March
2010 Newsletter
Top
Stories
1. From the Chair: Strategic partners help
us move forward
2. Alliance
President & CEO, heads to Dubai - read her blog!
3. Alliance's
EMERGE initiative gets bigger!
4.
Mark your calendar - Alliance Annual Meeting
April 27
Public
Policy
5. Alliance comments on urban renewal budgets
6.
Alliance plans to rescue trade's good name
7. Testimony on River Plan and Working Waterfront
Coalition update
Downtown
8.
Downtown's downward crime trend continues
9. More than 23,000 Dining Guides hit downtown
streets
Membership
10.
How to network more effectively
11.
Check out the Alliance's LinkedIn page!
Member
News
12. Jill Eiland of Intel joins Oregon State
Board of Higher Education; Intel announces recent donations
13.
OHSU contributes significantly to Portland
and Oregon economy
14. TOC Management Services is now Vigilant
15. Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt hires new
associate and honors shareholder
16.
Portland Community College's new downtown
facility opens
17.
Hillsboro's SolarWorld receives recognition
18. Restauranteur Lisa Schroeder interviewed
by travel Web site
19. PARC leads the way with Convergence
Marketing
20. Safely
discard your unwanted and expired prescription drugs
21.
Upcoming meetings
FROM
THE CHAIR
1. Strategic
partners help us move forward
 By
Charles Wilhoite, Chair,
Alliance Board of Directors
The Portland
Business Alliance has many attributes that contribute to the
strength of our voice for business. We have a large and diverse
membership base, representing all sectors of Portland-area
business. We have tremendous board leadership, and a great
staff. And, perhaps most importantly, we have a wide variety
of partners across the region, who are our partners in a join
mission to build a strong regional economy.
Our most
recent partnerships include support for the Working Waterfront
Coalition on the city's River Plan, the Coalition for a Prosperous
Region on Metro's land use planning decisions and with the
state business groups on state tax and other legislative issues.
The Working
Waterfront Coalition, which recently became an official part
of the Alliance, was establish five years ago by businesses
concerned about the environmental health and economic vitality
of the Portland harbor. With nearly 40 members, the coalition
has been actively engaged in a number of issues impacting
businesses in the harbor and is busy telling the story of
the importance of the working harbor to the broader community.
The Working
Waterfront Coalition's most recent advocacy efforts have focused
on the city's River Plan, which includes a number of proposals
that could impact the zoning and permitting process for harbor
businesses, ultimately impacting jobs. The waterfront coalition
recently turned out more than 25 business representatives
at a city council hearing. The Alliance was also there testifying
in support of the harbor and the more than 40,000 jobs that
Portland harbor businesses create. The Alliance is also developing
a new Web site for the coalition that will be online later
this month.
Another
issue that has received a lot of news coverage lately is Metro's
decisions on the urban and rural reserves that will determine
the region's growth over the next 50 years. The Alliance has
participated in the Coalition for a Prosperous Region, which
is made up of business organizations representing thousands
of jobs and more than 20,000 union members of the Columbia
Pacific Building Trades Council.
This Coalition
for a Prosperous Region advocated for more available acreage
to accommodate growth and has helped inform regional county
commissioners and Metro about the needs around employment
lands. The coalition's perspective and outreach to decision-makers
was a critical part of the discussion. With Alliance support,
the coalition will continue to be engaged in employment land
issues and help demonstrate the connection between land use
laws and job creation.
At the
state level, the Alliance looks towards it partners at Association
Oregon Industries, Oregon Business Association, Oregon Business
Council and many more who represent business at the legislature.
The recent regular and special sessions of the Legislature
were especially challenging for the business community, and
the Alliance worked closely with business community allies
on issues that impacted all of us. Looking ahead, the Alliance
expects to work with its business groups to improve the ability
of business to sure lawmakers understand the impact of laws
and regulations on private sector jobs.
It is
our hope that by working together with these coalitions, associations
and others, we can demonstrate the importance of business
to elected officials and community leaders with a strong and
cohesive voice that moves our issues and our region forward.
Back
to the top
2.
Alliance President & CEO, heads to Dubai - read her blog!
Later
this week, Alliance President & CEO Sandra McDonough, will
leave on a weeklong trip to Dubai with 40 other chamber
of commerce leaders from across the country.
The
trip, planned by the Dubai Chamber and the American Council
of Chamber Executives, will highlight trade and other economic
opportunities between the U.S. and Dubai. McDonough also
hopes to learn about Portland-area businesses working in
Dubai.
Click
here to read all about her trip >>
3.
Alliance's EMERGE initiative gets bigger!
