July 4 – 8, 2016
- Don’t Miss Regional Opportunities for the FLSA Overtime Rules Seminar
- Young Manufacturers Academies Planned in July-August throughout State
- Applications Now Being Accepted for Leadership Arkansas Class XI
- State Chamber/AIA “Be Pro Be Proud” Workforce Initiative Update
- Deltic Timber Corporation Presents the 2016 State Chamber/AIA Annual Meeting
- Arkansas Environmental Federation to Host a Health & Safety Seminar August 2
- AED ACCE Annual Conference Slated for August 28 – 30 at Little Rock Marriott
- Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Recognized with ADCE Award
- Help the State Chamber/AIA Expand Our Social Media Presence
- Thanks to Our New and Upgraded Members
- Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members
- Calendar of Events
Don’t
miss three regional opportunities to attend the FLSA (Fair Labor
Standards Act) Overtime Rules Seminar: Get Ready for Potential Changes
Coming in 2016.
It
has been more than 10 years since the Department of Labor made major
changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act. Learn now how to avoid risk
and liability by gaining a better understanding of the FLSA overtime
rules. At this seminar you will learn:
· What the proposed changes are;
· Who they will affect;
· The timeline of the changes;
· How employers can know the difference between exempt employees and those eligible for overtime.
This session will help you become aware of these changes, how they relate to your company and how to classify your employees.
The cost for each session is $50 and includes a light lunch.
Thursday, July 14, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., State Chamber Conference Room – Little Rock.Sponsored
by the Arkansas State Chamber/Associated Industries of Arkansas and
presented by Susan King Meadors, PHR, SHRM-CP and Steve Schulte,
SHRM-SCP. To register, click here.
Monday, July 25, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Sponsored by the Jonesboro Regional Chamber and the Arkansas State
Chamber/Associated Industries of Arkansas and presented by Kathlyn
Graves of the Mitchell/Williams Law Firm. To register, click here.
Thursday, August 25, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Hilton Garden Inn, 1325 North Palak – Fayetteville.Sponsored by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and the Arkansas State Chamber/Associated Industries of Arkansas. Presented by Stuart Jackson of Wright Lindsey Jennings’ Labor and Employment Team. To register, click here.
For more information, contact Sue Weatter at sweatter@arkansasstatechamber.
The
State Chamber/AIA will host a series of Young Manufacturers Academies
(YMAs) in late July and early August at various locations around the
state in partnership with Arkansas two-year colleges.
The Young Manufacturers Academy (YMA) is a manufacturing-themed, experiential, five-day summer program geared toward students entering grades 7-11. The Academies introduce students to Arkansas’s
high-tech, advanced manufacturing industries through hands-on
activities, simulation-based learning, virtual machining environments,
and travel to industry locations for on-site interaction with
manufacturers.
YMAs
are provided through The Manufacturing Institute’s Dream It. Do It
network in partnership with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission
and Arkansas Two-Year Colleges, and funded by the Gene Haas
Foundation, Lennox Industries and other manufacturers. Participants
attend the camps free of charge with transportation and lunches also
provided.
Locations for the planned YMAs include:
· Arkansas Northeastern College – Blytheville – sponsored by Nucor Arkansas / Nucor Yamato Steel
· ASU-Mountain Home
· ASU-Newport
· Black River Technical College – Pocahontas Campus
· College of the Ouachitas – Malvern
· East Arkansas Community College – Forrest City
· National Park College – Hot Springs
· NorthArk Community College – Harrison
· Northwest Technical Institute – Springdale
· Phillips Community College – Stuttgart
· SAU Tech – Camden
· SouthArk Community College – El Dorado – sponsored by Great Lakes Solutions – A Chemtura Business
The
State Chamber is seeking companies and organizations to help underwrite
the costs of the YMAs. If your company or organization would be
interested in helping fund this effort, contact Bill Watson at bwatson@arkansasstatechamber.
For more information on the YMAs, click here or contact Andrew Parker ataparker@arkansasstatechamber.
Applications are now being accepted for Leadership Arkansas Class XI. The deadline to apply isFriday, August 19.
Successful candidates
will be well-rounded and actively involved in many facets of their
communities, such as business, education, the arts, religion,
government, community-based organizations, and volunteer service, and
will reflect the diversity of Arkansas’s communities. Prior leadership program participation is not required but may be noted on an application.
Along
with the application, two letters of recommendation and a $25
application fee are required. Tuition for the 2016-2017 program year is
$3,000 and is due upon notification of acceptance.
