Please complete our 2023 membership survey
Here at the Olathe Chamber of Commerce, your membership counts. We work daily to ensure we’re meeting your needs and staying up to date on everything that’s relevant to you. Please take a few minutes to complete a short membership survey. By providing feedback, you’ll help us continue delivering the valuable programs and initiatives that truly matter.
Fill the survey out here. We truly appreciate your time. If you fill the survey out by Nov. 22, you’ll have a chance to win a free ticket to our upcoming Business Lunch Series or a gift card. Those who have already filled out the survey will also be entered for a chance to win.
Thanks, in advance, for taking the time to complete the membership survey.
Leadership Olathe application deadline this Friday
The deadline to apply for Olathe Chamber of Commerce’s popular and highly successful Leadership Olathe program is just days away. It’s time to apply and be a part of the Class of 2024. Apply today. The registration deadline is this Friday, Nov. 10.
This marks the 43rd year of the program open to residents of Olathe. It will be conducted in nine, full-day sessions running January through May. For more information and applications, visit here.
DEI&B the focus of next BLS event
Join us for our fourth and final Business Lunch Series event of the year from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29 in the first floor flex space of our new home at the Downtown Olathe Library. You’ll hear from some of the foremost leaders in the field of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
Our panelists are Nick Brubaker from John Deere, Bekka Byrne from Baxter Auto Group and Willy F. Pegues IV from McCownGordon Construction and they’ll discuss how their companies have embraced DEI&B initiatives and share some best practices.
Thank you to our series sponsors Johnson County Community College and Humana and our quarterly sponsors Nabholz, Olathe Health and Terracon.
Olathe Chamber Holiday After Hours set for Nov. 30
The holidays will be here before you know it, so please make plans to join us for our annual Olathe Chamber of Commerce Social & Holiday After Hours from 3:30 – 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30, in the first floor flex space of our new home at the Downtown Olathe Library.
We’re modifying our normal fifth Thursday Chamber Social to accommodate for the holidays. It’s a two-for-one. All the fun of the normal Chamber Social with a holiday twist. We can’t wait to see you there.
Anderson joins Olathe Chamber staff
The Olathe Chamber of Commerce welcomed Mark Anderson to its staff recently. He joined the Chamber staff late this summer as the Director of Sports & Events for the Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Anderson will work as the race director for the Garmin Olathe Marathon, as well as helping to bring sporting events to Olathe. The former Division I basketball player received his sports management degree from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, Penn.
Prior to his time at the Chamber, he worked in sales for the Kansas City Chiefs and, most recently, he worked in medical device sales for the past eight years.
He lives in Olathe with his wife and four sons. In his spare time, he enjoys attending his sons’ sporting events, coaching youth basketball, traveling and exploring outdoors.
Legislative Lunch set for Dec. 12
Please join Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson and Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins for a recap on the 2023 legislative session and an outlook for the 2024 session at the Olathe Chamber of Commerce Legislative Lunch from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Dec. 12. Register today.
The event will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn, 12080 S. Strang Line Road, and the cost is $40 per person. The deadline to register is Dec. 5.
Stay informed; get out and vote
Today is election day so let your voice be heard. Please exercise your right to vote because every vote counts. Check here for any questions about polling locations and poll hours.
Stay informed about all the candidates by checking out the Johnson County Public Policy Council website here. The JCCPPC, a partnership with the Olathe Chamber of Commerce and other Johnson County chambers, interviewed the candidates for area races. You can see their forums and interviews here.
WHAT'S NEW
Registration open for 2024 Garmin Olathe Marathon
Registration for the 2024 Garmin Olathe Marathon is open and right now is a perfect time to sign up. Register here and start training!
The new logo and colors have been unveiled and 2024 is the year of the Good Witch. Check out the cool new look here.
This year’s Garmin Marathon, organized by the Olathe Chamber of Commerce’s Olathe Convention & Visitors Bureau, will start and finish at Garmin International at 151st and Ridgeview.
The April 22 event will feature the largest full-marathon and half-marathon in the state of Kansas and a 10K, and Munchkin Marathon and Senior Walk. Register here and join in on the fun.
And if that’s not enough, the Garmin Olathe Marathon is back in the Heartland Series in 2023. The Heartland 39.3 Series is a challenge for all of the half marathon fanatics who love to run half marathons and who want to take on the challenge of participating in three area half marathons in five weekends! The Garmin Olathe Marathon half marathon race is the final event in the series. Check out more info here.
CHAMBER CONNECTION
Residents can drop off their unwanted household hazardous waste at the City of Olathe’s drop-off event from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at the HHW facility, 1420 S. Robinson Dr., behind the City of Olathe Public Works and Customer Service. Residents will be asked to provide a photo ID and a general description of their HHW items. For the safety of staff, customers will be asked to remain in their vehicle at all times during the drop-off. Staff will remove all materials. Visit here for a full list of acceptable items.
Save the date for the latest Johnson County Community College Continuing Education Business Breakfast Series event from 7 – 9 a.m. on Jan. 25, 2024 at the Capital Federal Conference Center in the Regnier Center at JCCC. More information about the event, “Well-being as a Strategy: When Employees Thrive, Business Thrive,” can be found here.
The Olathe Firefighters Outreach is hosting the Ignite Giving Gala from 6 – 10 p.m. on Nov. 11 at the Eagles Landing at Lake Olathe, 475 S. Ward Cliff Dr. The program will include a cocktail, dinner, and a live and silent auction. Register here.
Tickets are on sale for the Olathe Mayor’s Children’s Fund’s annual fundraiser Eggstravaganza. Join Mayor John Bacon and celebrity servers on Tuesday, Nov. 14, for a breakfast dinner at First Watch, plus an auction, raffle, and a visit with Santa. All proceeds go to the fund, which supports local charities working to meet the basic needs of children in Olathe. Purchase tickets here.
DID YOU KNOW
Are you too busy to make it to all of our networking events? Make the most of your Olathe Chamber of Commerce membership by engaging with us online through our social media channels. See more here. It’s your membership. Own it.
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.
Nov. 9 – Olathe Chamber Coffee at National Catastrophe Restoration Inc. (NCRI), 1912 E. 123rd St., 9 a.m.
Nov. 9 – Olathe Chamber Career Expo at Embassy Suites Hotel and Olathe Conference Center, 10401 S. Ridgeview Road, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
RECENT CHAMBER MEMBERS
COUPONS AND DISCOUNTS
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Don’t forget to add webmaster@olathe.org to your address book so we’ll be sure to land in your inbox!
©2023 Olathe Chamber of Commerce