Category: Press Releases
Extra! Extra! Read all about it. If the Greater Madison Area Chamber of Commerce is talking about it, you’ll see it here.
Photo by Richard Hurd
Chamber Unveils Access Agenda
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 16, 2017)
Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)
MADISON – Today the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce unveiled its Access Agenda, a new two-year policy roadmap at the local, state and federal level to accelerate our advanced industries and bolster the state’s standing as a place of innovation and entrepreneurship. The Access Agenda is framed around the factors that drive companies to make decisions: access to talent, customers, infrastructure, supply chain and a livable community.
“Greater Madison is growing in advanced industries, population and recognition as a world-class place of innovation, and as our momentum continues, we must take collaborative and intentional action to ensure the advanced economy we are building works for everyone,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “Our Access Agenda doubles down on science, technology, innovation and investments in talent, as well as ensuring Greater Madison is an inclusive place where anyone can see opportunity and share in our region’s prosperity. With greater access, we will achieve a greater Madison.”
View the full Access Agenda at greatermadisonchamber.com/access
For a TruScribe-produced video introducing the Access Agenda, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1rsoD-i95M
About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 9,500 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
Farwell Continues Rapid Growth
“Lower cost and ubiquitous technology has caused massive disruption regardless of industry. It is a fast-paced mix of increased competition, a multitude of vendor solutions, and aggressive growth goals,” said McQuin. “From that comes a wide breadth of transformation including modernization, organizational restructuring, consolidation, customer experience redesign, partnerships and automation. These efforts succeed when Change Management best practices are applied.”
Farwell Senior Change Consultant Rachel Breitbach noted that the increased emphasis on dedicated Change Management is also a result of leaders learning from programs that were not successful. “Employee engagement, executive support and proper expectation-setting are key components of managing the pace and breadth of change we see today,” she stated. “Leaders that dedicate teams to help their organizations navigate these changes increase their probability of success and gain competitive advantages.”
For the third straight year, Farwell will be sponsoring the Madison/South Central Wisconsin Project Management Institute’s Annual Professional Development Day (PDD). The Farwell team will be meeting with hundreds of professionals and leaders responsible for planning and executing strategic projects during an unprecedented period of innovation, change and transformation.
The Farwell team enjoys engaging directly with companies and learning more about their successes and challenges. “PDD is a great opportunity to talk with our clients and other Wisconsin companies about their strategies to compete during this time of rapid change,” said Nick Lombardino, a senior member of the Farwell Client Solutions team. “Scaling to meet customer demand, prioritizing projects, technical modernization and becoming more agile are common discussions for our clients.”
Meet the Farwell Team at PDD on Friday, May 12th at the Madison Marriott West, 1313 John Q Hammons Dr, Middleton, WI 53562.
About Farwell
After being a consultant for other firms since the 1990’s, Jason Potter started Farwell as an independent consultant in 2012. Steve McQuin joined him a year later to help Farwell grow, and Nick Lombardino joined at the end of 2013. Farwell now has over 30 consultants working on projects with clients in the Midwest.
Farwell focuses on Change, Risk and Vendor Management. Service categories include Strategy and Planning, Project Execution and Partner Services. The Farwell consulting team includes Project, Program and Portfolio Managers, Process Improvement Experts, Business Analysts, and Solution Architects. Farwell’s Partner Services include managed service providers, technical staffing firms, data experts, application development teams, and IT security consultants, among others. Farwell and its partners work together to develop custom, client-focused solutions.
Photo by Richard Hurd
Chamber President Zach Brandon Receives Distinguished Service Award from Wisconsin National Guard Association
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 2, 2017)
Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)
MADISON – Today the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced that Chamber President Zach Brandon is the recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Service Award, the Wisconsin National Guard Association’s highest civilian honor. The award was presented Saturday during WINGA’s 67th Annual State Conference in Elkhart Lake.
The award recognizes Brandon and the Chamber’s involvement in the effort to base the next-generation F-35A aircraft at Madison’s Truax Field, outstanding leadership and community advocacy in support of the mission of the 115th Fighter Wing through the Chamber’s work with the Badger Air Community Council (BACC).
“While I am humbled and honored to accept this award, I share it with the business leaders, elected officials, advocates, community members and countless others who have supported and shown their appreciation for the remarkable, hardworking men and women of the 115th Fighter Wing,” said Brandon. “Landing the F-35A at Truax would be both a national defense asset and an economic opportunity for Greater Madison, and we are proud to do everything we can to promote the 1,200 airmen of the 115th and the significant contributions they make to our community.”
