Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce News Newswire

BUSINESS, COMMUNITY LEADERS PARTNER WITH CITY TO ATTRACT DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST FORT WAYNE

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Business, Community Leaders Partner with City to Attract Development in Southeast Fort Wayne
Southtown Area Advisory Committee to Advise Mayor Henry on how to Increase Private Investment, Jobs near Southtown Centre

Fort Wayne , Ind. – Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry continued the City’s efforts to increase private investment, commercial development and jobs in the Southtown Centre area of southeast Fort Wayne with the formation of the Southtown Area Advisory Committee. Today the Mayor signed an executive order to create the group of more than a dozen business and community leaders appointed by the Mayor.

“This is a dynamic, action-oriented group of individuals committed to bringing more commercial development, job opportunities and economic success to the Southtown area,” said Mayor Henry. “I look forward to working with the committee and thank its members for their willingness to serve.”

The Southtown Area Advisory Committee includes representatives from the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, the Southside Business Group, private business owners, the Southeast Strategy Advisory Committee, key area churches and community leaders. Business owners Ted Williams and John Dortch are co-chairs of the committee. City Councilman Glynn Hines, 6^th District, is also a member of the group.

“During my time on City Council, there has been considerable public and private investment in southeast Fort Wayne . However, we need to continue the momentum to make sure we explore every opportunity for continued growth,” said Councilman Hines. “Our goal is to produce measurable results that bring jobs and economic development to southeast Fort Wayne .”

The committee will serve as a sounding board for the City concerning potential development opportunities in the area. Members of the group will also serve as ambassadors to encourage additional private investment in the area.

“We have a number of people on this committee who are very successful doing business in southeast Fort Wayne ,” Mayor Henry said. “By promoting this area to potential investors and sharing their stories, these entrepreneurs can help us attract new businesses and ultimately additional jobs to the Southtown area.”

One of the committee’s key goals is to help to ensure the sustainability of the Regional Public Safety Academy located at Southtown Centre. Considering its potential to attract large groups for training and events, business leaders view the Academy as a catalyst for economic growth and jobs in the area.

The executive order authorizes the Southtown Area Advisory Committee to function for two years. At the end of that time, the Mayor will review the committee’s results and can reauthorize it for another period. If after two years action to reauthorize the committee is not taken, it will expire.

Southtown Area Advisory Committee

Co-Chairs:

Ted Williams, McDonald’s Restaurant

John Dortch, The Preston Joan Group

Committee Members:

Rick Bender, Wal-Mart South store manager

Mike Bynum, Southeast Strategy Advisory Committee

Pastor Wayne Feay, Fellowship Missionary Church

City Councilman Glynn Hines, 6^th District

Charlie Hire, Hires Automotive Center , vice-president Southside Business Group

Lewis King, King’s Barbershop, Southeast Strategy Advisory Committee

Mike Landram, interim president and CEO, Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce

Michael Olson, Belmont Beverage

Pastor Anthony Payton, Come As You Are Community Church

Marge Wulliman, president, Southside Business Group

Fernando Zapari, El Mexicano newspaper

City of Fort Wayne staff:

Julie Sanchez, redevelopment specialist

Bernie Beier, Regional Public Safety Academy director

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Rachel Blakeman

Public Information Officer

City of Fort Wayne

Tom Henry, Mayor

(260) 427-1120

(260) 427-2146 (direct)

(260) 403-1663 (cell)

rachel.blakeman@cityoffortwayne.org

CANI Welcomes New Board Members

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

THREE COMMUNITY MEMBERS JOIN CANI BOARD

CANI (Community Action of Northeast Indiana) announces the addition of three board

members: Chip Adams, ADP; Jean Hershberger, Grabill Bank and Ronnie Greenberg,

community member.

The new members join Zenovia Pearson, Tony Jeffers, Karl Kostoff, Randy Holler, Karma

Austin, Laura Dwire, Robert Lee, Chris Wallace, Amy Lazoff, Rob Myers, Todd Fleetwood and

Dawn Gallaway on the board for 2009-2010.

CANI helps communities, families, and individuals remove the causes and conditions of

poverty. For more information about CANI and the services provided, see www.canihelp.org.

Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. Publishes: Ten Ways To Improve Your Facebook Marketing Campaign Today

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

FORT WAYNE, IN, November 14, 2009 - Chad H. Pollitt, a Web Technology Consultant and Internet Marketing Manager for Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. published "Ten Ways To Improve Your Facebook Marketing Campaign Today" as a white paper available for download at Blog.DigitalHill.com and SEOFortWayne.com.

Chad explains that Facebook isn't just another website, it's an ever evolving robust community that four out of five internet users in the US spend countless hours on per week. The Facebook community has its own rules and marketing do's and don'ts versus the rest of the internet. He outlines 10 specific tactics that can be implemented in one work day to substantially improve an organization's share of voice and position on Facebook. Most tactics have easy to follow links to expedite deployment.

