend 20 years in retirement.

In 1950, there were 16 workers per beneficiary.

Today the ratio is three workers per beneficiary and that ratio continues to shrink.

According to the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (NCFRR) report dated December, 2010, Social Security as an economic foundation for millions of Americans is far from fiscally sound.

From a historical perspective, when Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law in 1935, average life expectancy was 64, and the earliest retirement age for Social Security was 65. FDR originally set up the Social Security program as a safety net, or first tier of support, but it never was intended to be the sole source of retirement income.

Today on average, Americans live 14 years longer, retire three years earlier and spend 20 years in retirement.

In 1950, there were 16 workers per beneficiary; in 1960, there were five workers per beneficiary. Today the ratio is three workers per beneficiary and that ratio continues to shrink.

Unless Congress acts, these immense demographic changes will bring the Social Security program to its knees.

The program already has, at various times, spent more on beneficiaries than it has collected in revenue.

In 2010, the NCFRR report stated that if nothing is done out of Washington about Social Security, that by 2037, there could be an immediate 22 percent across the board benefit cut for all current and future beneficiaries.

Adjustments to Social Security The Commission Report laid out 10 recommendations to help gradually bring the Social Security System back to fiscal balance over a period of the next 37 to 60 years. Minor adjustments over many years is a more realistic strategy and should not affect current beneficiaries, while giving future beneficiaries some hope that the Social Security system will remain a retirement

safety net as originally intended.

According to the NCFRR Report, to save Social Security for the long haul, all of us must do our part. High income earners will probably have to pay the most by taking lower benefits than scheduled and pay more in payroll taxes.

Middle income earners who are able to work will probably need to work a little longer. At the same time, Social Security must do more to reduce poverty among the very poor and very old who need help the most.

A retirement security solution needs to recognize and incorporate the challenges for self-reliant Americans who take responsibility for their families through a lifetime of work. It should encourage Americans to build wealth through savings and investment that will generate a return sufficient to allay fears that retirees will outlive their savings and should permit Americans to have the option to pass on the remainder of their accumulated savings to their heirs.

Americans need a fiscally responsible personal retirement savings system that is funded before the need, supplements the pay-as-you-go Social Security system, and accumulates funds for investments in business and infrastructure to help sustain a healthy economic growth rate.

Yes, changes are needed, yet if we all get on board and hold Congress accountable to make the appropriate gradual, long-term adjustments, Social Security will remain a viable program.

As the legendary motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said, “Getting knocked down in life is a given. Getting up, starting from where you are, and moving forward is a choice.”

We, as Americans, need to make that choice — for our future.

References: The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, The Moment of Truth, The White House, December 2010.

Securities by licensed individuals offered through Investacorp, Inc. A Registered Broker/ Dealer, Member FINRA, SIPC. Advisory services offered through Investacorp Advisory Services, Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm.

Steven Schou, CFP, CFO, is senior partner, investment advisor representative, at Klaas Financial.

The views expressed are those of Schou’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com March 2014

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IGNITE

Transform Rockford holds Gen X/Y visioning session, March 6

Young Professionals

Transforming Rockford begins in your backyard

Mika Doyle IGNITE

Time to stand up against crime It was a cold November evening, and I was bundled up on my couch watching Netflix® when I heard a loud “boom.” I glanced up, thinking maybe a truck had hit a large pothole – not much of a reach since we seem to have plenty of potholes on my street. I turned my attention back to my show.

Not long afterward, lights flashing through the window caught my attention.

I peeked out and saw several police cars parked in front of my house, lights flashing. I stepped out onto my porch to get a better view – then I froze.

There was police tape wrapped around my front porch. I stood there and stared at it, a jolt of panic hitting my nervous system. My house was a part of a crime scene. When the police came to interview me, they told me a man had been shot mere feet away from my home. That loud boom? Definitely not a truck. No, that was the sound of a man being shot to death in front of my house while I watched Netflix.

Crime has a way of making us feel powerless, but if we ever hope to transform Rockford into a place people choose to be, we must all play an active part—starting with our own backyards.

Wake Up Call Those living in Rockford in late 2010 might remember this shooting.

The victim and his female companion had picked up two men in a car, and those men robbed them at gunpoint, shooting the victim. The woman drove him to SwedishAmerican Hospital, where he died.

That was the first time I felt afraid in my own home.

That night it was as if a hood had been pulled from over my eyes. I started noticing drug deals taking place right on my street, oftentimes in broad daylight. I stopped walking my dog after sundown, and I started researching self-defense classes in the area.

Then about a year after the first shooting, I was jarred awake in the middle of the night by more gunfire, this time less than a block from my home. After I swallowed my heart back into my chest, I got angry. I was tired of living in fear.

I am confident most Rockford residents share my concerns about Rockford’s crime rate – this is evident through news stories, Facebook comments, letters to the editor, etc. What is not evident is what we as private citizens can do to change that.

I certainly had no idea what I could do to make any sort of impact; all I knew was that I could no longer do nothing. After doing some research and reaching out to my alderman, and I found out we private citizens are not as powerless as I thought.

The most crucial action we can take to fight crime in our neighborhoods is to call the police, whether we see something suspicious, witness a crime in progress or discover evidence of a crime.

Many people hesitate to call the police – sometimes because they are afraid they are wrong about what they saw and are wasting the police department’s time, but most of the time because they are afraid of retaliation. I know it is scary, but we have to break this cycle of silence.

One of the ways we can chip away at this cycle is by getting connected with our neighbors. Standing against the criminals who are invading our neighborhoods can sometimes be less scary when we know our neighbors are also watching out for crime and are calling the police.

The best way to create this partnership with our neighbors is to join neighborhood watch groups or neighborhood associations. Not only do neighborhood associations connect us with our neighbors, they also connect us with our aldermen and the police officers assigned to our areas. Those are some strong allies.

No one has the time to add yet another meeting or committee, but I strongly urge you to make the time to attend every neighborhood association meeting you can. Take the time to get to know your neighbors and start watching out for each other. Together we can show criminals just how unwelcome they are in our neighborhoods.

Crime has a way of making us feel powerless, but if we ever hope to transform Rockford into a place people choose to be, we must all play an active part – starting with our own backyards.

Mika Doyle is secretary for the IGNITE Leadership Team and social media coordinator for OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. For more information on IGNITE, visit www. igniterockford.com.

Transform Rockford would like to learn more about the Generation X/Y’s (born from 1960 to 2000) vision for the region with a Community Visioning Session, March 6, 6 to 8 p.m., at Prairie Street Brewhouse, 200 Prairie St., in downtown Rockford.

The regional long-term planning effort aims dramatically to improve the social and economic condition of the Rock River Valley. The session, as with all of the others, will be moderated by trained facilitators, include a review of the facts about the Rock River Valley, breakout sessions to brainstorm and develop a vision for the community and discussion of next steps. Contact Mike Schablaske, 815-978-1151 or mike@transformrockford.org or learn more at: Web: www.transformrockford.org Twitter: @TransformRkfd Facebook: www.facebook.com/transform.rockford Instagram: TransformRockford YouTube: www.youtube.com/TransformRkfd

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Issues to Watch LEGISLATIVE New Laws for 2014 More than 200 new laws took effect on Jan. 1 in Illinois. Here are some related to crime and law enforcement.

