The Chamber has been partnering with the BDUSD in trying to incorporate more local careers and businesses into the school curriculum. The goal is for students to understand the great opportunities we have locally. In the 7th-grade economics unit this May, we will be incorporating a sort of "speed dating with careers" event. In preparation for this, 150 of our BD Middle School students completed a survey of career interests. We thought it would be of interest to you, and we are sharing the results below.

We will be reaching out to our members in hopes of including a number of you in this initiative. If you have an interest in sharing your career story with 7th graders, drop us an email and we will see if it works within the curriculum goals. tpropst@beaverdamchamber.com.

Note: First column is those that are marked "interested" only. The second column is "interested" and "somewhat interested" combined.

If you missed the annual meeting, here is the Chamber's annual video report. We are looking forward to another great year and thank you for your membership!

Board Leadership Thank you!

Special thank you to Dirk Langfoss (Far Left), CEO of the YMCA, for serving as our Board Chairman in 2022 and continuing on as a board member for another term. Also to Brian Stegner (Center), Kwik Trip Center Street Store Manager, for serving as a past Chairman and serving two terms on the Board of Directors. We look forward to Josh Tyjeski (Far Right), Tyjeski Family Chiropractic and Wellness Center, leading us as Board Chairman in 2023.

Business After Hours 

Park Avenue Sports Cafe

900 Green Valley Road

THIS WEEK Wednesday, February 15, 2023

5:00 – 7:00 PM

We have all missed Park Avenue Sports Cafe' as they have been closed due to a fire. We want their reopening to be a splash! Let's support our fellow Chamber member with a "cash mob" and plan to purchase drinks, food, and appetizers while we mix and mingle and connect with old friends and make a few new ones too.

Held in a relaxed environment, Business After Hours is a relationship-building experience that benefits you and your company through added contacts, information, and resources. Plus, they're fun!

Please RSVP for the host's planning purposes, but walk-ins are always welcome.

Breakfast Network

Our Guest: The National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI)

Our Host: Trinity United Methodist Church

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

7:45 - 9:00 am

The Chamber Breakfast Network is a great way to start your day. It is an opportunity to connect with other business and organization members and learn something new!

Special thanks to our host Trinity United Methodist Church and our guest presenter the NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) organization. After some networking and getting to know each of our attendees, we will learn a little about host Trinity United Methodist Church and the initiatives our local NAMI has put in place to improve the quality of life of people affected by mental illness. Breakfast is provided by Trinity United Methodist Church; however, a $5 suggested donation is appreciated to help cover costs.

Join us for a Breakfast Network the 2nd Tuesday of Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept and November.

Award applications are now open!

This is your opportunity to tell us about the great things happening at your company or organization and to honor young leaders in our community. What innovative product, process, or practice have you implemented to move your business or organization forward? Who is under 40 and making a positive impact? Celebrate a high school or post-secondary student who is a stand-out in Beaver Dam. Award recipients will be honored on Wednesday, April 26th, at Old Hickory Golf Club.

This recognition will honor five of the Beaver Dam area's brightest young leaders who have demonstrated success in their careers and the communities they represent. We are looking for individuals who are rising stars showing leadership and making a positive impact in their work and where they live.



The Innovation Awards seek to inspire, celebrate, and encourage an environment of positive change-making innovations by honoring the most innovative companies and organizations in the Beaver Dam area. Awards will be presented to both a large and a small company and a non-profit organization whose product, project, program, process improvement or practice best exemplify forward-thinking ideas and extraordinary innovation.

This award started in 2021 and recognizes a high school or post-secondary student who has made a significant impact and positive difference in Beaver Dam through his/her leadership activities and/or work initiatives. Award recipient will be honored for being a community-oriented, professionally responsible, and academically prepared leader. A $200 Chamber Check will be awarded to this honoree.



