Save the Date: Chamber Annual Meeting set for March 3
Save the Date. Mark your calendar. Tell your friends and neighbors. Most of all, plan to join us. The Olathe Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting is set for 11:15 a.m. on Friday, March 3 at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center.
This is a great chance to network with friends and peers; learn more about some of the individuals and companies that have helped make Olathe what it is today; and help us recognize individuals and businesses for their achievements over the past year. It’s time to celebrate everything that happened in 2022 and look ahead to what will be another great year in Olathe.
It’s also the perfect time to help us kick off our 100th anniversary. This year’s Annual Meeting title sponsor is Olathe Health.
Register today or call 913-764-1050 for more information.
Leadership Olathe Class of 2023 announced
Congratulations! A total of 34 people, including five high school students, have been selected as members of the Leadership Olathe Class of 2023. The program begins with a Welcome Reception in January.
This marks the 42nd year of the program open to residents of Olathe. It will be conducted in nine, full-day sessions running January through May.
The class of 2023 is listed here.
Former Chamber Board Chair
Don Bell passes away
Former MidAmerica Nazarene University Board member, renowned philanthropist and former Board Chair of the Olathe Chamber of Commerce Don Bell passed away on Dec. 8. The generous and beloved Bell was 90.
You see his name and generosity all over the MNU campus in countless ways, but most notably in the Bell Cultural Events Center and the Bell Family Arena that both bear his family’s name. He was the Chamber Board Chair in 1990.
Bell was an athlete and a musician, having played basketball at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois, serving as drum major in the 76th United States Army Band, and directing the Omega Singers. These two passions led him to give legacy gifts to the MNU campus for the Bell Family Arena in Cook Center and the Bell Cultural Events Center – Olathe’s premier venue for the performing arts.
He excelled in many professions – teaching, church choir directing, home building, banking – but believed his greatest profession was during his philanthropic years and was blessed to support countless young people across our community.
Throughout his life, Bell stayed active in his church and community. In addition to his service to MNU, he served as a board member of College Church of the Nazarene and the Board of Trustees at Olivet Nazarene University. He was awarded Kansas City’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 1993 and was named as Olathe’s Citizen of the Year in 2006. Olivet Nazarene University awarded him an honorary doctorate degree in 2004.
Coffee hosting opportunities available for 2023
The Olathe Chamber of Commerce Weekly Networking Coffees are among the most popular benefits of membership in the largest chamber in Johnson County. With 2022 coming to a close, we’re finalizing our calendar for next year and we’d love to add you to our list of Coffee hosts.
If your company is located in Olathe and you’d like to host an Olathe Chamber Networking Coffee in 2023, please reach out to Sara Misemer. If you’re one of our many members outside of Olathe, don’t worry, there are co-hosting opportunities available, too.
We look forward to a great end of the year and are excited for 2023. We love our members and our members love our weekly Coffees.
Leadership Olathe looking for liaisons
The Leadership Olathe Steering Committee is looking for a few Leadership Olathe alumni to be liaisons for the Class of 2023. The liaisons will work with a member of the current class and help them throughout the course of their journey through Leadership Olathe. The Olathe Chamber of Commerce has helped provide the liaisons for each student in each class.
The Leadership Olathe process can sometimes be a bit daunting. As a liaison, you’ll meet regularly with a current student and help answer any questions they have, act as a sounding board or help them out along the way.
If you have any questions or you’d like to be a liaison for the Class of 2023 contact Melissa Hess.
CVB sponsorship opportunities available
Looking for a little more exposure for your company? There are several sponsorship opportunities available to get your company’s name in front of everyone coming into Olathe. The Olathe Chamber of Commerce’s Convention & Visitors Bureau distributes welcome bags to large groups and sports teams visiting Olathe as a way of welcoming them to our wonderful city.
The bag contains a visitors guide, plenty of coupons from our valued Chamber members, a map and great information about things to do in Olathe.
For more information about the welcome bag sponsorship opportunities, please reach out to Kelly Peetoom.
WHAT'S NEW
Explore KC with KC Sweet Treats Trip
The KC Sweet Treats Trip is a free way to explore Kansas City! Download the OtoCast app on your phone and start exploring. Get out and enjoy the sweet side of KC, earn three badges along the way and be entered to win a $250 prize. Check out more information here.
Read more about all of the cool KC Trips features here.
MEMBER MINUTE
Let’s get an update from Marielena Marroquin of Mosaic in Northeast Kansas, and say hello in this week’s #MemberMinute.
Be sure to check out all of our #MemberMinute videos here.
CHAMBER CONNECTION
The public is welcome to the 17th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration on January 17, at the College Church of the Nazarene, 2020 E. Sheridan. Each year MidAmerica Nazarene University honors and promotes the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with this free special service for the community. Read more about this great event here.
Approximately 150 vendors and more than 600 veterans will be on hand at the Greater Kansas City Veteran Career and Transition Fair from 1 – 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at the Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Blvd. Maciel Wealth Management is one of the sponsors of the 6th annual event. Check here for more information.
Save the date for the Johnson County Community College Continuing Education Business Breakfast Series event form 7 – 9 a.m. on Jan. 24. More information about the event, “Reboot Retention: How Does Culture Contribute?” can be found here.
The Gerson Super Famous Fall/Winter Warehouse Sale is open through Saturday. The sale is open from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. It’s closed on Sunday. The sale is open to the public and will take place on the east side of their building at 1450 S. Lone Elm Road.
Foulston Siefkin LLP has earned recognition in the 2023 U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list in 48 practice areas. According to U.S. News and World Report and Best Lawyers, firms included in the 2023 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for “professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers.” Read more here.
DID YOU KNOW
Not enough time in your day to do everything you need to do to make your business thrive? Let the Olathe Chamber of Commerce and its more than 1,200 members help. Check out this video and let us help.
A LOOK AHEAD
NOTE: You can reach the Olathe community and beyond through the Chamber’s online calendar of events. Members can complete the online form and then submit their events online for approval by staff. If you have multiple day events, a form must be submitted for each day. Listings must meet the established criteria.
Also, if the Olathe School District is closed due to inclement weather, the event will be cancelled.
Dec. 15 – Chamber Coffee at the Indian Creek Library, 16100 W. 135th St., 9 a.m.
RECENT CHAMBER MEMBERS
COUPONS AND DISCOUNTS
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©2022 Olathe Chamber of Commerce