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Thank you for taking the time to read the spring | summer issue of chamber magazine. Like so many, it’s hard to believe that June is right around the corner! Our team has been actively wearing a ton of hats these days to keep up with the tremendous interest and activity happening in the South Bend Region.
Let me update you on a few things. First, we’re happy to welcome some new staff members, including Jeff Jarnecke, who replaces Rob DeCleene as executive director of Visit South Bend Mishawaka, and Mark McGill, who replaces Rick Zeeff as director of member relations, who is retiring soon from the Chamber. We wish nothing but the best for Rob as he begins a new career with IU South Bend as vice chancellor for university relations and advancement, and we hope Rick will enjoy retirement, and thank both of them for their efforts and talent while at the Chamber. Jeff, who most recently was executive director of venues for the City of South Bend, will begin in early July, while Mark has been with us for a couple of months. Make sure to check out the “Meet Mark McGill” video to get to know him better.
I want to thank those of you who attended and/or partnered with us on Salute to Business. See the recap, including detailed profiles on our honorees, in this issue. We were thrilled to have Notre Dame Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman join us for an intriguing fireside chat, reinforcing the good hands the football team is in with Freeman as their leader. It was wonderful to see nearly 1,000 people gathering again and reconnecting. Thank you to 1st Source Bank for partnering with us for the ninth consecutive year to help deliver this program to you every year.
In this issue, you’ll also read additional information about this year’s Michiana Forty under 40 honorees. Their commitment to their professions and civic engagement is exemplary. Later, this month, we’ll introduce you to the recipients on a more personal level with the launch of the Recognition Video we produce and the honoree profiles in the special Michiana Forty under 40 supplement produced with assistance by the Chamber in the South Bend Tribune. Current class and alumni will celebrate together at an August 31 reunion reception at Hotel Elkhart. And, we are pleased to announce that we are starting a Michiana Forty under 40 Mentoring Program, encouraging our alumni to pay it forward. More details to come on this program.
Lastly, our economic development efforts have been extremely robust in the past 18 months, as we continue to follow-up on leads from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, indicating strong interest in our region. My team has done an outstanding job providing the data, resources and information to showcase our region to stand above the competition. We enjoy highlighting our assets and workforce programs to prospects. Speaking of workforce, our Summer Connect program kicks off next week, with the goal of engaging summer interns. Not only do we provide them with educational programming, but we also make them fall in love with the South Bend Region so they are fully informed on what our area has to offer. In late April, we presented Health Careers Week to our educators and high school students to help them understand the various career opportunities available in that field. Patterned after our successful MFG Days and Building Trades Week, you can always check out our YouTube channel to access Career Chat sessions at any time. As you can see, we continue to focus on transformative work in the workforce space as our board and businesses indicate this is our priority. We look forward to creating the kind of programs to strengthen our talent pipeline.
Thank you for your continued support and belief in the Chamber. We are honored to work on your behalf. Feel free to reach out to me at any time with feedback. Enjoy the magazine!
