Important ABI Events Wednesday - Monday Memo 1/9/12
Two Days to Annual Legislative Briefing, Reception; Register Now if You Haven’t Already Done So
With only two days to go, advance registrations for the 2012 ABI Legislative Briefing and Reception are running in line with the last two years, each of which set a record. As I write today’s memo, well over 300 people have already registered, so once legislators are counted, it is clear that we will have well over 400 attendees. I hope you have already registered, but if not, please register NOW by going to www.iowaabi.org or by simply replying to this email.
This annual event is one of the association’s most popular and you won’t want to miss the 2012 edition. Please join in the briefing immediately following the ABI Board Meeting and then go from there to the Reception. The board meeting will be held at the new ABI office and the briefing and reception are being held at the Downtown Des Moines Marriott.
Members of the General Assembly and other state officials will be in attendance. However, you are the reason that this event draws more legislators and state officials than any other similar meeting. Your attendance and time spent with legislators is a crucial part of ABI’s legislative advocacy. Thank you in advance for your participation.
Wednesday Marks First ABI Executive Committee, Board Meetings of 2012; Gronstal, Stover DeRocco to Speak
ABI Chair Frederick V. Buie (Keystone Electrical Manufacturing Company, Des Moines) and members of the association’s Executive Committee will convene for their first meeting of 2012 on Wednesday. That meeting will be followed by the first 2012 meeting of the ABI Board of Directors. The board will meet at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday at the new ABI office in Des Moines’ East Village. You should have received the usual packet of meeting materials in your email in-box last week. Later today, you'll receive the monthly financial report.
As I noted in last week’s memo, Wednesday’s meetings are very important, with discussion of critical association business and reports on tap, as well as vital information related to the 2012 Session of the Iowa General Assembly. Also on the agenda are brief remarks from Iowa Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal and Manufacturing Institute CEO Emily Stover DeRocco. All board members and Past Chairs are encouraged to attend the board meeting and stay for the annual legislative briefing and reception that follows.
January Leadership Iowa Session This Week
The ABI Foundation’s 2011-2012 Leadership Iowa Class will hold its January session this Wednesday through Friday in Des Moines. The session is jam-packed with terrific speakers, meetings with legislators, a tour of the Iowa Capitol, media presentations, and other activities. The January session, as you can tell, focuses on state government and politics and is typically one of the program’s most popular. You will have an opportunity to meet members of the LI class when they join the ABI Board for the Legislative Reception Wednesday evening.
Convention Committee to Meet Tomorrow; Registration Available for ABI Board
Longtime ABI member Karen Novak Swalwell (Francis & Associates, West Des Moines) chairs the planning committee for the 2012 Iowa Taking care of Business Conference, ABI's 109th annual convention. Karen and the committee are putting together an absolutely terrific conference and it is one you will not want to miss. Committee members will convene for their monthly meeting tomorrow at ABI.
Not only are plans coming along well for the meeting, but you can also already register. You, members of the ABI Board of Directors and former board chairs, are being given the opportunity to register now, before others have that opportunity. Simply go to http://www.cvent.com/d/ycqnnv and you can access all the information you need to plan your convention experience. Click on the red "Register" button on the lower right-hand section of the convention homepage and you can register. Mark June 13-15 on your calendar and make plans to join your ABI colleagues in Des Moines for this fantastic meeting!
Still Time for ABI Members to Participate in January 25 Governor's STEM Council Meeting
As you know, Iowa Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and University of Northern Iowa President Ben Allen co-chair the Governor's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Council. Lieutenant Governor Reynolds has specifically invited ABI members to participate in the council's next meeting, to be held on January 25 in Des Moines..
The meeting will focus on public-private partnerships in STEM. Iowa companies that are (or would like to be more) engaged in STEM education are especially invited to send a representative to take part. ABI Executive Committee Members Myron Linn (Pella Corporation, Pella) and Lori Weaton (Agri-Industrial Plastics, Fairfield) will officially represent ABI at the meeting, but there is still time for you to make plans to attend if you are interested. Simply reply to this message if you wish to participate and I'll make sure you are registered. In the meantime, thank you to Lori and Myron for their attention to this important meeting.