Last
year, the Alliance launched a new initiative, EMERGE, to
connect emerging and established business and civic leaders
in the Portland region. The initiative was a great success
due to networking and relationship building activities.
This year, the initiative is growing. The Alliance is launching:
-
Monthly
Emerge Exclusive events where an existing leader tells
their story and gives advice, shares their thoughts on
careers, leadership and being engaged in the community.
-
Excursions
such as a raft trip or a Mt. Hood ski trip for EMERGE
participants to get more connected.
-
Volunteer
activities that connect established and emerging leaders
while benefiting the community.
Stay
tuned for more information on EMERGE!
Back
to the top
4.
Mark your calendar - Alliance Annual
Meeting April 27!
Where
will you be April 27? If you are an
Alliance member, you should be at the
largest business event in the region
- the Alliance's annual meeting. The
keynote speaker, Nissan's Senior Vice
President of North America, Brian Carolin,
will talk about his views of the auto
industry and what it means to Portland
to be chosen as a launch market for
Nissan's new electric vehicle, the LEAF.
The Nissan LEAF is the world's first
all-electric, zero-emission car designed
for the mass market.
Nissan
recently announced the LEAF purchase
process and unveiled the marketing campaign
in New York as part of the finale of
the Nissan LEAF Zero-Emission Tour.
The tour stopped in 24 US cities, including
Portland, and garnered a large and diverse
response.
The
Alliance Board Chair, Charles Wilhoite,
will also talk about the current business
environment and what the region's employers
can do to help promote business.
Buy
a table of 10 ($950) or a ticket ($95)!
Register
Now >>
5.
Alliance comments on urban renewal budgets
Urban
renewal is a critical tool to enable continued
invest in downtown, the region's economic
hub. To support the city's urban renewal efforts,
the Alliance, with the help of its Central
City Committee, convenes a task force to each
year review the central city urban renewal
budgets. The Portland Development Commission
and urban renewal advisory committees draft
these budgets and then the Alliance task force
analyzes the budget expenditures based on
the project's ability to:
-
Generate
increased value through properties;
-
Demonstrate
private sector participation;
-
Generate
a local and widespread "halo effect" of economic development;
and
-
Maximize
tax increment generation potential during the life of
the district.
After
completing its review of the budgets, the Alliance submitted
a letter to the Portland Development Commission commenting
on the various urban renewal areas with comments and suggestions.
The comments focused on:
-
Downtown
Waterfront, South Park Blocks: These two areas are
recently expired urban renewal districts. The Alliance
advocates that any remaining dollars fund projects that
provide a tailwind of investment to carry these areas
forward.
-
River
District: The Alliance supports the Burnside Couch
and Post Office project areas, the 10th and Yamhill garage
redevelopment and funding for the Mayor's Downtown Retail
Strategy.
-
Central
Eastside: The Alliance supports the Central East Side
as an important employment district in the central city.
The Alliance recommends that the district's remaining
resources focus on development projects that maximize
the infrastructure investment.
-
Oregon
Convention Center: The redevelopment/reuse of this
area, which is near expiration, provides opportunity to
further transform the Rose Quarter area and encourages
additional investment. The development of a headquarters
hotel remains a priority for this district and for the
Alliance.
6.
Alliance
plans to rescue trade's good name
International
trade is often cast as a job killer,
but in reality trade is incredibly
important to the region's economy
as a job creator. In order to improve
the perception of trade in the Portland
region, the Alliance has formed a
task force with the goals of:
-
Funding
a report that brings together business interviews and
data from government and private sectors that tells the
economic story of trade in the region, and building a
public relations campaign to support the report.
-
Building
trade recognition into Alliance communications and events.
-
Working
to establish an ongoing business trade delegation program
with the goal of regular overseas trips to critical markets.
If
you are interested in getting involved,
please contact Doug Badger at doug@quinnthomas.com.
Stay tuned for more information on
this important issue!
7.
Testimony on River Plan and Working Waterfront
Coalition update
During
a testimony at Portland City Hall on February 17,
about 25 businesses and business representatives expressed
concerns about a specific element of the River Plan:
amendments of the zoning code. Instead of going through
additional permitting processes, businesses in the
harbor want to invest directly in natural resource
enhancements.
Portland
City Council will continue hearing about the River
Plan on April 1 at 2:00 p.m. In the meantime, the
Alliance and the Working Waterfront Coalition will
resume discussions with city commissioners about a
zoning code and permit process that would benefit
the environment and the local economy.
DOWNTOWN
SERVICES
8.
Downtown's downward crime trend continues
Recently
released crime statistics from the Portland
Police Bureau show a continuing downward
crime trend in downtown. The Clean & Safe
District (also referred to as the downtown
Business Improvement District) is managed
by the Portland Business Alliance.