ShamRock'n Bar Crawl

Saturday, March 18, 2023

2:00 PM - 11:00 PM

(hours may vary by location)

Join some of our Chamber bars and restaurants as they celebrate the weekend of St. Patrick's Day. Chase the Leprechaun, drink specials, shuttle bus, prizes and "Make a scene in green" costume contest are on deck for a fun night!

Taste of Beaver Dam

Month of March

Now in its third year, Taste of Beaver Dam is a chance for Chamber restaurant and bar customers to win prizes during March.

Participating locations contribute a $25 gift card and each week, customers email us at beaverdamchamber@gmail.com a photo of their receipt or a photo of them drinking or eating at the restaurant or bar. You can also tag us on social media to enter. Once a week, winners are drawn. Email us at tpropst@beaverdamchamber to participate.

BD Connect Yoga Class

Elevated Yoga

Tuesday February 21st

7:00 PM

Join BD Connect for a Yoga Night at Elevated Yoga! We will have a blend of aerial and floor yoga. $14 per person (payable at event- Cash or Check only!) RSVP by February 10th - we need a count of everyone attending to let the organizers know. We are currently capping the class at 10.

Please wear a shirt that covers your shoulders and underarms. No Jewelry! Feel free to bring a water bottle and a mat if you have one. (There will be some provided if you don't have one.) Sign up for email notifications at this link!

TDCON

April 11-12, 2023

LaCrosse, Wis.

Join the Wisconsin Workforce Development Association as it hosts the annual Talent Development Conference (TDCON) on April 11-12, 2023 at La Crosse. Each year we welcome more than 250 attendees, including executives, business leaders, human resources professionals, dozens of Wisconsin industry and trade associations, policymakers, and workforce development leaders. Early bird registration ends on February 28, 2023.

Winning Wisconsin's Workforce

February 15, 2023

11:30 Am

Workforce Development Center of Jefferson Cty



Called Winning with Wisconsin's Workforce, the free forum designed o highlight regional workforce development investments, available funding, resources to aid competitiveness, and local success storeis, is part of a larger series of events organized by Wisconsin's regional Workforce Development Boards, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, and local partners.

The Jefferson event will be held on February 15, 2023 at 11:30 AM at the Workforce Development Center of Jefferson County (874 Collins Road, Jefferson, WI 53549. A job fair will follow the event.

Featured speakers will include:

·       Representatives from the Department of Workforce Develompent Secretary’s Office

·       Deb Reinbold, President/Executive Director, ThriveED / Jefferson County Economic Development Consortium

·       Nicholas Wade, Training Manager, Nestle Purina Petcare

·       Robin Offerman, Manager of Talent Acquisition & Development, Fisher Barton

·       Jeff Reighter, Environmental Health & Safety and Training Manager, Jones Dairy Farm

·       Jason Frey, Executive Vice President/COO, Opportunities, Inc.

May 6 - May 12 is nurses week. The Chamber had an individual come forward and ask if businesses would consider promotions for nurses. If you do anything, we would be happy to help you promote it.

Cambria-Friesland FBLA Team in need of sponsors

The Cambria FBLA team is going to State and have their sites set on Nationals. Unfortunately, getting there will require a significant amount of fundraising. Can you help the team? Interested donors should reach out to lorri.arnce@cambria-frieslandschools.org. Help support the development of our local youth!

Gov. Evers announces initiatives to curb reckless driving, keep streets and communities safe

Gov. Tony Evers on Friday, Feb. 10 announced initiatives in his 2023-25 budget designed to combat reckless driving across the state, promote safer driving, and keep streets and communities safe. According to a news release, Gov. Evers' plan includes measures to help communities re-engineer roads to improve the safety of motorists, pedestrians, and other non-motorist users, expand opportunities for driver’s education, increase State Patrol trooper and inspector positions, and strengthen reckless and drunk driving penalties.

