1T e m p e C h a m b e r a d v a n Ta g eTe m p e C h a m b e r. o r g

TEMPE CHAMBER

AdvAnTAgEmay – aug. 2O11 • tempechamber.org

Spring cleaning tips for businesses

By Sean Donovan

Just like homes, businesses can benefit from

a little spring cleaning. It’s a great opportunity

for clearing out the cobwebs, shaking out the

carpets and throwing open the windows to let in

the fresh air. Here are a few quick and easy ways

to reinvigorate your business with some basic

housekeeping.

1. Clean up your online presence by getting

more engaged in social media and keeping your

website current. A website with old information

tells people that you’re out of the loop. Instead,

make sure that your news, event listings and

contact information are current. The same goes

for your Twitter profile and Facebook page. By

sharing timely, relevant and interesting news and

information, people will actually want to hear

what you have to say. Online upkeep helps you

pop up higher in the search rankings as well.

2. Polish up your networking skills. Go to mixers

and events to meet new people and learn

More than 300 volunteers participated

in Tempe Leadership’s 21st annual

Tempe Cares workday event on March

10. Tempe Leadership is a program

of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, whose

purpose is to identify a diverse group of

emerging leaders and foster their leadership

skills through education, experience and

exposure and service to the community.

Mayor Hugh Hallman, along with

Councilmembers Robin Arredondo-Savage and

Corey Woods, greeted early morning volunteers

as they registered for the event. Councilmember

Joel Navarro visited busy wall painters on Rural

Road to thank them for their service. The event

brought families, social and service groups,

neighbors, businesses and individuals together

as teams to improve the community. 

Visitors to Benedict Park will now be shaded

by new trees and will enjoy a cleaner park with

the addition of 170 tons of granite rock. Tempe

residents will see approximately 5,000 square

feet of freshly painted walls along Rural and

Kyrene roads, and Pepperwood neighbors now

have cleaner alleys thanks to several dozen

volunteers that walked the alleys picking up

weeds and trash. Street numbers were painted

on the curbs of the Celaya Park Neighborhood

to aide emergency response vehicles, and the

Tempe Fire Department and volunteers from the

Community Emergency Response Team installed

or replaced smoke detectors in 180 houses.

Tempe Cares would like to thank their

dedicated group of volunteers: Architekton,

Kiwanis Club, Tempe Youth Leadership, Tempe

Leadership, Edward Jones, Del Rio LDS,

Frontiers, Laura Kajfez and Group, Christ Life

Church, Islamic Community Center, Faithfully

City Church, Tempe High Key Club, Marcos de

Niza High School I.C.E. and many other Tempe

residents that assisted with the cleanup efforts.

Tempe Cares would also like to thank the

sponsors for all their donations without whose

kind contributions this event would not have

been possible: Tempe Leadership, Campus

Corner, Wildflower Bread Company, Rosita’s Fine

Mexican Food Restaurant, Islamic Community

Center, Edward Jones, Caliente Construction,

Home Co ACE Hardware, Chompie’s,

Kaleidoscope Screen Printing, U.S. Waste, Quick

Trip, City of Tempe, City of Mesa, Einstein Bros

Bagels and Tempe Schools Credit Union.

For more information about Tempe Cares,

please visit www.tempeleadership.org.

Hundreds participate in Tempe Cares workday event

Continued on t.C.A. 3

Sean donovan, Vice President Media and Program development

2 T e m p e C h a m b e r a d v a n Ta g e

16th annual Women in business Conference and Trade ShowIt’s that time of the year again! The Tempe Chamber of Commerce, in

conjunction with its Women in Business Council, is holding its 16th Annual

Women in Business Conference and Trade Show on May 25 at The Buttes,

a Marriott Resort.

Each year, this powerful event brings together more than 300 business

leaders in a setting that celebrates success, facilitates networking and offers

incredible opportunities for personal and business growth.