CRIME, COURTS, CORRECTIONS, LAW ENFORCEMENT Flash Mobs SB 1005/PA 98-0014 Provides that using electronic communications to solicit or commit the offense of mob action may be used by the court to impose an extended term sentence upon conviction. Addresses the growing problem of social media and electronic communication being used to gather a “flash mob” to commit batteries, robberies and thefts.

Juvenile Court HB 2404/PA 98-0061 Would require 17-year-olds charged with most felonies to be charged in juvenile court rather than adult court.

Would not apply to a number of violent felonies including first degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated battery with a firearm; armed robbery committed with a firearm; aggravated vehicular hijacking with a firearm or the sale or possession of certain weapons on school property. Any felony would still be eligible to be sent to adult court following a hearing in juvenile court.

Drunken Boating (SB 1479/PA 98-0103) Applies implied-consent laws to boating by providing that any person who operates a motorboat and who has been involved in a fatal accident or accident with serious injuries is assumed to have given consent for a blood alcohol test.

Sealing of Felony Offenses (HB 3061/PA 98-0142) Significantly expands the classes and types of felony offenses that can be sealed under current law. This will prevent employers from being able to access the criminal history of those with serious offenses in their background. Among the offenses that could be sealed would be Class 3 and Class 4 felony conviction records

for theft, retail theft, deceptive practices, and forgery.

House Arrest (SB 1854/PA 98-0161) Allows a person who is sentenced to jail on a misdemeanor or probationable felony to be considered committed to the custody of the Sheriff and may serve their sentence at home, i.e. “house arrest,” through an electronic home detention program under the terms and conditions of the Sheriff.

Patricia’s Law (HB 1010/PA 98-0169) Creates “Patricia’s Law,” prohibiting a trial judge from giving court supervision for offenses arising under the Illinois Vehicle Code or similar local ordinance if the violation was the proximate cause of the death of another person. This legislation is in direct response to the Patricia McNamara tragedy where she was killed by a distracted driver, who rammed into her car after running through a stop sign.

Domestic Battery Penalties (HB 958/PA 98-0187) Increases the penalty for domestic battery to a Class 3 felony if the defendant has three prior convictions under the Code for domestic battery and to a Class 2 felony if the defendant had four or more prior convictions under the Code for domestic battery. This is an initiative to increase the penalty for individuals repeatedly convicted of domestic battery charges and prevent judges from imposing lighter sentences, such as probation or conditional discharge, in recurring cases of domestic violence.

Crimes Against Police (HB 2893/PA 98-0263) Creates an alert system called the “Crimes Against Police Officers Advisory,” administered by the State Police, to send out alerts when an offender is at large who is suspected of committing or attempting to commit crimes against a police officer. It would be similar to other emergency alert systems, such as child abduction alerts.

Get to Know Your Ambassadors Name: Debbie Klinefelter Company: Malik Eye Institute LLC dba Eye Specialists of Rockford Position: Assistant Office Manager How long have you been an Ambassador?

Three years What do you like most about being an Ambassador? I enjoy meeting people in the community and welcoming new businesses to the Rock River Valley. I have learned a lot from networking with other ambassadors at all of the chamber functions. I would also like to thank all of the members for the referrals to Malik Eye Institute.

Sex Offender Prohibitions (HB 3023/PA 98-0266) Prohibits a child sex offender from being present in a playground or recreation area within any publicly accessible privately owned building when children are present unless the offender is a parent or guardian of a child there. This would include places such as the play area at McDonald’s.

Eavesdropping (HB 3038/PA 98-0268) Aligns civil remedies for eavesdropping with the criminal violation by including “electronic communications.” The bill is intended to shield certain legitimate conduct (the exercising of parental rights and the gathering of news by journalists) from subjecting the person to civil liability for eavesdropping.

Unauthorized Video Recording (SB 1851/PA 98-0293) Provides that prosecution for the offense of unauthorized video recording may be commenced within one year after the discovery of the offense by the victim of that offense.

This is to allow for the prosecution of offenders in cases where the victim discovers the offense after the general limitations period has run. In many cases the victim may not become aware of the offensive videotaping at the time of the offense or even during the general limitations period. These illegal videos and photographs can turn up years later to haunt victims.

Contractor Violations (HB 922/PA 98-0328) Allows the Department of Labor to bring an action against a contractor up to five (currently two) years after a violation of the Prevailing Wage Act is alleged to have occurred. Requires contractors and subcontractors who participate in public works projects to keep records for five (currently three) years from the date of the last payment. Requires a public body to keep records for five (currently three) years. Authorizes contractors to retain records in electronic (currently paper) format.

Nicotine Sales to Youth (SB 1756/PA 98-0350) Prohibits the sale of alternative nicotine products to persons under age 18, such as electronic cigarettes that contain nicotine.

Tasers (HB 131/PA 98-0358) Requires police training in the use of tasers. Also would require random inspections of police departments concerning their use of tasers.

Nurse Protections (HB 801/PA 98-0369) Provides that the battery of a nurse while in the performance of his or her duties is enhanced to an aggravated battery (Class 3 felony). Under current law, battery of a nurse would not be an aggravated battery and would therefore be a Class A misdemeanor.

Victim Statements (HB 827/PA 98-0372) Requires States Attorneys to inform crime victims or their families of the right to make a victim impact statement at a sentencing hearing.

Designed to assure that all family members know they have a right to make a statement.

Electronic Tracking Prohibition (HB 1199/PA 98-0381) Provides that a person or entity may not use an electronic tracking device to determine the location or movement of a person. The idea is to prevent stalkers, spouses and other individuals from putting a tracking device on another individual’s car without their consent.

Cell Phone Penalties (HB 2585/PA 98-0507) Increases the penalties in accident cases where the individual is texting, using a cell phone or watching a video device, and that action is determined to have been a cause of a crash that results in an injury or death.

Civil Suit Settlements (SB 1912/PA 98-0548) Creates penalties and deadlines for failure to promptly pay an agreedupon settlement in civil suits. The payment must be made within 30 days or the court may issue a judgment that would include any additional costs incurred in obtaining the judgment, and interest at the statutory rate. Most employer groups were opposed to the measure and raised concerns that it further damages Illinois fragile business climate.

Criminal Record Removal Fee (SB 115/PA 98-0555) Amends the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act to provide that it is an unlawful practice for any person engaged in publishing or otherwise disseminating criminal record information through a print or electronic medium, to solicit or accept the payment of a fee or other consideration to remove, correct or modify said criminal record information.

Drone Restrictions (SB 1587/PA 98-0569) Prohibits law enforcement from using drones to gather evidence or information, except when authorized by a search warrant or in specifically enumerated emergency situations.

Requires evidence be destroyed after 30 days unless part of an ongoing crime. Requires annual reporting.

Courtroom Skyping (SB 1968/PA 98-0579) Permits foundational testimony business records to be introduced as evidence in open court through contemporaneous audio and video transmission, such as Skype, from out of state.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com March 2014

Rockford Chamber members appear bolded. Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

Saturday, March 1

Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center welcomes violinist David Lisker and pianist Andrius Zlabys, 7:30 p.m., Mendelssohn Hall, 406 N. Main St., Rockford. For tickets call 815-964-9713 or visit www. mendelssohnpac.org.

Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, presents Sock Monkey Madness Festival, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Includes a Make-A-Monkey workshop for an additional fee and reservations at 815-397-9112. Visit www.midwayvillage.com.

SwedishAmerican Foundation presents its 20th annual fundraising gala: Cruise ’14 at Giovanni’s Restaurant & Conference Center, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford.

