Less than a month remains until the Chamber's annual Golf Outing, coming up August 19 at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. There's always great support from Chamber members for this event, which is the primary fundraiser for the Leadership Grand Traverse program.

Prize donations and hole sponsors are still needed (Super Hole sponsorships are sold out). Get creative with prize donations with items like wine tasting tours, in-home catered meals or northern Michigan's specialty foods. There's still time to donate a prize/sponsor for this can't miss business event.

There are also a handful of tee times available on The Bear and The Wolverine courses. Single entries and foursomes are available. Registration includes golf, lunch, a fantastic dinner served up by resort staff, drink and raffle tickets and an outing gift. Sign up today. 

The Chamber works closely with the region's local and state elected and appointed officials, including opening the lines of communication with our membership.

Pints & Politics is a new Chamber program where our members can meet face-to-face with the area's civic leaders in an informal setting where they can learn about the challenges and opportunities facing Northern Michigan's business sector.  Right Brain Brewery will host the events from 4:30 - 6 p.m. on these dates:

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

This is a free event for Chamber members and you can register here.

Pints & Politics is sponsored by:

The Traverse City Area Chamber's Government Relations Committee advances the interests of Northern Michigan's business community through the region's legislative leadership. It also vets important local and state issues for the Chamber Board of Directors, and meets regularly with key policy makers.

The Chamber is seeking volunteers from its membership to serve on the Government Relations Committee. Your business experience is a community asset and can help the Chamber best advance the legislative issues that are important to Northern Michigan. If you're interested, contact Chamber Government Relations Director Kent Wood at kentw@tcchamber.org.

Chamber membership is like the summer weather - it's heating up.  Almost 30 new members joined the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce in June, and we look forward to seeing them at Chamber events and programs in the coming weeks and months.

Check out our roster of new members. Thanks for your involvement in the community and remember to patronize their businesses whenever possible. 

Next up on the red carpet for Leadership at the Movies on September 9 is Barbara Jordan-Ellis, of the Center for Coaching & Leadership Development. Her program is entitled "The Transformational Power of a Leader" that will offer leadership examples and lessons from the movie classic Braveheart starring Mel Gibson.

Leadership at the Movies takes place from 7:30 - 9 a.m. at the Bijou by the Bay theater across from the Chamber office on Grandview Parkway. This pre-work program is free to Chamber members and it's a great way to start your day with a powerful, informative professional development session. Sign up now.

What has hundreds of graduates, offers a unique education experience and boasts scores of alumnae serving in key leadership roles in the community? The answer:  the Chamber's Leadership Grand Traverse program.

LGT is among the area's top leadership building initiatives. It offers participants a hands-on guide to the region's key institutions in the areas of arts and culture, education, human services and more. Preparation is underway for the Fall 2015 class, and the application deadline is August 21.  The fall semester opens in September and concludes in mid-November, and scholarship opportunities are available. Learn more about Leadership Grand Traverse and how to apply.

Also, if you're among the hundreds of Leadership Grand Traverse graduates and want to re-connect with the program and other alumni, check out what LGT Fellows has to offer.

Chamber Leadership programming is supported by:

Chamber members can invest in energy upgrades that will pay for themselves and save on utility costs over the long-term. Venture North and Traverse City Light & Power launched a zero percent interest rate promotion for their Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund, available to commercial and industrial customers of TCLP.

Learn more about this money-saving opportunity.

The award-winning SCORE chapter here in Traverse City offers free monthly workshops aimed at local business owners and people interested in starting their own businesses. They're held on the second Tuesday of each month at the Traverse Area District Library from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. The August 11 program is "How to Get a Smart Start for Your New Business," followed by "Three Steps to Savvy Business Planning" on September 8. Get registered.