Feeling the summer slow-down? Not us! Last week’s Foundation Celebration was a tremendous success. Congratulations again to the HERBIE winners. It feels so good to honor people who demonstrate civic leadership every day. And, of course, I’ve been watching the Olympics and our very own Suni Lee, Regan Smith, Alise Willoughby, Sarah Baco, Matthew Wilkinson, and others – including our pro team representatives!

While watching the games, for whatever reason, I got to thinking about our elections. Yes, it's not even August but my mind turned to the upcoming August 13 primary election. These often overlooked and low turnout elections are the first electoral step in deciding who our representatives will be at the State Capitol, County Offices, and City Halls across the state. These important elections will narrow the field of candidates who will eventually make decisions that impact all of us. Does your road need to get repaved? Do your property taxes go up? Does running your business become easier or harder? These are all examples of decisions that the candidates may be asked to make if elected. 

In our core footprint counties of Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington there are already 66 candidates for State House, 17 for county commissioner, and 67 for mayor or city council. This list of 150 candidates will grow now that the second candidate filing period opened today. I encourage you to learn more about these candidates: attend a meet and greet, visit their websites, read up on their policy positions and visit the East Metro Voter Guide often to learn more about their views on the business community. 

Read more in my blog, It's Our Business. Each week I post thoughts and a quick read on things I think you should know.

See you in the trenches.

B

B Kyle

President & CEO

St. Paul Area Chamber

Thank you for attending the Foundation Celebration!

Young Professionals: Boat Cruise

Enjoy summer in Minnesota and connect with Twin Cities young professionals and others during a boat cruise on the Mississippi River! We invite you to join us for networking on a Padelford River Boat. Your ticket will include dinner; a cash bar with drink specials and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available to enjoy.

Equity Leadership Series: Shakopee Mdewakanton

Sioux Experience

Would you like to learn more about our regional tribes? Please join us! On Aug. 7, we will visit the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux’s Hocokata Ti Cultural Center and nearby sites to learn more about this thriving community, and both their history and current work. This is an excellent opportunity to spend a day out of the office, and bring back deeper understanding.

LSP Masters: Family Feud

This event is part of a series that gathers our Leadership St. Paul alumni, and is open to all. We will be playing rounds of Family Feud, we will provide light appetizers and a cash bar will be available!

The St. Paul Area Chamber is proud to partner with Ramsey County as an Inclusive Employer Champion. As part of this partnership, each month we share helpful employer and workforce resources provided by Ramsey County.

Ramsey County Workforce Solutions offers weekly events called Trainer of the Day every Thursday at the library in Maplewood. Community-based, no-cost skill training programs recruit participants for upcoming classes. Participating in a community-based training program is a way for participants to build an up-to-date skill set. When training is complete, they can be introduced to employers who are looking for certified trainees in many areas that range from Automotive and IT to Healthcare and more. 

Applications are now open for Ramsey County's Young Adult Career Academy Internship. This is a 10-week paid internship experience that allows Ramsey County young adults to learn more about careers in government, make great connections, and receive additional support from an employment counselor. Applications are due August 7th. Apply now.

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Survey - Ends Friday

To help understand the challenges today's businesses face, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is partnering with chambers of commerce, economic development associations, and other organizations on a survey of businesses across Ninth District states (MN, MT, ND, SD, WI, UP/MI). Take survey.

Chamber Connect: St. Paul Parks Conservancy

Thursday, August 15 | 4:00 - 6:00 PM

Lunch with Leaders - Save the Date!

Wednesday, Sept 11 | 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Career Connect Day - Save the Date!

Tuesday, October 15

View more Chamber & community events!

The award-winning restauranteurs behind Lake Elmo Inn are opening a new restaurant at Union Depot in Saint Paul. Owners Chef John and Christine Schiltz and their team will launch 1881 by Lake Elmo Inn on Thursday, August 8, 2024. Learn more.

Irish Fair of Minnesota, the annual three-day outdoor celebration of all things Irish, returns to Saint Paul’s Harriet Island Friday, Aug. 9 through Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. It is recognized as one of the most family-friendly events in the Twin Cities and one of the largest Irish festivals nationwide. Learn more.

Chamber member Jeff Perry and his Sonic Dream trio are performing at Berlin nightclub in the North Loop on Friday, August 9^th from 5-7 PM. Learn more.

Step into the Glamorous 1920s at Landmark Jewelers on Thursday, August 10th from 4pm to 8pm! Discover vintage jewelry and indulge in prohibition style refreshments. Come dressed to the nines for an unforgettable evening of fun and giveaways! Learn more.

It's time to nominate your favorite local businesses for the 2024 Saint Paul Business Awards! The Saint Paul Business Awards Program was launched in 2017 to recognize the outstanding businesses that call Saint Paul home. The program recognizes local businesses that provide critical services, contribute to the City's community, invest in their employees and are committed to Saint Paul's values of equity and diversity. 

Ramsey County is entering into its second year of the Emerging and Diverse Developers (EDD) Program. Ramsey County offers one-on-one technical assistance and cohort group learning to emerging and diverse developers interested in affordable housing development, in partnership with NEOO Partners and Baker Tilly. Apply now.

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