Delta County Area Chamber of Commerce

MINDING OUR OWN BUSINESS
September 13, 2003

by Linda Hirvonen
Delta County Economic Development Alliance

Bay Area Economic Club

The reconvening of community clubs and organizations is a sure sign of fall. One of the most exciting clubs for the business community is the Bay Area Economic Club, which kicks off its 2003-2004 season on Monday, October 6th. This club is for those who like to be on the front edge of trends and information; for those who like to explore the depth of an issue instead of getting a sound bite; and, like all clubs, for those who like to network with others like themselves.

The October 6th event features David Dixon, PhD microbiologist and Bioterrorism Response Coordinator with the Michigan Department of Community Health. His presentation will be “Biotrerrorism and Michigan’s Response Network.” As the UP’s respresentative on the Michigan Response Network, Dr. Dixon is responsible for the UP’s bioterrorism preparedness and is the person who educates hospitals and public safety personnel on what to look for, what microorganisms are used during warfare, and what to do if they spot anything suspicious. He will be sharing some of this information with us as well as informing us about Michigan’s Response Plan. RSVP deadline is September 24th.

The rest of the line-up will also be fascinating and topical. On Monday, November 3rd, NBC’s PC Mike Wendland will present “Future Trends in Technology and their impact on living and working.” Mr. Wendland is also the technology columnist for the Detroit Free Press and is one of the world’s leading experts on the Internet and its applications.

Monday, February 2, 2004 will feature Tobias Madden of the Federal Reserve of Minneapolis, which is the UP’s regional office. Mr. Madden’s presentation will be the “Regional Economic Outlook.” Mr. Madden is a management analyst for the Fed and his research is regularly seen in the FedGazette. He has been with the Federal Reserve for nearly 10 years, and before that has ten years experience in the private financial service industry.

The final speaker for the 2003-2004 series will be John Luke, Chairman and CEO of MeadWestvaco. Mr. Luke has risen through the ranks at the Westvaco portion of the corporation and in 2002 became chairman of the board of the newly merged company. He will talk about the paper industry, and in specific “MeadWestvaco: who we are and where we are going.”

All Economic Club events are held in the Bays rooms of the Heirman University Center on the campus of Bay College. Networking begins at 6:00 pm with seating for dinner at 6:45. The speaker generally gives a 45 minutes talk followed by questions from the audience in a National Press Club format. The events are over by 9:00 pm. All of these costs are included in the membership or guest fees.

There are two kinds of memberships in the Club. Individuals may join for $160, which entitles them to attend each event and carries voting privileges. Corporate members pay $500 and have the flexibility to send any three people they wish to each event. The corporation also has voting privileges. Guests are welcome at any event as long as there is seating capacity. The guest rate is $50 per event, and guests may register themselves or accompany a member. Reservations are required for each event from both members and guests.

To make reservations for October, to join the Club, or to get more information, call 786-2192 or e-mail to info@deltami.org. As the number attending each event varies, reservations are required two weeks before each event in order to assure sufficient meal preparations. Watch the Daily Press for ads pertaining to each event.

The Bay Area Economic Club relies on corporate sponsorship to supplement member fees in order to bring quality events to the community. We are so thankful for these sponsors: Bay College, the Daily Press, Delta County Chamber of Commerce, Delta County EDA, Edward Jones Investments, Engineered Machined Products, First Bank, Garceau Wenick-Kutz Magowan Insurance, MeadWestvaco, and UPPCO/Wpsr.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •