ABI Board to Meet in Iowa City 5/6/19
May 6, 2019
Board to Convene in Iowa City Wednesday
Strong participation is expected when you and your fellow members of the ABI Board of Directors convene in Iowa City the day after tomorrow. ABI Chair David Bywater (Bankers Advertising/Tru Art, Iowa City) will call the meeting to order at 1:15 p.m. on May 8 at MERGE in downtown Iowa City.
The board meeting will follow the regular meeting of the ABI Executive Committee and lunch. All board members are invited to join ABI for lunch at a longtime member, MidwestOne Bank, in downtown Iowa City. You should have received the usual packet of meeting materials, including a map, in an email message from me last Wednesday. If you did not receive it, please reply to this message and I’ll re-send it.
The day concludes with optional tours of one of ABI’s founding members, Bankers Advertising/Tru Art. On behalf of David and our other officers, thank you in advance for your participation in these events.
Legislature Adjourns, ABI Enjoys Strong Session
As was noted in last week’s Memo, the Iowa General Assembly adjourned its 2019 session a week ago Saturday. You should have received an email message from ABI late in the afternoon of that day (April 27) with what I believe was the very first legislative summary of any statewide organization. If you didn’t receive it, or last week’s ABI newsletter that carried additional information, please reply to this message and I’ll get it you at once.
I have heard from some board members that I didn’t say much in last week’s memo related to the session; they wondered how it came out for ABI. I apologize for not being clearer. Ladies and gentleman, thanks to your strong support and action - and thanks to exceptional work by ABI’s public policy team – ABI enjoyed another very strong session. In fact, one hundred percent of the priorities you set as a board were achieved. Watch for much more news about the session and register soon for an upcoming policy meeting (please see below).
ABI has great respect for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and for all 150 members of the General Assembly. We thank them for their service and we especially appreciate the support of pro-business legislators and the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. And again, thank YOU.
Register Soon for ABI Regional Policy Meetings
In the coming weeks, you will want to attend the ABI regional policy meeting nearest you. At the meetings, you will hear how the actions of the legislature impacted your business, get the latest news from the Statehouse, and help craft ABI policy for the next year. ABI will be traveling the state throughout the month to meet with members about these topics.
You may register for one or more of the sessions by going to the Events Page on the ABI website. You will find that site here: https://www.iowaabi.org/events/. The ABI public policy staff and I look forward to seeing you and your employees at the upcoming meetings.
Flyer in Your Mailbox; 116th Annual ABI Convention Kicks-Off in Four Weeks
Registrations are flying in for next month’s Taking Care of Business Conference, which is ABI’s 116th Annual Convention. Past history tells us that the busiest time for convention registrations is right now (nearly 400 individuals have already registered!). Thus, it is clear that another great crowd of 600 or so attendees will be on hand in Ames next month.
The 2019 ABI Taking Care of Business Conference will be held June 4, 5, and 6. You should have recently received a flyer with convention information. Many of you have commented to me that you liked the flyer and, more importantly, were excited about the program developed for the convention. If you have misplaced your flyer, please go to the association’s website at www.iowaabi.com to find program and lodging information. You will want to make your reservations now!
I say it every year, because every year it is true… terrific speakers, exciting venues, great golf, new events, and the very best business networking in Iowa make the annual ABI convention a must-see event. I know you will get a tremendous return on investment by attending this year’s convention.
Nominating Committee Meets Next Week
Immediate Past Chair David Zrostlik (Stellar Industries, Garner) also chairs the 2019 ABI Nominating Committee, which will meet in a week here at ABI. Thank you to Dave and to the other members of the committee: John Riches (Arconic, Davenport), Tom Yeoman (Yeoman & Company, Monticello), Chris Sackett (BrownWinick, Des Moines), John Krogman (Elkhart Plastics, Atlantic), and Drew Vogel (Vogel Paint Company, Orange City).
You and other members will vote on the slate of officers and directors nominated by the committee. That will take place during the association's annual business meeting, which will be held during the annual Taking Care of Business Conference next month. By the way, if you wish to nominate someone for board service (and self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged), please contact one of the committee members or me.
Leadership Iowa Alumni Civic Leader Event Friday
Leadership Iowa will host a Civic Leader event for LI Alumni on May 10. Participation is limited, so register now for this event if you are interested. Please click on this link for information and to register: https://www.iowaabi.org/upl/downloads/library/civic-leader-may-10-2019-leadership-iowa-alumni-events.pdf.
