Leawood Chamber of Commerce Member Memo — September 28, 2007

Upcoming events and news from around the Leawood area.

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Leawood Chamber Events

Morning Mingling

Oct. 2, 2007, 8:00am at Roth Distributing Center, 7930 Marshall Drive, Lenexa, 66214
Contact: Chamber Staff – 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 us for some great Leawood Chamber networking at Roth Distributing Center.

Attendees will enjoy coffee with an omelet bar prepared by a chef in the Roth Distributing demonstration room. There will also be a chance to enter the door prize drawing to win either a brush or chrome finished Swiss made KWC kitchen faucet!

The registration deadline for this event is Friday, September 28th, by 5:00 pm. Make sure you register today!

Bella B's Boutique Ribbon Cutting

Oct. 2, 2007, 3:30pm at Bella B's Boutique, 6908 W. 135th Street, Overland Park, 66223

Come join us as we welcome Bella B's Boutique to the Leawood Chamber and help them celebrate the Grand Opening of their location in Overland Park. This is a joint celebration with Overland Park and the ribbon will be cut at 3:30p.m.

There will be an open house and reception after the ribbon cutting, along with special shopping discounts for the event. Bella B's Boutique is a Kansas City fashion destination offering the latest trends from the coasts and runways.

Chamber Education Program

Oct. 3, 2007, 8:00am at KU Edwards Campus, Regnier Hall Room 165, 12600 Quivira Road, Overland Park, 66213 — Register Online
Cost: There is no cost to attend this event; however, reservations are required.

This presentation by Rob Estell, LCSW, LSCSW, will define diversity in the broadest of terms (by looking at dimensions of diversity) including race, gender, ethnicity, age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, values, education, physical appearance, lifestyle, beliefs, geographic origin, longevity with the organization and economic status. Attendees will better understand the benefits of diversity and diverse work environments.

The reservation deadline for this event is Monday, October 1st by 5:00 p.m., so reserve your spot today!

Leawood Community Events

FREE live music

Sep. 28, 2007, 7:00pm at ARTichokes, 10557 Mission Road, Leawood,
Cost: FREE! Weblink: http://www.artichokeskc.com

Come and enjoy Kathryn Lorenzen, singer and songwriter this Friday, September 28 from 7-8pm.

Leawood Rotary Presents Bids for Kids

Sep. 29, 2007, 6:00pm at The Ritz CHarles, 9000 W. 137th Street, Overland Park,
Contact: Jim Rawlings – jrawlings@kc.rr.com 913-259-2162
Weblink: http://www.leawoodrotary.org

Enjoy a great evening withyour friends to benefit "CLO" (Community Living Opportunities) and St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf.

The fundraiser will include cocktails from 6 to 7 p.m., a silent auction during dinner, and a live auction from 10 p.m. to midnight. Jackets are suggested. Make a donation and be part of the evening's excitement in the drawing for a Samsung 50" High Definition Plasma TV!

Justice for all; Accessing the Promise

Sep. 29, 2007, 10:00am at CourtTV,
Contact: Cynthia Martin – cmartin63@prepaidlegal.com 913-636-3029
Weblink: http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/cmartin63

Pre-Paid Legal Services is pleased to announce their Life Events Legal PLan will be showcased in a half-hour documentary on CourtTV.

Pre-Paid Legal can be offered as a full fringe binefit, but it can also be offered as a voluntary benefit with the full cost being covered by the employee.

Viewing in other time zones:

11:00 am - Eastern
9:00 am - Mountain
11:00 am - Pacific

For more information after the show, contact Cynthia Martin.

Kiwanis Backpack Safety Day

Sep. 29, 2007, 10:00am at Lionsgate Plaza, NE corner of 143rd & Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, 66223
Contact: Terri Murphy, Kiwanis President – tmurphy@bankingunusual.com 913-568-7585
Cost: FREE

The Leawood Kiwanis Club will be doing backpack safety screenings for kids of all ages.

They will weigh your child and their normally loaded backpack to see if they are carrying a safe amount of weight. A digital camera and computer software will also be used to check their posture with their backpacks on.

This is free of charge. (Donations encouraged as backpacks will be available, a rafffle for prizes and free Robeks Smoothies, games and balloons- All proceeds to benefi t the Blue Valley Educational Foundation). 94.9 KCMO will be broadcasting from 10-12am.

Running an Advisory Board Workshop

Oct. 2, 2007, 11:00am at ECJC Conference Center, 8527 Bluejacket St., Lenexa, 66214
Contact: Jayne Vehlewald – jvehlewald@ecjc.com 913-438-2282
Cost: Price includes boxed lunch Weblink: http://www.ecjc.com

A workshop to help ensure that you are ready to manage advisory board meetings and gain the outcomes you are looking for. It will cover what is required for a successful meeting and what information you should provide to your board members.

