Your Chamber at Work - August 8, 2022

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

The August primaries are over in both Kansas and Missouri, and our political action committee, KC BizPAC, scored well.

KC BizPAC is a political action committee in collaboration with the KC Chamber and the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City. It is completely separate from both organizations (no membership dollars involved), led by a group of contributing businesses and organizations. Its purpose is to support pro-business candidates who align with the priorities of the two organizations.

The PAC supports candidates at the state level in both Missouri and Kansas, as well city and, occasionally, county level. PAC support does not extend to federal races.

As I mentioned, KC BizPAC-supported candidates in last week’s primaries did well, with a 67 percent success rate in Kansas and an 82 percent success rate in Missouri. You can find a complete list of the candidates supported by KC BizPAC here. You’ll note that the PAC supported some candidates in outstate parts of the two states – we felt that was important as we’ve recently seen a growing number of anti-business candidates. That spurred our decision to get involved in primaries outside the Kansas City region. BizPAC takes into account a candidate’s roles in leadership as well as accessibility to the Chamber and Civic Council. This go-round, BizPAC also focused on contested primaries only, setting the stage for the November election.

If you’d like to learn more about KC BizPAC, please reach out to Adam Timmerman at gkcccpac@gmail.com.
 

iSTEAMkc LAUNCHES SEPTEMBER 14

From 1 to 4 p.m. at the Gem Theater, 1615 E. 18th St. on September 14, you can learn more about the Gem Cultural and Educational Center’s new brand and mission focused on combining the arts, media technology, and workforce development into a new initiative called iSTEAMkc. This half-day symposium for real world learning will feature KC-based companies participating in workforce development for media arts and technology. Learn about the benefits of participating in the new program and sign up for key STEM initiatives. Register online at www.steamkc.org. For more information, contact Pat Jordan, Gem Cultural and Educational Center President, at pjordankc@aol.com.

CHIEFS KICKOFF LUNCHEON NEAR SELLOUT

The annual Chiefs Kickoff Luncheon is in just a few weeks. Get your ticket now to be in the room with Chiefs players, owners, coaches September 1, noon to 2 p.m. at the Loews Hotel, 1515 Wyandotte. You’ll hear what Coach Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and more think about the upcoming season (another Super Bowl run?!?!) in a conversation moderated by the one and only Mitch Holthus. Tables of 10 are available for $1,250, and individual tickets are $125. Register here. Contact Laura Dryden at dryden@kcchamber.com if you have questions.

D&I AUTHOR SERIES

Not enough people know the history of Black banks in America. Here’s your chance to change that. Join the KC Chamber for the next event in the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion author series. We welcome author Tim Todd, Executive Writer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, to discuss his new book A Great Moral and Social Force: America’s First Black Banks. This free, hybrid event focuses on Black banks in five cities: Richmond, VA; Boley, OK; Chicago; Memphis; and Detroit. Todd explores what led to the demise of banks in these cities when they were at the peak of their success. Register now for this free event August 23, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. You can join online via Zoom or be present in the KC Chamber Board Room at Union Station, 30 W Pershing Road. This event is in partnership with the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce. Our Presenting Diversity Sponsors are CommunityAmerica Credit Union, Evergy and Hallmark. Our Workshop Presenting Sponsor is Commerce Bank.

HEALTHY KC WORKPLACE WELLNESS CERTIFICATION

There are only a few weeks left to apply to be Healthy KC Certified! You can apply here through the end of the month – August 31. This certification recognizes organizations for innovation in promoting a culture of health and wellness. The criteria are now based on guidelines from the World Health Organization's healthy workplace framework and model, offering a more standardized and holistic approach to health and wellness. Your certification may look a bit different than last year because of this change to the WHO model. Apply now! Special thanks to our Healthy KC Overall Presenting Sponsor Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. If you have any questions, please contact Grace Dolan, gdolan@kcchamber.com.