Remember: You Can Receive ABI Updates Through Twitter, Facebook
ABI was one of the first associations to use new social technologies to keep in touch and inform members of new developments. With today’s convening of the legislative session, it seems like a good time to remind you that you can receive updates via Twitter as legislative developments are happening. Many ABI members -- and members of the media -- tell me frequently that they appreciate these real time updates.
ABI also has a Facebook site, shares information via the web, and of course continues to utilize all the traditional media to ensure that you receive the latest information in the format that works best for you. If you have other ideas for other ways we can communicate with you effectively, please let me know.
Former ABI Chair John Butler, Alice Butler Honored
Former ABI Chair John Butler (Cottingham & Butler, Dubuque) and his wife, Alice Butler, are longtime Iowa business leaders. They are also longtime patrons of the arts, of education, of Dubuque itself, and of numerous other causes.
John and Alice last Thursday were honored in their hometown by receiving the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald's annual First Citizens Award. The award honors Dubuquers who have led the way in making greater Dubuque a better place. John and Alice certainly live that mission and have for many years. The T-H carried a wonderful editorial and news feature about John and Alice and you can go to http://insurancenewsnet.com/article.aspx?id=321598&type=newswires
to read another great story about them. ABI salutes and Congratulates John and Alice Butler!
Tom Determann Chairs Precinct that Receives CNN Attention
ABI Board Member Tom Determann (Clinton Regional Development Corporation, Clinton) led his family company, Determann Industries, for years before retiring. He now devotes his time to many organizations and ABI is grateful to be one of them. One of Tom's recent volunteer jobs provided some interesting developments.
You may have heard about the two women from Clinton who received lots of attention on CNN related to last week's Iowa Caucuses. The women were rousted from their beds and were put live on the air to explain to viewers around the world the vote totals from their Clinton precinct. Who chairs that precinct? And who got the ladies involved? Tom Determann, of course! The story is a humorous one and if you haven't read about it or seen the clip from CNN, you can do both by clicking on this Radio Iowa link: http://www.radioiowa.com/2012/01/04/clinton-county-women-enjoy-2-minutes-of-fame-over-caucus-votes/. Congratulations to Tom on all the attention!
Fisher Advocates Big 4 Basketball Tourney/University Showcase
Former ABI Chair David Fisher (Onthank Company, Des Moines) has long been a business and education leader in our state. A former member of the Board of Regents, former Chair of the reform committee (popularly known as the Fisher Commission) that led to a reorganized state government, David most recently advocated for a new Big 4 basketball tournament to be held in Des Moines each year.
David outlined his support for the tournament in a letter to the editor published in the Des Moines Register on Saturday. You can read it for yourself by clicking on http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120107/OPINION04/301070014/1038/Let-s-showcase-Iowa-universities-Wells-Fargo. David's proposal isn't just about basketball, but about showcasing Iowa's universities. Congratulations to David for this fine idea and coverage!
January Always an Important Month for ABI
It seems like every year about this time, I note that while January is the first month in the calendar year, it marks the seventh month in the annual ABI program year (which concludes June 30). For many reasons, January is a critical month for association programs. The first ABI meetings of the year are held this month; these events help set the tone for the year and your participation in these meetings is vital to our success. Also, Foundation programs conduct critical work each January and that is important. Of course, the Iowa General Assembly convenes in January and there is no more important work ABI does than aggressively push a pro-business agenda before the legislature. Finally, January is ABI’s most important month for revenue, with more of our annual revenue coming in this month than any other.
Thank you for your leadership and your investment, which we never take for granted and which makes our success possible. On behalf of Association Chair Frederick V. Buie (Keystone Electrical Manufacturing Company, Des Moines) and our officers, I look forward to seeing you Wednesday for an important afternoon of ABI meetings and events.
Jan 9, 2012 7:19 AM
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