In addition to supporting 1,200 Wisconsin jobs, the 115th Fighter Wing contributes $100 million in annual economic impact, provides emergency response services for Dane County Regional Airport and pays more than $1 million in tuition assistance to colleges and universities for area students who serve in the Guard.
In January, the Chamber launched Together Truax, the next step of an initiative designed to support the effort to base the F-35A at Truax Field. The initiative includes a new website, TogetherTruax.com, and Facebook and Twitter pages, in addition to ongoing advocacy. The Air Force announced in December that Truax is one of five finalist sites for the F-35A, with the two bases that will receive the next-generation jets to be named at a later date.
About the Wisconsin National Guard Association:
The Wisconsin National Guard Association, Inc. (WINGA) is a nonpartisan organization representing more than 1,800 current and former Wisconsin Army and Air National Guard officers. Formed in 1951, the association promotes the relevance, readiness, and modernization of our National Guard, improving the quality of life for its members and supporting state and national policies to advance the security of the United States. To learn more, visit http://www.winga.org.
About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 9,500 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
The Alliance Will Host Its Largest Event of the Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Teri Van Tassel, Vice President, Marketing & Member Services
608.210.6633
E-mail: tvantassel@the-alliance.org
GET HELP MAKING HEALTH CARE’S HARD DECISIONS
The Alliance Will Host its Largest Event of the Year – May 16
MADISON, Wis. (April 18, 2017) – The Alliance is inviting employers and anyone interested in learning about shared decision making to its Annual Seminar event on May 16, 2017.
Do I or Don’t I?
Making Hard Decisions in Health Care
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
8 – 11:30 a.m.
The Monona Terrace, Madison, Wis.
More than 300 people are expected to attend to hear from three national speakers:
- Andrew Lazris, MD, founder and practitioner of a primary care practice in Columbia, MD and co-author of Interpreting Health Benefits and Risks
- Erik Rifkin, PhD, environmental scientist and co-author of Interpreting Health Benefits and Risks
- Catherine DesRoches, DrPH, executive director, OpenNotes
Presentations will cover the importance of shared decision making as well as:
- How to involve the patient in decision making
- Illustrating a pictorial way of showing how few people are helped and how many are harmed by common procedures through Benefit Risk Characteristic Theatre (BRCT).
- Overview of the OpenNotes initiative and how it is being incorporated into many clinics and hospitals today.
The Alliance Board of Directors will also present its third annual Health Transformation Awards to individuals and organizations who have committed to moving health care forward for consumers, employers and purchasers.
Interested individuals who would like to attend for free can register here:
http://www.the-alliance.org/events/
The Alliance is an employer-owned, not-for-profit cooperative that moves health care forward by controlling costs, improving quality and engaging individuals in their health. It has 240 employer members that provide health benefit coverage to more than 100,000 people in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
Study Features Madison As Place of Industry and Innovation, Highlights Impact of Research on Economic Growth
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (April 4, 2017)
Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)
MADISON – Today the Atlantic Council released a new report, “Keeping America’s Innovative Edge,” that provides a strategic framework for reinvigorating innovation in America and includes policy recommendations that cover subjects such as research and development, skills training, education and city planning. Madison was one of four U.S. “tech hubs” – along with Boulder/Denver, Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area – featured in the report, and Chamber board member Aaron Olver, Managing Director of University Research Park, was part of the expert panel at the event launching the report.
In response, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce President Zach Brandon released the following statement:
“To be one of just four tech hubs profiled in this report is a tremendous validation of the progress the Greater Madison region is making toward being recognized as a place of industry and innovation. As the report states, place matters, and with the right tools, investment and intentional action, Greater Madison is well-positioned for continued growth and recognition.
“While the report includes many encouraging signs for Greater Madison’s economy, there are cautionary notes as well, particularly when it comes to a long-term decline in government-funded university research. This report highlights the critical impact that research has on our innovation economy and serves as another warning lawmakers must heed about the direct correlation between public investment in universities and economic growth.
“UW-Madison is a world-class research institution that supplies the state with skilled talent and technology transfer into the marketplace, but that reputation and associated output cannot be taken for granted. To maintain our global competitive edge, it is imperative for state and federal policymakers to reverse the trend in declining research funding.”
You can read the full report here.
About the Atlantic Council:
The Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the Atlantic Community’s central role in meeting global challenges. The Council provides an essential forum for navigating the dramatic economic and political changes defining the twenty-first century by informing and galvanizing its uniquely influential network of global leaders. Through the papers we write, the ideas we generate, and the communities we build, the Council shapes policy choices and strategies to create a more secure and prosperous world. Learn more at http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/.
About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.
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