Click here to learn more

Wisconsin DHS expands program, allows two free COVID-19 tests per month

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services expanded a program Friday that provides households across the state with free at-home COVID-19 tests. Previously, households could order one COVID-19 self test kit per month through the Say Yes! COVID Test website. Now, each household will be able to order two kits per month. The moves comes just weeks after President Biden announced his intention to end the COVID-19 national and public health emergencies.

Click here to learn more

Expansion of Hiawatha and airport train station in motion as state's 2050 rail plan eyes much more

Wisconsin’s draft plan to expand rail service by 2050 already has several components that are moving ahead to better connect Milwaukee to places like Chicago and the Twin Cities. Other links to Green Bay and Madison, for example, are earlier in the concept phase but are still actively being looked at. The current effort led by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation updates the state’s long-range rail plan for both freight and passenger service.

Click here to learn more

New veteran investments included in Gov. Tony Evers' budget

Gov. Tony Evers' executive budget will include millions of additional dollars to help Wisconsin veterans with their mental health and educational needs, the governor's office announced Thursday. The governor's office said his budget will include $500,000 to evaluate post-Sept. 11 veterans' needs; an additional $1 million annually for county and tribal veterans services offices; nearly $3 million to help University of Wisconsin System campuses provide services for veterans and military personnel; and $250,000 to help provide dogs to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Click here to learn more

Fed’s inflation fight pushes up cost of U.S. debt

The Treasury’s spending on interest on the debt was $261 billion in the first four months of this fiscal year, a 33% increase from $196 billion spent in the same period last year, according to the department. Paying more for interest on the debt has been among the government’s largest spending increases so far this year, contributing to a deficit that has widened to $460 billion, up 78% from $259 billion in the same four months of last fiscal year.

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New ‘high altitude’ object shot down over Alaska coast

For the second time in a week, the U.S. military shot down a “high altitude” object — this time over frozen waters off the northeastern coast of Alaska, according to White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby. Just days earlier, a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon was brought down off the coast of South Carolina. Kirby said the U.S. learned of an object flying at about 40,000 feet last evening over Alaska airspace.

Click here to learn more

Biden administration proposes more stringent efficiency standards for refrigerators, clothes washers

The Energy Department on Friday proposed to require new household refrigerators and clothes washers to meet a more stringent sets of energy efficiency standards. It said that the move will save energy and money for consumers. Consumers who use appliances meeting the proposed standards will save about $425 on utility bills over the life of the appliances, the department said in a statement.

Click here to learn more

Biden’s IRS slammed over plan to dip into tip jars

As waiters and waitresses who live off tips could soon get served with new tax scrutiny, service industry workers alongside lawmakers are sounding off on the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) latest proposal under President Biden. The IRS has opened itself up to public feedback regarding a proposed tip reporting system between the tax agency and employers in service called the Service Industry Tip Compliance Agreement (SITCA).

Click here to learn more

New Wisconsin license plates delayed; Lawmaker concerned about impacts on violent crime

After meeting with the State Transportation Secretary, Sen. Van Wanggaard says new higher-quality license plates won’t be implemented for another month and a half. “[3M] is having a little challenge with their reflectivity sheeting and it’s in testing,” Wanggaard said. “That should have us online, probably within the next month and a half where they will start sheeting brand new plates.”

Click here to learn more

DeSantis nears takeover of Disney government in Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis moved closer to taking over Walt Disney World’s self-governing district Thursday after House Republicans approved legislation meant to punish the company over its opposition to the law critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” The bill would leave the district intact but would change its name and require DeSantis to appoint a five-member governing board.

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US to pay for new wind power plants in Mexico, country's president says

Mexico’s president said Wednesday that he expects the U.S. government or U.S. banks to provide interest-free loans to build four wind-power farms in the narrow waist of southern Mexico, an area known as the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said he expects U.S. climate envoy John Kerry to travel to the area next month to launch the projects.

