Leawood Chamber of Commerce Member Memo — December 1, 2006

Upcoming events and news from around the Leawood area.

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Leawood Chamber Events

"The Spirit of Entrepreneurship" 2006 Annual Meeting

Dec. 12, 2006, 11:30am at Ritz Charles, 9000 W. 137th Street, Overland Park, 66221
Contact: Chamber Office – chamber@leawoodchamber.org 913-498-1514
Cost: $35 for members, $40 for non-members

Event Host Sponsors:

Commerce Bank - M & I Bank - Shawnee Mission Medical Center
Saint Luke's South - CBIZ & Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.

Featuring guest speaker Mike Brown, co-founder and CEO of Euronet Worldwide. Euronet's story is one of taking risks and targeting untapped resources to find success.

In 1994, Brown and Dan Henry, a commerical real estate broker, jumped on a plane and headed to Budapest, Hungary to see what kind of business opportunities they could find. They immediately noticed that they did not have some of the convienences we have here at home, such as quick access to cash. Though neither Brown nor Henry had any experience in the electronic transaction industry, they decided to take a chance and build an electronic payments infrastructure in Hungary. They immediately brought the convenience of ATMs to millions who had no access to credit or debit cards.

This journey to Hungary has turned into a billion dollar business venture for Brown and Henry. Euronet Worldwide currently operates the largest independent pan-European ATM network, as well as the largest shared ATM network in India and continues to grow steadily. Mike Brown's story of commitment, risk, and innovation is one we can draw inspiration from and relate to our own business ventures. Euronet Worldwide is a Leawood-based business on the rise, and we are thrilled to have Mike Brown featured as our keynote speaker.

In addition to our speaker, the Leawood Chamber will present awards to outstanding individuals or businesses who have served the community in an extraordinary way. Open to the public, this event provides a way for the Chamber to connect area business and community leaders.

— Register Online

Morning Mingling

Dec. 5, 2006, 8:00am at Blue Valley Recreation Commission, 6545 W. 151st St., Overland Park, 66223
Contact: Chamber office – chamber@leawoodchamber.org 913-498-1514 — Register Online
Cost: There is no cost to attend for Chamber members. Guests $5 at the door or call Chamber for guest pass

Leawood Chamber members, their guests, and 'future' Chamber members are invited to join the Blue Valley Recreation Commission for some high-quality networking and great door prizes including Blue Valley Rec. apparel and gift card from Dick's Sporting Goods. Atlanta Bread Company will be serving pastries and other breakfast treats! Come see all the great programs that Blue Valley Recreation provides!

There is no cost to attend this event and the reservation deadline for this event is December 1st.

Peoples Bank & Trust Ribbon Cutting

Dec. 5, 2006, 11:00am at 7579 W. 151st Street, Overland Park,

Join Peoples Bank & Trust as they celebrate the Grand Opening of their new Stanley location.

Chamber Education Program - Lessons from Rebuilding Iraq

Dec. 6, 2006, 8:00am at KU Edwards Campus, 12600 Quivira Road, Overland Park, 66213
Contact: Chamber Office – chamber@leawoodchamber.org 913-498-1514 — Register Online
Cost: There is no cost to attend this event; however, reservations are required.

"Change on Any Scale: Concepts and Methods and Tales from the Trenches" - Professor Chick Keller will present the lessons learned in rebuilding Iraq. For seven months in 2004, Keller was Program Management Director for the reconstruction program in Iraq. The program consisted of 2500 projects spread across various sectors, such as electrical, oil, public works and water, roads, education, health, security and communications. For his efforts in Iraq, Keller was awarded the Joint Civilian Service Commendations Medal.

The rebuilding program did not go as planned. In the presentation, Professor Keller will cover highlights of the original plan, the challenges implementing the plan, as well as lessons learned.

Sunrise Assisted Living of Leawood Ribbon Cutting

Dec. 14, 2006, 4:00pm at Sunrise Assisted Living of Leawood, 11661 Granada, Leawood, 66211

Join Sunrise Assisted Living of Leawood for their Grand Opening Celebration. Mingle with guests, tour their new home and enjoy refreshments. Find out more about Assisted Living, Alzheimer's Care, and The View for seniors with low vision needs.

Leawood Community Events

Holiday Traditions at the Historic Oxford School

Dec. 2, 2006, 9:30am at Historic Oxford Schoolhouse, 147th & Mission Road, Leawood, 66224
Contact: April Bishop – aprilb@leawood.org 913-339-6700 x157
Cost: Free Weblink: http://leawood.org

Learn about holiday traditions on the plains at the turn of the 20th century.

Make crafts, decorate a tree, enjoy refreshments and sing songs to old time musician Scott Klamm.

