August 4-8, 2008

Union Card Check Coalition Meeting Held; Strategy Being Developed

The State Chamber/AIA hosted a meeting on July 29 in the Bob Lamb Conference Room in Little Rock to organize a coalition to oppose the Employee Free Choice/Union Card Check legislation that is expected to be re-introduced in the next Congress. More than 70 people participated in the meeting.

Randy Zook, new president and CEO of the State Chamber/AIA, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone. Zook reminded attendees that Card Check is “a game changer” and would fundamentally alter the American workplace. State Chamber/AIA Executive Vice President Kenny Hall facilitated the meeting. The first part of the meeting involved describing the proposed legislation, its history in the U.S. Congress, the past vote, the position of the Arkansas congressional delegation, the details of the legislation, the impact the legislation would have and action options to take in opposing the legislation.

The group agreed to form a steering committee that will solicit bids from public relations firms. The firm that is selected will be asked to develop a comprehensive campaign, which will include, at a minimum, naming the coalition, polling, editorials, messaging, advertising and coordination of public appearances. The steering committee, comprised of 12 volunteers from the group, will meet again at 10 a.m. on August 14, review the bids from the public relations firms and schedule the next full meeting of the coalition.

All State Chamber/AIA members are strongly encouraged to spread the word about this issue to fellow members of the business community as well as to employees. It is vitally important that our members of Congress hear the business perspective on this issue; they will be in Arkansas during the August Congressional Recesses. A great way to communicate with our members of Congress is to attend public appearances that they make in your home town.   

We are discovering almost daily that people do not know about this proposed legislation, they do not understand this legislation, they think this legislation will not apply to their business or they believe it is not important in Arkansas because we are a “right to work” state.

If this legislation becomes law, unions can be formed in any business by simply obtaining the signature of more than half of a recognizable group of employees on a card. If a contract is not reached within 90 days, then the matter goes to binding arbitration. The unions have one year to collect the signatures and the law eliminates the use of secret ballots—only the signed cards are used to determine if a union will be formed. The size of business does not matter and our “right to work” laws will have no impact.

Randy Zook Takes Over Helm of State Chamber/AIA

Randy Zook became president and CEO of the State Chamber/AIA effective July 28. He replaces Paul H. Harvel, who left after two years to become the new president and CEO of the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance.

Zook previously worked as Deputy Director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.  

A native of McGehee, Zook is a 1966 graduate of the University of Arkansas where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.  Prior to joining AEDC, he spent nearly 34 years with Atlantic Envelope Company of Atlanta, serving as president and chief executive officer of the $200 million company from 1989 to 2004.  After his retirement, he began his second career involved in economic development efforts. In 2006, he served as chairman of the Central Ozarks Task Force for Economic Development.

Susie Marks Receives Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) Designation

Susie Marks, senior vice president for programs at the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas, received her Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) designation recently at an awards ceremony during the American Chamber of Commerce (ACCE) Annual Convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Marks is one of only nine Chamber executives in the state to have received this designation.

The CCE program, the only national certification for chamber professionals, represents the highest achievement in the Chamber management profession. The program is designed to assess the applicant’s knowledge of the four core Chamber management areas – leadership, planning, development, and finance and administration.

Strictly voluntary, nearly 500 Chamber executives have earned the CCE designation during the past 40 years. The designation demonstrates commitment to the Chamber profession and dedication to managerial excellence.

Marks is responsible for all aspects of membership development and retention at the State Chamber/AIA, and is also coordinator for the Leadership Arkansas program, now in its third year. In addition to her position with the State Chamber/AIA, she is also the executive director of the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce Executives and the Arkansas Economic Developers.            

State Chamber/AIA Annual Meeting, Governor’s Summit Slated

The date and location for the 80th Annual State Chamber/AIA Meeting has been changed to Wednesday, October 15, at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, because of a partnership event with Governor Mike Beebe.

Arkansas Works 2008: The Governor's Summit on Education and Economic Development will be held on October 15-16 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. For your convenience, we have scheduled these events back-to-back.

Check-in for our Annual Meeting will begin at 11 a.m. on October 15. For our lunch at noon, we are working on a very exciting program. We are confident that our world-class, keynote speaker will be someone you do not want to miss.

Following lunch, we will convene at 1:30 p.m. to develop our positions on the upcoming 2009 Legislative Session. That will be followed by our General Business Session, which will end at 4:30 p.m.

Our Reception, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Statehouse Convention Center, will open the Governor’s Summit.

The next day, October 16, the Governor’s Summit will begin at 8 a.m. at the Statehouse Convention Center and will conclude at 3:30 p.m. The Summit will assemble business, education and policy leaders from all 75 counties to develop a vision for every community and the leadership to implement the vision. The Summit has the potential to be an extraordinary gathering. Together we will assess our strengths, define our weaknesses and determine our opportunities.

The registration cost for both events is $175 and $100 for each individual event. To register, click here .  

Applications Still Being Accepted for Leadership Arkansas Class III

If you haven’t yet filled out your application for Leadership Arkansas Class III and sent it in, there is still time. Applications are being accepted through August 15.

In just two years, this program has become one of Arkansas’s most respected and trusted leadership organizations. Before clicking on the link below to the application, please review the following information designed to provide you with a greater understanding of Leadership Arkansas.

Leadership Arkansas’s mission is to build a strong, diverse, statewide network of leaders with a shared commitment to connect our communities and to make Arkansas a better place in which to live and prosper.

