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The McLean County Chamber of Commerce sat down with Kevin Garner, M.D, from Chestnut Family Health Center to discuss the COVID-19 Vaccine and reopening strategies and consideration.
Learn MoreThe 102nd General Assembly recently came to a close after reviewing hundreds of proposed new bills this spring. Top of mind for our business community is which of those bills, if acted upon, will have a direct correlation to rebuilding business, workforce and infrastructure in a post-COVID economy.
Learn MoreLeadership McLean County (LMC) is leadership program of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce that develops and cultivates individual's skills, awareness, and engagement through intentional learning experiences for the betterment of McLean County. Currently applications for the Class of 2022 of are open until June 15, 2021.
Learn MoreWe sit down with Jessica McKnight from the McLean County Health Department to provide us an updates on COVID-19 Vaccination Program and Restore Illinois Plan.
Learn MoreThe CVB will share their achievements, marketing, partnerships, and sales objectives. They will also disclose how they will accelerate the groundwork for recovery. The support the CVB receives from the City of Bloomington, the Town of Normal, the County of McLean, the Illinois Office of Tourism and their community partnerships will be essential as the community rises to the challenge of recovering tourism in 2021!
Learn MoreWe sit down with Billy Tyas, City of Bloomington Deputy City Manager and Leslie Yocum, City of Bloomington City Clerk to discuss the new City Services Hub (or "The Hub") on Thursday, May 20th at 10:00 am.
Learn MoreThe MIC (or Member Information Center) is an internal website just for our Chamber Members! It gives you the ability manage a variety of member activities, such as updating company information, posting a job, and networking between members. The McLean County Chamber Staff will give an over view of the MIC and allow members to familiarize themselves with the easy to navigate menus and explore how to utilize the MIC to enhance your Chamber experience.
Learn MoreJoin us as we sit down with Matt Hawkins of the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to discuss Restaurant week, hosted by the BN Area CVB from May 14-23 and sponsored by the McLean County Chamber of Commerce and the Pantagraph. BN Bites & Brews is celebration of local food where customers can discover our prized culinary scene.
Learn MoreWe sit down with McLean County Health Department regarding updates on COVID-19 Vaccination Program, Restore Illinois Plan, and a focus discussion on the 2020-2022 Community Health Improvement Plan Annual Report.
Learn MoreThe McLean County Chamber of Commerce will sit down with Brandy Finney from Integrity Technology Solutions to discuss how you can better utilize Microsoft Teams for remote meetings.
Learn MoreThe McLean County Chamber of Commerce sits down with Nicole Allen from Insight CPAs and Financial PPLC to review the Employer Retention Credit (ERC).
Learn MoreThe American Rescue Plan is here, and it brings a new round of improved programs to help small business stay afloat and even prosper as we work our way to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn MoreCongressman Rodney Davis’ bill the Employer Participation in Repayment Act became law in 2020 and is authorized through at least 2025. This law helps companies recruit and retain employees by making student loan payments by employers tax exempt up to $5,250 a year—similar to tax exemptions for tuition assistance programs.
Learn MoreCounty Government plays a crucial role in our everyday lives, but much of its work is done behind the scenes. To highlight the imperative work being done by this legislative body, the Chamber invites all members to view this virtual event to focus on the State of McLean County government alone.
Learn MoreWe sit down with Shelly Purchis and Norm Griffin from Career Link to discuss Employer Programs such as Incumbent Worker Training, On the Job Training, and Apprenticeship Assistance. Learn more about how your business can tap into the Career Link resources which can offer essential tools to meet the changing demands of the modern economy. Career Link operates through the Illinois workNet Center of Normal, Illinois, an integrated, job-driven workforce system them links diverse talent to business in need of recruitment, hiring, and training assistance.
Learn MoreWe sit down with McLean County Health Department Administrator, Jessica McKnight, to learn more about COVID-19 Vaccinations, Restore Illinois Plan, and the 2020-2022 Community Health Improvement Plan.
Learn MoreWe sat down with Ryan Whitehouse, Chairman of the Connect Transit Board of Trustees, as he gave an update on Connect Transit and what is on the horizon for the transit system. Mr. Whitehouse gave an update on the new electric buses that will be arriving later this year and provided information about the three finalist locations for the next transfer center that is coming to downtown Bloomington in the near future.
Learn MoreAs COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available, many employers will be exploring requiring vaccinations of their employees and will need to know the rules and regulations as they make their decision. Join us as we sit down with Lorna K. Geiler, an attorney from Meyer Capel, to unpack the question of if an employer can require the COVID-19 vaccination for employees.
Learn MoreWe sit down with McLean County Health Department Administrator, Jessica McKnight, to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccination program and Restore Illinois Plan.