This workshop will be presented by the Astra Group, a Johnson County human resource firm specializing in outsourced business solutions.

YOU are Invited to a Free Networking Lunch!

Oct. 3, 2007, 11:30am at Inter-Tel, 8206 Marshall Drive, Lenexa,
Contact: Michael Weiss – 913-814-7776 x40424

Learn about the BNI secrets to success through “word-of-mouth” marketing.

B2B – Business 2 Business is a business and professional networking organization established in 2006 whose primary purpose is to exchange qualified business referrals. It is among the most powerful in the KC area.

The B2B Professionals are planning this Visitor’s Day event because they would like to add more reputable businesses like yours to their current membership. I would like to personally invite you to join us so you can learn more about the organization and find out if you would be interested in generating a steady source of referral business for yourself.

There is no charge to attend and lunch will be provided. Remember to bring plenty of business cards to pass around, as you will meet lots of local business professionals. Please feel free to bring a business associate with you who may also abe interested!

News & Announcements

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

One of the hardest things to do is to talk to another person about things they're doing wrong. Likewise, employers often forgo doing employee evaluations altogether or only bring up positive things, hoping to do themselves a favor by maintaining peace and harmony in the workplace.

The reality is the only person they're doing a favor for is the employee. In fact, an employer who either doesn't do evaluations or isn't fully honest in evaluations is setting the company up for potential legal trouble. Without a prior record of performance problems -- or worse, having a stellar review -- a fired employee may feel discriminated against and be tempted to file a lawsuit. The employer would then be stuck arguing against their own rosy evaluation of the employee. Let's just say that's never a good way to win over a jury.

Beyond that, employees can't be blamed for not meeting expectations when all they receive is positive feedback. They’ll likely be shocked, and even hurt, when lingering problems suddenly come to light.
So what should be in an evaluation? An evaluation should reflect the entire evaluation period, whether it is three, six or twelve months. They should ... (go to www.leawoodchamber.org for more information)

Continental Title Company Wins Award

For the fourth consecutive year, Continental Title Company has been named one of the "Top 10" title company's in the State of Missouri and for the 2nd year in the State of Kansas by First American Title Insurance Company, one of Continental Title Company's underwriters. These honors are awarded based on volume and production.

"To receive this award for four years, being that we are only six years young, is truly amazing and humbling," stated Matt McBride, Chief Financial Officer of CTC. "We take pride in knowing with hard work and unparalleled customer service, awards like this can be accomplished. CTC also knows these honors are not possible without our loyal customers and their trust in us. We are proud to say we are "Top 10" in Missouri and Kansas."

For further inquiries about Continental Title Company, contact Sandi Jones at sandij@ctitle.com or 913.660.1004.

Trunk or Treat

Be a “trunk” in the 4th Annual Trunk-or-Treat event during Leawood Parks & Recreation’s Freaky Fall Fest on Friday, October 19.

During the event parents and children will be walking from car to car collecting candy and goodies from local businesses. This is a great opportunity for you to advertise for your group or company with signs, fliers, etc. at your vehicle! Sign up today by calling Lindsay Youle at (913) 339-6700, ext. 158.

Book your private party

Chris Cakes Kitchen closes each day at 2pm, BUT they are available for private functions every evening. They can cater any type buffet meal or just use the facitlity for your meeting.

For more information, visit their web site at www.chriscakeskitchen.com, or call 913-685-3547 (FLIP)!

MOCSA's Johnson County Fall Forum

MOCSA's Fall Forum will spotlight the issue of sexual assault in Johnson County with the viewpoint from local police, educators, parents and MOCSA staff that daily interact with our community around this issue.

Don't miss this informative luncheon on Wednesday, October 24th, held at the Overland Park Marriott from 11:30 to 1:00pm. For more information, visit the MOCSA web site at www.mocsa.org.

Member Profile

HRedge Solutions

HRedge Solutions is a full service human resource consulting firm providing both internal and external integrated management services across a broad range of businesses and industries. “They are more than just HR consultants. They are broad based business consultants who specialize in integrating people issues with business strategies, as well as, the short and long term objectives of the companies they help.”

The mission of HRedge Solutions is to enhance the value of an organization through it’s people. How do they do this? The answer is this...they redefine human capital, how it is managed and how it is measured. They provide best practices and leading edge solutions in metrics, methodologies and tools when working with clients to build highly efficient and effective HR delivery models and operations.

Whether HRedge Solutions is supporting your existing HR staff or managing the entire HR function, their model is more tightly linked to your corporate strategy and creating business value for your organization through HR services that address your company’s more pressing strategic challenges s ... (go to www.leawoodchamber.org for complete profile)

Leawood Chamber of Commerce
11300 Tomahawk Creek Parkway #240, Leawood, KS 66211
Web: www.leawoodchamber.org
Email: chamber@leawoodchamber.org
Voice: 913-498-1514 Fax: 913-491-0134

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