ABI in DC - Monday Memo 10/2/17
October 2, 2017
Today: Wheels-Up for DC
Just about two hours from now, several ABI leaders and staff will leave Des Moines International Airport for Reagan National in Washington, DC. This marks the third edition of the Biennial ABI DC Fly-In.
This will be a very busy, high-value trip. ABI members will head to the National Association of Manufacturers, then to BIPAC, and then to meetings with every single member of the Iowa Congressional delegation. We’ll head to the White House for a briefing and to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for another. And we’ll be back late on Wednesday.
Four key issues will be the focus of our discussions with members of Iowa’s Congressional Delegation. ABI members have determined that challenges with workforce and overregulation are key issues, along with tax reform and controlling health care costs. We’ll also discuss continuing bipartisan efforts to ensure the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Tax is stopped and we’ll also discuss continuing the federal government’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which is vital to Iowa manufacturers. Thank you to ABI Senior Vice President Public Policy Nicole Crain, who led the planning for the trip, and to the entire public policy team of Jessica Harder, Brad Hartkopf, and Michelle Vollstedt.
Leadership Iowa Class Convenes in Winterset Wednesday
The members of the 2017-2018 Leadership Iowa Class, the 36th LI class, will convene in Winterset on Wednesday. As is the case every year, this class is comprised of terrific young leaders from all around Iowa.
Class members will hold the first session, become acquainted with each other and the program, and focus on learning about issues facing Iowa. Look for a full report at next month's ABI board meeting.
ABI Directory Updates Due by End of This Week
As you read in previous editions of this memorandum, this is the time of year that ABI's member database is being updated. Information from the database will be checked, formatted, and put in to hard copy form for inclusion in the 2018 ABI Resource Guide. The guide, in addition to including member data, includes information on the association's people, programs, and events.
If there are no changes in your personnel or company information, you need do nothing. If you have updates, simply send an email to Dorothy Knowles at dknowles@iowaabi.org. The deadline to receive updates is this Friday, October 6. Thank you in advance for helping us make sure your information is accurate.
ABI Board, Members Invited to Central Iowa Business Conference
ABI has a well-deserved reputation for bringing terrific speakers to Iowa. Many of those speakers then return as guests of other organizations.
Such is the case with nationally-known television personality Mike Rowe, who appeared in Des Moines last week (he first spoke at the ABI conference in Cedar Rapids in 2014). The latest example is award-winning author Gino Wickman. He first spoke at the ABI conference in Des Moines in 2012. Mr. Wickman, whose Traction program is utilized by many ABI members, will speak at the Central Iowa Business Conference at the downtown Des Moines Marriott on October 11.
ABI Board Member Todd McDonald (ATW Training Solutions, Urbandale) is a leader in the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce, the organizer of the conference. Todd personally invites all ABI board members (and ABI members in general) to attend the conference. Other great speakers will also be a part of the event. For more information or to register, please go to http://centraliowabusinessconference.com/. If you use the registration code “ABI,” you will receive a discount on the price of registration. Thank you, Todd, for making this discount possible.
Foundation Development Update: Review Your Estate Plan and #GivingTuesday
ABI Foundation Development Director Amanda Nuzum calls attention to two issues this week. One is the need for all Iowans to review their wills and estate plans. We all want to ensure our wishes are followed related to our estates and any gifts or directions we might make. Amanda, who is a member of the Board of Directors of the Mid-Iowa Planned Giving Council, can provide information or connect you to great resources, such as ABI member firms, that can help with these issues. Governor Kim Reynolds recently proclaimed October to be Estate Planning Awareness Month in Iowa.
And, if you have been reading these memos for a few years, you know about #GivingTuesday. The hashtag #GivingTuesday signifies a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Last year, over 700,000 people collectively gave more than $116 million in more than 70 countries. The event is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely-represented shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The ABI Foundation hopes you will participate in #GivingTuesday this November 28 by supporting their incredible programs. Many of you, or your family members, or your employees (sometimes all three) have participated in these great programs. Please support the ABI Foundation through #GivingTuesday and don't hesitate to contact Foundation Development Director Amanda Nuzum for more information at anuzum@iowaabi.org or at (515) 235-0569.
Attend Next Elevate Ambassador Training Session at Kirkwood in November
The Elevate Ambassadors, a group of business leaders and others who tour the state talking about manufacturing careers, are important to ABI’s Elevate Advanced Manufacturing initiative. The next Elevate Ambassador training Session will take place on November 14. The session will be held on the campus of Kirkwood Community College and you can find more information by clicking on https://www.elevateiowa.com/news-and-events/. Thank you to the many of you who serve as ambassadors and help tell the Elevate and ABI story.
Birthday Wishes to Kim Augspurger, Art Slusark, and John Krogman
Several ABI board members are marking birthdays. In fact, ABI sends belated happy birthday wishes to Board Members Kim Augspurger (Saxton, Des Moines) and Art Slusark (Meredith Corporation, Des Moines), who celebrated recently. And, this Friday, October 6, ABI Board Member John Krogman (Connect-A-Dock, Atlantic) will also celebrate his birthday. Happy birthday to Kim, Art, and John!
Correcting an Error from Last Week's Memo
In an item in last week’s memorandum, I noted the winners of the 2017 Legends in Iowa Manufacturing Awards announced recently. The posthumous award went to the founder of Vermeer Corporation. We all know that person to be Gary Vermeer (Vermeer Corporation, Pella). For some reason, my keyboard typed Garner, not Gary. I deeply apologize to the Vermeer family, especially to former ABI Chair Mary Andringa (Vermeer Corporation, Pella) for the error!
Kay and Bill Thomas Celebrate Four Decades of Marriage
These memos are about you, members and former chairs of the association’s board of directors. This week, however, allow me to recognize not a board member, but a member of the ABI staff.
Kay Neumann-Thomas and her husband, Bill Thomas, recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of their marriage. Kay and Bill are terrific people and they make a great couple.
The celebration involved Kay and Bill’s wonderful family, of which they are justifiably proud. All of us at ABI salute Kay and Bill and we wish them the very, very best!