A trade show featuring local and national organizations, businesses and

companies provides the backdrop to a wonderful luncheon and presentations

by powerful keynote speakers. Our theme this year is “Reach, Achieve,

Celebrate!” Keynote speakers are Lillian Coury, Executive Coach, PCC, CIC,

Pegasus Pathways; Karen Leparulo, Senior Vice President, Guggenheim Funds;

and Pam Gaber, CEO and founder of Gabriel’s Angels. The half-day event

culminates with the presentation of the Business Woman of the Year award. This

year's finalists are Linda Kalaf, Veolia Transportation; Kristine Kassel, Benefits

by Design; and Vicki Kringen, The Centers for Habilitation.

The event takes place from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and includes a plated

luncheon. This event helps to support many of the projects and services

provided by the Tempe Chamber to the business community, including

legislative representation, networking, seminars, workshops and special events.

There are many ways to participate in this event. You can purchase an exhibitor

booth, donate an item to the silent auction or simply attend!

We hope you will join us. Please contact Sachiyo Ragsdale at the Tempe

Chamber of Commerce via e-mail at sachiyo@tempechamber.org for more

information or to reserve a booth.

Last year’s Women in Business Conference and trade Show drew nearly 300 attendees.

2010 Business Woman of the Year recipient Margaret Hunnicutt, left, with Mary Ann Miller, president and Ceo of the tempe Chamber of Commerce

3T e m p e C h a m b e r a d v a n Ta g eTe m p e C h a m b e r. o r g

Lillian Coury is a certified executive coach who

founded Pegasus Pathways 10 years ago after

two decades in sales and marketing. Coury ran

her own company for 13 years, sold it to follow

her passion for supporting business people to

work smarter, live better and make a difference

in the world through their work. Join her as she

shares her experiences and the strategy that has

enlightened and motivated so many business

professionals to fly, and even soar, to their

greatest achievements – achievements that are

fulfilling, express their unique contribution and

give meaning to their hard work.

Pam Gaber is the founder and CEO of Gabriel’s

Angels, a nonprofit organization that enhances the

lives of neglected and abused children through the

application of pet therapy. The triumph of Gabriel’s

Angels is manifested by Gaber’s leadership

position as CEO and her daily involvement

in the development, growth and vision of the

organization. Today there are 150 pet therapy

teams serving over 100 agencies and reaching

13,000 children annually. Gaber was named one

of the 2010 Women in Business by the Phoenix

Business Journal and  in 2011 was chosen as

the YWCA Woman of Excellence and voted Most

Influential Nonprofit Executive by Arizona Foothills

magazine. She is the author of “Gabriel’s Angels:

The Story of the Dog Who Inspired a Revolution”.

A director for the Academy Division of

Guggenheim Funds, Karen Leparulo is a national

speaker and trainer for wealth management

professionals, financial advisors and executive

management. She has over 27 years of

experience based in strategic communication

development; professional peak performance;

and executive coaching. In addition, her expertise

extends to television reporting and producing

with a prior slot on Fox Philadelphia. She received

a BA in psychology from Gordon College. As a

member of the Advisory Board’s Star Program at

Northwestern Hospital in Chicago, she has great

personal interest in cancer education awareness

and is a motivational speaker for outreach

opportunities and fund raising.

about other companies in your niche, or in

an area where you can provide (and accept)

leads. Join a leads group and practice

good karma with your generous sharing.

Remember, people do business with

people they like. Be liked.

3. Make sure that no dust gathers on

your current customers. Follow up with

clients once per month at a minimum,

focusing on customer service and

maintaining your client base. Options

for reaching out include mailing notes,

sending a personal e-mail or taking the

time to call them directly. Invitations to

lunch or coffee also show that you value

them and their business.

4. Open the windows of your mind

by continuing your education. Attend

workshops and seminars relevant to your

profession. Take classes to keep ahead

of your competition. Online courses are

available and allow the convenience

of workplace or at-home study. Many

companies are willing to pick up the tab for

courses related to your field.

5. Put a fresh coat of wax on your

reputation through testimonials and

referrals. You’ll find that people are happy

to give credit where it’s due. Ask your

customers to write a sentence or two

about what makes your service special.

When you use this testimonial to enhance

your reputation, it’s simple to reciprocate

by including their name and business.

Referrals from happy customers who

have been treated honestly and well

are priceless.

