Kiger's Notebook

Roch. Chamber bash 2009 - awards and pics

Here's a little bit from my story about about tonight's Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce Celebration and a few pics.

A crowd of 634 area business leaders heard a message of optimism tempered with the knowledge of the difficulties that lay ahead Thursday.

“ We must dream big and the time is now,” John Wade told the crowd gathered for the annual Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce celebration at the International Event Center.

------

He concluded his time at the podium by saying, “ We are indeed the front door of free enterprise and we are indeed open for business in Rochester.”

----------

A special President’s Award, only the second ever presented in the Chamber’s 150 year history, was given to  A.M. ‘”Sandy” Keith for his long service to the community culminating in his role as executive director of the Rochester Downtown Alliance.

Keith, known for his gruff, but playful demeanor, stalked up to the podium and barked “Absolutely no standards” into the microphone as he accepted the award.

With a grin, Wade said he along with the staff at the chamber and the RDA will miss that gravely voice.

Other awards presented included:

• Business of the Year: John Hardy’s Bar-B-Q. The award was accepted by owner John Brockman.

• Jan Warfield Volunteer of the Year Award: This went to two Chamber volunteers this year. Kristine Ihrke of Best Western Soldiers Field and Eric Jenney of IBM.

• Lamp of Knowledge: Kathy Meyerle of Mayo Clinic.

• Ambassador of the year: Vinny Barry of Value Place hotel.

An artsy BAH @ La Qunita - pics and tips

So I headed out to La Quinta Inn on South Broadway last night for the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce's latest Business After Hours.

Halloween, costumes and theatrics were a major theme of the night. Marann Faget and Karen Masbruch of Creative Costumes and Clothing arrived in dressed in costume. Look for stories including them in the Post-Bulletin on Friday and Saturday. I'm not writing them, so Marann's name should be spelled correctly. Heh.

If anyone out there took their own pics with the colorful duo, e-mail them to me and I'll post those.

Speaking of Halloween, I chatted with Lindsey Rippentrop of Olmsted National Bank about Fuel Rochester's upcoming bash on Oct. 30 called Poker Face.

Fuel Rochester, the Chamber 2.0 young professionals group, is hosting the poker-themed Halloween party from 8 p.m. to midnight on Oct. 30 at the Rochester Art Center.

Poker will be provided by the Sertoma 700 Club of Rochester and Mike Nassif of Entertainment to Go and 4th Dimension Graphics will handle the music. 

With Rochester's theater and artistic groups on display at the networking event Tuesday night, drama was in abundance. Lots of interesting chatter for me to follow up on.

Stay tuned.

Reminder - Roch. Biz After Hours tonight

Here's a reminder about tonight's business networking event in Rochester. Due to gremlins in the system, this event did not make it in the business calendar very many times.

So here's your reminder. I plan to be there, so please bring your tips and your gripes. I'd love to hear them. I'll even take compliments, if there are any of those out there.

• Business After Hours, a networking event for local businesses is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the La Quinta Inn & Suites, 1615 South Broadway in Rochester.

La Quinta is hosting along with the Rochester Art Council.

The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors this monthly networking event.

 And the chamber also will host its free Wellness Fair Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the RCTC Fieldhouse

Fuel Rochester + McMurphy's Thursday = Happy Hour

Here's a quick reminder for all of you business networking-oriented folks out there, young and old.

Fuel Rochester, an offshoot of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce focused on the interests and needs of local young professionals, is hosting a Happy Hour @ McMurphy's, 1201 Eastgate Dr. S.E. Thursday 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Don't worry. Old folks, like myself, are also allowed to attend. However, please try not to be too uncool or fall and break a hip or anything. Heh.

Here's how Fuel is describing the event:

Join us for our monthly Fuel Rochester Happy Hour event at McMurphy's. 

Enjoy drink specials from 5-7 p.m., network with fellow young professionals and Fuel members and learn more about what Fuel Rochester has to offer.

Fuel Happy hours are open to all Chamber members. Fuel members receive one free drink by showing their membership/discount card. 

Attendees will have the chance to sign up for Fuel.

Kutzky development w/ 2 Roch. New Horizons @ zoning commission

Here's some from a piece about a development in the downtown Kutzky neighborhood that is going before the Olmsted-Rochester Planning and Zoning Commission. Interesting point, the daycare center will be New Horizon's second center in Rochester:

An estimated $10 million downtown Rochester development that includes a daycare, an apartment complex and townhomes is may take a step forward this week.

The Cascade Creek project, spearheaded by the non-profit housing group First Groups, is slated to built on a two-acre plot bordered by Civic Center Drive, Sixth Avenue Northwest, Fourth Street and Cascade Creek

On Wednesday, the Rochester-Olmsted Planning and Zoning Commission will consider a conditional use permit for the plan in the downtown Kutzky neighborhood. The goal is to combat blight and replace it with new housing and related commercial projects.

Once the development is OKed by the city, First Homes can apply for  needed funding from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. That agency will announce its decision on the application on Oct. 1 and construction could start soon after that.

“Neighborhoods are really defined by the edges around them… This is kind of creating an edge to the neighborhood,” says Sean Allen, executive director of First Homes and Rochester Area Foundation Assistant Director. First Homes is an offshoot of the Foundation.

 “I foresee Sixth Avenue from Civic Center down to Second Street as redeveloping pretty seriously over the next 10 years. We’re just the first block,” he said.

The Cascade Creek plan calls for demolishing or moving 11 houses considered blighted as well as vacating an alley. 

First Homes has been handling the development planning and acquisition of the land for the past four years. Once that is all lined up, along with financing, First Homes will sell it to Twin Cities developer Metro Plains.