Tuition
covers all meals during each session. Participants are responsible for
travel and lodging costs with exception of the Orientation Retreat
Session in September. A limited number of partial, need-based
scholarships are available to help candidates for whom tuition presents a
barrier to participation.
For more information or to apply, click here.
For questions, contact Leadership Arkansas Program Director Andrew Parker ataparker@arkansasstatechamber.
The State Chamber/AIA’s “Be Pro Be Proud” initiative is using a mobile workshop to travel the state and visit companies, schools and events to showcase skilled trade professions and broaden awareness of their impact on the state’s workforce. The “Be Pro” mobile workshop is an engaging tool that will provide information about training resources, currently available positions and descriptions, skills needed, and how to start the process of starting a skilled professional career.
For additional information on upcoming tour events and the workforce initiative, clickBeProBeProud.org.
Sponsors of Be Pro Be Proud include the Delta Regional Authority, Albemarle Corporation, theState of Arkansas, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Arkansas Department of Career Education, the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, theArkansas Trucking Association, Associated General Contractors – Arkansas, Entergy Arkansas, Haas Automation, Nucor Steel and Nucor-Yamato, Pace Industries, Stone Ward, Truck Centers of Arkansas, Tyson Foods, Walmart and Welsco Inc.
Additional sponsors are being sought for this program. For more information on Be Pro Be Proud, contact Andrew Parker at aparker@arkansasstatechamber.
Mark your calendar and save the date for the 2016 State Chamber/AIA Annual Meeting, presented by Deltic Timber Corporation, which will be held Friday, October 21 at The Marriott in Little Rock.
Micheal
Drury, the chief economist for McVean Trading & Investments, LLC of
Memphis, an international commodities firm specializing in agriculture
products, will be the keynote speaker for the Annual Meeting. Drury
assesses macroeconomic developments around the world to help develop
hedging strategies using futures markets in interest rates, currencies
and industrial materials. He travels extensively in the U.S. and China, as well as to Japan, Europe and Latin American, and is the author of McVean Trading’s “Weekly Economic Update.”
We would like to thank our sponsors to date for the Annual Meeting:
Title – Deltic Timber Corporation
Presenting –BKD, LLP, Entergy Arkansas and Walmart Stores Inc.
Partner – Arkansas
Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce /
UA Fort Smith, McKee Foods Corporation, Nabholz Construction
Corporation, Southland Park Gaming & Racing and XTO Energy/Exxon.
Supporting – AEP
Swepco, Arkansas Business Publishing Group, Cavenaugh Auto Group,
Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas, GES Inc./Food Giant, Gerdau Special
Steel andMainstream Technologies, Inc.
Table – Arkadelphia
Regional Economic Development Alliance, CenterPoint Energy, Central
Moloney, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, Dover Dixon Horne PLLC, Farm
Credit Services of Arkansas, Kutak Rock LLP, Nucor Arkansas, Oaklawn
Jockey Club, Regions Insurance, Rose Law Firm and Southwestern Energy Company
Gold – First Community Bank
Silver – CDI
Contractors, Great Lakes Solutions / A Chemtura Business, Owens-Corning
Composite Materials, LLC, Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce and Signature Bank of Arkansas
Bronze – Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce and Gar-Bro Manufacturing Company
If your company or organization would like to be a sponsor for the Annual Meeting, contact Bill Watson at bwatson@arkansasstatechamber.
The
Arkansas Environmental Federation (AEF) will host a Health & Safety
Seminar covering workplace health and safety from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. on August 2 at the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas located at 1 Cooperative Way in Little Rock. For more information, visitwww.environmentark.org or call 501-374-0263.
The Arkansas Economic Developers and the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce Executives will hold a joint Annual Conference August 28 – 30 at the Little Rock Marriott.
The
conference will include general sessions with content benefiting and
impacting both chamber executives and economic developers. Talk Business & Politics will sponsor a luncheon featuring Charlie Cook of The Cook Political Report on Monday, August 29th.
The
cost is $225 per member attendee, $200 for each additional member
attendee (from the same organization) and $300 for non-members. To
register, click here.
If you would like to only attend the Talk Business & Politics event on August 29th, please contact Shelley Short for sponsorship and/or ticket details.
For questions or additional information, contact Shelley Short at sshort@arkansasstatechamber.
The
Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority was recently honored with the 2016
John Lynch Base Development Excellence Award from the Association of
Defense Communities (ADC) for spearheading the reuse of the former Fort Chaffee as Chaffee Crossing, a diverse blend of uses that have made it a premier economic development in Arkansas. ADC builds resilient communities that support America’s military.
Please join us in this effort by liking us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.