Benefits the SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center. Wear cruise or island attire, Steel Drum Band, international food at ports-of-call, silent auction and dancing with Rockford DJ Sound Productions.

Call 815-961-2496.

University of Illinois Extension presents Gardening for Food and Fun, 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., at NIU-Rockford, 8500 E. State St., Rockford. Includes lunch, keynote presentation and choice of three education classes. Register at web. extension.illinois.edu/jsw/ or 815986-4357.

Friday, March 7

Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center presents vocal duo One Less Tenor as part of the Mendelssohn Artist concert series, 7:30 p.m., Mendelssohn Hall, 406 N. Main St., Rockford. For tickets call 815-964-9713 or visit www. mendelssohnpac.org.

Heartland Church, 1280 S. Alpine Road, Rockford, hosts Celebrate Recovery every Friday night with dinner at 5:45 p.m.; worship at 7 p.m. Contact celebraterecovery@ heartland.cc or 815-395-8000.

Saturday, March 8

Rockford Symphony Orchestra presents Symphony Saturday: RSO Woodwind Quintet, 11 a.m. to noon, Kresge Hall, Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St., for children, 5 to 10, and families. Visit rockfordsymphony.com or call 815965-0049.

Rockford Symphony Orchestra presents Songs of a Wayfarer, featuring Gerard Sundberg, baritone, and the RSO’s principal cello, Michael Beert, and principal viola, Benjamin Weber, 7:30 p.m., at the Coronado Performing Arts Center.

Tickets at 815-965-0049 or online at www.rockfordsymphony.com.

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Community Events COMMUNITY

Rockford Park District’s Atwood Center presents Stewardship Saturday with the Environmental Recreation and Education staff, 9 to 11 a.m., Seth B. Atwood Park.

Lesson on the area and pitch in with maintenance. Visit www. rockfordparkdistrict.org. Call 815874-7576 for groups of five or more.

Wednesday, March 12

Tyler Perry’s new stage play Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned, 7:30 p.m., at the Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford. Tickets at 815-968-5222 or www.ticketmaster. com.

Rockford Public Library presents Bank on It! 1 to 3 p.m., at the Rock River Branch Program Room, 3128 11th St., with Woodforest National Bank. Registration required at 815965-7606.

Rockford Public Library presents Understanding Medicare Part A and Part B and Medicare Supplement Plans, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Rockton Center Branch program room, 3112 N. Rockton Ave. Registration required at 815-9657606.

IMEC, the Northwest Illinois Development Alliance and Highland Community College present Building the Roadmap: Introduction to Continuous Improvement Culture for manufacturers, 7:30 to 9 a.m., at Stephenson County Farm Bureau, 210 W. Spring Street, Freeport.

Presenter is Scott Czysz, IMEC technical specialist.

Visit www.imec.org.

Thursday, March 13

Center for Sight & Hearing presents Dining in the Dark, 5:30 p.m., at Franchesco’s Ristorante, 7128 Spring Creek Road, Rockford.

Tickets at 815-332-6823 or lmerrick@ centerforsighthearing.org.

Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center presents The Nightingale Trio with Ron Foran performing music from the 1940s, 5:30 p.m., Emerson House, 420 N. Main St., Rockford. For tickets call 815-964-9713 or visit www.mendelssohnpac.org.

Friday, March 14

The Judson Theatre presents its spring theater production, Ars Liturgica: Slavery: Past, Present and Future, March 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, at the Marjorie Thulin Performance Hall of the Thompson Center, 1151 N. State St., Elgin.

Tickets at 847-628-2625.

The Judson University Center for Worship in the Performing Arts presents its spring production, Ars Liturgica, March 14 to 15; 20 to 22 in the Thulin Performance Hall of the

Thompson Center, 1151 N. State St., Elgin. Tickets at 847-628-2625.

Saturday, March 15

Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, presents Bubble Festival with bubblecelebrity Geoffrey Akins’ live performances and sudsy science fun. Call 815-963-6769 or visit www. discoverycentermuseum.org.

Wednesday, March 19

Rock Valley College Studio Theater presents the Agatha Christie play, Akhnaton, 8 p.m., nightly, March 19 to 29, and additional 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets at 815-921-2160 or visit rvcstarlight.com.

Thursday, March 20

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 2715 S. Main St., Rockford, hosts a Bus Trip to explore the Chicago Flower and Garden Show at Navy Pier. Depart at 8 a.m., return around 5 p.m. Register before March 10 at 815-965-8146.

YMCA of Rock River Valley presents its annual Community Fundraising Dinner, 6 p.m., featuring special guest speaker Dr. Patch Adams, physician, social activist, clown and author at Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. To register, call 799-5000800 or visit www.rockriverymca. org.

The Better Business Bureau presents its 87th annual Dinner Meeting at the Chicago Marriott downtown hotel. Featured speaker is Chicago TV personality Geoffrey Baer. For tickets contact Tom Joyce, 312-245-2643 or tjoyce@chicago. bbb.org, or Steve Bernas, 312-2452514 or sbernas@chicago.bbb.org.

Friday, March 21

The Judson University Department of Architecture presents its free third-annual James Didier Symposium on Christ and Architecture, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the Herrick Chapel, 1151 N. State St., Elgin, Ill. Visit www.JudsonU. edu.

Saturday, March 22

Rockford Public Library presents Fresh and Local – Non-GMO Gardening, 2 to 4 p.m., East Branch Friends of RPL Community Room, 6685 E. State St. Which seeds or starter plants should you choose?

Meet with a local food expert on issues with GMO foods. Registration required at 815-965-7606.

Monday, March 24

Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, presents Spring into Science, March 24 to 28. Jump-start spring break with exciting science fun. Call 815-963-6769 or visit www.

discoverycentermuseum.org.

Tuesday, March 25

Rockford University presents Kyle Thiermann, Surfing for Change, 7 p.m., Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. Tickets at 815-226-4100 or boxoffice@ rockford.edu.

Natural Land Institute presents its Annual Dinner, 6 p.m., Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort, 700 W. Riverside Blvd., Rockford. Features guest speaker, author and research associate Joel Greenberg, and the presentation of the George and Barbara Fell award. Register at 815964-6666 or www.naturalland.org.

Thursday, March 27

Ethnic Heritage Museum presents its Celebrate with Us fundraiser, 5 to 9 p.m., Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort, Rockford, featuring holiday traditions of Rockford’s AfricanAmerican, German, Hispanic, Irish, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish and Swedish pioneers. Silent auction and raffle tickets. Reserve at www.

EthnicHeritageMuseum.org or 815289-3551.

Judson University presents a prerelease screening of Ragamuffin: The True Story of Rich Mullins, 7 p.m., in Herrick Chapel, 1151 N. State St., Elgin. Director David Leo Schultz will introduce the film and lead a Q&A. The Imago Film Festival will be held the following week, April 1 to 5. Call ragamuffinthemovie.com.

Friday, March 28

Anam Glen, a member of Satori Pathway network, 7978 Newburg Road, Rockford, presents Indian Cooking with Usha, 4 to 6 p.m., in the Anam Unity Room. Gentle Yoga also takes place Thursday mornings, 8:30 a.m. Call 815-332-1919.

Saturday, March 29

Rockford University presents The Shakespeare Conspiracy with Artists’ Ensemble, Saturday, 4 p.m., and Sunday, 2 p.m., at Cheek Theatre, Clark Arts Center, 5050 E. State St. Tickets at 815-226-4100 or boxoffice@rockford.edu.

Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, presents Nano Day, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Meet real scientists, learn about future applications, and delve into special hands-on projects.

Call 815-963-6769 or visit www. discoverycentermuseum.org.

Rockford Symphony Orchestra presents Lights, Cameras … The Oscars! with Oscar-winning songs and two Broadway singers, Nat Chandler and Teri Dale Hansen, 7:30 p.m., Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford.

Tickets at 815-965-0049 or online at www.rockfordsymphony.com.

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Business Briefs BUSINESS BRIEFS

Rockford Chamber members appear bolded. Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

$500 worth of merchandise for free from the Fowler Trade School Bulletin.

Rockford Park District received $2,000 from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund to install six large interpretive signs of plants, birds and wildlife at Sinnissippi Park, Shorewood Park and the Rock River Recreation Path.

SwedishAmerican Regional Cancer Center released its online annual report for 2013 at www. swedishamerican.org/CAR; with a summary of the cancer center’s analytic and non-analytic incidences of cancer cases in 2012.

The Helps Group, an online start-up business, hired PS Designs and More, Inc., to design its corporate logo, business cards and website at www.the-helps-group.com.

Discovery Center Museum was named one of 20 nominees for Best Museum for Families by 10Best, Inc. a division of USA TODAY.

Rockford Orthopedic Associates donates $29,325 to Northern Illinois Food Bank; part of more than $250,000 it’s donated over 10 years towards child nutrition programs in Winnebago County.

Crusader Community Health received a first-year grant, $104,701, from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois through the Dr. Louis and Violet Rubin Fund for a new school-based health center at Auburn High School. Rockford Public Schools, Rosecrance and Primary Eye Care, Crusader Community Health plan to open the SBHC in August, 2014; providing medical, dental, behavioral and optical services to more than 3,000 students. Money will support a pediatric nurse practitioner salary.

As part of the $7 million Adult Redeploy Illinois program, the Winnebago County Circuit Court received a more than $600,000 grant to help non-violent offenders avoid prison by sentencing them instead to participate in community-based programs.

Williams-Manny Insurance Group hired KMK Media Group to handle all aspects of its public relations and marketing, including refreshing its brand identity.

Kantorei, The Singing Boys of Rockford, released a new CD celebrating its 50th anniversary, “How Can I Keep From Singing?” featuring 75 minutes of songs. Visit www.kantorei.com.

Woodward, Inc., board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share, payable on March 3, 2014, for stockholders of record as of Feb. 17, 2014.

Klaas Financial, inc., was recognized in the December 2013 Forbes magazine as one of America’s Financial Leaders.

Winnebago County Housing Authority was designated a High Performer agency by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Rockford Area Strategic Initiatives was awarded a $47,984 grant by the Barber-Colman Management Fund

Northern Illinois Food Bank received $6,489 from the Woodforest Charitable Foundation for its BackPack Program, which gives children nutritious food over a weekend or school vacation.

Schneider Electric donated $10,000 towards the food bank’s after-school supper and backpack programs.

Community Foundation of Northern Illinois donated $12,000 towards its mobile pantry food distributions in underserved areas of Boone, Stephenson, Ogle and Winnebago counties.

Rockford Rescue Mission Ministries received a $3,378 grant by the Margaret K. Aldeen Christian Ministries Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois for the Meal Service Upgrade Project; to better provide nutritious meals for hungry and homeless families and individuals.

Maleeah Cuevas, Craig M. Klaas, Steven Schou and Craig J. “CJ” Klaas, Klaas Financial, inc., board members, appear in an article in Forbes magazine, “Helping Retirement Dreams for 37 Years.” of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois to fund the Joint Institute of Engineering TechnologyAerospace (JiET-A), a pilot program to bolster the regional aerospace cluster through a larger, more qualified talent pool.

Wesley Willows is expanding with Willows Suites Phase III, featuring 36 one- and two-bedroom apartments – its third major building project in the last five years.

Crusader Community Health and the Cosmopolitan Club of Rockford celebrated the 20-year partnership of the Crusader/Cosmopolitan Diabetes Program for area diabetic patients. The club has donated nearly $450,000 to Crusader. In 2007, Cosmopolitan International recognized Crusader as one of its five major Cosmopolitan Diabetes Center Programs.

Rockford Toolcraft, Inc., hired V2 Marketing Communications to produce a corporate sales video and PowerPoint slide deck for its website at rockfordtoolcraft.com.

Montessori Private Academy retained V2 for a marketing campaign through website and social media at montessoriprivateacademy.com.

Rockford Park District was awarded

first place in the Overall Agency Showcase and Logo Design for Ties & Tennies Together, and second place for Integrated Photography for Ties & Tennies Together at the IPRA Agency Showcase, and accepted a plaque for Distinguished Accredited status at the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) annual conference.

Crimson Pointe Assisted Living was one of the top one percent of assisted living communities nationwide to receive a Caring Star of 2014 for service excellence based on consumer ratings and reviews on Caring.com.

Savant Capital Management, wealth management firm in Rockford, was recognized on Financial Planning magazine’s annual Top-50 Fee-Only RIA Firms list; rising to 29 out of 100 firms in the United States, and ranked fourth in Illinois.

It also made the magazine’s Top 50 Fastest Growing, Fee-Only RIA Firms list at number 34.

Fowler High Precision joined the Industrial Supply Association, the leading trade association for the maintenance, repair, operations and production supply industries. It offers accredited educational institutions

The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association gave the Rockford Park District and Sanders Design Group the Excellence in Landscape Silver award in commercial construction for the Eclipse Lagoon Restoration Project at Sinnissippi Riverfront. The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois gave the park district and Arc Design Resources, Inc., a 2014 Engineering Excellence award – Special Achievement.

Judson University is working to raise $5,000 for the One Day’s Wages Human Trafficking Fund, a grassroots movement to alleviate extreme global poverty through mid March. Contributors can donate at www.onedayswages.org/donate/org/ judson-university.

Brian Thomas Photography will add a new aerial photography platform to its service offerings, using a quad copter to capture lower altitude images. Plans are to open a new location in summer, 2014.

Sikich donated about 1,750 pounds of gently used items to Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois through its employee donation drive.

Guyer & Enichen, P.C., donated 234 pounds of gently used items.

SwedishAmerican Health System’s Regional Cancer Center is the nation’s first cancer center to receive LEED for Healthcare (LEED-HC) certification.

Financial-services firm Edward Jones made its 15th appearance, ranking No. 4 and the highest-ranking

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Business Briefs BUSINESS BRIEFS

financial-services firm on FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For 2014” list. It has ranked in the top 10 for 11 years.

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois recognized Hanson Professional Services Inc., with an Honor award for the roundabout project at Main and Auburn streets in Rockford. It received a Merit award for the Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement for the Springfield Rail Improvements Project.

American Advertising Federation of Northern Illinois presented its 2014 American Advertising Awards in February at the NIU Center. Top awards went to: Rick Wells, Ltd., Best of Show, for its “Red Brand Made in America” campaign for Keystone Steel & Wire Co.; and GrahamSpencer, Best of Print, for its “Rickpad” selfpromotion, and Best of Electronic for its “Misery Loves Company” web video for the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Rockford Park District received grants of $3,580 towards hockey gear for Rockford’s MinorHawks Youth Hockey League players from Amateur Hockey Association Illinois, Inc., and $2,500 from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois’

Rockford Health System, Cadence Health discontinue discussions After several months of discussions, Rockford Health System and Cadence Health mutually agreed to discontinue discussions about affiliation. In November, 2013, the two systems signed a non-binding letter of intent to affiliate.

