Dear Chamber Supporters,
We are quickly approaching one full year with myself as the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce’s President/CEO (April 1 is my first anniversary). Time has flown by, and this milestone being a couple of weeks away really puts that into perspective. It’s safe to say that this past year has been one of the most meaningful in my life; I’m blessed to be able to work with so many great individuals in our community. My very loyal board is included in that bunch. I’m lucky to have such a passionate group to lean on and help carry the Chamber torch in Ottawa and Franklin County. We were able to leverage their experience, time, and networks this past Monday for a nearly full day of strategic planning.
The last time this group came together for a planning session like this would have been in March of 2022, and much of that conversation was about succession planning, knowing my predecessor (John Coen) was close to retirement. Actionable steps like evaluating internal documents, such as our bylaws and job descriptions, and assessing our major assets occurred following that session. As we’ve entered 2024, these things have all been accomplished… so what’s next? It’s safe to say that after six hours of planning on Monday, we took some necessary steps to get closer to that goal! As we are still compiling these results, we look forward to sharing what the future direction our Chamber will be heading in―these will be actionable steps that our board will be able to take in stride together as we continue to elevate our Chamber to serve the community better.
Member Surveys Drive New Educational Initiative
Along with doing strategic planning with the board, one of the other things I knew needed to be accomplished in my first year in this role was to survey our membership. This survey would have been pushed out in the fall of 2023. We were able to hear from over eighty individuals from varying sizes of companies on their thoughts of our organization, what we’re doing well, where we’re missing the mark, and maybe most importantly, what they wanted to see next. One of the most evident things our team took from that survey was the desire for continued education for business owners. Practical knowledge that would allow businesses of all sizes the resources to do their day-to-day better. So we took that and ran! Yesterday we executed our first installment of what we’ve dubbed the Small Business Seminar Series.
Knowing this would be a daunting task to try and do alone, we knew we needed support, so we called in some of the most knowledgeable individuals we know when it comes to supporting entrepreneurship, the KU Small Business Development Center (SBDC). If you’re unfamiliar, this staff of three has one mission in mind, and that is “Help more people!” and the way they do that is by “Growing Kansas one small business at a time” (this is genuinely their mission and vision statements respectively). Our SBDC also supports five other counties, including Douglas, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Atchinson, and Doniphan. This looks like FREE support of all kinds to businesses―over 450 annually, to be exact. They know their stuff! Which is precisely why I kindly asked for their support, which they elegantly accepted.
As a result, the dozen individuals in attendance last night learned about our first topic, the “digital marketplace” (picture here). This included information on Google My Business, websites, social media, and different online (free) tools to leverage. If this content interests you, don’t fret because you missed it—we are creating the solution as we speak! Our SBDC has agreed to create a virtual presentation that will be recorded and eventually uploaded for online viewing. Along with watching, we will provide the practical guides and material to follow along with the presentation. I’m very excited to bring this content to our community as I think it has the potential to make fundamental differences in the way our local businesses can conduct themselves. But sometimes, this large influx of information can be overwhelming, especially in so little time. One of my favorite things that Kristina (Regional Director of our SBDC) shared was that as a business owner, you’ll never get everything perfect from the start. But it’s important to be intentional about making incremental improvements to better your business. Not only will that allow your business to grow, but it will also increase sustainability and prevent burnout. Great advice for business owners and humans!
Spotlight on Ottawa
Our former Mayor and longstanding community advocate, Richard Jackson, recently shared a publication with our office that I wanted to make sure you saw. City of Ottawa City Manager Brian Silcott, with the help of his staff, was able to submit this great two-page article about our town to the Kansas Government Journal (article here). As a result, a statewide audience was able to read about our fine community―what great publicity! I feel more and more that our local area is getting some limelight here and there on a regional level. I hope that only grows as I believe we have something extraordinary to share with our region (Ottawa quality of life). I appreciate this press and the ability of others to tap into regional media through their respective industries.
Honoring Some Departing Community Champions
Goodbyes are never easy to do, but along with last week's announcement, there are a couple of community champions who have recently announced their departure from their respective roles. The first being President/CEO of AdventHealth Ottawa, Dallas Purkeypile, who now has the great opportunity to serve a little closer to home in AdventHealth Overland Park―today is his last day at our Ottawa campus. This comes after a fantastic four years serving our local hospital as President. He can leave on a high note with the completion of the three-phase improvements that took place in the AdventHealth Ottawa Health Park and the Sports Med and Rehab facilities. As well as giving 1,150 shoes and 5,750 socks to elementary kids in Franklin County. When talking with Dallas, he shared that he greatly enjoyed his time in our community and has memories and relationships that will most definitely stick with him. What makes that process easier is knowing that there is a great leadership staff sticking around to help guide local operations. Big thank you to Dallas and the support he has shown our Chamber and many other community organizations in his time here in Ottawa. Best of luck!
