Networking

Wednesday, 11/12 -- Speed Networking
Sponsored by Azteca Mexican Restaurant
7:30 - 9 a.m., Azteca Mexican Restaurant, 4708 NE Thurston Way, Vancouver. 98662. Cost: $10; breakfast provided by Azteca. If you bring a non-member guest, your entrance is free. A guest may come once and then must become a member to attend again. RSVP required: www.vancouverusa.com or 360-694-2588.

Member Services

11/3-- GVCC Holiday Charitable Giving Campaign begins
Sponsored by Umpqua Bank

All day, every day until Dec. 1. This brand new event will
support all of the GVCC's member 501c3 charitable nonprofits. The culmination will be a holiday breakfast on Dec. 5 at the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay from 7:30 - 9 a.m. One hundred percent of the proceeds go directly to the nonprofits, and your donation is completely tax deductible. This is a competition between businesses for a great prize. Click here for details on how to donate and get involved!

11/18 -- Business After Hours

Sponsored by Carr Auto Group

5 - 7 p.m., Carr Auto Group, 6600 NE Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver 98661. Cost: $10 members; $20 non-members. To register, call 360-694-2588 or click here.

SAVE THE DATE

2/20 -- Chamber Blazer Night

Hosted by the Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers are excited to host local Chambers for an exciting night of basketball as the Blazers take on the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, Feb. 20, 2009. A first-class networking event is planned with Chambers from across the Northwest, featuring a speaker from the executive front office of the Trail Blazers and a pre-game dinner. Game starts at 7 p.m.; dinner is at 5:30 in the Memorial Coliseum's Georgia Pacific Room. Click here for the event flyer and ticket information.

Public Policy and Issues

11/14: WSU-Vancouver Chancellor's Fall Seminar- Smart Environments: Artificial Intelligence at Home and Beyond

Presented by

"Smart Environments: Artificial Intelligence at Home and Beyond" will be from noon-1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 14 at WSU-Vancouver. Presented by Dr. Diane Cook of WSU - Pullman. To learn more about this seminar, click here. The fee for the seminar is $30 and includes lunch and parking in the ORANGE lot. Location: Firstenburg Student Commons. To register, call the GVCC at 360-694-2588 or click here.

11/20 -- 2008 Regional Small Business Issues Forum

Presented by the Washington Policy Center

11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Red Lion Hotel at the Quay, 100 Columbia St., Vancouver 98660.

Learn more about access to affordable health care, improving Washington's business tax and how to avoid "eco-fads" while still making your business green. This Forum is open to anyone who has an interest in improving Washington's small business climate. Cost: $25; $20 for Washington Policy Center supporters. Includes lunch and forum materials. To register, call 888-972-9272; e-mail wpc@washingtonpolicy.org; or click here.

SAVE THE DATE
12/12 -- Legislative Outlook Breakfast

Presented by the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, Identity Clark County and the Columbia River Economic Development Council.

Friday, Dec. 12 from 7 - 9 a.m. at the Hilton Vancouver. A question and answer panel with Washington state elected officials from the 49th, 17th and 18th legislative districts. The 2009 Shared Business Priorities from the GVCC, ICC and CREDC will be presented. Cost: $30. To register, call 360-694-2588 or click here.

Member News

• Legacy Health Systems Salmon Creek Hospital received a $15,000 grant from the Firstenburg Family Foundation to help outfit their new Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital Total Joint Center. The money will equip a therapy gym and cutting-edge clinical technology.
• Young Professionals of Vancouver (YPOV) announces its first annual Reach for the Stars Scholarship Fundraiser Dinner and Silent Auction on Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Vancouver. The dinner will provide two scholarship for Southwest Washington Workforce Development's 2008 youth program. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased at www.ypov.org. Black-tie optional. YPOV is still looking for table sponsors and silent auction items. If interested, contact Tina Vlachos at 360-241-3721 or e-mail tina.vlachos@countryfinancial.com.
• Creative Computer Solutions, Inc. (CCSI) proudly announces that Sean Guerrero was honored by the Vancouver Business Journal as one of their "Accomplished and Under 40" recipients at the recent awards presentation. Guerrero is the VP of Operations at CCSI and has been with the company for 10 years. A full list of recipients and their accomplishments will be in this Friday's VBJ.
• Construction on the new headquarters of iQ Credit Union makes progress at its new location: 1313 Main St. in downtown Vancouver. Work on the nearly 30,000 square feet building, which began in early summer, is on schedule and is expected to be completed by second quarter of 2009.
• MacKay & Sposito (M&S) announces that two employees recently passed professional exams. Nicki Spike, PHR, completed her Professional Human Resources Exam and Chris Shirby, PLS, passed his professional land surveyor exam. Both individuals work out of the company's Vancouver office.
• Columbia River Chorus will have several Christmas concerts at three locations this month: Westfield Shopping Center, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m.; Vancouver Festival of Trees, Nov. 30 at 3 p.m.; and The Grotto's Festival of Lights; Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. For more information, contact 503-810-8819. If you're interested in singing, please contact 360-887-4927.
• Perkins & Company, P.C., announces the recent addition of Carol-Ann Simon as shareholder and director of the firm's Expatriate Tax Services practice group. Simon's expertise includes global tax compliance, tax-effective compensation, cross border planning, employee relocation issues and tax equalization policies. She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and is a certified accountant in the U.S. and Canada.
• HomeStreet Bank announces that Connie Christianson, the bank's Vancouver branch manager, has been elected president of the board for the East Vancouver Business Association (EVBA). She has also been elected to the Vancouver Advisory Council of Junior Achievement.
• SCORE offers an "Eight Steps to Thinking Like Your Customer" workshop on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 601 SW 2nd Ave., Room 2030, Portland. Topics include: "Understanding Your Customer and Market Segments," "Uncovering Customer Needs" and "8 Steps to Thinking Like a Customer." Cost: $55 pre-registered; $65 at the door. Workshop is from 8:30 a.m. - 12 noon. Call 503-326-5211 or visit www.scorepdx.org for more information.
• Prudential NW Properties presents its "12th Annual Season Celebration," a benefit concert for local nonprofit Transitional Youth, on Nov. 21 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland. A talented showcase includes rock violinist Aaron Meyer; Intervision, one of Portland's hottest bands; Art Alexakis of Everclear; and Cloverdayle, winners of Kenny Chesney's "Next Big Star" competition. Tickets are $20-$25 and available through www.ticketmaster.com or the Portland Center for Performing Arts' box office at 503-248-4335.
• The GVCC and the Oregon Coalition of Health Care Purchasers invite you to participate in a Nov. 18 webinar to learn more about value-based benefit design. Value-based employee benefit design is used by many public and private employers as a means toward healthier employees and reduced health care costs. To register, go to: http://ochcp.org/default.asp?id=34.

• Send us your news releases so we can let our members know what's happening in your company! We report member news in the biweekly Business Matters eNewsletter and our monthly ChamberNews magazine. Send information to yourchamber@vancouverusa.com