Day on the Hill is March 8 - Monday Memo 2/21/22

February 21, 2022

2022 ABI Day on the Hill Two Weeks Away

The 2022 ABI Day on the Hill will take place in just a little over two weeks, on March 8.  The day starts with registration at 8:30 a.m. at the ABI office in Des Moines' East Village.  You will want to be there to hear the latest news from the Iowa General Assembly from ABI’s public policy team.  Senator Dan Dawson (R-Council Bluffs) will then address attendees about the tax reform legislation sweeping the legislature (and other topics).  Following that, you will be taken by private coach to the Capitol for meetings with legislators and other leaders.  Then it’s back to ABI. 

Don’t miss this event!  Register now at Summary - Day on the Hill 2022 (cvent.com) and we’ll see you on March 8. 

ABI Board to Meet March 8; Canadian Consul General to Speak

The March meeting of the ABI Board of Directors will be held at 1:30 p.m. and conclude by 3:30 p.m. on March 8thThat is immediately following the event outlined above.  The meeting will be held at the ABI office in Des Moines’ East Village.  

As you read last week, one highlight of the board meeting will be a brief address by The Honorable Ariel Delouya, Consul General of Canada.  The Office of the Consul General is a longtime ABI member/partner and I believe you will enjoy Consul General Delouya’s remarks.  Read more about him here: https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/us-eu/minneapolis-rep.aspx?lang=eng.  Watch your email in-basket on or about March 1st for the usual message with meeting links.  On behalf of ABI Chair Jack Hasken (Jackson Mfg., Maquoketa), I hope you can all participate.  

By the way, per usual practice, the ABI Executive Committee will not meet in March, so that committee members can focus on the luncheon and board meeting.  Should you have questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact Michelle Vollstedt or me. 

Beginning Thursday, Register for the Annual Conference

The 2022 Taking Care of Business Conference will be held in Dubuque June 14-16.  At the conference, you will find not one, but three headline speakers.  You will see fabulous venues, you will have access to terrific alternative activities, and great golf at one of Iowa’s finest private clubs, the Dubuque Golf and Country Club (Home - dubuquegolf.org), and of course you will take part in the best business networking anywhere in Iowa.  Registration for the conference will open THURSDAY!  Please register for the conference by going to https://www.iowaabi.org/events/annual-conference/.  Don’t miss this terrific event! 

ABI Connecting Statewide Leaders Event in Council Bluffs on March 3

The next ABI Connecting Statewide Leaders event will be held March 3 in Council Bluffs.  A high-value panel and networking will all be a part of the program, which is focused on economic development in Iowa.  Click here for more information and to register: Summary - Connecting Statewide Leaders - Council Bluffs (cvent.com).  These events are all about gaining information and connecting with your fellow ABI members, Leadership Iowa Class members, and others.  

ABI Pre-Employment Testing Seminar March 30 in Des Moines

ABI will host its biennial pre-employment testing seminar late in March.  This is the place to find the latest information about drug testing and other pre-employment testing programs and to learn the best practices utilized by other companies.  The seminar will be held at the ABI office on March 30 and you can find more information and register here: Summary - Pre-employment Seminar (cvent.com).  We look forward to seeing your HR, risk management, and compliance teams at ABI on March 30th. 

Bi-Weekly Legislative Update Coming Next Week

As you know, ABI lobbyists host an update to give you the very latest information from the Statehouse.  These bi-weekly updates on bills, legislative proposals, state actions, and other matters are held every two weeks and the next call is a week from Friday, on March 4.  Your specific questions about those topics are also very much welcomed. 

The update will take place by Zoom at 8:00 a.m. and you and your employees are encouraged to participate.  The members-only call is free as a part of your ABI membership and please go here for more information: https://www.iowaabi.org/events/detail/225-legislative-update-members-only/.  In the meantime, thanks to JD Davis, Brad Hartkopf and intern Steffi Lee, ABI’s public policy team, for their hard work. 

ABI Foundation Board, Business Horizons Panel will Meet

The ABI Foundation Board of Directors, chaired by Kim Butler Hegedus (Community State Bank, Ankeny), will meet this Wednesday by Zoom.  The board will work through a very full agenda. 

One of those agenda items will be an update related to one of the Foundation’s flagship programs, Business Horizons.  BH 2022, to be held at Central College this summer, is sure to be a big success.  Related to that program and in preparation for the BH session, one of the BH planning committees will meet tomorrow by Zoom. 

Association Members Invited to Register for Employer/Student Engagement Site

ABI was recently contacted by representatives of YouScience (YouScience - Empowering Intentional Individual Success).  The company seeks to connect students with employers and the company has invited ABI members to register on its website.  YouScience will then share information about your company with prospective employees.  There is no cost to register and you may do so here: https://opportunities.youscience.com/employer/registration

The Business of ABI: COVID-19 Pandemic

Two years ago this week, in the Monday Memo of February 24, 2020, you saw the first mention of COVID-19 in these weekly messages.  I did so in mentioning that a valued ABI member/partner, CIRAS (the Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State University), had developed a website with information about the then-newly reported coronavirus.  To quote CIRAS: “As of today, the impacts on Iowa manufacturing seem limited. We’re hearing of operational delays in supplies, shortages of PPE, and issues travelling to suppliers and customers. We’re concerned about how quickly these impacts will escalate if the crisis continues.” 

Of course we now know that CIRAS was right to be concerned and that small item in the Monday Memo was the beginning of ABI’s response to the pandemic, the second global pandemic in ABI’s long history.  About two weeks later, just as we will this year, ABI held the annual ABI Day on the Hill, a terrific day of association meetings and events.  The day enjoyed fabulous participation and great energy among ABI members… then things shut down. 

As we have lived through the months between now and then, I am grateful for the valued partners, such as CIRAS, that help ABI navigate the pandemic for members.  I am grateful for all the things the team here has done and are doing for members related to the pandemic.  We have helped members find personal protective equipment, sources of capital, new supply vendors, and helped members gain access to vaccines and other resources.  Most importantly, we worked hard to ensure that members could remain in operation.  

I am proud that thanks to your leadership, ABI stayed at the forefront throughout the pandemic.  We did not shut down, lay off employees, or eliminate programming.  In fact, we added programs and new ways to help members during the pandemic.  Thank you for your support and your leadership which made that possible.  

EDITOR”S NOTE: While things are vastly improved, the pandemic is not completely resolved of course.  Please call on ABI at any time if there is anything with which we may be of assistance.