The Traverse Area Association of Realtors (TAAR) will honor a former executive vice president with a scholarship award to the Traverse City Area Chamber's Leadership Grand Traverse program. The TAAR Board established the Judith Lindenau Leadership Grand Traverse Scholarship in honor of the former TAAR leader who passed away in May.

The $500 scholarship will match the Chamber's Dick Smith Scholarship for an LGT participant from the real estate profession, available for this year's Fall 2014 Class. Learn more...

Northwest Michigan's local food movement is growing at an impressive pace, and the Traverse City Area Chamber is helping sow the seeds of success. The just-released  10th edition of the Michigan Land Use Institute's popular Taste the Local Difference food guide features several local food companies that turned to the Traverse City Area Chamber for business capital to grow their operations.

The annual Chamber Foundation Golf Outing on Aug. 20 is the main fund-raiser for the Chamber's dynamic Leadership Development programs, including Leadership Grand Traverse, Young Professionals, Mini MBA and more.

Tee times are filling quickly for this year's Golf Outing, set for the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa in Acme. Join us at this premiere networking event for golf, lunch and dinner, numerous prize drawings and more. There are $100 hole sponsorships available, or $300 for a Super Hole sponsor. Prize donations are also being accepted. Click here for more information, or contact Event & Program Coordinator Andi Wagenschutz at andiw@tcchamber.org

The announcement last week that Munson Healthcare will launch a licensed childcare facility in the Oleson Center at Northwestern Michigan College campus is the latest example of results from the early childhood collaboration known as 5 to ONE, and a big win for students who are also parents.  The new childcare facility at NMC is being designed to serve the unique needs of student parents, who must often delay program completion or drop out when they can't find childcare.

Learn more about the efforts of the 5 to ONE partners by clicking here.

Voter approval of Proposal 1 at the Aug. 5 state Primary Election is crucial for Michigan business. It will permanently repeal the Personal Property Tax (PPT) on small businesses, which will eliminate millions in property taxes for Michigan companies and replace those revenues with a more stable and equitable essential service tax on large manufacturers.

The Traverse City Area Chamber, Northwest Michigan Council of Governments and the Michigan Economic Development Corp. will co-sponsor an information program on the Personal Property Tax on July 22 from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Michigan Works! office at 1209 S. Garfield Ave. in Traverse City. MEDC Vice President Jim McBryde will lead the discussion and answer questions at this free program. Registration is needed to attend and available by clicking here.