Executive Committee to Meet - Monday Memo 4/8/19
April 8, 2019
Executive Committee Meets Wednesday, Board in May in Iowa City
The monthly meeting of the ABI Executive Committee will take place the day after tomorrow. The committee will meet by teleconference starting at 10:30 that morning.
The next meeting of the ABI Board of Directors will take place next month in Iowa City. ABI Chair David Bywater (Bankers Advertising/Tru Art, Iowa City) will lead a series of events for the board on May 8. First, the board will meet for lunch at a great ABI member, MidwestOne Bank in downtown Iowa City. The board will then convene for its May meeting at MERGE in Iowa City, just steps away in downtown. Finally, optional tours of one of ABI’s founding members, Bankers Advertising/Tru Art will conclude the day. Make your plans now to join your ABI colleagues in Iowa City next month.
Final Call; Sandler Training, ABI Host Sales Program TOMORROW
ABI member company Sandler Training is producing a sales program. It will be held at ABI tomorrow, April 9th. You will want to send your sales team to this high-value event. Overcoming price objections, closing more business at higher margins, controlling the sales call, and learning the winning sales behavior are just a few of the strategic sales components that will be covered in the program. Go now to https://www.karlschaphorst.sandler.com/events to find more information and register.
Register Now for Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference
There is still time for your environmental and compliance staff members to register and attend the Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference. The conference will be held April 23 and 24 at the Kansas City Convention Center in downtown Kansas City. While ABI receives financial support for every Iowa participant that registers for the conference, the real reason to attend is for the high-value program. Find out more information and register by clicking on http://mecconference.com/.
ATTENTION ABI BOARD MEMBERS AND FORMER BOARD CHAIRS - Easy Convention Registration Option Available – Two Hotels Nearly Sold-Out, More Lodging Options Available
The 116th Annual ABI Convention, the 2019 Taking Care of Business Conference, is just two months away. The annual conference flyer, which seems to be something everyone waits for every year, should have arrived in your mailbox last week. Now is the time to make sure YOU are registered for the convention. Doing so is easier than ever.
Simply reply to this message and type “convention” or “register me” or just about anything… and then we’ll take care of it for you. The ABI staff will ensure you are registered, send you a personal statement related to any fees involved, and send you information about your lodging choices. All you need do is show up in Ames June 4-6.
Speaking of the annual conference (access the conference website here: http://www.cvent.com/events/2019-abi-taking-care-of-business-conference/event-summary-ec071db43f184150bfe139920e29c6d8.aspx), it is clear there will be a terrific crowd of ABI members attending this year's event. One conference hotel is sold-out and a second is nearly so. Many more lodging options remain, however. Use the link above to access lodging information. The point is, please make your lodging reservations now!
Foundation Programs Active; Nominations due This Month
This is a busy time for ABI Foundation programs. And, now is the time to make your nominations for all Foundation programs. Doing so is easy and doesn’t cost a thing. Simply go to http://www.iowaabi.org/abi-foundation/about/ and click on the links for each program.
In surveys of participants, all the ABI Foundation programs (Leadership Iowa, Leadership Iowa University, and Business Horizons) receive very high marks. Strong nominations are the first step in ensuring a quality program, so please make your nominations now. They are due by May 1 and your support by nominating worthy individuals is appreciated.
Cedar Valley ABI Events a Huge Success
Last week, ABI held a series of events in the Cedar Valley Region of Iowa (the events were held in various locations around Cedar Falls and Waterloo). All events were marked by strong crowds and great success.
First, the 2018-2019 Leadership Iowa Class held its April session in the Cedar Valley Wednesday-Friday. A terrific agenda, which concentrated on education, was the focus. Great speakers, state leaders, innovative practices and more were highlights of the LI sessions.
Thursday morning, the latest in ABI’s Connecting Statewide Leaders series of events took place. Held at the brand new Hawkeye Community College Van G. Miller Center for Adult Learning in downtown Waterloo, about 100 people attended a panel discussion about business-education partnerships. Special thanks to ABI leaders who attended: ABI Chair David Bywater (Bankers Advertising/Tru Art, Iowa City), Immediate past ABI Chair David Zrostlik (Stellar Industries, Garner), and ABI Board Members Peter Voorhees (Standard Golf, Cedar Falls) and Kelly Barrick (CIBC Bank, West Des Moines).
That afternoon, another in a series of business valuation/transition seminars was held, also in downtown Waterloo. A great panel of ABI Advisory Council experts from BCC Advisers, CliftonLarsonAllen, Focus OneSource, HDH Advisors, and Performance Marketing were on hand to visit with a crowd of 20 ABI members about their business.
ABI to Host Regional Policy Meetings, Watch for Dates and Locations
As they do every summer, the ABI Public Policy team will be holding regional policy meetings around Iowa. The Iowa General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn May 3. While that likely will not happen, sometime in May, adjournment is expected.
Watch for dates, times, and locations of regional policy meetings to be shared in the coming weeks. Then, attend the meeting nearest you to get the most complete information about business issues and the Iowa Legislature. In addition, ABI staff members will discuss the 2020 legislative session. Again, watch for more news in the coming weeks.
Another Great Espeset Column in the Latest STORYLINE
ABI Board Member Mike Espeset (Story Construction, Ames) penned another great column in his company’s latest newsletter. The newsletter, STORYLINE, comes out quarterly and it is always a great read.
In his column, Mike discussed a trip he and his wife took and lessons they learned. There were many, but one particularly struck home. One of the people they listened to said that in their business there were two things to know, “When you are done… and when you are not done.” Mike applied that to the work he and his colleagues do at Story Construction. If you wish to read the column for yourself, contact me and I’ll get it to you at once. In the meantime, thanks for a great perspective, Mike!
Birthdays for Wersen, Roberts Celebrated this Week
As is always the case this time of year, two longtime ABI leaders are celebrating birthdays this week. Former ABI Chair Bob Wersen (Interpower Corporation, Oskaloosa) celebrates tomorrow and former longtime ABI Board Member Steve Roberts (Davis Brown Law Firm, Des Moines) celebrates Wednesday. ABI sends best birthday wishes to Bob and Steve!