For more tips, tools and resources,

visit our website at www.tempechamber.

org or connect with us through your social

media.

Sean Donovan is Vice President, Media

and Program Development, at the Tempe

Chamber of Commerce.

Continued FroM t.C.A. 1

4 T e m p e C h a m b e r a d v a n Ta g e

As members of the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, you and your employees have access to exclusive discounts and programs. Through a variety of partnerships and affiliations, we are able to provide our members with discounts on legal services, identity theft protection, workers’ compensation, e-mail marketing and more, as well as provide access to educational programs and services. Visit www.tempechamber.org to take advantage of these great benefits.

The Women in Business Council is

dedicated to benefitting the business

community by providing the tools,

training, education and motivational

atmosphere to foster growth and

success. Last year the Women in

Business Council hosted its first

Health and Wellness Fair with more

than 150 participants, and earlier this

year, it organized a four-part speaker

series celebrating the life and career

journeys of four successful women.

Now the Council is busy planning the

facilitating the success of women in business and

hosting dynamic networking opportunities.

She said that the best piece of advice she

was given is to always share your passion with

others. She embraces this by sharing the mission

of the Women in Business Council with those

who are focused on leadership, community and

success and who are interested in meeting and

working with other like-minded individuals.

To learn more about the Women in Business

Council, contact Julie Armstrong at Julie@

tempechamber.org or visit www.tempechamber.

org.

dedicated to government relations and Transportation

By Enell Burney

The Tempe Chamber of Commerce’s Government

Relations and Transportation Committee serves

an important role in policy making and in crafting

legislative positions. By researching matters of

relevance to the business community and seeking

member input on city and state legislation, it

makes recommendations on what positions to

take in order to best serve businesses.

In addition to maintaining and enhancing the

Chamber’s presence at the Arizona legislature,

the Government Relations and Transportation

Committee has made successful endorsements

for various local and state elections and

transportation issues. It is an objective of this

committee to meet with and develop relationships

with Tempe Congressional representatives, most

recently helping to coordinate the State of the

District Address with newly-elected District 5

Congressman David Schweikert.

Committee Chairman Jack Pisano is a general

manager at Veolia Transportation, giving him

valuable experience and insight in the transportation

arena. Also serving on the Chamber’s Board of

Directors, Pisano has been actively involved with

advancing local businesses during his tenure.

Asked to share the best advice he was ever given,

he replied, “Be truthful and be yourself.”

Those interested in local government and

transportation issues and how they affect

business are encouraged to join the Government

Relations and Transportation Committee. Learn

more at www.tempechamber.org.

16th Annual Women in Business Conference

and Trade Show on May 25. Future goals of the

committee include developing new educational

programs, expanding its community outreach

and creating new networking opportunities.

Chairing the Women in Business Council

Committee is Julie Armstrong, who has spent

the last 18 years working in human resources.

A Master Graduate of Rapport Leadership

International with a BA in Organizational

Communication from Wright State University

in Dayton, Ohio, Armstrong strives to ensure

the vibrancy and importance of the council by

passionate about Women in business

By Enell Burney

5T e m p e C h a m b e r a d v a n Ta g eTe m p e C h a m b e r. o r g

Chambers of commerce join forces for Los Tres amigos mixerThe Tempe, Phoenix and Scottsdale chambers of commerce join together on May 10 to

host the annual Los Tres Amigos mixer. The casual social event provides an unequalled

chance to network with hundreds of your colleagues from the chamber world and

business community.

Held just once a year, the evening features complimentary cuisine from Heidi’s Events

& Catering, a cash bar and live entertainment from Ray the DJ as more than 1,000

expected guests mingle lakeside at the Phoenix Zoo. Although the zoo closes to the

public at 5 p.m., guests at this event will be able to enjoy themselves after hours, as the

zoo makes special accommodations for this exclusive event.

“Los Tres Amigos offers an incredible opportunity to get out and mingle with hundreds

of people who share an interest in growing their businesses and having a great evening,”

said Sean Donovan, Vice President of Media and Program Development with the Tempe

Chamber. “It’s a superb opportunity to make the connections that are so useful in growing

your company and social network.”

