September Board Meeting Wednesday - Monday Memo 9/10/18
September 10, 2018
ABI Board Will Meet in Two Days
ABI Chair David Bywater (Bankers Advertising/Tru Art, Iowa City) will convene the first board meeting of the fiscal year Wednesday in Ames. The board will meet at Reiman Gardens at 11:30 a.m. on September 12.
You should have received an email message from me last Thursday with a link to the board packet. If you have any difficulties accessing the packet, please contact Michelle Vollstedt at mvollstedt@iowaabi.com and she will see that you receive access.
The September meeting is an important one for several reasons. One, it marks the first meeting of the fiscal year and the first meeting for newly-elected board members. Two, it will involve board consideration and approval of the policies developed through the annual policy development process (literally hundreds of ABI members have participated in meetings to propose a slate of policies for 2019). This part of the meeting will be led by ABI Vice Chair John Krogman (Connect-A-Dock. Atlantic). Three, the board will receive and act on operational reports regarding the business of ABI. Four and finally, a special presentation by Iowa District Court Judges Michael Huppert and Lawrence McLellan will begin the meeting.
On behalf of David and our other officers, I look forward to seeing you Wednesday in Ames. Thank you in advance for making plans to attend the meeting.
Event to Honor Kay Neumann-Thomas on October 1
As you know, ABI’s senior staff member, Foundation Programs Vice President Kay Neumann-Thomas, will retire as of September 30. For nearly 20 years, Kay has played a leading role in developing and producing high-value community and leadership development programs for Iowans. She has done terrific work. More than that, she is a terrific person and will be greatly missed.
Please make plans to join us for a reception to honor Kay. It will be held in Des Moines on October 1st, from 4:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon. More details will be available soon.
In the meantime, don’t be too surprised if you see Kay helping out around ABI Foundation programs going forward… more to come on that as well.
Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Conference in Three Weeks
ABI and Des Moines Area Community College are the lead sponsors for the Iowa Advanced Manufacturing Conference 2018. The conference will be held in Altoona on October 3rd. Register now for this important conference at http://www.cvent.com/events/legends-in-manufacturing-awards-dinner-and-or-advanced-manufacturing-conference/event-summary-de211e47fb134bf5ad05f7564b050780.aspx.
Great speakers are on tap. Use the link above to see the entire program for yourself. You don't want to miss this program and the terrific value provided for conference attendees.
Manufacturing Legends Dinner Coming Up
ABI and the association's Elevate program are hosting the fourth annual Legends in Manufacturing Awards Dinner on the evening preceding the manufacturing conference (so that means the dinner will be held the evening of October 2nd). Don't miss this event, which is one of the most fun celebrations of Iowa manufacturing you will ever see! To register or to find more information, click on the link found in the previous item. Contact Michele Farrell mfarrell@measuredintentions.com or Alexandra Monaghan at amonaghan@measuredintentions.com with questions regarding attendance or sponsorships.
Many participants will attend both the dinner and the conference the next day. If you wish to make a hotel reservation, so that you can attend both events conveniently, go to: http://www.prairiemeadows.com/.
Elevate Ambassador Training to be Held Tomorrow in Davenport
The next Elevate Ambassador Training Session will be held tomorrow from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the John T. Blong Technology Center in Davenport. You and your employees who participate (there is no charge to do so) will receive information about ABI and Elevate and be trained in delivering presentations. In fact, a personalized presentation will be created for all participants. To register for the session, contact Elevate Coordinator Alexandra Monaghan at amonaghan@measuredintentions.com.
ABI Conference Planning Committee to Meet Thursday
Planning is well underway for the ABI Taking Care of Business Conference that will be held in June of next year. I can tell you already that it will be a fabulous event.
While much work has been done, more is to come and it will begin with the first official meeting of the 2019 ABI Conference Committee. The committee is chaired by Lisa Patterson (Bankers Advertising/Tru Art, Iowa City) and it will meet this Thursday at ABI. Watch for much more exciting news in the months and weeks ahead.
2018-2019 Leadership Iowa Class to be Announced
Later this week, the ABI Foundation will release the names of those selected for inclusion in the Leadership Iowa Class of 2018-2019. As always, participants will come from all corners of our state and together, they will comprise a great group of Iowans.
This year’s class will kick off its term at Honey Creek Resort and Conference Center in southern Iowa on October 10. Look for a complete list of class members soon.
YPIowa Conference Next Week in Spencer
Young Professionals of Iowa (our state's leading organization for young professionals) will hold its annual conference next week. The 2018 YPIowa conference will be held on September 21 in Spencer. Find more information at http://ypiowa.com/events/yp-iowa-conference/.
NAM Reports Mixed Signals in August
The latest edition of the Monday Economic Report, published by the National Association of Manufacturers, has an interesting lead story that outlines mixed economic signals. Spending and sales are up, for example, but so is inflation (slightly). As always, if you wish to read the Report for yourself, simply reply to this message and I will get it to you at once.