“In many respects we are like-minded organizations,” said Gary Kaatz, Rockford Health System president and CEO. “We enjoy similar commitments to clinical quality, patient safety, innovative program development and employee engagement, as well as to efficient and cost-effective care. However, as we moved forward in our discussions, it became clear that we would not be able to arrive at an agreement that would provide mutual benefit to both the Rockford community and to the Cadence organization. After deeper review, we recognized that our strategic imperatives did not align.”

“We were genuinely impressed with the clinical quality provided by Rockford Health System and its overall commitment to excellence,” said Mike Vivoda, Cadence Health president and CEO. “We identified many synergies between our organizations — both organizations are high-performing, clinically excellent, committed to their employees and have strong financial health. We realized, though, that we have some differences that would prevent us from aligning our operational strategies. We have deep respect for the Board and leadership of Rockford Health System.”

Community Grants Program.

1st Step Chiropractic, S.C., collected 600 pounds of food for Rock River Valley Pantry during its recent food drive and patient appreciation day. It

also gave away $3,000 in chiropractic care services.

Satori Pathway, dementia resourcing, celebrated the grand opening on Jan. 5 of its new, 14-bed dementia

care and community center, Anam Glen, 7978 Newburg Road, Rockford, with an elegant brunch and building dedication.

Van Matre HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital ranked 11th for clinical excellence among HealthSouth’s network of rehabilitation hospitals.

Chicago Rockford International Airport released its 31-page fiscal year 2013 Annual Report. The airport drives $994.5 million in economic impact and 5,300 in total jobs. It had its busiest year in 2013 in passenger service with a 3.5 percent increase and 91 percent load factor. Visit www. flyrfd.com/Administration.aspx.

Comfort Keepers® of Northwest Illinois received national recognition

by Entrepreneur magazine’s Annual Franchise 500© rankings for 2014 as the #1 franchise in the senior care category and #59 among the top 500 franchises.

SwedishAmerican Health System won eight ADDY awards from the Rockford chapter of the American Advertising Federation in February: two gold, two silver and three bronze, as well as the Judge’s Choice award for its “Powerful Weapon” 30-second television ad.

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the News IN Members THEin NEWS

1. Jedediah L. Cantrell

2. Brent D. Ward

3. Brent Scott

4. Dr. Gurpreet Boparai

5. Leslie Einbeck

6. Perla Rodriguez

7. Adam Mosley

8. Tricia Salamone

9. Dawn Shurley

10. Bradley Stewart

11. Eamon Michael Verdone

12. David M. Mecklenburg

13. Nancee Long

14. Debra Benassi

15. Brianna Myers

16. Dr. Kimberly Miller

CHASE Bank hired Brent D. Ward (2) as a sr. relationship manager in commercial banking. Brent Scott (3) was promoted to senior vice president, commercial banking.

Perla Rodriguez (6), executive assistant; Adam Mosley (7), programming specialist; Tricia Salamone (8), executive assistant; Dawn Shurley (9), implementation services systems administrative assistant, and Bradley Stewart (10), implementation services database administrator, Rockford. Kathryn Risch, 401(k) team member, McLean. Sandy Schletz, office administrator and client services representative, Geneva. Eamon Michael Verdone (11), investment research analyst and investment research team.

Fehr Graham appointed John Morris as the new branch manager of the Springfield, Ill., office.

Stillman Bank promoted David M. Mecklenburg (12) to vice president and chief credit officer.

Alex Stagnaro-Green, MD, MHPE was named the new regional dean at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford beginning March 17. He currently is senior associate dean of curriculum at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and professor of medicine and obstetrics and gynecology.

PR Etc. hired Nancee Long (13) as account executive.

Board Appointments, RETIREMENTS Jedediah L. Cantrell (1), vice president of operations, SwedishAmerican Health System, became a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

New Hires, Promotions, Retirements

SwedishAmerican Health System welcomed family physician, Dr. Gurpreet Boparai (4), at the Byron clinic.

Savant Capital Management welcomed the following employees: Leslie Einbeck (5), paraplanner;

First Rockford Group, Inc., promoted Debra Benassi (14) to leasing assistant and Brianna Myers (15) as receptionist.

Dr. Kimberly Miller (16) joined the family medicine practice at Crusader Community Health, 1050 Logan Ave., Belvidere.

Lois Bentler-Lampe (17) joined OSF Home Care Services as the chief nursing officer and vice president of clinical operations.

Attorney Tim Muldowney (18) joined First Rockford Group’s legal team.

Melissa Miller was appointed to the Winnebago County Housing Authority and the Winnebago Homes Association.

Joe Clinton III (19) joined WilliamsManny Insurance Group, Rockford, as its newest stockholder and director and will continue to provide risk-consulting services.

The Rockford Aviators hired Jared Revlett as the team’s broadcaster and media relations coordinator and sales executive for the 2014 season.

Wipfli hired Thomas Back (20) as senior manager in the expanded financial institutions practice’s strategic advisory services team.

Alpine Bank promoted Gary Binicewicz to vice president – commercial services, Shawn Ralston to assistant vice president & branch manager, Rockford, and Justin Burke to assistant vice president & branch manager, Belvidere.

SupplyCore Inc., hired Patrick Voller as vice president of business development and Chris Albert as chief financial officer.

Tim Myers (21) was named the new vice president – general manager for Gray Television, Inc., CBS affiliate 23 WIFR, replacing retired Greg Graber.

Dr. Olesya Brandis (22) joined the

obstetrics and gynecology practice at Crusader Community Health, Rockford.

Ken Muehlfelder (23) joined Alpine Bank as a mortgage lender at Rockford branch, 6838 E. State St.

Employee/Community Recognitions, Awards Rockford Symphony Orchestra and Rock Valley College announced the 2014 Concerto Competition winners: Sofiya Kyrylyuk, violin (first); Jacob Jang, bassoon (second), and Chantel Davis, violin (third).

Sen. Steve Stadelman and the YMCA of Rock River Valley presented Mike Brown, CEO and president, with a certificate of recognition for being one of Rockford’s 2013 Twenty People You Should Know.

The Vikings in Black team of Sven Skupien, Bjorn Skupien and Thorfinn Skupien, Rockford, won the Rockford Park District 28th annual Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition with their sculpture, “The Dragon Whisperer.” The Rockford Christian High School team of Erik Dingus, Josh Keske, Hannah Menge, Abi Sitzman and advisor Russ Menge won the high school division with “Hidden Power.”

Shirley Geiser (24), Spectrum Insurance Agency, of Durand, Inc.,

17. Lois BentlerLampe

18. Tim Muldowney

19. Joe Clinton, III

20. Thomas Back

21. Tim Myers

22. Dr. Olesya Brandis

23. Ken Muehlfelder

24. Shirley Geiser

25. Jane Beckett

26. Brent Bell

27. Jakob Loescher

28. Grant Moore

29. Dominick Parillo

30. Jeannie Hill

31. Lisa Postlethwaite

32. Garrett Sonntag

theVoice rockfordchamber.com March 2014

23

the News IN Members THEin NEWS

33. Chelsi Bowen received the Silver Key award from Pekin Life Insurance Company for life insurance sales.

Savant Capital Management employees received designations: Jane Beckett (25), Registered Paraplanner; Brent Bell (26), Certified Financial Planner™; Jake Loescher (27), Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist; Grant Moore (28), Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist; Dominick Parillo (29), Certified Financial Planner™, and Nick Toman, Certified Financial Planner™.

