In this issue . . .
SEPTEMBER 2015
Member News Ribbon Cuttings Member Profile New Members Chamber News
New Year Brings New Opportunities
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By Aaron Kapellusch, President/CEO
s our Annual Meeting draws near, it reminds me that it’s important to reflect on some of the things that we have accomplished together as a Chamber over the past year. We have listened very closely to your feedback and understand that Workforce Development issues remain the primary challenge for most businesses in our region. The Chamber is, and will continue to be, deeply entrenched in this battle for the attraction and retention of talent to our region. The recently formed Workforce Hub initiative has assembled many stakeholders, including educators and business sector representatives, to identify key issues and develop a solid plan. This spring, again with the collaboration of many community partners, the Chamber lead an effort to promote Wausau as America’s Best Community. Wausau was honored as a quarterfinalist in this competition with a $50,000 award. This was paired with a required $15,000 offered by two of our generous foundations (the Community Foundation of Northcentral Wisconsin and the Judd Alexander Foundation).
A grand prize of $3 million is still up for grabs as we move into the planning stages of our project. While the money for a noteworthy project is wonderful, it’s the notoriety of being named one of America’s Best Community which is invaluable in attracting people to our region. Our E3YP group has grown into a force in connecting young professionals already in the Wausau Region to our community. Through a mix of networking and educational programs, and through the successful hosting of the statewide YPWeek last spring, E3YP is among the Chamber’s most important initiatives. As always, we have worked to bring you interesting and relevant educational opportunities through our programming this year. Most of the topics that were a focus of our programers were a direct result of feedback received from members. We held over 110 educational and networking events this year and attendance at these events continues to increase year-over-year. While we close the book on another great year, look for even more exciting, innovative and noteworthy initiatives from the Chamber in 2016. And we’ll recap the year in more depth at our Annual Meeting which will be held on Monday, Sept. 21 at The Grand Theater. I hope to see you there!
www.wausauchamber.com