Everyone could use more education. But not everyone has the available time commitment to earn an advanced degree. The Chamber's Mini MBA program, developed with Ferris State University, can expand your business knowledge through a compact, nine-week program run by a dynamic team of Ferris State instructors offering real business experience plus extended learning credits toward a graduate degree.

The second edition of the course kicks off Sept. 16 here at the Chamber. Click here to learn more and register.

What's more enjoyable than spending a day at one of Michigan's premier golf destinations? Answer:  Doing it while raising money for the work of the Traverse City Area Chamber Foundation.

The annual Chamber Foundation Golf Outing returns to the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa on Aug. 20. Join us on the resort's The Bear or Wolverine courses for 18 holes of championship golf, a box lunch, dinner, numerous prize drawings and more. Hole sponsorships and prize donations are also available. Proceeds from the event benefit the Chamber's continuum of leadership development programs including Leadership Grand Traverse, Young Professionals and more.

Pricing for this year's event is:

*$185 per golfer	*$100 - Hole Sponsor
*$740 per foursome	*$300 - Super Hole Sponsor

Click here to register or get more information on sponsorships and prize donations.

The beautiful waters of West Grand Traverse Bay will serve as a spectacular backdrop for the Chamber's Business After Hours event one week from today. Join us June 18 from 5 - 7 p.m. at Great Lakes Sailing Co. in the CenterPointe complex along M-22 in Greilickville for an evening of food, refreshments, dock and boat tours, prizes and more in the unmatched scenery offered by Great Lakes. It's our last Business
After Hours until September, so don't miss out on the fun.

Click here for a complete list of all upcoming Chamber events.

Startup Weekends are for designers, developers, marketers and other enthusiasts who gather to share ideas, build teams and products and launch new business ventures. Another Startup Weekend is taking
place in Traverse City this weekend. The Sunday evening presentation session on June 15 is free and open to the public from 5 - 9 p.m. at NMC's Hagerty Center. Come see what big ideas are percolating in
the Grand Traverse region.

More information on Startup Weekend activities is available at www.traversecity.startupweekend.org

Applications are needed by this Friday, June 13, for an Administrative Assistant opening at the Chamber. Click here for a job description and application information.

 

 

Almost 30 graduates of the Chamber's signature leadership development program have stepped up and enrolled in Leadership Grand Traverse Fellows, a new Chamber initiative exclusively open to past LGT participants.

LGT Fellows is an alumni group open to hundreds of former Leadership Grand Traverse students who will be able to re-engage with the program and connect with current students and other former alumni. They'll take on special projects and initiatives in the community, and their financial support will increase scholarships and other LGT programming.

Plus, registration is open for the Fall 2014 Leadership Grand Traverse program. The sign-up deadline is Aug. 22 and the class begins in September. Click here to learn more about Leadership Grand Traverse
and for registration information.

Thirty years ago the Chamber created one if its most important recognition programs - the Outstanding Educator Awards, presented in conjunction with the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District and
TBA Credit Union.

The Outstanding Educator Awards are presented annually to teachers, administrators and support staff from public and private schools in the 5-county region for their exceptional contributions toward educating the region's students. Click here for a list of this year's recipients and their professional affiliations.

Proposal 1 on Michigan's Aug. 5 primary election is an opportunity to boost Michigan's business sector through voter approval of the state Legislature's elimination of the Personal Property Tax (PPT) for small
businesses, and its eventually phase-out for large companies.
It's critical that the business community get behind this effort to create a more equitable property tax system for businesses, while also creating a more-stable funding source for local schools, fire, police,
EMS and other services. Learn how you can get involved in the growing state-wide support for Proposal 1 by clicking here.

Sometimes being in the top tier is not such a good thing. In this case, it's the cost of childcare. Michigan joins states like California, Massachusetts and New York in having the highest cost of childcare for infants and toddlers as a percentage of a married couple's income.

Childcare is essential for working parents, but the cost of having two children in childcare can be the biggest line item in a family's budget. To learn more about the cost of childcare in the U.S. read the report Parents and the High Cost of Child Care 2013.

For more information about Great Start at the Chamber and to get involved, email Mary Manner at mumanner@tcchamber.org or call 231-995-7114