Jeannie Hill (30), senior claims representative, and Lisa Postlethwaite (31), underwriter I, Rockford Mutual Insurance Company, earned the Associate in General Insurance designation from the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters.

34. Jessica Rhodes

35. Dr. David Dansdill

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company hired Garrett Sonntag (32) as senior web developer, Chelsi Bowen (33) as receptionist, and Jessica Rhodes (34) as claims customer service.

Dr. Fred Sweet and Dr. Michael Roh, Rockford Spine Center, were recognized as Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctors.

David Dansdill, M.D. (35), Rockford Orthopedic Associates, Ltd., received a Vitals Compassionate Doctor award based on patient feedback – given to only three percent of active U.S. doctors.

Karl Arvidson, operations manager at Thayer Lighting, Inc. (36), completed the Lighting Specialist 1 (LS1) examination and certification from the National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors.

36. Karl Arvidson

37. Dr. Scoot Trenhaile

Of GENERAL INTEREST The study, “All-arthroscopic patch augmentation of a massive rotator cuff repair: surgical technique,” was published in the November 2013 edition of Arthroscopic Technique online, describing a preference by the researchers for a surgical technique developed by Scott Trenhaile, M.D. (37), Rockford Orthopedic Associates, Ltd. Nancy Salsbury, Eve Whitaker, Maria Salinas, Brandon Latino, Shirley Geiser and Jennifer Halvorsen, Spectrum Insurance Agency, attended Pekin Insurance tri-annual agents meetings in January.

Dave Kasten and Jordan Gilliam, LDR Construction Services, Inc, LDR Cleaning & Restoration (LDR) completed the Indoor Air Quality Association mold

remediation technician course. Jim Gryder completed the Indoor Air Quality Association mold

remediation supervisor course.

Rock Valley College mass

communication student Tom

Doherty’s film, The White Room, was selected for the Beloit

International Film Festival in

February. He was named Best of

Festival Winner for the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts in the two year/small colleges category.

Troy E. Haggestad and Daniel A. Huntley, WilliamsMcCarthyLLP,

presented a seminar on data breach liability and cyber security to more than 40 area companies and individuals at Giovanni’s in February.

24

March 2014

March 2014 Member Anniversaries Thank you to the members who celebrate their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber in March, 2014.

50-Year Member

10-Year Members

Akerman Shoes

Ahern Fire Protection Paper Recovery Services Corp.

PR Etc., Inc.

25-Year Member Al Grace Appliance & TV

15-Year Members Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. Hyzer, Hyzer & Jacobs Perryville CRASH1 Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Member SIPC & NYSE

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Members Caught on Digital ON DIGITAL Ceremonial ribbon donated by SERVPRO of Rockford.

5-Year Members Cricket Communications Lynde Consulting Next Rockford Restoration Cafe

Anam Glen, 7978 Newburg Road, Rockford, held a ribbon cutting on Feb. 6. The new 16-bed residential facility and dementia center features the Oasis Memory Café, providing learning, resourcing and fun for persons with mild cognitive impairment in the community.

Growth in area’s sports tourism spurs economic development The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau announced that the Rockford Region will play host to 10 big sports tournaments between 2014 and 2016; estimated to generate spending of more than $4 million and support 50 full-time equivalent jobs in the hospitality sector.

The 10 bowling, softball, lacrosse and show ski events will take place in 2014, 2015 and 2016 – and improve Rockford’s position as a leading sports tourism destination.

State, National Bowling Don Carter Lanes/Cherry Bowl will host five bowling tournaments: Bowling Proprietors ■■ 2014 Association of American International Family Bowling Tournament, presented by QubicaAMF Worldwide, July 19 to 21, 2014.

■■ 2014 Bowling Proprietors’ Association of American Women’s All Star Bowling Tournament and the Bowling’s Senior Women’s U.S. Open, July 19 to 25, 2014.

Lacrosse to Return for Three Years The Rock River Cup, organized

by NXTsports, signed a three-year commitment to hold its tournament in the Rockford Region in 2014, 2015 and 2016 at Sportscore Two. More than 90 teams are expected to participate each year. Lacrosse continues to see significant growth across the country and in the Midwest. Within a fivehour drive of the Rockford region, participation in lacrosse is higher than the national average.

Show Ski Nationals to Return in 2015 The local Ski Broncs water ski show team will host the National Show Ski Association Division I Show Ski Nationals once again in August, 2015. The multi-day tournament will feature 14 teams and individual skiers competing in choreographed and competitive performances; with the final competition at Shorewood Park on the Rock River. Rockford hosted the tournament last year, as well as in 2003, 2007 and 2009.

■■ The Women’s All Star Tournament was the pre-cursor to Bowling’s U.S. United States Specialty Women’s Open, which began in 1971.

Sports Association Softball In addition to exciting competition The Illinois-United States Specialty on the lanes, plans include a dinner honoring women bowlers and other Sports Association will host three World Series fast pitch softball events to celebrate women’s bowling. tournaments at Sportscore One. The ■■ The United States Bowling three tournaments, for divisions 12U Congress 2015 Midwest Women’s A, 12 U B and Women’s, will take place Bowling Tournament, May/June 2015.

July 25 to Aug. 2. More than 2,500 ■■ USBC’s Illinois Women’s participants, coaches and fans will Bowling Association State Bowling travel to the region for the tournament, Tournament, February/March/April, booking an estimated 3,550 room nights with an EEI of $639,000.

2016.

On Feb. 19, the community celebrated with a ribbon cutting and open house BetterLife Wellness, a new SwedishAmerican medical wellness center in the YMCA in downtown Rockford. Shown are (left to right): Don Daniels, SwedishAmerican executive vice president and COO; Mike Brown, YMCA CEO; Ann Sammons, BetterLife Wellness manager; Sharon Whelan, SwedishAmerican director of patient advocacy and holistic services, and Dr. Kathleen Kelly, SwedishAmerican chief clinical integration officer. The center offers retail and corporate wellness services, with BetterLife members having priority access, a 15 percent discount and some exclusive free classes and coaching. Membership can be added to any current YMCA membership for a monthly fee or members can join independently.

Membership: 101 MEMBERSHIP

“… even in this age of mass communication and multimillion dollar advertising campaigns, word-of-mouth is still the most important form of human communication.”

– Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point

Referral Fundamentals 5-15-50-80 Rule

n 5 % — at best the amount of business you’ll receive from cold calls n 15 % — the amount of business you’ll get when you use someone’s name n 50 % — the amount of business you’ll get when you have permission to call ; your call is expected n 80 % — the amount of business you’ll get when you are personally introduced

Referral Success Strategy 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Earn the Ask Be Fearless Preplan your Ask Make Asking a Habit Write a Hand-Written Thank You Repeat Steps 1 – 5!