For over 12 years, Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. has specialized in Web Design, E-Commerce, SEO, Web Hosting, Flash, 3-D Animation, Database Development, and Web Marketing and Promotion Strategies in Northern Indiana and throughout the Country. They can be contacted at 1-888-537-0703 or www.digitalhill.com.

Chamber of Commerce Award Winners Announced

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Chamber of Commerce Award Winners Announced
Small Business, Large business, CEO and Employee of the Year Honored

November 5, 2009, Fort Wayne, Ind. — The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce proudly announces the winners of the 2009 Annual Meeting Awards. The winners were recognized at the Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting on Thursday, November 5 and were selected from a pool of nominated Chamber members. Each winner was chosen based on a variety of factors including:

· Contribution to the business community

· A reputation for integrity and fair business practices

· Product and management innovation

· Positive examples as CEO/employee and dedication to the mission of their organization

The Chamber wishes to congratulate the winners for their outstanding contributions to the Fort Wayne business community and their continuous efforts to make Northeast Indiana a better place to work and live.

Small Business of the Year – Aptera Software, Inc.

Aptera has demonstrated commitment to the business community of Fort Wayne by working with local clients to improve their business and by providing high-tech, high-paying jobs to benefit the local economy. Within the last year alone, Aptera has added eight staff members to their team. Aptera has been a proud supporter of efforts to revitalize downtown Fort Wayne . Their newly renovated office is located downtown on the corner of Main and Harrison . Aptera began a new internship program in the summer of 2009, employing two local college students. The internships facilitated hands-on experience to complement the students’ classroom education. Aptera’s workload is based on repeat business established on trust from past clients. Each client’s solution is custom-built after thorough research and client input, and knowledge of the latest innovations in technology. This year Aptera was named one of Indiana ’s 50 “Companies to Watch” by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Large Business of the Year – Brooks Construction Company

Brooks Construction is celebrating their 100^th year of business, and was honored with the Governor’s Century Business Award this week. Brooks was founded in 1909 and has built thousands of miles of streets and roads, including Forest Park Boulevard , the first paved street in Fort Wayne . They also built a section of the Lincoln Highway – America ’s first transcontinental highway. Brooks is now in the third generation of family to own and operate the business. The company is a leader in the practice of asphalt recycling and has been implementing “green” practices for many years. Brooks has also consistently and quietly donated to dozens of not-for-profit organizations in the Fort Wayne community. They recently held a fundraising event in celebration of their 100^th anniversary which resulted in $50,000 being donated to a variety of charities within the community.

CEO of the Year – Mike Packnett, Parkview Health

Mike Packnett is the CEO of one of the largest employers in Allen County , Parkview Health. Packnett has led Parkview in several endeavors that benefit the Fort Wayne community, including the largest-ever cash donation to Community Harvest Food Bank in 2008. An initial gift of $50,000 grew to $150,000 when other Fort Wayne businesses met Parkview’s challenge to contribute. The donations resulted in 790,000 pounds of food items for local families in need. Packnett is known for reading and responding to every e-mail sent to him by co-workers and has established a new co-worker bonus incentive plan, offering quarterly bonuses based on patient perception of care and other factors. Packnett also recognizes employees that go above and beyond the call of duty, sending weekly reports praising employees who exemplify the Parkview Standards of Behavior. Under Packnett’s leadership, Parkview has won several awards and honors both locally and nationally, including recognition on the list of 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare. Packnett’s vision for a revitalized downtown led to Parkview’s sponsorship of Parkview Field, a commitment of annual support for at least 10 years.

Employee of the Year – Steve Ybarra, Indiana Michigan Power

Steve Ybarra supervises personnel responsible for the maintenance and operation of the electric distribution system in Fort Wayne . A veteran line mechanic and former instructor at American Electric Power’s line school, Ybarra’s leadership abilities are well-known among his peers. Ybarra’s leadership became even more apparent as he took charge to battle the effects of the ice storm that devastated the Fort Wayne community in December of 2008, causing widespread power outages. Ybarra and his team not only coordinated the recovery efforts, but took measures to accommodate the more than 1500 extra workers that were summoned for the restoration. In the face of challenging weather conditions, Ybarra ensured that all workers had the ability to complete their work safely. The power restoration efforts in Fort Wayne were complete by Christmas Day, causing many citizens to herald the efforts of heroic line crews during those frigid days. Many were unaware of those behind the scenes, like Ybarra, who enabled hundreds of skilled workers to complete their job in a time of emergency.

ABOUT THE CHAMBER

The Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving its membership of nearly 2000 Northeast Indiana businesses. The Chamber serves as a catalyst for economic growth in Northeast Indiana by providing relevant business resources for our members and facilitating strategic connections across business, education, and government. As the recognized voice of commerce in our region, we leverage our influence to advocate a pro-business agenda at the local, state and federal levels while serving as a government watchdog to keep our members informed of policy changes that will impact their businesses. By working in partnership with regional stakeholders, we will align the development efforts of our community to drive progress and promote economic vitality for Northeast Indiana .

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