Your Chamber at Work - August 6, 2019

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

Finally – a ceasefire in the economic border war in our two-state region!

Ending the divisive back-and-forth of companies across the state line has been a priority for the KC Chamber for years, and last week Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed an executive order to do just that. Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed similar legislation earlier this year. Congratulations to Governors Kelly and Parson for taking this bold step to support KC.

Governor Kelly added a caveat to her executive order: it can be rescinded if any of the cities on the Missouri side offers a property tax abatement for longer than the ten years Kansas cities are allowed.

Kelly’s signing ceremony was followed by KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas pledging to introduce legislation to the City Council limiting abatements to ten years. He also plans to convene Missouri-side mayors to work for their buy-in.

The Chamber is hosting a Governors Summit next week to celebrate, with both Governors Kelly and Parson as our featured guests. The border war truce has been a long time coming. Hopefully attention can now turn to our two states and our local governments working together to attract new businesses – and the jobs that come with them – to our region. That is where the Chamber will be focusing our efforts.

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING: TREKK DESIGN GROUP

Reserve your spot now for our upcoming Neighborhood Networking with TREKK Design Group, Friday, August 9 at 8:30 a.m. The Mr. K Award-winning business focuses on civil engineering and lighting design. Kimberly and Trent Robinett founded the company in 2002 from their basement and quickly gained a reputation for excellent work and customer service. Join the TREKK team and our Chamber staff for networking, sharing resources and ideas, and of course really good coffee. This event is free for members and just $15 for non-members. Register here. If you can’t make it August 9, don’t worry. Our upcoming Neighborhood Networking events are August 23 at The Grand, and September 13 at Linda Hall Library. The KC Chamber's overall 2019 networking sponsors are Mazuma, SS&C, and Sprint. The Neighborhood Networking sponsors are Andrews McMeel Universal, and Spectrum Reach.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION WORKSHOP SERIES: IMPLEMENTING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION IN YOUR WORKPLACE

Our Diversity & Inclusion workshop series continues with the latest free lunch-and-learn session, “Implementing Diversity & Inclusion in Your Workplace.” It means more than a yearly online training session for employees. It involves a full understanding of why a diverse and inclusive company goes beyond race and culture. Join us Friday, August 9 at 11:30 a.m. for tools to start the conversation: including how to collect key data, and how to implement strategies and best practices. This event is free for members and non-members alike, but please register to reserve your spot.

SPORTING KC CHAMBER NETWORKING NIGHT

How does a Sporting KC match complete with complimentary beverages, discounted tickets, and exclusive access to unique networking sound? Your company or organization is invited to attend Sporting KC’s 3rd Annual Chamber of Commerce Networking Night, 8:30 p.m., August 22 at Children’s Mercy Park. This event brings together members of chambers of commerce across the region. The Chamber Night Package includes discounted tickets to the Sporting KC vs. Minnesota United match in Reserved Seating, as well as exclusive access to the Chamber Night Networking Event taking place pre-match. Companies that purchase more than 10 tickets through the SKC Front Office (913-951-3557) will have the opportunity to sign up for a one-minute company introduction to Chamber Night Attendees about their company, what they do and their impact on the community. Get your tickets now!