Allen says the concept for this project was conceived through the Imagine Kutzky revitalization program with input from the neighborhood.

“We’re basically facilitating what we see as a neighborhood-driven project,” he said.

 Once the site is ready, a Twin Cities developer working with First Homes will oversee the construction of a 10,000-square-foot New Horizons daycare facility along with a 40 unit, four story apartment complex and a six townhomes.

The mix of new for sale and rental housing is designed to bring more people  to the downtown neighborhood, which has losing population since 1970s, Allen said. 

What about the New Horizons child care center?

“It came out during the Imagine Kutzky project that there wasn’t a childcare center in the area. We kind of see that part as an amenity,” Allen says.

Twin Cities-based New Horizons built its first Rochester center last year. Chief Operating Officer Chad Dunkley says it just makes sense to add a second one, particularly near downtown.

 The day-care center would include a 10,000-square-foot building fronting Civic Center Drive and an 8,400-square-foot outdoor playground.

Biz After Hours @ Warners Stellian

Almost exactly a year after the first Warners Stellian Business After Hours, the Rochester store - complete with the entire Warner clan - hosted its second such bash during a drenching downpour.

Despite the buckets of rain, a decent crowd turned out for a variety of grilled food and drinks (cold, not grilled) as well as fellowship and networking among the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce.

Lots of chatter, though not too many tips. Businesses on the move seemed to be top topic of discussion.

It was a friendly crowd, though. Kristi Jones of Schwickert's was waving gleefully to everybody.

And after much effort, I took the worst possible photo of the gregarious host Jeff Warner eating and gesturing dangerously with a fork. Sorry, Jeff. I couldn't resist posting it. Heh.

And I happened to catch a pic of the Post-Bulletin's Laurel Schacht just after she was asked who is her favorite reporter ever. 

Wait. Is she pointing at me? *Blush* I just do the best I can, because…well… the readers deserve it.

And, of course, I revel in the attention. Heh.

Leading during tough times talk tonight

Tonight three interesting local leaders will discuss their perspectives on leading during this unprecedented time of economic uncertainity. 

And the P-B is a sponsor, so I think it would be good for everyone to attend. Heh.

• The Leadership in a Turbulent Environment Summit will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Bethel Hall, Bethel Lutheran Church, 810 Third Ave. S.E. Area business leaders will reflect on their challenges and leadership in the current economic environment.

 Hear from former Minnesota state representative and business leader Carla Nelson, Venture Computer Systems founder and CEO and community leader Jon Eckhoff, and Mayo Chair of Cardiovascular Diseases, Dr. David Hayes, reflecting on their challenges and leadership in the current volatile economic environment. 

This event is sponsored by the Augsburg College MBA Program and the Post Bulletin, and is part of the Connecting with the Community learning series. The event is free and open to the public, no registration is needed. For more information e-mail conradd@augsburg.edu or call 287-7791.

Roch. Chamber BAH Extra 2009 - what did you think?

I have to admit, the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce's 2009 Business After Hours Extra seemed to go off without a hitch. 

The two floors of the University of Minnesota Rochester seemed very active, but no crowded as hundreds of people checked out the business displays.

It was cool to see a lot of new booths at this year's event like Regal's Eatery and Fuel, the new young professionals group.

I saw and talked to a lot of folks throughout the event. It worked out well for me, but I was wondering what everyone else thought of it.

Don't be shy. If you have an opinion, please share it.

A little more Fuel

Fuel’s energy

More than 300 men and women — the vast majority between the ages of 21 to 40 —  involved in the area business community swarmed Goonie’s Comedy Club on Thursday to talk, laugh, network and plan for the future of Fuel.

Fuel is a brand-new young professionals group.

Representatives from the young group’s parental unit, the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, voiced excitement about the turnout and the optimistic energy of the group.

“We’ve never seen any thing like this,” says Chamber President and self-described “old guy” John Wade while standing amid the bustling crowd.

Fuel’s next event is slated for May 28 at Beer Bellyz bar and grill.

Chamber wants to Fuel the Roch. biz engine

OK, Brian. I finally got this written Monday. Sorry it took so long. But you know, the younger crowd does not plan as far ahead as say people as old as myself or even somebody like Eckerman. Heh.

Anyway, here's some from a piece on the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerces's new young professionals group, Fuel Rochester. Its info meeting/ Happy Hour is Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Goonie's Comedy Club.

The idea behind a new young professional group called Fuel is simple:
Grow more energetic business leaders to help keep Rochester’s economic engine rolling in high gear.

Targeted for professionals between the ages of 21 and 40 — though anyone “young at heart” is welcome — the group is an offshoot of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce.

During a 2007 strategic planning meeting in which the Rochester chamber board was brainstorming about the future, young Mayo Clinic executive Nicole Bennett Engler asked how the business group could look to the future without engaging young leaders.

“I told them the chamber is ‘kind of an old men’s club,’” she remembers. “It’s hard for young professionals to feel there is a place for them.”

Now, two years later, the chamber is launching Fuel as a way to reach those leaders like Bennett Engler, and she is the chairwoman of the committee in charge of the project.

“The community was thirsty for this,” she said.

Fuel is focused on social networking as well as professional development. The goal is “to prepare a new generation of leaders to lead with vision and passion and to refuel Rochester’s business and social climate with new energy and initiatives.”

How does that goal fit other recent youth-oriented groups like Roc Mingles and Flux?

“We will have a strong professional development/business focus …,” said Bennett Engler. “We all have our own unique niche. We want to co-exist, co-promote … and co-succeed.”

The plan is for Fuel to offer monthly happy hours, a variety of social networking and professional development events, and many large gatherings. To join, Rochester Area Chamber members will pay an additional fee.