• Last day to register for the Chamber´s Jan. 29 Annual Meeting!
• You´re invited to a retirement reception for Diane Costello
• Join us for panel discussion and Q&A with reps from City, County, and School District; “Procurement: How to Land a Contract”
• Chamber, volunteers gearing up for April 10 Olathe Marathon
• AT&T Mobility Store Ribbon Cutting
• Legislative Breakfast Series starts Saturday
• MNU assembles Crisis Kits for Haiti
• Congrats....

Click for details, or call in your registration at (913) 764-1050.

• Join us in recognizing the Citizen of the Year, Corporate Citizen of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year.
• Don’t miss a video documenting a decade of growth in Olathe!
• Lisa Teachman, KMBC News, will moderate.
• A great networking opportunity. Great lunch.

Please join us in celebrating Diane’s retirement after 20-years with the Chamber at a reception Wednesday, Feb. 3. Diane has been the vice president of Leadership Development of late, although she’s worn many hats at the Chamber over the years.

• Drop-in and visit between 4 to 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn-Olathe (Meadow Grill and Shade Bar area).
• Please RSVP at www.olathe.org.

Responsibility for the Leadership Olathe program and the Leadership Olathe Alumni Group (LOAA) has been assumed by Beth Felski, vice president of Community and Government Programs. We’re in the process of updating a mailing list of more than 700 Leadership Olathe alumni. If you are interested in assisting in that effort and/or becoming a member of the LOAA, please contact Beth at bfelski@olathe.org.

The first in the Chamber’s 2010 quarterly Business Lunch Series will be “Procurement: How to Land a Contract,” on Friday, Feb. 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ball Conference Center, 21350 W. 153rd St. The panel of experts offering tips will consist of Judy Meisel, City of Olathe; John Mahin, Johnson County Government; and Merle Hastert, Olathe District Schools. Following the program, representatives will be available to respond to more specific questions and requests for information. Learn how you can bid on projects and develop helpful relationships with these and other entities. Brent McCune, Compass Financial Resources, will moderate. Click here to register.
  
The 2010 Business Lunch Series Schedule

• Friday, April 23 – Legislative Update of Interest to Business
• Friday, Aug. 13 – Research Triangle Update
• Friday, Nov. 5 – Real Estate Forecast

Sponsored by Turner Construction

The eighth annual Olathe Marathon, sponsored by Garmin, will take place Saturday, Apr. 10, at Garmin International. The Chamber’s CVB is expecting between 2,300 and 2,500 runners from across the country. This event is a major undertaking that requires help from the Olathe police, fire and public works departments, along with more than 300 volunteers.

The CVB is looking for people to help monitor the course, man aid stations along the route, and help cheer on the runners! The marathon is an ideal way to spread awareness about Olathe, showcase our beautiful community and Midwestern hospitality, bring new dollars to our community, and help promote wellness for our citizens. Show your community pride and commitment to wellness by volunteering today. Contact Mary Durham, 913-764-1050 or mdurham@olathe.org,
to sign up!

• Jan. 23, Ritz Charles Overland Park, 9000 W. 137th St. at 7:30 a.m.
• Sponsored by the Johnson County Public Policy Council, an organization comprised of nine Johnson County chambers and the Greater KC Chamber.
• Designed to enhance communication between the business community and the Johnson County state legislative delegation.
• Single breakfast, $20 for Chamber members, $25 for non-members.
• Legislative breakfasts also on Jan. 23, Feb. 27, Mar. 13, Mar. 27, and Apr. 24.

Among the organizations and business working to provide relief for earthquake victims in Haiti is MidAmerica Nazarene University. Staff and students are assembling crisis kits with (combs, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bandages, and soap). The MNU ServiceCorps Office is collecting donations through Jan. 29. Please do not donate supplies that are not on this list; contents of these kits have already been approved for customs clearance.

• To Grundfos Pumps for receiving the award for “Best Event Produced for a Corporation or Association.” The award, presented at a special events professionals gala in New Orleans Jan. 15,  was for the ALPHA Take-off Event held in Kansas City, Mo., in May.