LIU Board Meets Tomorrow
Speaking of ABI Foundation programs, the Leadership Iowa University Board of Directors will hold its regular monthly meeting tomorrow afternoon in Des Moines. LIU is a terrific program for Iowa college students (and that is any college: public or private, community college or four-year university). The students spend a week together learning about Iowa businesses and touring some terrific employer facilities. Watch for more information soon.
ABI Manufacturers Featured on Elevate Iowa Website
Elevate Iowa is ABI's program to raise the profile of manufacturing jobs in our state and to connect Iowans with training and with jobs. Board leadership for Elevate has been well-provided by ABI officers Lori Schaefer-Weaton (Agri-Industrial Plastics, Fairfield), Paul Gregoire (Fisher-Emerson, Marshalltown), Mark Hanawalt (United Equipment Accessories, Waverly), and Michele Farrell (Measured Intentions, Urbandale).
Remember that Elevate features ABI/Iowa manufacturing companies on its www.elevateiowa.com website under its “Made in Iowa” section. This page educates Iowans about the many exciting opportunities available at Iowa’s advanced manufacturing companies. The goal is to ultimately connect these Iowans with companies like yours.
Please follow this link: http://www.elevateiowa.com/about/industry-involvement and click on the link to the "Made in Iowa form" under "Share your Company Story". We can also provide examples of other company profiles if you wish.
ABI Staff Members and Twitter
Whether it is during a legislative committee hearing, a manufacturing meeting, an association conference, or at some other event, you might see ABI staffers busily typing away on their mobile devices. They aren't ignoring the proceedings, they're tweeting. Every time you are at an ABI event of any kind, you can expect that someone is tweeting about it.
As you know, ABI was one of the first organizations to embrace Twitter and other social media and our members say they want more of it. Just like your business, we want our customers (our members) to have access to the very latest information about what is happening at a given meeting. Twitter and other social media allow that to occur.
If you want to follow ABI, go to www.iowaabi.org and click on the bird that is the Twitter logo in the upper right-hand corner of the page (you will also see logos for other social media resources). It will take you to the ABI Twitter homepage, where you can see that ABI has nearly 6,000 followers. You can follow ABI's general account and the accounts of several ABI staffers (including me). If you need help, reply to this email and I'll ask a staffer to get in touch with you.
NAM Report: Economy Growing
If you have been reading these memos for any length of time, you know that I am a fan of the publications produced by the National Association of Manufacturers. The NAM does great work and is a key ABI partner.
Last Monday's NAM Manufacturing Economy Daily was another example of excellent reporting. Much information was summarized related to trade, manufacturing in particular, and the American economy in general. The bottom line is that the economy is growing and signs indicate that growth is outpacing projections. If you would like to see the report, please reply to this message.
Roger Hargens Featured at Future Ready Iowa Summit
Last week’s Future Ready Iowa Summit was a huge success. A sold-out crowd heard remarks from great speakers like Governor Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, astronaut Peggy Whitson, and many others.
One featured speaker was none other than longtime ABI Board Member Roger Hargens (Accumold, Ankeny). Roger, whose company is a leader in STEM and work-based learning, addressed strong partnerships and the value they bring to employers, the workforce, and Iowa communities and schools. Congratulations and thank you, Roger!
John Butler Marks Birthday
Former ABI Chair John Butler (Cottingham & Butler, Dubuque) was a great leader for the association and he continues to be an important business leader for Iowa. John is celebrating a birthday, and ABI joins so many others in sending happy birthday wishes his way. Happy birthday, John!
Becky Coady Named Co-Vice Chair of Iowa ESGR
Many of you know that, prior to joining the ABI Foundation, Becky Coady led programs affiliated with the Iowa office of Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve. Her commitment to Iowa service members and their families is terrific, and she certainly maintains that desire to help.
Recently, it was announced that Becky has been named Co-Vice Chair of the Iowa ESGR Executive Committee. That is a great testament to her and to her work; congratulations, Becky!
Tominsky/NewBoCo to Host Intrapreneur Academy
David Tominsky with NewBoCo, the New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative in Cedar Rapids, is a prominent volunteer with the ABI Foundation. David and NewBoCo are hosting a Preview Day for their Intrapreneur Academy. The event will take place on the afternoon of May 28th.
The workshop is designed to help you and your team learn more about the four competency areas of innovation: Agile, Methods, Culture, and Strategy. The event is free of charge. For more information about the program, click here.