Business Leaders

Business leaders from across the commonwealth converged at McKechnie Vehicle Components Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 19, for a roundtable discussion with USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager to discuss ways to improve rural economic conditions and create jobs. “It's just to listen to people,” Tonsager said. “My agency is called rural development, and our mission is to try to do economic development in rural America.” Tonsager said the roundtables, which are ocurring throughout the nation, are a mandate from President Barack Obama.

Jody Lassiter, president and CEO of the Danville/Boyle County Economic Development Partnership, is among some of the state's most influential business leaders slated to speak during a symposium sponsored by the Kentucky Arts Council.   “Smart Strategy: A conversation with Kentucky business leaders supporting the arts,” will be 2-5 p.m. Friday at ArtsPlace, 161 N. Mill St., Lexington. During the panel discussion, business leaders will talk about their support for the arts and the strategies they employ to integrate the arts in day-to-day and long-term business plans.  Topics include: The arts and economic development - How the arts are attracting businesses to Kentucky.

Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce and Central Kentucky Society for Human Resource Managers will host a workshop Tuesday. "After the Interview" is the third meeting in a workshop series titled "Find and Keep Employees. " It will be 7:30-9 a.m. at the Kentucky Utilities office at the corner of Second Street and Broadway. Admission is $10 for chamber members and $20 for non-members. The meeting will be led by experts who will discuss issues concerning background checks, reference checks, and drug screenings.

Don't walk into Bluegrass Community Bank with preconceived notions. President and CEO Doug Ayers said his bank is different, and it's cutting-edge technology and services, all with a hometown focus, makes it stand out. "The first thing people tend to notice, there are no teller lines," Ayers said. Instead, Bluegrass Community is embracing a new approach to banking. One way it's doing that is with pods - rounded teller stations that allow for easy dialogue flow and customer interaction.

The Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce and local community volunteers are working to nurture future business leaders through the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!). YEA! is an innovative program that guides students through the process of starting their own business.  The program takes students between the ages of 11 and 18 through the process of launching a business or social movement over the course of an academic year. By the end of the class, students own and operate fully-formed and functioning businesses, which may be carried after their graduation from the program.  The program was developed in 2004 at the University of Rochester with support from The Kauffman Foundation.

Dear Editor, On behalf of business owners and operators around the Commonwealth, I want to thank Rep. Ben Chandler for voting against the flawed health care reform bill passed in the U.S. House on Saturday. This legislation would increase taxes on a number of small businesses, require government-mandated levels of coverage, make significant cuts to Medicare and create an unneeded government-run health plan to compete with private insurers. Business leaders believe that health care reform is necessary, but it should focus on lowering costs rather than shifting costs from government health programs to businesses and individuals already struggling to pay health premiums.

ConnectKentucky is partnering with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to produce telework seminars on realizing the opportunity that exists with telework and its benefits to businesses and employees alike. The goal of the seminars is to give participants an overview of what telework is, clear ideas for implementing a telework policy, technical requirements for success, legal considerations and advice about how to manage employees remotely. The telework seminars provide business leaders and human resource managers information to either allow staff to work remotely or to formalize a telework policy.

Leadership Winchester welcomed its 19th class on Thursday with a diverse group that includes bankers, health care workers, emergency personnel, utility workers, business leaders, recent graduates and high school seniors. Many of them, originally from Winchester, have recently returned home, and decided they wanted to join the group to learn more about their hometowns. The city should take that as a compliment, said keynote speaker Grace Gorrell, the assistant director of the Center for Leadership Development at the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture, because many natives have tasted the big city and decided they liked Winchester better.

By Sharon Dodson The Center for Rural Development The Center for Rural Development is seeking high school students in Lincoln County interested in becoming part of the next generation of business leaders or entrepreneurs in Southern and Eastern Kentucky, and qualifying for college scholarships to help achieve that goal. Applications will be accepted through Jan. 31 for students seeking to apply for 2009 classes of Rogers Scholars or the Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (ELI)

For some people, change brings thoughts of insecurity and fear, while others embrace it as an opportunity to try new things and broaden their horizons. I am one of the latter. And so, it is with great joy - and some sadness - that I'm using this column to announce my departure as editor and general manager of The Interior Journal. Although Lincoln County always has and always will be home, I have accepted a new job that requires me to relocate to another part of the state, and I will do so at the end of this month.