We also have received news that Levi Meyer, Director of the Ottawa Recreation Commission, will be transitioning from his role into a new professional opportunity. Levi would have taken over the ORC in 2020 and has since bolstered this organization in ways that I don’t think many would have realized possible. He has been able to further cultivate partnerships, added a significant number of programs, and saw unprecedented growth in participation in those programs. The ORC was even voted the best place to work in 2022 via the Best of the Best awards. His recruitment and retention of staff has played an integral part in their success, surrounding himself with a great team. He has been a great community leader and I know his future workplace is incredibly lucky to have him! Thank you for your dedication to our community’s health and quality of life these last four years Levi.
Mic Check Before the Shamrock Hunt
I was able to double down with our local radio station this morning as I hopped on the air for a short chat with Brad Howard and then I was able to swing over and see the discovery of the lucky hidden shamrock with Derek Chappell (picture here). It’s always a great time spent when you’re with our KOFO team—and really, an impactful community partner in more ways than one. I believe they act as a crucial outlet for information in our community. Their longtime presence in our area can be attributed to their consistency and accuracy; staying relevant, timely, and available makes them a huge asset for our county and those lucky enough to neighbor us.
The Chamber directly benefits from opportunities to share our mission with listeners. So thank you Brad for letting me join you this morning! The Chamber is also proud to be a conduit for keeping money in our community through our Chamber Currency program. When Derek asked our office to partner on the lucky shamrock hunt this year by offering Chamber bucks to ensure the money stays local, it was a no-brainer. Thank you KOFO Radio for looking out for our community in more ways than one!
From Tiny Tots to Big Dreams
Chamber members were hosted by ECKAN at their newly spruced-up Head Start location at 225 E 2ND St. this morning (pictures here). The Head Start program is a nationwide initiative that started in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty—Head Start aimed to address the educational and developmental needs of low-income children. One of the primary goals is to ensure that all children, regardless of their socioeconomic background, have access to high-quality early childhood education. The Ottawa Head Start is able to facilitate up to forty 3 and 4-year-olds through a range of services, including early learning, health screenings, nutritious meals, and family support. Head Start creates a nurturing and stimulating environment that fosters children's growth and prepares them for success come kindergarten and all that follows. In addition to supporting children's development, Head Start recognizes the critical role that families play in shaping children's lives. Therefore, the program places a strong emphasis on family engagement and empowerment, providing parents with resources, training, and opportunities for involvement in their children's education. By fostering partnerships between families, educators, and communities, Head Start creates a supportive network that reinforces children's learning and well-being both inside and outside the classroom.
Ottawa’s two conjoined buildings are one of eight under the ECKAN umbrella. From those eight counties, more than 380 students are enrolled in programs (a wild number of kids!). This is only possible through the 65-70 faculty on staff throughout all the locations. Days are structured locally in either 6 or 6.5-hour slots. There are income guidelines that the majority of families need to fall under to participate, but there are some exceptions to this rule. It is important to note that students with disabilities are accepted into this program as well.
This location was able to receive a boost through the CARES Act (Federal COVID dollars) that was used for the addition of a couple of new restrooms and a major upgrade to their playground—including a turf area where grass (more commonly mud) was present, and the resurfacing of the playground (which is now a bouncy rubber). These new amenities offer more efficiency for staff which leads to a better experience for the children. Clara Cox (Head Start Director) shared that Head Start does receive federal funding to operate, but the caveat is that there must be a quarter match for every dollar received. This looks like donations but also in-kind giving as well, including one’s time! Whether you can offer a day or maybe just a half hour, there are an abounding number of opportunities to get involved. Through that involvement, three and four-year-olds in our community gain access to vital learning and social interaction that might otherwise be impossible.
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If you haven’t been counting, the Chamber has had two events in the last 24 hours—and we’re only halfway through! We have another two events in the following 24 hours. At 4:30pm we will begin the program to cut the ribbon at the Lincoln Event Center (formally the Historic Post Office). Following the ribbon cutting, there will be refreshments and tours given; sounds like a party! Tomorrow morning we will be hosting another Legislative Coffee with our four local legislators. We have been notified that all four should be in attendance; I hope you can come and share your thoughts, concerns, and questions, as this is one of the best opportunities to open dialogue with those who represent you. As always, this will be streamed on the City of Ottawa’s Facebook page and can be rewatched afterward in case you’re busy at 10am. Following this Legislative Coffee, your local Chamber will have finished four events in the span of three days. We are grateful to have the opportunity to connect our area with education, other business leaders through networking, and local legislators with these types of programs. We love being an active Chamber, we hope you can come along and be a part of all the good that is happening in our business community! I hope to see you either later this afternoon or tomorrow morning :)
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000