from left: U.S. Senator Dick Lugar and Gus Olympidis, Family Express Corp.

On August 30, U.S. Senator Dick Lugar spoke at  the August/September Percolator Luncheon. Lugar spoke to an audience of over 200 Valpo Chamber members about issues ranging from job creation, solutions for providing education and training, and tax issues.  Lugar spent some of his time in Northwest Indiana promoting his proposal of the Free Sugar Act of 2011, which would eliminate the federally-mandated program controlling
available supplies of sugar in the United States.

The Valpo Chamber is grateful to the Senator and his staff for taking the time out of their busy schedules to stop in Valparaiso and visit with the membership.

Special thanks to Program Sponsor, Family Express Corp. and to the Percolator Club Presenting Sponsors: Centier Bank, Frontier Communications, and Teachers Credit Union.

The Valpo Chamber Leadership Academy encourages individuals to be trustees of their community - to work for the common good - and to become a leader for the entire community. The program uniquely focuses on connection and engagement in community service - specifically, leadership roles.

The mission of the Valpo Chamber Leadership Academy is to provide a growing pool of volunteer leaders for current and future civic, charitable, and governmental organizations in Valparaiso.  

The Academy complements other leadership organizations with a focused training on the skills and knowledge necessary to be an effective leader in the community; for example, expectations of board service, governance, understanding financial statements, fundraising, ethics, accountability, and time management. However, the Valpo Chamber Leadership Academy is not just about training. At the end of the program, participants are expected to become engaged with community organizations in leadership roles.

Those accepted to the 2011 Leadership Academy are: Jeremias Alicea, PATH-A Positive Approach to Teen Health; Derek Dabrowiak, Ivy Tech Community College; Derek Frazier, Food Bank of Northwest Indiana; Mary Glander, Task Force Tips; Renee Gluth, Citizens Financial Bank; Aaron Ingram, Valuation Services, LLC; Keri Kearns, Tudor Carpet One Floor and Home; D. Carol Kurmis, Purdue University North Central; Paula Libassi, First Location LLC; Megan Marrs, Marrs Media Group; Lori Moulton, 1st Source Bank; David Pratt, Purdue University North Central; Dana Rifai, Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP; Rachael Sarson, Craighead, Lange & Hough PC-Certified Public Accountants; Megan Sikes, Food Bank of Northwest Indiana; Danielle Walker, McAfee Animal Hospital; and Greg Ward, Swartz, Retson & Co., Inc.

The 2011 Valpo Chamber Leadership Academy is sponsored in part by Silver Partners: 1st Source Bank, Citizens Financial Bank, Comcast Business Class, Harris N.A., Laciak Accountancy Group, NIPSCO, REGIONAL federal credit union, The Times Media Company, Uzelac & Associates, Inc., and in-kind sponsor United Way of Porter County.

Chamber Network Night is quickly approaching. On Thursday, October 27, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. the Porter County Chamber Coalition of the Valparaiso, Portage, Chesterton/Duneland, Hebron and Kouts Chambers, will host the largest business-to-business networking event in the region.

Last year, over 1,000 business professionals toured the Porter County Expo Center looking for the best new products and services offered in Porter County.  The event is free to attend, so make sure you mark your calendar, because if you do business in Porter County, this is where you need to be! 

Booth space is very limited with fewer than 10 booths still available. Call Kurt today to register (219) 462-1105.

Chamber Network Night

Thursday, October 27, 2011

4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Porter County Expo Center

Must be 21

Business-After-Hours

7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Featuring 12 of Porter County's restaurants

Grand Sponsor: The Times Media Company

Business After Hours Sponsors: The Times Media Company, Porter Health System

Sponsors:1st Source Bank; Berglund Construction; Blachly, Tabor, Bozik & Hartman LLC; Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP; Centier Bank; Citizens Financial Bank; Coco's Canine Cabana; Comcast Business Services; Dunelandcommunity.com; Express Employment Professionals; Frontier Communications; Great Lakes Labs; Harris N.A.; Harris, Welsh & Lukeman; Hoeppner Wagner & Evans LLP; Horizon Bank; Indiana University Health LaPorte Hospital; Laciak Accountancy Group; Lake Erie Land Company; Lakeside Wealth Management Group; LaPorte Savings Bank; MacLennan & Bain Insurance; NIPSCO; Peoples Bank; Porter County Business League, Post-Tribune; Premier Window Systems; Purdue University North Central; REGIONAL federal credit union; Rittenhouse Senior Living of Valparaiso; Scannell Wealth Management Group; Shelter Insurance; Smiles by Arnold & Associates; St. Mary Medical Center; Teachers Credit Union; Uzelac & Associates Inc.; Vic Volom CLU, CFP - Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.