Policy Clearinghouse

We're Moving!

The ACCE Policy Clearinghouse Blog is moving.  Chamber of commerce leaders will now find the most recent state and local public policy news and information on the ACCE website at - http://www.acce.org/blog/policy-clearinghouse/.

While you are there, take a look at ACCE's other blogs:

• Chamber Spotlight - A look at our members and their achievements in the news.
• Mick's Blog and Travelogue - Observations, travel and musings from ACCE President Mick Fleming.
• ACCE Convention Blog - Find the latest information on speakers, events, restaurants, hotels and educational sessions for the ACCE Annual Convention.

 

Why Chamber Members Love Green Plus - 7/27 at 1pm

For small businesses, going green and sustainable has been shown to save money, motivate employees and illustrate a commitment to the community and environment.  It is also a powerful marketing and branding tool, especially in today's economy. 

Join ACCE tomorrow (July 27) at 1pm for a  Peer to Peer Connection tele-seminar to hear first-hand from two members of the Lancaster (PA) Chamber how Green Plus has changed the way they do business.  You’ll also have a chance to talk with Dan Arnold, Director of Operations, from the Lancaster Chamber about launching, marketing and implementing Green Plus.   Participants can expect to:

• Understand Green Plus’ Value Proposition for small/medium businesses
• Learn how one chamber has successfully implemented the Green Plus program and what they are getting out of it (new memberships, revenue, retention, loyalty)
• Know where to turn for information about adopting Green Plus

No fees, no registration - Click here for call-in information

ACCE International

Last month ACCE members racked up air miles and built international connections.

On March 6-12, the Dubai Chambergenerously hosted an ACCE Metro Cities Council delegation of 45 people from 22 states and one Canadian province. This group, headed by ACCE Chair Dave Adkisson (president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce) and ACCE Metro Cities Council Chair Roy Williams (president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce), visited many parts of the Emirate state.  Highlights included a visit to world's tallest building (the Burj Khalifa), the Palm Jumeirah luxury off shore development, and the world's largest man-made seaport.  They had a visit at with the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at his palace.

Sandra McDonough, President & CEO of the Portland (OR) Business Alliance, compiled her notes and observations from the trip on a dedicated blog.  Click to visit The Alliance in Dubai blog.

Dubai wasn't the only international destination for ACCE in March.  From March 12-20 Citslinc Internationalsponsored 70 ACCE members on a trip to China, the third such trip in the past 18 months.  Among the delegates on the China trip were 25 graduates of the ACCE-Ford Foundation Regional Sustainable Development Fellowship.  In addition to seeing the sites, the Ford Fellows group heard from speakers on China's rural development, legal climate, urban planning, and human resources.  They also had an executive briefing in the AmCham Shanghaioffices, toured a manufacturing plant in Shanghai, and visited Zhejiang University (one of China's top 3 schools) in Hangzhou.

Todd Shimkus from the Adirondack (NY) Regional Chamber of Commerce took copious notes on the trip and chronicled his experience in a blog for the local newspaper.  Check out Thinking Global, Todd's blog for the Glens Falls Post Star.

 

Corrections Reform Webinar

On February 17 ACCE and the Pew Center on the States hosted a webinar on the business case for corrections and sentencing reform.  ACCE Chairman Dave Adkisson joined the Pew Center's Adam Gelb to discuss how states can spend more efficiently on the penal system and the role chambers can play in driving this agenda.  Sarah Hubbard from the Detroit Regional Chamber moderated the discussion.

If you missed this free webinar but are interested in the topic, we've got you covered.  Listen to audio of the webinar or download Adam Gelb's and Dave Adkisson's PowerPoint slides from the event. 

More Proof that Chamber Members are Great

Want another reason to brag on your chamber members?  ACCE has the ammo.

 

Results of the ACCE-Cortera study relased yesterday indicate that chamber-member companies have significantly better credit ratings than the average company has. 

 

In the 10 chambers studied from 10 different states, involving more than 10,000 businesses, the credit reporting firm Cortera found the average credit rating for chamber members nationwide is 629 as compared with only 557 for businesses as a whole.  That is a significant difference.  The better and stronger companies in town tend to belong to the chamber. 

 

You may consider it obvious that chamber members are a cut above the rest, but people both inside and outside of your chamber may not realize it until they see or hear about the data.  I encourage you and your staff to spread the word.

 

Click for the ACCE Cortera Study Press Release.

2010 Legislative Agendas Posted

Several new legislative agendas were just posted online for ACCE members at PolicyClearinghouse.org.

Click HERE to find sample legislative agendas from Greater Louisville Inc, the Greater Topeka Chamber and several other leading local chambers.  Each link includes an annotated list of the issues covered in the agenda.

If you are crafting your agenda and looking for the right language to frame a position on energy efficiency or economic development incentives, look no further.

Transportation Secretary LaHood Briefs ACCE Board

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood spoke at the ACCE Board of Directors Meeting last Friday.  He provided a overview of progress on stimulus funded projects (focused on discretionary TIGER grants) and talked about other recent DOT programs like the Cash for Clunkers program and the future focus on high speed passenger rail.

The Secretary also stressed the linkage between transportation and economic development, and touched on potential areas of cooperation between DOT and HUD or Commerce to make sure transportation spending really impacts economic development.

Overall, it was a great session.  You can read more on Sec. LaHood's official DOT blog: Welcome to the Fast Lane.

 

Leading DC Fly-Ins - Conference Call

Peer-to-Peer Connections

Leading DC Fly-Ins
November 3, 2009, 4:00 pm Eastern

If you are planning a chamber delegation trip to Washington D.C., or thinking about revamping your visit, join us to pose questions, discuss best practices and share lessons learned.  Audience participation is expected.

 

Guest Moderators:

• Jay Byers, Senior Vice President, Government Relations & Public Policy, Greater Des Moines (IA) Partnership
• Christy Caldwell, Vice President, Government Relations, Greater Topeka (KS) Chamber
• Matthew Mahood, President and CEO, Sacramento (CA) Metro Chamber
• Ginny Russell, Vice President, Community and Governmental Affairs, Mobile (AL) Area Chamber

Our guest moderators were featured in the Fall 2009 Chamber Executive article “Chamber Executives Get Down to Business In the Nation's Capital”

 

How to Join:

• No registration required
• No fee! All you pay is your long distance cost
• Limited availability (first-come, first-served)

Email Ian Scott for Dial-In instructions.

ACCE Issues "Chamber Basics" Primer

Considering that in the U.S. alone there are more than 3,000 independent organizations bearing the name “chamber of commerce,” its no surprise that the chamber brand is not immune from confusion.

To help chamber executives better communicate to media, elected officials and their own members, ACCE has produced Chambers of Commerce: The Basics.  This primer answers the basic questions about what chambers of commerce are and what they do.  It also explains how they are structured and funded and describes how they interact and cooperate.

Use this tool to educate a new employee, build a deeper relationship with media outlets, or orient a board member.

Click to access Chambers of Commerce: The Basics.

PAC Resources

Some of the most frequently asked questions we receive at the Policy Clearinghouse are about Political Action Committees or PACs.  Typical questions include "should I set up a PAC?", "do I need a PAC to get involved in issue campaigns?", "can I endorse candidates without a PAC?"

These are complex, strategic questions that must be thought out carefully.  There is a lot of advocacy work your chamber can undertake without establishing a PAC, and there are a wide range of activity levels your PAC can have. 

To help answer some of your questions and get you started, we've compiled sample PAC documents at PolicyClearinghouse.org for ACCE members to download.  Click HERE to access (you must be logged in with your ACCE username and password)