Registration for the annual Chamber Golf Outing is filling up fast. If you haven't reserved a slot, sign up now for a day of championship golf on August 19 at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa.  It's a great way to connect with hundreds of area business people who participate each year, and raise scholarship money for the Chamber's Leadership Grand Traverse program.

 

Sign up today for 18 holes of golf, lunch and dinner, an outing gift and a chance to win a host of prizes donated by our terrific Chamber members. Super hole sponsorships are sold out. Find out what other sponsorships and prize donations are still needed by clicking here.

There's a fresh face working on Chamber membership services and helping staff our busy front desk. Meet Julia Clark, who joined the Chamber staff this summer. Julia is a native of Bloomfield Hills and she's spent summers with her family in Leelanau County for more than a decade. Learn more about Julia and her role at the Chamber.

As talks on road and transportation funding heat up in Lansing this week, the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance presented its five principles on a long-term state transportation funding plan. The Alliance supports a balanced approach to Michigan's transportation challenges that includes budget cuts, reallocation of existing funds, better efficiencies and new revenue dedicated to Michigan's road network.

 

Chamber Alliance Government Relations Director Kent Wood explains further in this column from the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

 

 

 

This week's Local Candidate Seminar organized by the Chamber drew a nice turnout and hopefully gave participants the information and inspiration they need to get involved in running for local public office.

 

Thanks to our presenters including City Clerk Ben Marentette, Traverse City Area Public Schools Trustee Scott Hardy and City Commissioner Gary Howe who offered beneficial insight on the procedures, resources and time commitment needed to serve in local office. Nominating petitions for this year's city elections must be filed by this Tuesday, July 21. If you need more information, contact the city clerk's office or reach out to Chamber Government Relations Director Kent Wood at kentw@tcchamber.org

 

Plenty of good ideas have been launched - or problems solved - over a beverage at a favorite watering hole. That's the idea behind the Chamber's new "Pints & Politics" event, where Chamber members can meet and talk with their local, state and federal legislators and officials in an informal setting to help them learn about the challenges facing our region's business community.

 

Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City will host these upcoming Pints & Politics sessions:

• August 24 with state and federal officials
• September 24 with Traverse City officials
• October 19 for Grand Traverse County officials

These events are from 4:30 - 6 p.m. and free to Chamber members. You can register here. 

 

Pints & Politics is made possible by:

Your Chamber offers numerous tools to help your business boost its profile and get accurate information to your customer and client base. Recent upgrades to the Membership Directory on the Chamber website allows you to promote business specials and promotions, post photos and videos and much more.

 

"Get to Know Your Chamber" is free, quarterly program Lunch & Learn program to help our members gain maximum value from their Chamber involvement. Learn about marketing and promotional opportunities, access to capital resources and more. The next program is September 24 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Chamber Blue Room. Sign up today.

The Chamber's Weekly Entrepreneur Focus on NewsTalk 580 WTCM shines a spotlight on some of the best and brightest business people that Northern Michigan has to offer. Each Wednesday starting at 8:30 a.m., Chamber Executive Director Laura Oblinger joins NewsTalk's Ron Jolly for an informative half hour chat with guests whose businesses are making an impact in our region. If you miss an episode or want to hear one again, link to the WEF Archive. 

 

Leadership Grand Traverse Fellows continues to expand its membership and program offerings as an alumni group of the Chamber's flagship Leadership Grand Traverse program. LGT Fellows are connecting with current Leadership Grand Traverse participants, are advised of existing leadership opportunities and get a refresher course on the institutions that were part of their original LGT education.

 

 

These "Deep Dive" discussions continue with separate sessions on state and local government and arts/culture in September, a health and human services session in October and wrap up with a program on education in November. If you're an LGT Fellow and want to participate, click here to register.

 

If you're a Leadership Grand Traverse graduate looking to reconnect with the program, follow the LGT Fellows link.

 

Chamber Leadership programming is supported by:

 

Maneuvering Downtown Traverse City's parking system can be a challenge. But there's rhyme and reason to the city's parking system to make it work for downtown businesses, employees and residents and visitors.

 

The Chamber is working with the city's Downtown Development Authority office to promote the public parking system and help businesses and customers understand how it works and how they can offer feedback. Here's a fact sheet with general information about the city's parking facilities, locations, hours of operation, permits, parking citations and more.

 

The DDA also offers a series of interactive maps with details about the city's public parking options, including:

• The Downtown District
• Munson Medical Center
• The Northwestern Michigan College campus

Questions or comments about city parking can also be submitted to parking@downtowntc.com