Learn MoreThe Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened up a new round of PPP Loans for first-time borrows and a new PPP Second Draw Program for previous PPP borrowers. Join us as we sit down with Steve Timmermann and Brian Davis to review the new applications and take look at the program criteria for both the First Draw and Second Draw programs of the PPP Loans.
Learn MoreDid you know that the Chamber’s online member directory is the most visited page on our website? Not only that, but the average user spends almost 4x more time searching through our members than viewing any other page! In this session, we’ll show you how to update, enhance, and present your business the way YOU want to be seen.
Learn MoreWe sit down with Shelly Streenz from Oh Baby Hair and Day Spa for some tips and tricks for selling your products via Social Media. Shelly, along with her daughter Lexi, will review how to use videos and discuss what trends they are seeing for 2021. This presentation will include some ideas on marketing and tips to grow your social media audience and engagement.
Learn MoreSherri Chinski from Reiser, Chinski & Co., LLP discusses the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) deductibility in 2021. Sherri will discuss the new revenue ruling and revenue procedure for PPP and will encourage people to reach out to their congressmen about changing the current rules.
Learn MoreThis presentation unveils the first-ever county-level comprehensive economic study of wind and solar energy economic benefits in Illinois, prepared by Dr. Loomis with Illinois State University. Power Up Illinois and Dr. David Loomis of Illinois State University will present information on the total impact to date and future project investments from renewable energy across the state. With more than $8 billion in private investment spending and 50,000 new jobs projected, Dr. Loomis' presentation will provide important insight for business and educational leaders alike, into how our growing renewables industry will shape the future of the economy across Central Illinois. McClean County remains the top wind producer in Illinois, collecting over $48 million in property tax payments from wind energy projects since 2007.
Learn MoreThe Chamber presents the conclusion to our four-part "State of" series with the State of Bloomington-Normal. This conversation features Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner, and Normal Mayor Chris Koos, as well as their accompanying City Managers.
Learn MoreIn this Townhall, Town of Normal leadership reviews the town's Small Business Relief program.
Learn MoreBloomington-Normal Economic Development Council President Patrick Hoban, gives an overview of the financial resources available to businesses through the EDC and McLean County.
Learn MoreAn interview with McLean County Health Department Administrator, Jessica McKnight. She provides updates from the Health Department on the level 3 mitigations handed down by the Governor's Office, McLean County's overall COVID testing status, and news of a possible vaccination plan on the horizon.
Learn MoreIn this Townhall interview, Downtown Development Specialist, Samantha Mlot, gives an update on the current projects of Downtown Bloomington.
Learn MoreAn interview with Health Alliance Medical Plans, a 25-year partner with the Employers Coalition for Healthcare (ECHI) and a subsidiary of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce, provides a thought-provoking conversation surrounding 7 steps to better health insurance. Large and small employers alike can benefit by reimaging their 2021 benefits and considering a combination of options available as they explore cost-saving measures for their business.
Learn MoreIllinois voters are being asked to choose between preserving the state's constitutionally-mandated flat income tax or changing the constitution to allow for graduated tax rates on different income levels on Nov. 3. Original research by the Illinois Policy Institute shows replacing Illinois’ flat tax with a progressive tax system would cause deep hurt to already overburdened taxpayers, especially as nearly 700,000 Illinoisans are still out of work and struggling to recover from the COVID-19 economic crisis. Illinois Policy Institute's chief economist, Orphe Divounguy, can explain how typical McLean County families and businesses would be affected by the progressive income tax, should voters approve it, as well as what other policy solutions the state should consider.
Learn MoreMarsha Griffin from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office presents the most common types of scams that are occurring and the best practices or steps you can take to avoid them and educate others about them. During the presentation, she will touch on IRS, Social Security, Grandparents Scam, Home Improvement, Identity Theft, Romance Scam, and some of the various COVID Scams their office is seeing. Marsha Griffin is a Community Outreach Liaison for the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. Before coming to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Marsha was an elementary teacher for thirteen years. She resides in Jonesboro, Illinois.
Learn MoreMcLean County Clerk Kathy Michael provides an update on the 2020 November election preparations.
Learn MoreIs your organization prepared for disasters? This program is designed to help your business, school, or organization become better prepared for disasters and other emergencies. Red Cross Ready Rating Member organizations have access to an online assessment that is easy to use and measures their current readiness level. And based on their score, receive immediate customized feedback from the American Red Cross emergency preparedness experts. Members then receive the tools and resources needed to take important preparedness steps.
Learn MoreBusinesses are stuck on the frontline of enforcement when it comes to masking policies. Equip yourself & your business with the right tools to safely implement these policies & avoid escalated situations. This seminar is presented by Meyer Capel Law.
Lorna Geiler with Meyer Capel Law presents a seminar on how you as a business can enforce mask policies and how to train your employees to communicate the policies and to address situations to limit the risk of it escalating.