Holiday Shopping Spree

Dec. 5, 2006, 6:30pm at Bath Junkie, 13328-A Metcalf, Overland Park, 66213

Come to Bath Junkie on December 5th and get your favorite bath goodies.  They have many excellent stocking stuffers or items for "Secret Santas" to give!

Other Vendors participating in this event are Beijo Bags, Arbonne, Santas, Silpada, Megan's Coozies, and Private Quarters.

Leawood Fine Art Holiday Open House

Dec. 6, 2006, 5:00pm at Leawood Fine Art, 11843 Roe Ave, Leawood, 66211
Contact: Karen Albert – kalbert1@kc.rr.com 913-338-4999
Cost: Free Weblink: http://www.leawoodfineart.com

Join us for festivities on Wednesday evening, December 6th for the Leawood Fine Art Holiday Open House!  Refreshments will be served and they will be giving away exciting door prizes!

Enjoy new works of art by the renowned Phoenix Art Group and find unique gifts for holiday giving. Leawood Fine Art specializes in fine art, art glass, unique gifts, and quality custom framing.

Margarita After Hours

Dec. 6, 2006, 4:00pm at 12100 Wornall Road, Kansas City, 64145
Contact: Cathy Borgman – cborgman1@kc.rr.com 816-941-0525
Cost: NONE

Villa Ventura is having an After Hours event to show appreciation to all of the entities they have busness connections with. 

Make sure you stop by and enjoy the afternoon with Villa Ventura!

News & Announcements

Saint Luke's South to Hold Diabetes Screenings at Jewish Community Center

Bonnie Schauperl, diabetes educator and registered dietitian from the Saint Luke’s South Diabetes Education Center, will conduct free diabetes risk assessments and blood sugar screenings for the community. Information on signs, symptoms, and risk factors of diabetes, as well as realistic exercise plans and eating recommendations, will also be provided. Fasting prior to the screening is not required.

Sponsored by Saint Luke’s South and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City on Monday, Dec. 4, from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 8:30 – 10:30 a.m., at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City (5801 W. 115th St., Overland Park, Kan., 66211). 

Though registration is not required, participants may register by calling NurseLine at (816) 932-6220.

Leawood Chamber 2007 Board of Directors Announced

The Leawood Chamber of Commerce announces it's Board of Directors and Board Officers that will begin their terms on January 1, 2007.

Chair - Shawna Davidson, Davidson Promotional Products
Chair-Elect - Tom Robinett, American Academy of Family Physicians
Vice Chair - Monte Giddings, Gleim and Giddings
Treasurer - Mike Best, M&I Bank
Secretary - David Payne, New York Life
Past Chair - Dick Wetzler, Holman Hansen & Colville

Connie Aversman - Commerce Bank
Tracy Beery - Cactus Grill
Ginger Bliss - Shawnee Mission Medical Center
Rick Mills - CBIZ & Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.
Roger Newth - Discover Vision Centers
Ken Schifman - Sprint
Ward Shaw - Walton Construction

Advisory Director - Leawood Mayor Peggy Dunn

Irish Crystal Company Cuts Ribbon on New Location in Overland Park

 

Leawood Chamber of Commerce staff and Board members joined the Nestel family and friends in dedicating Irish Crystal's new location located at 7108 W. 135th in Overland Park. 

This beautiful new store is located on the northwest corner of 135th & Metcalf.  Irish Crystal Company is a family-owned, and has been in business for 15 years. They offer fine Irish crystal and china, as well as a variety of other quality collectibles. They specialize in corporate gifts, bridal registry and sporting awards.

You can learn more about Irish Crystal company by visiting their web site at http://www.irishcrystal.com/.

SPIDERtel and R&D Technology Join Forces

SPIDERtel, an Overland Park based web solutions firm, announced today that R&D Technology will be merged in with its operations.

Former co-owners Derrick and Cassie Woolworth will become SPIDERtel’s Technology Director and Sales Director, respectively. R&D Technology is an eleven year-old firm that has specialized in emerging web technologies, including high-end web development, mobile applications and internet hosting applications. R&D has been widely acknowledged as an industry expert having produced such products as Cart Factory and Spamwall.net, and supported such clients as Sprint, Siricomm, and Evis. 

R&D’s core competencies compliment SPIDERtel’s current product lines of web design, web marketing and web hosting services. SPIDERtel specializes in custom web design solutions and aggressive search marketing programs. SPIDERtel’s clients include The National Bank Of Kansas City, O’Neill Auto, The University of Pennsylvania, and CST Industries, Inc.

Joe Lieberman, Founder and President of SPIDERtel, said “We are honored and extremely excited to be working together with Derrick and Cassie, two recognized e ... (go to www.leawoodchamber.org for more information)

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