Click here to learn more

Palermo’s to expand into former Tyson Foods facility in Jefferson, will add 200 jobs

Milwaukee-based Palermo Villa Inc., a frozen pizza manufacturer, is planning an expansion into a new Jefferson facility that will create more than 200 jobs and increase production capacity. As part of its expansion, Palermo’s will be adding new manufacturing equipment at the Jefferson facility, which will allow the company to add at least two more pizza topping lines. The new facility is expected to be complete this summer and will produce more than 50 million frozen pizzas a year.

Click here to learn more

Wisconsin offering Fiserv $7 million in tax credits, including millions to retain HQ in state

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is offering Brookfield-based Fiserv Inc. up to $7 million in tax credits to support the company’s decision to move its headquarters to downtown Milwaukee rather than another state. Beyond the state incentives, the new headquarters project is also supported by $11.6 million in tax incremental financing from the city of Milwaukee, including $7 million that will reimburse the company for a portion of its investment.

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The pandemic caused Wisconsin manufacturers to shore up domestic supply chains

Pandemic-induced supply chain hurdles caused many of Wisconsin’s manufacturers to reevaluate where they are getting materials, and industry consultants expect that trend to continue. Some companies already moved some of their supply chains back to North America, but future geopolitical pressures could force manufacturers to accelerate those plans.

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Lasry in talks to sell Milwaukee Bucks stake

The Milwaukee Bucks ownership group could look differently with speculations that Marc Lasry's stake in the NBA team may be acquired by a Cleveland ownership group. Sports business publication Sportico first reported the news Friday that Haslam Sports Group is in what the publication called "advanced talks" to acquire Lasry's stake. Haslam Sports Group owns both the NFL's Cleveland Browns and Columbus Crew, Ohio's Major League Soccer team.

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Experts discuss solutions to health care workforce crisis

Experts say addressing the health care workforce shortage will require a combination of new technologies, changes to federal immigration policy and other regulations, lower costs for medical training and more. Sen. Patrick Testin said one silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic was the removal of “red tape and regulatory hurdles” for medical professionals.

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Former Mercury Marine president Christopher Drees named CEO of Menasha Corp.

Christopher Drees, who recently left Brunswick Corp. where he served as president of its Fond du Lac marine engine manufacturing subsidiary Mercury Marine, is taking over fellow Fox Valley company Menasha Corp. as president and CEO. Menasha Corp., a Neenah-based maker of corrugated and plastic packaging products and one of America’s oldest privately held, family-owned manufacturing companies, said Thursday that current president and CEO James Kotek will retire in March.

Click here to learn more

Wisconsin Safety Council 81st Annual Conference

April 17-19, 2023

Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells

Learn More

Mental health resources and training ‘underutilized’ in civil construction industry: report

Leaders and workers in the civil construction industry lack training and resources on addressing and promoting mental health, according to a recent report published by Dodge Data & Analytics. Less than a third of the respondents said their organizations offer “effective means” to promote mental health improvement. The most common resources offered are employee assistance programs (34%) and information on mental health assessment websites (32%).

Click here to learn more

Want to display your safety products and services to hundreds of Wisconsin decision makers?

Register for a booth now and become an exhibitor for the 81st Wisconsin Safety Council Annual Conference on April 17-19! Register now to secure the best spots in the Expo Hall at the Kalahari! Our conference is one of the Midwest’s largest gatherings of safety, human resources, and health professionals. It is the perfect opportunity for you to showcase your innovative products and services to decision makers. For any questions about exhibiting, please contact WSC's Sales Manager, Nick Burger.

Click here to learn more

Share your 2023 Event Dates: Do you have any notable 2023 dates that you would like published in the community and visitor guide which gets mailed to 8000 households in Beaver Dam? If you do, please have them to tpropst@beaverdamchamber.com by Friday, January 6^th

As a reminder, please include these dates on the Chamber Website community calendar too – look for the “add community event” in the right corner just below the red bar. This calendar currently gets viewed about 2500 times/month and it is free to use!

Chamber website calendar

Interested in being a Chamber Partner Sponsor? Learn More.

Mission