One of the many ways the organization is working to accomplish that mission is through its annual class program. Class members are chosen to participate in a stimulating and thought-provoking educational program that consists of a series of six day-and-a-half sessions held in locations throughout the state.

These sessions include programming on issues critical to Arkansas, leadership skills assessment, and relevant information on Arkansas’s history, demography, diversities and opportunities. One of the most rewarding and lasting benefits of the program is the valuable time spent interacting with other leaders from a variety of professions, philosophies and parts of the state who represent Arkansas’s diverse ethnic and racial composition.

Graduation from the class does not signify the end, but the beginning of a lifetime of opportunity as a member of Leadership Arkansas. For the graduates of the Leadership Arkansas program, we will convene regular meetings, regional and statewide, to facilitate continuing issues-oriented education, advanced leadership training, networking and the opportunity for members to work together toward shared goals. 

SELECTION CRITERIA

The Leadership Arkansas Recruitment Committee seeks to identify those individuals most likely to utilize their leadership abilities for the long-term benefit of Arkansas. The Selection Committee strives to select participants who will provide the class with broad professional, geographic, ethnic and gender representation. Basic criteria for selection are:

• A commitment, motivation and interest in serving Arkansas.
• A concern for Arkansas’s welfare, demonstrated by past community and statewide activities.
• An interest in seeking key volunteer and/or appointed state leadership roles.
• Potential or existing occupational responsibilities that have significant influence on important issues facing the state.
• A commitment to continued involvement in Leadership Arkansas.

If you have any questions about the application, or about Leadership Arkansas, please call Susie Marks at 501-210-4206. Click here to download the application.

Small Business Council Sets Meetings through May 2009

The State Chamber/AIA Small Business Council has established a schedule of meetings through May 2009.

The meetings will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Bob Lamb Conference Room at our Little Rock office unless otherwise indicated.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 – Insurance (Lunch sponsor – Jeff Everetts, Background Information System of America)

Thursday, November 20, 2008 - Congressional Presentation

Thursday, January 22, 2009 - Government Regulation

Thursday, March 19, 2009 - Employee Benefits

Wednesday, May 6, 2009 - Information Technology
Small Business Council meetings are open to all State Chamber/AIA members. Each meeting will feature a short presentation from a member in regard to the service that they offer (first-come, first-served).
If your company would like to provide a short presentation on your service, or sponsor the lunch portion for one of the upcoming Small Business Council meetings, or if you need further information, please contact Jeff Thatcher at (501) 210-4205 or jthatcher@arkansasstatechamber.com .
Welcome to Our New Members

Thanks to the following companies and organizations that have recently joined the State Chamber/AIA:

Charles Schwab & Co. Inc.
Crye-Leike Relocation Services
Crossland Construction Company
Gerber Products Company
Safety & Environmental Assoc. Inc.
The Land Recycling Company
TME, Inc.

Thanks to Our Pinnacle Members

Welcome to our newest Pinnacle member, Crossland Construction Company, which has joined at the Crown level.

We wish to express special thanks to all of our Pinnacle investors, the respected companies that support the State Chamber/AIA at the highest annual investment levels. We appreciate all that they do for us.

APEX
Alltel Corporation
Entergy Arkansas, Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

SUMMIT
Chesapeake Energy, Inc.
Cox Communications
Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods
Tyson Foods, Inc.

PEAK
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Arvest Bank
AT&T Arkansas
CenterPoint Energy Southern Gas
Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas
FedEx Freight - East
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
Harps Food Stores, Inc.
Kraft Foods
Oaklawn Jockey Club
Pathfinder Exploration LLC
SemGroup LP
Southern Bancorp, Inc.
Southland Park Gaming & Racing
Southwestern Energy Company
State Farm Insurance
Weyerhaeuser Company
Windstream Corporation
XTO Energy, Inc.

CROWN
Acxiom Corporation
AEP Southwestern Electric Power
Albemarle Corporation
Alcoa
Alta Resources LLC
American Greetings Corporation
America's Car-Mart, Inc.
Arkansas Employees Federal Credit Union
Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation
Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation
Arkansas Western Gas Company
Bank of the Ozarks
CardinalHealth
CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company
Crossland Construction Company
Deltic Timber Corporation
Dynegy
Entegra Power Group LLC
Evergreen Packaging Company
Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Arkansas, Inc.
Forest Oil Corporation
Glad Manufacturing/A Clorox Company
Golden Living
International Paper Company
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Lion Oil Company
Metropolitan National Bank
Murphy Oil Corporation
Nabholz Construction Corporation
Nucor-Yamato Steel
OG+E
Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
Philander Smith College
Pinnacle Foods Group LLC
Potlatch Forest Products Corporation
Pulaski Technical College
Rheem Air Conditioning Division
Riceland Foods, Inc.
Signature Bank of Arkansas
Simmons First National Corporation
Stephens, Inc.
Storm Cat Energy
Suez Energy North America
The Clorox Company
The Trane Company
US Bank
Waste Management
Wright Lindsey & Jennings

Calendar of Events

August 24 – 27            Arkansas Economic Developers Annual Conference
                                    Hot Springs Convention Center

September 17                        Small Business Council Meeting
                                    11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
                                    State Chamber/AIA Conference Room

October 14                        Arkansas Chamber of Commerce Executives Annual Meeting
                                    Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce
                                    Little Rock

October 15                        80th State Chamber/AIA Annual Meeting
                                    Statehouse Convention Center
                                    Little Rock

October 15 -16            Arkansas Works 2008:
The Governor’s Summit on Education and Economic Development
Statehouse Convention Center
Little Rock