Los Tres Amigos is free for members of the Tempe, Phoenix and Scottsdale chambers

of commerce. RSVP online at http://bit.ly/LosTres11 or through your chamber of

commerce. The event will be held May 10, 5 to 7 p.m., at the Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin

Pkwy., Phoenix.

Untitled-1 1 4/15/2011 4:00:32 PM

6 T e m p e C h a m b e r a d v a n Ta g e

breakfast for Chamber Champions honors members, Community LeadersDuring our annual awards ceremony held in

February at the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel, we

were pleased to honor several individuals and

businesses that have gone above and beyond in

their efforts to make Tempe a thriving community.

Honey Moon Sweets and Morrison Vein

Institute received the 2011 Business Excellence

Awards for their success in responsible business

leadership in the community and their passion

for excellence.

Also recognized were four outstanding

finalists: Benefits by Design, Brock Supply,

IKEA Tempe and Veolia Transportation.

Eric Adams of Alphagraphics was presented

with the Volunteer of the Year Award for his

dedication in making the Tempe Chamber and its

programs a success.

Arizona State University was presented with

the first ever Tempe Chamber Visionary Award,

which recognizes the proactive role it has played

in developing a dynamic business environment.

Dave Cutty, President and CEO of The

Centers for Habilitation, was presented with

the Spirit of Tempe Award, which recognizes

lifetime achievements of service, dedication and

contribution to the community.

Pen Johnson was honored with the Tempe

Leadership Outstanding Community Leadership

Award, which recognizes achievements and

service that contribute to improving the quality

of life in Tempe. Past recipients have included

Bobbie Cassano (1993); Steve Bauer (2003);

Sharon Doyle (2008); and Margaret Hunnicutt

(2010), just to name a few.

Special thanks once again to our sponsors:

Presenting Sponsor, APS; Print Sponsor,

Heritage Graphics; Copper Sponsors, ASU

Alumni Association, Phoenix Sky Harbor

International Airport, SRP and TCH; and

Business Excellence Sponsors, Telesphere,

Heidi’s Events & Catering and Ernst & Young.

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/tempe-chamber/1762132500

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tempechamber

read our monthly e-newsletter: http://bit.ly/tccnews

Check out our blog: http://bit.ly/tccblog

Join the Tempe Chamber group on LinkedIn

Connect with the Tempe Chamber!

Business excellence Awards recipient Morrison Vein institute

Joan and tim o’Connor, owners of Honey Moon Sweets, one of the recipients of the 2011 Business excellence Awards

All p

hoto

s by

Jay

Mar

k

7T e m p e C h a m b e r a d v a n Ta g eTe m p e C h a m b e r. o r g

Mary Ann Miller, President and CEO,

maryann@tempechamber.org

Sean Donovan, Vice President, Media and Program Development,

sean@tempechamber.org

Renee Lopata, CAE, Senior Vice President,

renee@tempechamber.org

Sachiyo Ragsdale, Communications Director,

sachiyo@tempechamber.org

Heidi Santos, Bookkeeper,

heidi@tempechamber.org

Magdalena Warecka, Director of Operations,

magdalena@tempechamber.org

Enell Burney, Volunteer

Melissa Webster, Volunteer

Board of directors

Chairman of the Board: Steve Bauer

Chair-Elect: Dave Long

Treasurer: Phil Howard

Vice-Chairs: Lorraine Bergman, Mark Thompson, RJ Orr

Immediate Past Chair: Vicki Kringen

Directors: Todd Christy, Margaret Hunnicutt, Kristine Kassel,

Sharon Kausal, Jeff Mirasola, Clark Peterson, Jack Pisano,

Jody Robertson, Stephanie Whyte

Ex-Officios: Chad Ackerley, Mark Duplissis, Charlie Meyer, Stephanie

Nowack, Virgil Renzulli, Jackie Thompson

Committee Chairs: Julie Armstrong, Neil Chitel, Vicki Kringen, Lori Murphy,

Laura Opstad, Jack Pisano, Curt Ritland, Hal Salem

Tempe Chamber of Commerce

909 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe, AZ 85281 • (480) 967-7891

A R I Z O N A ’ S P R I V A T E U N I V E R S I T Y S I N C E 1 9 4 9

Grand Canyon University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the Nor th Central Association of Colleges and Schools. (800-621-7440; ht tp://www.ncahlc.org/ ).

