Final 2024 Board Meeting Held - Monday Memo 11/25/24
November 25, 2024
ABI Holds Last Board Meeting of Calendar Year; Transition Ahead
Last week in Des Moines, members of the ABI Board of Directors met for the final board meeting of 2024. Strong attendance and great discussion marked the day. While there were several highlights, robust board participation was chief among them.
A focus of the meeting was the exciting transition to new leadership by Nicole Crain now underway (note: please see a final item in this memo related to the events of last week). On behalf of ABI Chair Chad Reece (Winnebago Industries, Forest City), thank you for helping the final 2024 board meeting go so well.
Annual Shine Bros. Holiday Event is December 13
Each year, the good folks at longtime ABI member company Shine Bros. Corp. host a terrific holiday gathering. You, ABI board members and former board chairs, are invited.
The 2024 event will be held December 13 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the company’s headquarters at 225 10th Ave SE in Spencer. Many of you have attended this event in past years and know that it is a great time for fellowship and good cheer. Having attended many times, I can confirm it is simply an exceptional event. If you have questions or need information, please contact/RSVP to Vicki at Shine Bros. at (712) 262-5579, extension 113, or vicki@shinebros.com. In the meantime, thank you to former ABI Chair Toby Shine (Shine Bros. Corp., Spencer) and former ABI Board Member Eva Shine (Shine Bros. Corp., Spencer) for the invitation!
ABI Executive Committee to Hold Final 2024 Meeting December 11; First 2025 Board Meeting, Legislative Reception in January
The ABI Executive Committee, led by Chad Reece (Winnebago Industries, Forest City), will hold its final meeting of the calendar year two weeks from Wednesday, on December 11. After that, the next ABI leadership meeting will be held in January. The first ABI Board of Directors meeting of 2025 will be held on Wednesday, January 15.
Your attendance at this meeting and at the ABI Legislative Briefing and Reception that follows is essential. Please finalize your plans to attend these events. Please go to Summary - Legislative Briefing and Reception for registration and event information related to the legislative briefing and reception. Thank you in advance for making the ABI events of January 15 a priority.
Next Week: #Giving Tuesday
As you read about in this memo previously (and likely have seen mentioned in other sources), December 3rd is #GivingTuesday. The hashtag signifies a global day of giving fueled by social media and collaboration. The event is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely-represented shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Should you participate in #GivingTuesday, please consider the ABI Foundation. Click here to donate: Pay Online | Iowa Association of Business and Industry (iowaabi.org).
ABI to Host Connecting Leaders Event December 5 in Ottumwa
ABI will host the next in a series of Connecting Statewide Leaders events in Ottumwa next week, on December 5. Following that event, which features Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend, attendees will join the Leadership Iowa class for lunch. You can register for the Connecting Statewide Leaders event now at Summary - Connecting Statewide Leaders - Ottumwa.
Leadership Iowa Class Headed to Ottumwa
The third session of the 2024-2025 Leadership Iowa Class will be held next week. Class members will meet Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for a session in Ottumwa. The session will focus on economic development and workforce and a terrific slate of speakers is on tap. Watch for a full report at the January ABI Board Meeting.
Final Session in ABI Pre-Employment Testing Webinar Series December 10
For years, ABI hosted a single-day conference related to pre-employment testing. After receiving feedback from members, that conference was re-developed as a FREE three-part webinar series. Webinars were held on July 30thand September 17th. The third and final webinar in this series will be held next month, on December 10th, and as did the others, will last an hour. Get the latest information and best practices when it comes to effective pre-employment testing and treated issues. To learn more, click here: Summary - Pre-Employment Testing Process Webinar Series (cvent.com).
ABI “Advocacy 101” Webinar Will Help You Prepare for 2025 Legislative Session
The 2025 session of the Iowa General Assembly is fast-approaching. In that regard, the ABI public policy team will help get you ready to advocate for Iowa business in 2025. At 9:00 Friday morning January 10th, ABI Vice President Public Policy JD Davis and ABI Senior Director Public Policy Brad Hartkopf will host a one-hour webinar to share information about the legislative process and tips for engaging your legislators. This interactive, members-only discussion will provide a deeper dive into the legislative process to help you feel prepared as the Legislature convenes. Register here for this FREE webinar: Advocacy 101 Webinar (Members Only) | Iowa Association of Business and Industry.
Thank You
It seems appropriate as Thanksgiving Week starts to say thank you, though those two words don’t do justice to the gratitude I am feeling. Always the best part of an ABI Board Meeting is when you, the members of the board, share your business reports and the latest news from your company and family.
In last week’s reports, when you shared incredibly kind and gracious comments about my time with ABI, you filled my heart beyond belief. It was excruciating to be the center of attention, but I am so very grateful for all you shared.
Then, when we went across the street for the reception, I was blown away. Thank you to the ABI staff for all the hard work they put into the event, and to all of you who were able to attend (some driving a great distance) for your kind comments and good wishes. I am the luckiest guy in the world - and I know it. THANK YOU. Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving for you, your family, and your employees.