Your chamber at Work - January 24, 2022

FROM THE KC CHAMBER'S PRESIDENT AND CEO

“I feel like we won the Super Bowl!”

No, the woman who said that last week wasn’t talking about football, she was talking about the news that Kansas City Public Schools had been awarded full accreditation by the Missouri state school board.

KCPS lost its accreditation in 2011, and Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell deserves the credit for this tremendous achievement. The district’s longest serving superintendent since the 1940s, Dr. Bedell has proven to be a tireless and innovative leader and an inspiration to his staff and to our community.

He’s also a member of the KC Chamber Board, and we’re looking forward to both hearing from him and giving him the kudos he deserves at next month’s Chamber Board meeting. (He’s been a significant voice on our Board, by the way.)

To his credit, Dr. Bedell isn’t planning to sit back and bask in this glory. As he said last week when the news came, “I will assure that our goal is to move our students at and above state averages on all measurable outcomes. I promise you that we will not let our guard down. We have not arrived, and I need everybody to understand that. We will celebrate, but we owe it to our kids to do better by them.”

To Dr. Bedell we say, “Congratulations. And thank you for your hard work, tenacity, and outstanding leadership.”

And congratulations to our Kansas City Chiefs for their amazing win last night against the Buffalo Bills. What a game! Like a lot of you, I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. Too much adrenaline! Now on to the Cincinnati Bengals!

SMALL BUSINESS SUPERSTARS

Tell us about your favorite small businesses in KC that you love to support. Submit your Small Business Superstars now through February 7! We know that small businesses are the engines that keep our local economy moving forward. Let’s recognize as many as possible. Have multiple submissions? Use this link. To hear just how impactful the Small Business Superstars program has been, make sure you watch our recent Superstars LIVE event on Instagram. Small Business Superstars from 2021 joined our Director of Small Business Vicky Kulikov to share their experience and growth since being named a Small Business Superstar.

NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING: MADE IN KC

Support local makers and a KC small business at our next Neighborhood Networking event. Join us at Made In KC this Friday, January 28, 8:30 to 10 a.m. Check out their Lee’s Summit store at 860-U, NW Blue Parkway. You can find plenty of unique, locally made Chiefs gear, as well as great crafts, jewelry, BBQ sauces, coffees and more – all created by Kansas City makers. Register here. Neighborhood Networking is free for KC Chamber members and $15 for non-members.

JOIN US FOR A NATURALIZATION CEREMONY

You’re invited to watch one of the most moving and inspiring ceremonies you can be witness to – 250 people will become United States citizens this Thursday, January 27 at 10 a.m. For the first time, Welcoming KC will host a naturalization ceremony from Union Station. Here’s the link to watch this inspiring event virtually. Men and women from 61 countries, including Afghanistan, Canada, Nepal, Ukraine, Venezuela and more, will complete their lengthy journey to citizenship. We hope you join to celebrate with these new Americans.

VIRTUAL DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AUTHOR SERIES – SECOND CHANCE HIRING: THE UNTAPPED TALENT POOL

We’re excited to announce our Diversity & Inclusion series will welcome authors in 2022. This year, we’re connecting you with authors writing about issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We’re pleased to welcome our first author in this series, Jeff Korzenik, author of “Untapped Talent: How Second Chance Hiring Works for Your Business and the Community. Join us Tuesday, February 22, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., as Korzenik discusses why hiring formerly incarcerated men and women is not only a business necessity to solve our workforce shortage, but a critical component of any initiative surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This virtual event is free and open to all. Register here.