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President’s Message | Preparing leaders, shaping the future

President’s Message July 2024 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Preparing leaders, shaping the future Over the last 42 years, the Chamber and our Foundation have sponsored Leadership Overland Park. Not to train leaders, but to better prepare them, connect them and challenge them. In June, our 2025 class completed its six-month program. One of the…

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President’s Message | Words to remember

President’s Message June 2025 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Words to remember My brother has seven children, ranging in age from 18 to 32. That means I’ve been to many graduations. Eighth grade. High school. College. In all conditions, from cramped, hot auditoriums to damp, chilly, and windy football fields, and a few virtual graduations…

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President’s Message | Business and policies are local

President’s Message April 2025 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Business and policies are local I recently returned from meetings with peer chamber executives and national policy leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. As you would imagine, topics ranged from tariffs, taxes, the economy, immigration, education, and housing to AI. The underlying…

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President’s Message | Opportunity NOW picks up speed

President’s Message March 2025 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Opportunity NOW picks up speed Investors gathered last month to celebrate key milestones in the Opportunity NOW initiative. Bill Ferguson, Central Bank of the Midwest President & CEO and Chair of Opportunity NOW, announced the initiative has just completed year two of its implementation and shared…

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President’s Message | We’re here for uncertain times

President’s Message February 2025 From the Business Perspective Newsletter We’re here for uncertain times If people do not know much about a chamber of commerce or our members, they often think that we’re a homogenous group of businesses, generally “big business,” who think alike, and want the same things – primarily low taxes and other…

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Chairman’s Message | Looking to the Year Ahead

Chairman’s Message January 2025 From the Business Perspective Newsletter 2025: Looking to the year ahead It is truly an honor to step into the role of Chair for this amazing organization! So many outstanding leaders have preceded me in this role, including our outgoing Chair, Cindy Rock. On behalf of the Overland Park Chamber, I…

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Chairman’s Message | 2024: The Year in Review

Chairman’s Message December 2024 From the Business Perspective Newsletter 2024: The Year in Review I have been so honored to be Chair of the Overland Park Chamber Board this past year. 2024 has moved incredibly fast and we had some great wins and some exciting “firsts” that occurred this past year that I wanted to…

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President’s Message | Keep it small during the most wonderful time of the year

President’s Message November 2024 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Keep it small during the most wonderful time of the year Halloween’s over! Pumpkins have been replaced by holly and glitter, which means it’s holiday movie time. What does nearly every feel-good holiday movie have in common? A small business owner! Probably because something is compelling…

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President’s Message | Music leads to lasting friendships

President’s Message October 2024 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Music leads to lasting friendships Music is an international language. What began more than 30 years ago as an exchange between the Shawnee Mission South Band and Bietigheim’s Musikschule grew into cherished relationships between families, formalized in 1999 by the City and Chamber in Overland Park…

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President’s Message | Looking for talent? We’re here to help

President’s Message September 2024 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Looking for talent? We’re here to help. While some sectors report the labor market is softening, we have had no indications that attracting and retaining top talent is easier. If anything, the factors influencing decisions for employers and employees have just become more complex. The timing…

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