First FY20 Executive Committee Ahead - Monday Memo 7/8/19
July 8, 2019
Wednesday is the Date for First FY20 Executive Committee Teleconference
The first meeting of the ABI Executive Committee for the new fiscal year will be held Wednesday. ABI Chair Cindy Dietz (Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids) and members of the committee will consider a full agenda of reports and action items. News regarding any developments will be a part of the September meeting of the ABI Board of Directors.
Today is Final Day to Nominate Students for Business Horizons; BH Starts Sunday
Business Horizons, produced by the ABI Foundation, is the week-long entrepreneurial experience for Iowa high school students. The 2018 session of the program is fast-approaching and in fact, it kicks-off a week from yesterday on Sunday, July 14.
Reply to this memorandum with your nominations of students and if you have questions or wish to be involved, please don’t hesitate to contact ABI Foundation Programs Director Jessi Steward. In the meantime, thanks to the many of you who have already nominated Iowa high school students for selection to BH. And by the way, regarding the “deadline” for registering for BH, if you have students to nominate at any time up to next Sunday, just let us know and we’ll make sure they get in.
Register Now for ABI Executive Forum Okoboji Event; Terrific Program in Store
As you have read in recent editions of this memorandum, in response to YOUR requests, ABI has created an event held annually in the Iowa Great Lakes Region. Mark your calendars now for August 1st and 2nd for this high-value event.
Great programming, great networking, and great venues will be hallmarks for this event. Things will begin on Thursday August 1. The day’s events (which will all take place at the Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center in Okoboji) begin with lunch, followed by a terrific series of programs. Go here for more information about the agenda for the day: http://www.cvent.com/events/okoboji-ceo-forum/agenda-86a0f03f9f4f45e280eeb6ece6d71713.aspx. And to register and for information about venues and attendees, click here: http://www.cvent.com/events/okoboji-ceo-forum/event-summary-86a0f03f9f4f45e280eeb6ece6d71713.aspx. On Day 2, Friday the 2nd, events include breakfast and an industry tour. See you at the Lakes in August!
IIPAC Needs Your Support
The Iowa Industry Political Action Committee is ABI's political arm. The organization is chaired by former ABI Chair Kirk Tyler (Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Waukee). Now is the time of the year that IIPAC is heavily engaged in raising money to support pro-business candidates for state offices.
If you have already contributed to IIPAC this year, thank you. If you haven't, now is the time. Go to https://www.iowaabi.org/public-policy/iipac/ to make your donation today. Again, many of you (and many of us on staff) have already made contributions. As the rest of you get ready to make yours, thank you in advance for your support.
ABI CFO Roundtable to Meet Wednesday the 17th
The ABI CFO Roundtable has been a great addition to ABI’s programming. The panel will next meet on Wednesday, July 17, at longtime member company The Iowa Clinic in West Des Moines. If your company isn’t yet participating in the roundtable, I can tell you that your finance people, accounting staff, etc. will all find great value in it. For more information, please reply to this message or contact ABI Vice President Member Development and Programs Kathy Anderson at kanderson@iowaabi.org.
In the meantime, thank you to everyone at The Iowa Clinic for hosting the group next week! Look for more information about this meeting and others in the roundtable series in future editions of this memorandum.
New Board Member Orientations Continue
Orientations continue with ABI's newly-elected board members. As I have mentioned in recent memos, you will have the opportunity to meet the new board members in September. The sessions began last week with a meeting with new ABI Board Member Julie Vande Hoef (Alliant Energy, Des Moines).
This week, orientations will be held with new board members Gary Nordquist (LMC Insurance and Risk Management, West Des Moines), Taylor Teepell (CenturyLink, Des Moines), Todd Robinson (Renewable Energy Group, Ames), Eric Lohmeier (NCP, Des Moines), and Tom Bosch (Shive-Hattery, West Des Moines). Upcoming orientation sessions will involve other new board members; thank you for your leadership and service.
Annual Policy Development Meetings Set
ABI's annual policy committee meetings have already been scheduled. Please go to https://www.iowaabi.org/events/ to register for the committee meetings of interest to you and your employees. The ABI Board of Directors will act on the recommendations of these committees at the September board meeting.
ABI Members Encouraged to Participate in Workforce Workshop at Drake University
As you read last week, a new workshop is being held at Drake University August 13-15. Everyone at Work, an organization focused on placing differently-abled persons in jobs, is hosting the workshop. That organization is led by Kyle Duarte, who is associated with longtime ABI member Deaf Services Unlimited. The August workshop focuses on how deaf persons can be great employees.
Please share this information with your HR teams, as ABI members are especially encouraged to participate in the workshop, both as attendees and to have a booth for potential workers. Click here for more information and to register: https://www.everyoneatwork.com/job-seekers/.
Legends in Manufacturing Dinner Coming Up in October
The annual Legends in Manufacturing Awards Banquet is a fun event and an important part of recognizing Iowa’s national leadership in manufacturing. The 2019 dinner will be held October 1st. NOW is the time to submit your nominations for one of these coveted awards. You can do so by clicking on the Elevate Iowa webpage. Thank you for helping us recognize Iowa’s great manufacturers!
Annual ABI Executive Open in August
Remember that registration is now open for the annual ABI Executive Open. This popular annual event will be held Monday, August 26. As you know, the past six opens have sold-out and we expect that will be the case again this year. Join us for golf, fun, and networking.
The ABI Executive Open will again be held at Des Moines Gold and Country Club in West Des Moines, one of Iowa's most exclusive private clubs. This is a fabulous course and registration is now open for this always-great event. Please click on http://www.cvent.com/events/executive-open-2019/event-summary-9ef1129178d141e78efe89f69b33e418.aspx and register now. See you at Des Moines Golf in August!
NAM Report: Manufacturing Growth Slow
Last week’s Monday Economic Report, published by the National Association of Manufacturers, shared information that confirm that manufacturing activity is still growing, albeit more slowly. Please contact me if you wish to read the report for yourself.