Healthy Lifestyles Co-op to launch 3rd insurance pool
It’s official – the Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative (HLC) of Brown County is hosting informational meetings for its third insurance pool.

“We are excited about launching Pool 3,” said Randy Connour, executive director of the Cooperative. “The HLC is strong and its board of directors and staff remain passionate about reducing healthcare costs for HLC members. The data is now crystal clear that what we are doing is working.”

The free meetings will be held on Wednesday, May 21, at the SC Grand, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The meetings will include a welcome and Co-op overview by Phil Hauck, board president, a presentation on “Why Wellness For Your Company?” by Andrew Sykes (owner, Healthy at Work, a wellness consulting firm; previously the chief wellness office, Destiny Health), Health At Work, insights from current member CEOs and COOs on how the Co-op works and a Q&A session.

For years, the burden of increasing health insurance costs has been shifted to small companies that don’t have leverage. As a result, small business family premiums are frequently in the range of $1,100 to $1,200 per month and annual increases have averaged a whopping 20 percent to 40 percent. As a result, more small companies can’t afford to cover their employees.

The Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative allows its members to obtain a large group premium structure, take advantage of administrative efficiencies and benefit from an array of non-insurance programs, such as wellness programs, that are key to cost containment.

Come to hear proof of how 140 companies came together in a community of purpose:
• Moved 6 percent of employees out of severe risk situations (which is far better than average);
• Improved health risk assessment results in one year by more than 5 percent. (Typically, you may see a 1 percent improvement year to year. Many of the employers in the HCL have never seen an improvement in scores until now.)
• Spurred the involvement of 58 percent of employees in health and fitness activities that helped to earn them prizes and ultimately impacted those improved HRA scores. (Typically, 10 to 15 percent of employees get involved.)
• Earned single-digit premium increases. For many of the companies in the HLC, this came after years of 15 to 45 percent increases.

To reserve your place at one of the meetings, please call (920) 437-8704 or e-mail psren@titletown.org and let us know which meeting you’d like to attend.

Celebrate success at Business Recognition Luncheon
Carry the torch of success – join us for the Business Recognition and Luncheon Showcase on Wednesday, June 4, at the KI Convention Center.

The showcase begins at 11 a.m. and pauses for the luncheon at 11:55 a.m. The presentation to the esteemed award recipients begins at 11:55 a.m. and concludes with dessert and coffee reception immediately following the awards presentation.

Join us in honoring the recipients of the following awards:

• Green (new!)
• Cornerstone
• Entrepreneurial Growth
• Growth
• Special Accomplishment
• Business Person of the Year

This year’s nominees include: AHEAD Human Resources & AHEAD Staffing, Berners-Schober Associates, Inc.; Corrigan’s C.B.S., CRG Logics, Inc.; Dimension IV, Exhibit Resource by Skyline; Greenleaf Landscaping & Gardens; Howard Immel Inc.; Liebmann, Conway, Olejniczak & Jerry S.C.; Mackinaws Grill & Spirits; Management Recruiters of Green Bay; Marina Solo Real Estate Group; On Broadway, Inc.; Primadata, Inc.; Seura Inc.; Shipyard Marine, Inc.; Smet Construction Services; The Gift Itself; and Titletown Oil Corp.

The cost is $22 per person/$220 for corporate tables of 10 for Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce members, $35 per person/$350 for corporate tables of 10 for prospective members for reservations made before May 30, 2008. Reservations made after May 30 will be at $32 per person/$320 for corporate tables of 10 for Chamber members and $45 per person/$450 for corporate tables of 10 for prospective members.

To register, call (920) 437-8704 today!

Ambassador spotlight on Zeise
Lisa Zeise of ITT Technical Institute brings talent and commitment to the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s Ambassador Program.

Zeise, an Ambassador of eight years, serves as a career services specialist at ITT Technical Institute in Green Bay. She began her career at Adtec Staffing Services and landed her position at ITT Tech through what she believes is one of the most valuable assets of the Chamber Ambassador Program – networking!

“[Being an Ambassador] is a natural progression of what I am already doing and an honor,” she said.

