Federal Grant Awarded to Study Local Literacy Innovation

Former UW-Madison researcher Dr. Jan Edwards was recently awarded a $3.3M grant from the federal Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to fund a four year randomized trial study of ToggleTalk, a kindergarten/first grade supplemental curriculum published by Ventris Learning of Sun Prairie. ToggleTalk was developed with a prior IES grant by a team of national language & literacy experts with the express goal of helping educators reduce the Black White Achievement Gap in Reading. ToggleTalk has been shown in several studies to significantly boost student achievement on language & literacy measures, and the program has been well-received by students,  educators and parents in schools across the US.

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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Business and Labor Closely Aligned on Madison Common Council Endorsements

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Feb. 22, 2017)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – Today the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors announced its endorsements for the Madison Common Council elections taking place April 4. With representation from many prominent and emerging companies throughout Greater Madison, an endorsement from the 48-member Chamber board signals a candidate’s strength on business issues and vision to grow Greater Madison’s economy.

The Chamber’s endorsement decisions closely mirror candidates endorsed by the Building Trades of South Central Wisconsin.

“In contested races for Madison Common Council, the choice for business and labor alike is clear. To have the endorsement of both the Chamber and Building Trades demonstrates a candidate’s understanding of how economies work and how best to foster job growth in our region,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “It is important that we not let up on the economic momentum we are seeing in Greater Madison, and these candidates have the right experience, passion and commitment to help us continue to drive that momentum.”

The Chamber endorsed the following candidates for Madison Common Council:

District 1: Barbara Harrington-McKinney
District 3: Amanda Hall
District 5: Shiva Bidar-Sielaff
District 7: Steve King
District 8: Zach Wood
District 9: Paul Skidmore
District 10: Maurice Cheeks
District 11: Arvina Martin
District 12: Larry Palm
District 13: Sara Eskrich
District 14: Sheri Carter
District 16: Denise DeMarb
District 19: Mark Clear
District 20: Matt Phair

The release from the Building and Construction Trades Council regarding their candidate endorsements is attached here.

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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Chamber Urges Immediate Action to Avoid Multi-Year Road Work Delays

Today the Chamber sent a letter to state legislative leaders and Governor Walker, urging immediate action to avoid multi-year delays to critical road projects including I-39/90 and Verona Road. For business, economic, mobility and safety reasons, multi-year delays are just plain unacceptable.

Ideally, we would like to see long-term transportation finance reform to provide sustainable revenue sources for projects. In the short-term, however, immediate options must be considered, including use of the budgeted contingency bonding, to lessen the impact on these critical projects.

Read the Chamber’s complete letter here.

All Signs Point to Improvement for City Sign Code

Over the last year, the Chamber has led a workgroup of city and business leaders focused on finding solutions to problematic areas of Madison’s sign code that would support city planning, safety, and private business goals. This effort began with the introduction of proposed changes to Madison’s sign code that would have created new, across-the-board restrictions and reduced signage for commercial signage. The Chamber opposed the original proposal and built coalition of partners to encourage a more meaningful, comprehensive discussion on Madison’s sign regulations to address city and business concerns. Read the coalition’s letter to Mayor Soglin here.

The Mayor agreed to hold off on his proposals and proceed with the proposed review. To guide that discussion, the workgroup developed six shared goals:

1. We both seek to appropriately manage the use of commercial messages within the city, to provide attractive signage compatible with surroundings, and to prevent unnecessary clutter within the city.
2. Signage options should be affordable for businesses, functional for their locations, and visible for customers.
3. Ordinances should not limit originality or sense of place but allow for the creation of beautiful, vibrant, and safe buildings with quality design.
4. The sign code should prioritize visibility of business signs and take into account factors such as location while making provisions to be flexible, functional, and allow for creative flair.
5. Businesses should have access to clear and easy-to-understand information about signage, city codes, and sign application process.
6. Finally, the sign permit and approval process should be timely and efficient for city staff, committees, and businesses.

Last week, this work culminated with the introduction of several proposed changes to Madison’s sign code. If adopted, these changes not only will provide more flexibility for businesses, it also recognizes the important role that appropriate and identifiable signage has in helping businesses inform, direct and communicate with customers.

We expect more conversations on signage in the future, but this proposed set of changes is a positive step forward.