Jody Lassiter, president and CEO of the Danville/Boyle County Economic Development Partnership, is among some of the state's most influential business leaders slated to speak during a symposium sponsored by the Kentucky Arts Council.   “Smart Strategy: A conversation with Kentucky business leaders supporting the arts,” will be 2-5 p.m. Friday at ArtsPlace, 161 N. Mill St., Lexington. During the panel discussion, business leaders will talk about their support for the arts and the strategies they employ to integrate the arts in day-to-day and long-term business plans.  Topics include: The arts and economic development - How the arts are attracting businesses to Kentucky.

The Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce and local community volunteers are working to nurture future business leaders through the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!). YEA! is an innovative program that guides students through the process of starting their own business.  The program takes students between the ages of 11 and 18 through the process of launching a business or social movement over the course of an academic year. By the end of the class, students own and operate fully-formed and functioning businesses, which may be carried after their graduation from the program.  The program was developed in 2004 at the University of Rochester with support from The Kauffman Foundation.

Business leaders from across the commonwealth converged at McKechnie Vehicle Components Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 19, for a roundtable discussion with USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Dallas Tonsager to discuss ways to improve rural economic conditions and create jobs. “It's just to listen to people,” Tonsager said. “My agency is called rural development, and our mission is to try to do economic development in rural America.” Tonsager said the roundtables, which are ocurring throughout the nation, are a mandate from President Barack Obama.

Dear Editor, On behalf of business owners and operators around the Commonwealth, I want to thank Rep. Ben Chandler for voting against the flawed health care reform bill passed in the U.S. House on Saturday. This legislation would increase taxes on a number of small businesses, require government-mandated levels of coverage, make significant cuts to Medicare and create an unneeded government-run health plan to compete with private insurers. Business leaders believe that health care reform is necessary, but it should focus on lowering costs rather than shifting costs from government health programs to businesses and individuals already struggling to pay health premiums.

Chandler made right decision on health reform legislation Dear Editor: On behalf of business owners and operators around the commonwealth, I want to thank Rep. Ben Chandler for voting against the flawed health care reform bill passed in the U.S. House on Saturday. This legislation would increase taxes on a number of small businesses, require government-mandated levels of coverage, make significant cuts to Medicare and create an unneeded government-run health plan to compete with private insurers.

Local business and industrial leaders are being asked to take a public stance on more than $90 million of infrastructure projects that Winchester Municipal Utilities is planning to build within the next five years. The Winchester-Clark County Chamber of Commerce Board and Industrial Development Authority Board received presentations on the proposals Monday as city officials prepare for talks on how to pay for the projects. Mayor Ed Burtner said he would like a public response from both agencies in September.

Don't walk into Bluegrass Community Bank with preconceived notions. President and CEO Doug Ayers said his bank is different, and it's cutting-edge technology and services, all with a hometown focus, makes it stand out. "The first thing people tend to notice, there are no teller lines," Ayers said. Instead, Bluegrass Community is embracing a new approach to banking. One way it's doing that is with pods - rounded teller stations that allow for easy dialogue flow and customer interaction.

STANFORD - The cafeteria at Lincoln County High School was full Tuesday night as the Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce's annual banquet featured ribeyes tender enough to cut with a plastic knife, served by the local cattleman's association. The party then moved to the school's Stuart Underwood Auditorium, where keynote speaker Joker Phillips held forth with tales past, present and future of the Kentucky Wildcat football team. Phillips, who will take over as head coach when Rich Brooks decides to retire, promised good things to come when the Wildcats return to action in the fall.

The great Lakota Indian leader, Tatanka Iotanka, said, "Let us put our minds together and see what life we will make for our children. " We know him better as Sitting Bull. His words are haunting. What life, indeed, have we made for our children? What life are we making at the moment? The recently released Kids Count statistics reveal a four-alarm fire is blazing, incinerating the hopes and dreams of many of Jessamine County's children. Poverty, teen pregnancy, lackluster school performance - all are symptoms of an underlying illness.

ConnectKentucky is partnering with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce to produce telework seminars on realizing the opportunity that exists with telework and its benefits to businesses and employees alike. The goal of the seminars is to give participants an overview of what telework is, clear ideas for implementing a telework policy, technical requirements for success, legal considerations and advice about how to manage employees remotely. The telework seminars provide business leaders and human resource managers information to either allow staff to work remotely or to formalize a telework policy.