February 23, 2015
Everyone Communicates, Few Connect
SMYPros February speaker to deliver speech on leadership

The South Metro  Young Professionals (SMYPros)  group  is for enthusiastic and talented Young Professionals in their  20s  and  30s  who are passionate about developing their skills in today's marketplace while building valuable relationships.  The group meets monthly and focuses on various topics geared towards professional development.  This month's speaker, Curt Thomas, will focus on leadership.  He will deliver his message, "Everyone Communicates, Few Connect",
 
Curt Thomas is an Independent Leadership Development coach, trainer and speaker who has been certified by Dr. John C. Maxwell and the John C. Maxwell Company.  Dr. Maxwell has written 52 books on leadership and is widely acknowledged as the number one Leadership Guru in the world. He and his team have trained more than 5,000,000 leaders worldwide.

Leadership develops daily, not in a day.  Curt believes that leadership principles can be taught and developed over time and be applied to every area of life.  Find more info about the event HERE!

To learn more about the South Metro Young Professionals group, or to RSVP for February's event, contact Kate Bowen.
Committed to Business... for YOU.

Regional Planning vs. Local Control:  The Role of the Metropolitan Council

March's Legislative Breakfast

 

Up until the last few months, you may have never heard or known much about the Metropolitan Council.  Today however, the regional policy-making body and planning agency is making media headlines.  In fact, so many questions surround the Met Council these days that the legislature has created a bi-partisan sub-committee to address accountability and transparency issues.   The Council's mission is to foster efficient and economic growth for a prosperous metropolitan region.

 

State law requires the Council to adopt a long-range plan for the seven-county Twin Cities region every 10 years. Thrive MSP 2040 is the latest vision of the Met Council for the seven-county region.  The plan sets the policy foundation for the systems and policy plans that are developed by the Council in the areas of transportation, water resources, regional parks, and housing, major issues facing each and every local community in Dakota County.

 

Join us on Friday, March 6 for a panel discussion on the roles and responsibilities, governance, leadership and accountability of the Metropolitan Council.  Panelists include Adam Duininck, Met Council Chair (confirmed), Representative Linda Runbeck, District 38A, Chair, Subcommittee on Met Council Accountability and Transparency (invited), and Commissioner Tom Egan, Dakota County, Chair (confirmed). Click here to register for this event.

 

Business Day Not At the Capitol

 

Tuesday, March 3 | 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.| $75 per person, $55 for lunch only

Crowne Plaza St. Paul - Riverfront

11 East Kellogg Boulevard, Saint Paul

Optional pre and post meetings along with luncheon and legislative visits

 

The State Capitol is under construction, so we are bringing the lawmakers to you.  Get motivated by listening to Tom O'Neill , president of The Nerdery, who is sure to energize everyone with the story of his company's growth. 

 

Take this opportunity to gain an understanding of the legislative process and deliver a personal message to your elected officials.  Plus:

  • Network the peers from around the State
  • Rally with your recognized region
  • Quiz legislators on hot topics important to your business - workforce development, education, transportation, and more

Click here to register or visit www.dcrchamber.com.


2015 WomEn's Conference: Presented by Anchor Bank and Fairview Ridges Hospital: Register today, only a few weeks left!

 

This event will feature keynote speakers Angie Bastian, Co-Founder and President of successful brand Boomchickapop, as well as Kristen Brown, Corporate Trainer and Bestselling Author of "The Happy Hour Effect". Additionally, for the first time in The WomEn's Conference history, the event will offer the opportunity for all attendees to take a Predictive Index Assessment offered by PI Worldwide, and will be able to learn about their results at the Conference from industry leader/PI Worldwide representative Mary Rose Iten. 


Where: Lost Spur Golf and Event Center, 2750 Sibley Memorial Highway, Eagan
When: Thursday, March 12, 2015, 11:00am - 5:00pm
Fee: $149 per person If you are a WomEn's Circle member, you get $10 off!
How to register: Visit the event page or email Chelsea Johnson.  If you do not wish to register online, you may fill out this form and return to DCR Chamber by email, fax (651-452-8978) or mail to our address (1121 Town Centre Drive, Eagan MN 55123).
March's Breakfast With Champions to Focus on Social Media 
Speakers Offering Free Social Media Audit for Attendees

Join us this for this month's "Breakfast With Champions" featuring speakers Bernie Laur and Melissa Budensiek from Hubbard Interactive. In this month's event, these speakers will be discussing the importance of social media, show you what a typical social media campaign looks like and perform a social media audit with ideas and strategies that your business can use today! As an additional benefit, all attendees will receive a free social media audit for their business. Click here to register!