Reference: Fearless Referrals by Matt Anderson

theVoice rockfordchamber.com March 2014

New Chamber Members CHAMBER MEMBERS dEnTal drEams llC

General Dentistry for Children and Adults Since 2005 6215 E. State St., 61108 Sarah Borgen 815-399-7777

dEnTal drEams llC General Dentistry for Children and Adults Since 2005 1363 W. Lane Road Machesney Park, IL 61115 Sarah Borgen 815-637-2800

ForEsT valE EsTaTEs Condominiums/ mEadoW assoCiaTion Condo Associations P.O. Box 6351 Rockford, IL 61125 Carl Rossi 815-397-3364

KoniCa minolTa businEss soluTions JErEmy myErs A Leader in Advanced Document Management Technologies and IT Services 1111 S. Alpine Road, Ste. 206, 61108 Jeremy Myers 815-670-5424 www.kmbs.konicaminolta.us

Membership Renewals Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in January 2014.

Abbott Plastics and Supply Co. Advantage Funeral Home & Cremation Services at Willwood Burial Park Allen Heating & Cooling Inc. American Precision Supply, Inc. Ameriprise Financial Anderson Dodge Anderson Nissan Anderson Toyota/Lexus of Rockford APEXteriors, Inc. A-Sign Designs Auto Care Center Barnes International, Inc. Bella Luna Bakery Butitta Brothers Automotive Carpenter’s Place Catholic Diocese of Rockford Cincinnati Tool Steel Company Circle Boring & Machine Company City Fire Fighters Union IAFF Local 413 Comcast Business Cricket Communications Custom Gear & Machine, Inc. Dedicated Fleet Services DeSoto House Hotel First Benefits Group Fitzgerald Funeral Home and Crematory, Ltd. (Mulford Road) Fitzgerald Funeral Home and Crematory, Ltd. (Rockton Avenue) Forest Hills Country Club Frink’s Sewer & Drain Inc. Giordano’s GrahamSpencer Inspired Strategic Communications Healing Pathways - Cancer Resource Center Heartland Community Church Hicksgas Belvidere Holmertz-Parsons, CPAs Hyundai on Perryville Independence Village at Rockford Jersey Mike’s (East State) Jersey Mike’s (Machesney Park) Joseph A. Bank Keller Williams Realty Signature

Kelley Williamson Company Kitchens by Diane KMK Media Group, Inc. Lincoln Rent-All & Sales, Inc. LOESCHER & Associates, Ltd. Lydia Home - Rockford Midland General Contractors, Inc. Northwest Community Center Northwest Quarterly Magazine Orput Companies Inc. Patrice and Associates Pierce Laminated Products, Inc. Pizza Hut - 11th Street Pizza Hut - North Main Pizza Hut - South Alpine Pizza Hut (Rockford Pizza Inc.) Machesney Park Policeman’s Benevolent & Protective Association Unit 6 Rockford Reynoldswood Christian Camp & Retreat Center Richard L. Johnson Associates, Inc. Riverside Community Bank Rock River Energy Services, Inc. Rock River Ford, Kia, Mitsubishi Rock Town Consulting Rock Valley Federal Credit Union Rockford Broach, Inc. Rockford Manufacturing Group Shogun Japanese Restaurant Izakaya 88 Spider Company Inc. Sugarjones Inc. T. Pratt & Associates, Ltd. The Observer Union Fence Company Veolia Environmental Services Waldom Electronics Winnebago County Board Chairman’s Office Winnebago County Health Department YMCA of Rock River Valley Youth Services Network

25

Regional, National Indicators THE ECONOMY U.S. Indicators January, 2014 Consumer Price Index

p 0.1 percent

Unemployment Rate

6.6 percent

Payroll Employment

p 113,000

Average Hourly Earnings

p $0.05

Producer Price Index

p 0.2 percent

Employment Cost Index

p 0.5 percent (fourth quarter, 2013)

Productivity

p 3.2 percent (fourth quarter, 2013)

U.S. Import Price Index

p 0.1 percent

U.S. Export Price Index

p 0.2 percent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Unemployment Rates—Region, State, Nation Dec 13

Nov 13

Dec 12

Change/Mo. Change/Yr.

Rockford

11.6

11.0

11.0

q 0.6

q 0.6

Chicago

8.2

8.1

8.6

q 0.1

q 0.4

Illinois

8.6

8.3

8.6

q 0.3

0.0

United States

6.5

6.6

7.6

q 0.1

q 1.1

Source: U.S. Department of Employment Security

Population Clock As of February 19, 2014: U.S. 317,562,882

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

World 7,148,173,445

26

Partnership

Continued from front page board of commissioners in an open meeting on Feb. 25 and 27.

Developing a Center of Aeronautical Manufacturing “This trusted partnership aligns with the region’s need to create a workforce that meets the unique manufacturing needs of existing employers within the community and companies seeking to locate here,” said Mike Dunn, GRAA’s executive director.

“The partnership between RVC

Metro Revolution Continued from page 2

show that the presence of immigrants can increase wages for U.S.-born workers, in part because immigrants complement, rather than substitute for, the skills of native-born workers.

In one large neighborhood of Houston, it grew to be a densely populated area with most residents being foreign born.

According to a Houston leader, “Everyone told us what a terrible neighborhood it was,” she said. “None of it spoke to how to move forward.” Working off the statement of “You can’t build on broken,” leaders looked into a different approach to management and change, Appreciative Inquiry (AI). Rather than homing in on what is broken or deficient and trying to change it, Appreciative Inquiry starts with what an organization is good at or has done well in the past. “Appreciative Inquiry is the art of asking a question that

March 2014 and GRAA will keep Winnebago County internationally competitive and strengthen our already solid reputation as northern Illinois’ aeronautical manufacturing headquarters,” said Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen.

Graduates of the aviation maintenance technology program are prepared to work as airline or general aviation engine and/or airframe mechanics, and there has been a waiting list for the program. Three new certifications in avionics, nondestructive testing and composites will be added to the existing FAA airframe and powerplant. n

elicits an unconditionally positive answer,” one leader said. “It was a complete shift in the way we asked questions about where we were working.”

The Takeaways for Houston The immigrant population in the United States is critical to our country’s innovation and entrepreneur economy. By embracing and bolstering immigrant communities the way that Houston has, metros are able to secure their economies of tomorrow.

Don’t focus on “fixing” problems in struggling communities. Instead, find seeds of strength, and build upon those. Engage community members and work together toward establishing common goals. This strengths-based model has led to thriving neighborhood centers that have benefited thousands of Houston residents, setting them up for more promising futures that will bolster the metro economy.

For more information, please go to www.metrorevolution.com. n

Transform Rockford hosts visioning session for people with disabilities Transform Rockford, a regional long-term planning effort to dramatically improve the social and economic condition of the Rock River Valley, will host a visioning session specifically geared towards hearing the unique needs of people with disabilities (including mental health and substance abuse) on March 11, 4 to 6 p.m., at Milestone Industries, 4060 McFarland Road, Loves Park. The session will include a sign language interpreter and CART services, and the facility is fully accessible.

The session will be moderated by trained facilitators and include a sharing of “brutal facts” about the Rock River Valley; discussion of the shared values for the Transform Rockford process; breakout sessions to brainstorm and develop a vision for the community, and a discussion on next steps. People with disabilities, their family members and friends are invited to attend this session and share their insight, struggles and vision for a healthy community as it relates to their needs.

For more information or to be a co-hosting agency, please call: Matt Toohey, Access Services of Northern Illinois, 815-282-8824, or Julie Bosma, RAMP Center for Independent Living, 815-968-7467.

More March Sessions Monday, March 3, 6 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, March 4, 3 to 5 p.m.

Wednesday, March 5, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 6, 6 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, March 11, 4 to 6 p.m.

Thursday, March 13, 6 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 13, 6 to 8 p.m.

Friday, March 14, 1 to 3 p.m.