Zeise takes her position seriously and understands that she jointly serves the Chamber and ITT Tech.

The Ambassador Program helps the Green Bay area because, “it helps get the Chamber’s message out there and keeps the Chamber tied to the community,” Zeise stated. “There are different Chamber events for everyone, like the breakfasts and Business After Hours events that can fit just about anybody’s busy schedules.”

HLC board of directors spotlight on Phernetton 
In December 2007, Theodore Phernetton of the Cerebral Palsy Center joined the ranks of the Healthy Lifestyles Co-op board of directors. Phernetton, the executive director at CP Center, is a new face to the board but motivated to learn and become more actively involved with the program.

Before Phernetton became involved in the Co-op, he was involved with a group of local nonprofit agency executives that formed the Not-for-Profit Resource Group (NPRG). Phernetton realized the area not-for-profit organizations share common struggles. “We owe it to the community that supports us to find ways to collectively be as efficient as we possibly can,” he said. They attempted joint health insurance purchasing but it was not successful. Not long after, the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce reignited shared pooling of health insurance purchasing. In conjunction with this success, the NPRG asked Phernetton to act as a Healthy Lifestyles Co-op board of director.

Phernetton sees great potential for the Co-op. Its Vitality Program has experienced great success, and while he’s astonished to see all the work involved, he is proud to share his time for this good cause.

“A rising tide raises all boats,” said Phernetton in regards the Co-op. Success in the program requires participation by all parties in an effort to stabilize the associated expenses. This program benefits the community in that it allows them to spend fewer dollars on health insurance coverage and put more into service to others and retain good quality people.

I'd rather die than give a speech
There are many parts to any presentation. One of the very important parts is an opening. It is true that you never get a second chance to make a first impression and every person in the audience makes their first decision on you in the first 30 seconds of your presentation. Your opening can include a challenge, question, fact, story or something funny. But please, if you are not good at telling jokes, don’t try to improve yourself in an opening for a talk. That first impression will not be good. More on openings next time.

This speaking tip was provided by Jim Morrison, professional speaker and trainer, www.jimmorrisonspeaks.com.  

Considering the entrepreneurial path?
Then don’t miss the Green Bay SCORE (Counselors to America’s Small Business) seminars on this topic on May 6 and May 13, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the classroom at The Business Assistance Center on the north side of the NWTC campus located at 2701 W. Larsen Rd. in Green Bay.

The first seminar covers business plans, financing and legal issues for small businesses. The second covers tax and accounting issues, insurance and marketing analysis & strategy. Your investment is $30 for one seminar; $45 for both. For reservations you may sign up online at www.greenbayscore.org or call Cindy Gokey at (920) 496-8930.

Give thanks to Green Bay youth at Youth Celebration '08
Come celebrate and share thanks with Green Bay youth on May 8. Youth Celebration ’08 is a celebration of the success and teamwork of the local high school students as they graduate from Youth Apprenticeship and Brown County Teen Leadership. Partners in Education scholarship recipients will also be recognized for their achievements.

The celebration is held at the Meyer Theatre in downtown Green Bay. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. and the program begins half an hour later. Parking for the event is available in the Cherry Street Ramp.

The honorees for the evening are: Youth Apprenticeship Graduates, Brown County Teen Leadership Graduates, Great Green Bay Youth Leadership Council Members, Young Entrepreneur Grant Recipient, 5/12 Scholarship Recipients, Drug Alliance Scholarship Recipient, Technical College Scholarship Recipients, and the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Recipient.

Reservations are required; call (920) 593-3411 to make yours today!

Suicide intervention in the workplace
Question: I have an employee who does not seem to be himself and has talked about not wanting to be here. How do I approach him?

Answer: Suicidal thoughts are usually the result of mood changes associated with depression. If you notice changes in an employee’s mood that raises concern, let him know you have seen changes and are concerned. Give him feedback on what you notice and how it might be affecting his work. If the employee has made vague statements that might suggest suicide, ask him if he has had thoughts of hurting himself or anyone else. If he has, get him to the EAP program to be evaluated as soon as possible. If he admits to having violent or suicidal thoughts, you believe such behavior is imminent and he is unwilling to get help, contact the police to evaluate the situation and intervene.