 

Attendees will come away with:
  • An in-depth overview of the different social media networks and how to utilize them
  • Detailed instructions on how to optimize your current business profiles and how it benefits your business
  • A step-by-step audit on tactics you can use now to grow your brand online
Bernie Laur: Bernie Laur has been the Digital Sales Manager for the Hubbard Radio Group - Twin Cities since October of 2008.  Since arriving at Hubbard, Bernie has been instrumental in launching points-based listener clubs for the radio stations, maximizing client gift card promotions and auctions, and, most recently, helping create Hubbard Interactive's Social Media Management and Marketing platform.  

Melissa Budensiek: As the Digital and Social Media Consultant for Hubbard Interactive, Melissa Budensiek's position entails working with some amazing clients and team members to drive social media strategy and lead initiatives to identify new technologies and digital best practices.

Social Media and Your Business

At last week's WomEn's Circle, we learned about communicating effectively in today's business world and the changing digital age. Social media is the most effective tool to communicate with your customers. Which social media platform do you find most effective for your business? 

Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Instagram


 Make sure to attend our Breakfast With Champions event on March 26th to hear from 2 speakers from Hubbard Interactive on how to grow your social media.
    

Local Focus: Find Out What's Happening In Your Community


West St. Paul City Council meets February 23 - see the agenda.
Eagan Planning Commission meets February 23- see the agenda.

Rosemount Planning Commission meets February 24- see the agenda.

Farmington Economic Development Authority meets February 23- see the agenda.

Grow Minnesota!

 

Your Chamber is a proud partner of Grow Minnesota!, an initiative designed to harness public and private resources to keep Minnesota companies strong and competitive in today's global economy.  The program was launched more than ten years ago with more than 8,000 Minnesota companies having been visited to thank them for their investments in their communities and this state.  As a result of visits, partners have provided assistance to 1,200 companies. Thank you to Thomson Reuters and McDonald's for their recent Grow Minnesota visits.

 

If your company is interested in a visit through DCR Chamber's Grow Minnesota! contact Vicki Stute at 651.288.9201.  We also welcome new volunteers to join us on the visits.  Just give us a call.

 
New Members
We welcome the following new members!



 


 

Empty the Nest

1121 Cliff Road East

Burnsville, MN 55337

Contact: Sharon Fischman

612.998.0102

www.emptythenest.net

 

When your movers are done, it's time for Empty the Nest! We clean out your home, wall-to-wall, to ready it for its next family. We are here for you, your parents, family and friends. We donate used clothing, household goods, and non-perishable food left behind to area charities, and give you their donation receipt. We save materials from the clean out and disperse them to recycling resources to limit waste in overloaded landfills. And to limit the cost of our services to you, we sell the used furniture and unique items you no longer need.

 


Member News
News on what's happening with our members and in the community!

 

Superior Service Center has be selected as one of the Top 100 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Award finalists for 2015. Please support your fellow member and vote here

Home Federal Savings Bank will be hosting an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Thursday, April 2nd at 2805 Dodd Road. All donors will receive a coupon for a free pint at Culver's Frozen Custard.  

Thrivent Financial is hosting their March Movie Madness Event on Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 9:30 a.m at the Lakeville 21 Theater. Attendees are asked to bring a minimum of $5 dollars in non-perishable food items or a $5 dollar cash donation for the food shelf. In return, you will have the choice of viewing "Cinderella" or "McFarland USA" and receive complimentary pop and popcorn! RSVP by calling Germaine Beyl at (651) 463-1010 or by email.

 

MN Occupational Health has updated their website! Check it our here.

 

Burville Law Office, P.A., with offices in Farmington and Shakopee, is proud to announce that attorney Mike Burville has been named the 2015 Readers' Choice winner as Best Attorney by the Rosemount and Farmington area readers of the SunThisweek newspaper.  This is the second year in a row that Mike Burville has received this recognition.  Mike has been providing legal services for almost 20 years to individuals and businesses in the South Metro in the areas of estate planning (wills, trusts, powers of attorney), real estate, business start-ups and transactions, probate, and creditor's remedies (collection of debts)."  Mike can be contacted at (651) 460-3757 or via the firm's website at www.burvillelaw.com.


Rasmussen College will be hosting a free workshop to educate the public on 529 College Savings Plans on Monday, March 2, 2015, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at their Eagan campus, which is located at 3500 Federal Drive. 

Chamber in the News

"Chamber program aims to enrich professional and personal lives of women...." Click here to read. 
"Women's Conference Raises Funds for Scholarships..." Click here to read. 



Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102
Eagan, MN 55123
651.452.9872