Learn more about Transform Rockford at www. transformrockford.org; Twitter: @ TransformRkfd; Facebook: www. facebook.com/transform.rockford; Instagram: TransformRockford, and YouTube: www.youtube.com/ TransformRkfd.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

EVENTS

Upcoming Chamber Events Tuesday, March 4

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Forest Hills County Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Get your elevator speech ready and bring your business cards for Speed Networking. Sponsored by Siena on Brendenwood.

Wednesday, March 5 PYSK Talk, Rockford University, 5100 E. State St., room 122. Dr. Fred Sweet, Rockford Spine Center, presents “Love Demands a Sacrifice.” Free.

Tuesday, March 11

Advantage Club – Superstars, noon to 1 p.m., Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Contact Thomas Conwell, MSI Reverse, tconwell@msiloans.biz.

Wednesday, March 12

Breakfast Buzz, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Rock Valley College, Woodward Technology Center, 3301 N. Mulford Road, Rockford. Gary Kaatz, Rockford Health System, presents. Sponsored

by McGladrey.

Ribbon Cutting, Rockford Bank & Trust, 11 a.m. to noon, 308 W. State St., Ste. 100, Rockford.

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, Rockford.

Contact Teri Watts, United Commercial Realty, Teriw1214@gmail.com.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Rachel Thomann, Furst Pros, 815-997-1417, rachel.thomann@ furstpros.com.

Thursday, March 13 Noon - 1:00 pm Rockford University (5100 Bldg.)

5050 E. State St., Rockford

IGNITE: Lunch Outside the Box Joe Bruscato addresses Rockford’s negative crime reputation and initiatives that are being implemented to help make Rockford a safe place to live.

Thursday, March 13 Ribbon Cutting, Edward Jones, 4 to 5 p.m., 7177 Crimson Ridge Dr., Ste. 2, Rockford.

Friday, March 14

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. To join, contact Heidi Garner at 815-3164312.

Wednesday, March 19

PYSK Talk, Rockford University, 5100 E. State St., room 122. Bob Trojan, Rockford Linear Actuation, presents “Manufacturing: The Opportunity Awaits.” Free.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com March 2014

EVENTS

Upcoming Chamber Events Thursday, March 20 4:00 - 8:00 pm Cliffbreakers Riverside Resort 700 W. Riverside Blvd., Rockford

Celebration of Manufacturing Expo & Dinner Features J. Scott Hall, president and CEO of Greenlee, A Textron Company, and more than 50 booths of area manufactures and related services. Awards announced for Business Catalyst of the Year and the Manufacturer of the Year.

Sponsored by QPS Employment Group (presenting); Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International, Rockford Bank & Trust Co., and Wipfli LLP (gold), and Thayer Lighting, Inc. (silver).

Tuesday, March 25 Advantage Club – Superstars, noon to 1 p.m., Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Contact Thomas Conwell, MSI Reverse, tconwell@msiloans.biz.

Wednesday, March 26

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, Rockford.

Contact Teri Watts, United Commercial Realty, Teriw1214@gmail.com.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Rachel Thomann, Furst Pros, 815-9971417, rachel.thomann@furstpros.com.

April, 2014 Tuesday, April 1 Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Forest Hills County Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Sponsored by Siena on Brendenwood.

Tuesday, April 8

Advantage Club – Superstars, noon to 1 p.m., Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Contact Thomas Conwell, MSI Reverse, tconwell@msiloans.biz.

Wednesday, April 9

27

ADVERTISERS Advertisers Index

Alpine Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Riverside Community Bank . . . . . . . . . 4

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, Rockford. Contact Teri Watts, United Commercial Realty, Teriw1214@ gmail.com.

Anderson Japanese Gardens. . . . . . . . 4

Rockford Bank & Trust. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Rachel Thomann, Furst Pros, 815-997-1417, rachel.thomann@ furstpros.com.

Comcast Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Friday, April 11

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. To join, contact Heidi Garner at 815-3164312.

Thursday, April 17 11:30 am - 1:00 pm Giovanni’s Inc. 610 N. Bell School Rd., Rockford

State of the County Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank (presenting), SwedishAmerican Health System, and Humana (gold), and AT&T (silver), Alpha Controls & Services and Ballard Companies, Inc. (bronze).

Tuesday, April 22 Advantage Club – Superstars, noon to 1 p.m., Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Contact Thomas Conwell, MSI Reverse, tconwell@msiloans.biz.

Wednesday, April 23 Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, Rockford. Contact Teri Watts, United Commercial Realty, Teriw1214@ gmail.com.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations.

Contact Rachel Thomann, Furst Pros, 815-997-1417, rachel. thomann@furstpros.com.

Aspen Counseling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Athena PowerLink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Rockford Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . . . . . . 21, 23, 25, 27

Brian Thomas Photography. . . . . . . . 16

Rockford Health System. . . . . . . . . . . 10

Broadmoor Agency, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Cricket Communications . . . . . . . . . . 13 First National Bank and Trust Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Fridh Corporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 IMEC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Rockford University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 RRVBC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Sikich. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Thayer Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Ticomix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

McGladrey LLP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Van Galder Bus Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Meridian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Wipfli. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chamber Staff / Call 815-987-8100.............................................. Direct Line Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO.......................................... 815-316-4304 Heidi M. Garner, Executive Assistant to the President.................... 815-316-4312 Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology................... 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Advertising and Sponsorship Executive............... 815-316-4317 Vee Jevremovic, Manager of Education Programs and Events. . ........ 815-316-4337 Cyndie Landis, Financial Assistant. . .......................................... 815-316-4300 Joy Moriarty, V.P. Finance. . ..................................................... 815-316-4316 Stacy Mullins, Director of Events. . ............................................ 815-316-4302 Diane Navickis, Member Relations Manager.. .............................. 815-316-4315 Mary Ann Suprenant, Membership Development Manager.............. 815-316-4336 Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator......................... 815-316-4320

Chamber Board of Directors & Officers Executive Committee

Directors

Chairman of the Board Richard Walsh SwedishAmerican Health System Chairman Elect Patti Thayer Thayer Lighting, Inc. Vice Chair Richard Zumwalt OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Treasurer Larry Bridgeland Mid-City Office Products Immediate Past Chairman Mike Broski Entré Computer Solutions

Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc. Jan Bowman TLC Construction Paul Callighan ComEd, An Exelon Company Joe Castrogiovanni Giovanni’s, Inc. Dr. Rena Cotsones Northern Illinois University Darlene Furst Furst Staffing Jeff Hultman Riverside Community Bank

Paul McCann Stanley Steemer Pat Morrow Alpine Bank Amy Ott Chicago Rockford International Airport Mark Peterson CBL Associates Cherry Vale Michele Petrie BMO Harris Bank Laura Pigatti Williamson Rockford Park District Timothy Rollins WilliamsMcCarthy

Michael F. Iasparro Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Henry Seybold Rockford Health System

Michael Mastroianni Rock Valley College

Pat Shaw McGladrey LLP

Somchan Thatsanaphon K-I Machine Tool & Production Inc. Josh Trust Rockford Register Star Tim White UTC Aerospace Systems Jennifer Wood CPA

Ex-Officio Directors Don Thayer Rockford Area Economic Development Council Einar K. Forsman President & CEO, Rockford Chamber of Commerce John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

April 2014 Special Section:

The Golden Years: Senior Living Spring Fever Activities Best Bites: Restaurants For information on advertising, call 815 987-8100