Your Chamber at Work - September 5, 2019

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

In an effort to keep the issue alive, the KC Chamber Board has once again formally approved its commitment for a new Buck O’Neil Bridge. The 60-year-old bridge is in bad condition – gaps in its joints, rust on its underside, and erosion along the floor of the river around the bridge’s piers.

After a lot of hand-wringing, the City of KCMO has committed $100-million, the Feds have pitched in another $25-million, with the State of Missouri talking about $50 to $100-million. One reason the Chamber pushed so hard for Governor Parson’s 2019 bridge bonding proposal was the belief that his $300-million package would free up funds for the Buck O’Neil Bridge.

This perfectly illustrates the reasons why transportation is one of the KC Chamber’s Big 5 goals for Greater Kansas City. The problems with the Buck O’Neil Bridge were not a surprise – the need for a new bridge has been evident for years. This is a state-owned bridge, and state officials should have planned for what was known to be coming. Instead, the city and state have basically been looking under the sofa cushions to fund this critical infrastructure project.

And to be clear, this is not an extension of our region’s transportation system, it is essentially just maintaining what we have. We must focus on the long term planning and funding of our regional transportation system. It’s what we hope to accomplish through our Big 5 transportation initiative.

In the meantime, Buck deserves a better bridge. And so do we.

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING – LINDA HALL LIBRARY

Join us for our next Neighborhood Networking at Linda Hall Library, Friday, September 13, 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., for great conversation, hot coffee, and a light breakfast. The Linda Hall Library is located at 5109 Cherry St., in the heart of the UMKC campus. It’s one of the most respected institutions in the region. After you make some great connections, take a walk around the library’s grounds, which are maintained as an urban arboretum and open to the public for education and enjoyment. Register here. The morning is free for Chamber members and just $15 for non-members. If you can’t join us at Linda Hall Library, save the date for our September 27 Neighborhood Networking at Trilogie. Thanks to Neighborhood Networking sponsor Andrews McMeel Universal, and Spectrum Reach. The KC Chamber's 2019 overall networking sponsors are Mazuma, SS&C, and Sprint.

HIRING VETERANS IS GOOD BUSINESS – 2.0: DEVELOPING A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE FOR A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Are you looking to hire veteran candidates? Find skilled talent who can bring their assets to the job and help you improve your bottom line. This free lunch-and-learn will help you attract and recruit veterans, showing you why veterans are often faster to train than other job candidates. Join us Thursday, September 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Chamber Board Room, located in the Southeast corner of historic Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Rd. The event is free to Chamber members and non-members, but registration is required. Sign up here.

HEALTHY KC NETWORKING FORUM: DO YOU WORK IN A PSYCHOLOGICALLY HEALTHY WORKPLACE?

Join us for our next Healthy KC Networking Forum, Wednesday September 25 from 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. The topic is “Do You Work in a Psychologically Healthy Workplace?” Kelly Reed, Ph.D., of Lockton Company, is an expert on healthy workplace cultures. She’ll explore how some companies are able to help employees create a healthy sense of well-being that does more than improve productivity. The event, at McCownGordon Construction’s new Downtown KC headquarters at 8th and Main, is free for members and just $10 for non-members. Register here to take part in a morning that will no doubt impact your workplace and your work culture.

THE 132ND ANNUAL DINNER

Get your tickets and tables now for the region’s premier business event: the KC Chamber’s 132nd Annual Dinner, Tuesday, November 26 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Kay Barnes Ballroom at the Kansas City Convention Center, 1502 Wyandotte. It is the largest and single most-anticipated event bringing together nearly 2,000 leaders from businesses, education, and community organizations across the Metro. Our theme this year, a Greater KC, will celebrate what’s possible when we work together above the state line. We’ll announce the Kansas Citian of the Year, and KC’s own Rob Riggle is the keynote speaker. This event is for members only. November comes quickly so get your seats now. Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City; Premier Sponsors Hallmark and Plexpod; Partner Sponsors Harvest Productions and Trozzolo Communications Group, and Corporate Sponsors Children’s Mercy and PNC Bank.