This Q&A is provided by the Employee Resource Center, Inc., a local provider of quality employee assistance programs for the benefit of employees and Performance Solutions for organizational needs.

Golden Apple Awards are resounding success
The teachers and teams honored at the Golden Apple Awards weren’t the event’s only beneficiaries – the Partners in Education program of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce benefited as well.

By all accounts, the awards program was a resounding success. Nearly 600 people attended the esteemed event at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center on April 16; the airing of the awards presentation on FOX 11 drew an estimated viewership of about 60,000 people. The event is estimated to have raised about $150,000 for Partners in Education programs at the Chamber, and the raffle raised about $3,100 for the 5/12 Scholarship.

“Some people think the event is exclusively for educators, but it is for the entire community,” said Nancy Schopf, vice president of education and leadership, Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. “One businessperson told me he thought it was going to be the usual, boring awards dinner. He found that to be totally untrue. He liked the event, said it was the fastest and most enjoyable hour he’s experienced in a long time and plans to attend again next year.”

Business briefs
What's new
St. Norbert College’s health services department was one of only five institutions in the country awarded a $5,000 grant for each year of three years to automate health services practice management and electronic medical record systems.

The Einstein Project has received $14,579 from the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District (GBMSD) to purchase an additional “Organisms: Macro to Micro” middle school science unit and five teacher supplements, and to sponsor the science units for the next three school years.

New hires
Donald Cvitkovich, M.D., a board certified general surgeon, recently joined Green Bay Chest & Infectious Disease, a Bellin Health partner.

Nicolet Real Estate announces the promotion of Robert G. Straebel to president.

Realtors Paul Eliason, Linnea Bonville and Greg Dallaire join Micoley & Co. Realtors.

James Skorczewski has been named the new director of campus safety at St. Norbert College.

Arketype announces the promotion of Shari Kangas to account manager.

Niki Einer has been promoted to sales manager at Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center.
 

Kudos
Bellin Hospital Laboratory has been awarded accreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists based on excellence of service.

NBC-26 won the following awards at the Wisconsin Broadcaster Association Awards for Excellence on April 5: Best Promotional Announcement – Green Bay Gamblers and Best Evening Newscast– 10 p.m. WLUK FOX 11 earned seven awards for news and weather coverage in a medium market in 2007 at the same awards program. For best morning newscast, “Good Day Wisconsin” took first and second place honors. In the Spot News category, FOX 11 won first place for coverage of the Riverview Tornado. FOX 11 earned a third place honor for the story, “A Department Divided” in the hard news/investigative category. FOX 11 chief meteorologist Patrick Powell took first place in the weathercast category. For the category “If It Doesn’t Fit, This Must Be It…”, FOX 11 Packers Family Night earned a second place honor, and for the category of Use of New Media, FOX 11 took third place for the half-hour special, “Bracing for Wisconsin Winters.”

RMM Solutions Inc. celebrates employee anniversaries: Wendy Noll, 11 years, and Jessica Durkee, one year.

Unity announces that Cheryl Sischo has achieved recognition as certified hospice and palliative care nursing assistant. Unity registered nurses Jessica Bostwick and Sharon DeCleene achieved recognition as certified hospice and palliative nurses.

Comfort Control Systems Inc. has been named the Amana HVAC Dealer of the Year by the W.A. Roosevelt Company.

Smet Construction Corporation Services was presented with Star Building Systems’ President’s Club Award and Outstanding Builder Award.

The state of South Carolina has awarded Howard Immel Inc. a state contractor’s license.

Miron Construction Co., Inc. was recently awarded honors by Wisconsin Builder magazine for Dudley Tower in Wausau and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Kress Events Center in Green Bay.

Independent Printing Company, Inc. won three Badger Awards in the Printing Industries of Wisconsin’s 2008 Graphics Excellence Awards competition for Sundance Papers - A Practical Choice (produced for Neenah Paper), the 2008 EAA World of Flight calendar and the 2008-09 BlueDog Digital calendar.