President’s Message | Why and what next?
President’s Message July 2026 From our Business Perspective Newsletter Why and what next? Renowned speaker and author Simon Sinek is perhaps best known for inspiring people to focus on the concept of WHY. The founder of The Optimism Company, Sinek’s website describes him as an “unshakeable optimist” who believes in a bright future and our…
Read MorePresident’s Message June 2026 From our Business Perspective Newsletter Lessons for life At last, summer! Like many of you, I found the glidepath into summer marked by graduations, family gatherings, and a little R&R over the Memorial Day holiday. We celebrated my niece Karlee’s graduation with honors in radiation technology from Jefferson College, where every…
Read MorePresident’s Message | Are you as smart as a middle schooler?
President’s Message May 2026 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Are you as smart as a middle schooler? Judging by the results of our recent Regional Competition for the National Civics Bee®, I may not be. Our Overland Park Chamber Foundation, in conjunction with the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Civic Trust, hosted 20 middle schoolers on the…
Read MorePresident’s Message | Education collaborations are key to future
President’s Message April 2026 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Education collaborations are key to the future One of our most popular sessions during the 10-session Leadership Overland Park program features the superintendents from our “Big Three” school districts. They devote this time – 90 minutes – on their packed calendars to talk with our business…
Read MorePresident’s Message | Get ready for a soccer summer!
President’s Message March 2026 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Get ready for a soccer summer! The excitement is building as Kansas City prepares to welcome the world this summer for the world’s largest soccer celebration – a series of events expected to bring unprecedented energy, visitors and opportunities to our region. With less than 100…
Read MorePresident’s Message | Building a welcoming OP
President’s Message February 2026 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Building a welcoming OP Our team has established a meaningful tradition to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Each year, we serve at one of our member non-profit organizations, then join regional leaders at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy & Scholarship Awards Dinner, which is…
Read MoreChairman’s Message | 2026: The year ahead
Chairman’s Message January 2026 From the Business Perspective Newsletter 2026: The year ahead I have the honor of serving as your Chamber Chairman in 2026, and together with the full Board, Chamber leadership, and staff, we are excited to continue building on our strong foundation. As a small business owner who chose Overland Park more…
Read MoreChairman’s Message | 2025: A Year in Review
Chairman’s Message December 2025 From the Business Perspective Newsletter 2025: A Year in Review As I reflect on 2025, one thing is clear: this was a year of meaningful progress for Overland Park and for our Chamber. Across membership, advocacy, economic development, and talent strategy, we saw achievements that strengthened our business community and advanced…
Read MorePresident’s Message | Celebrating 50 Years of Oak Park Mall
President’s Message November 2025 From the Business Perspective Newsletter Celebrating 50 Years of Oak Park Mall We recently marked the 50th anniversary of Oak Park Mall with the center’s owners, city leaders, tenants, and its original developer, now known as Copaken Brooks. In a time when most community malls sit idle or have been demolished,…
Read MorePresident’s Message | 69Express: Top priority becomes reality
President’s Message October 2025 From the Business Perspective Newsletter 69Express: Top priority becomes reality One thing I love about the Chamber is that we tackle big issues with the potential to significantly im-pact the lives of our residents and our economy. Some of these issues are long-term and subjective, without a clear end in sight,…
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