Get started today! 855.287.0174 | www.gcu.edu/inbusiness

Ken Blanchard College of Business | College of Education | College of Nursing & Health Sciences | College of Liberal Arts | College of Fine Arts & Production

Online • Campus

8 T e m p e C h a m b e r a d v a n Ta g e

Frank Woertz, State Farm insurance agent with Judy Aguilar-Woertz State Farm insurance Agency in tempe, is a regular at n@n and always seems to walk away with a door prize and new business.

randy Courtney of Courtney Valleywide Properties holds up his question for the table. Questions can be fun or business-related. either way, you learn a lot about the people around you.

Although shopping online is convenient (you can see product pictures,

descriptions and prices and make your purchase from the comfort of your

own couch), you usually don’t know who you’re giving your money to or

whether or not they can be trusted.

In today’s instant-gratification world, it seems that people have lost sight

of the personal touch. At the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, we still believe

that making personal, meaningful connections is one of the most effective

ways to promote one’s business. To that end, we hold our Networking @

Noon (N@N) event every month, which is designed to allow our members to

do just that.

This event provides members the unique opportunity to meet with

other members of the Tempe Chamber and prospective clients in a fun,

casual atmosphere. Eric Adams, general manager of Alphagraphics at Elliot

and Kyrene, volunteers his time, skills and larger-than-life personality as

moderator of N@N. “Networking @ Noon is a great event for veteran and

new members, because it is a structured networking event that is designed

for each attendee to meet everyone in the room and get their [contact]

information,” said Adams.

If you were to attend this event, one of the first things that you would

notice is this structure. Throughout the event, attendees rotate through five

tables, spending roughly eight minutes at each table. A table facilitator will

networking @ noon with the Tempe ChamberBy Melissa Webster

Photos by Meegan Tevebaugh-Adams

then ask each person seated to answer a question, which could be personal

in nature, though most are usually business-related. This type of networking

event has often been referred to as “speed dating for businesses.”

So why is this kind of event important? “Many people buy from people

they feel comfortable with. When you meet someone in a face-to-face

environment, you can create a powerful relationship that enhances your

buying and selling experience. When people feel comfortable with you and

your products and services, they are more likely to refer you to their friends,

family and coworkers,” Adams stated.

This has certainly proved to be the case for veteran participant Frank

Woertz, State Farm insurance agent with Judy Aguilar-Woertz State Farm

Insurance Agency in Tempe. Thanks to N@N, Woertz has seen an increase

in business. To be specific, he has written up three auto insurance policies,

a home insurance policy, as well as additional coverage for a realtor he met

at N@N.

When asked what his favorite part is about this event, Woertz replied,

“For the most part, these are small business owners who have the

same challenges and rewards as we do. This makes it much easier to

communicate and solve problems.”

Adams hears this kind of response from many regular N@N attendees,

but emphasized that “the members that are the most successful at

Networking @ Noon are the people that have a system to follow up with the

people they had connections with.”

We encourage our members and prospective members to pre-register

for the event, as there is a limit on attendance. Also, knowing a headcount in

advance helps us better coordinate with the host venue to be sure enough

food is prepared. “I know it is hard to commit sometimes, but it is worth

your time and energy to come and make connections. I have been doing

this for several years, and I have only heard positive feedback on the event,”

said Adams.

Networking @ Noon is held the second Thursday of each month at

a different member venue. Cost is $25 for members in advance; $30 for

members at the door; and $35 for non-members. Attendees will also enjoy

a fun pre-event icebreaker activity and the chance to win some great door

prizes. Stop missing out and start building business relationships at the next

Networking @ Noon!

For more information or to register, please visit www.tempechamber.org

or send an e-mail to sachiyo@tempechamber.org.

Joe’s Crab Shack in tempe was packed for this networking @ noon event last January.