As
of January 2010, the district, which includes
213 blocks of the Central City, has experienced
a 35 percent reduction during the past
four years. This continued reduction is
directly attributable to the strong partnership
between the BID's Clean & Safe program,
Portland Police, Central City Concern
and other community partners.
Back
to the top
9.
More than 23,000 Dining Guides hit downtown
streets
 More
than 23,000 Dining Guides are now available
throughout downtown's hotels, restaurants
and shops. The Alliance's Dining Guide
offers a directory of downtown restaurants
and cafes, conveniently organized by cuisine.
The guide features a color-coded map,
making it easy to find your chosen destination.
The guide is also available from the kiosks
staffed by the Alliance's green-clad Sidewalk
Ambassadors, from the Travel Portland
office and other visitor locations.
Call
the Alliance at 503.224.8684 to get larger
quantities of the free guides if you're
hosting a meeting or conference or want
to help visitors enjoy the Central City.
If you are interested in advertising in
next year's guide, contact your Business
Development Manager or Lisa Frisch at
lfrisch@portlandalliance.com.
MEMBERSHIP
SERVICES
10.
How to network more effectively
Mark
Herdering, of SendOutCards.com,
has been very successful making connections through networking
since moving to Portland from Los Angeles two years ago, and
he has mentored many Alliance members on the art of networking.
Currently,
Herdering is leading an Alliance event called Maximize your
Networking, where he gives tips on how to network more effectively
and how to use Alliance events to develop connections that
can turn into profitable client relationships. When networking,
Herdering points out that it's your job to make business connections,
not to 'sell' your product or service.
Here
are Herdering's simple, but most often forgotten tips on effective
networking:
- Show
up on time
- Do
not sit by yourself in the back and eat during the sponsor
presentation
- Do
not take phone calls during the event
- Do
not wear your bluetooth ear piece during the event
- Do
not hand out your business card unless it is asked for
- Do
not hand out brochures
- Never
add anyone to your e-mail marketing or newsletter distribution
list unless they have specifically asked you to
- Never
promote your business opportunity
- Never
promote more than one business
- Brush
your teeth before the event (especially before a morning
event)
Hear more
from Mark April 13 after Business Leads Exchange.
Register
for Business Leads Exchange & Maximize Your Leads >>
11.
Check out the Alliance's LinkedIn page!
To
engage business professionals, promote news and events and
facilitate connections, the Alliance is increasing its activities
around the social media Web site, LinkedIn.
The
Alliance is accepting all member requests to join its LinkedIn
group and is inviting new members to participate in discussions,
post press releases and connect with others in the group.
At
450 members strong, the LinkedIn group is a great place to
meet others interested in creating a strong regional economy
and a vibrant central city. The group is open to any member
looking to make connections and grow their business through
referrals. Upcoming Alliance events and news items will be
posted, and members are encouraged to start discussion topics
around issues affecting their business.
Connect
with the Alliance on LinkedIn >>
Back
to the top
MEMBER
NEWS
12.
Jill Eiland of Intel joins Oregon State Board of Higher Education;
Intel announces recent donations
On
February 15, the Oregon Senate appointed Jill Eiland, Northwest
Region corporate affairs manager at Intel, to the State Board
of Higher Education. Eiland will join the board March 1.
Additionally,
Intel has just finished distributing $523,532 in donations
to 227 public and private Oregon schools under its Intel Involved
Matching Grant program. When Intel employees volunteer in
Oregon classrooms they generate a $10 Intel Foundation donation
for every hour of volunteerism. This package of donations
brings Intel's educational donations in 2009 to $2.3 million,
including $1.6 million to K-12 schools and $730,000 to higher
education institutions. It also brings Intel's total community
donations in 2009 to $6.5 million, up from $6.3 million in
2008.
Back
to the top
13.
OHSU contributes significantly to Portland and Oregon economy
Oregon
Health & Science University recently commissioned an analysis
that calculated the institution's economic impact on the Portland
region and Oregon. The analysis, completed by ECONorthwest,
found that OHSU provides almost 35,000 jobs and creates $2
billion in personal income. The report was based on data from
2007.
Read
more and download the full report >>
Back
to the top
14.
TOC Management Services is now Vigilant
Left to Right: Dan Blair, Mark Frandsen
(New Season Foods), Jay Seeley and Nancy Dicus of Vigilant
celebrate the renaming of the company, previously called TOC
Management Services.
Vigilant
(formerly TOC Management Services) celebrated 50 years in
business earlier this February with an Employment Law and
Legislative Update followed by a celebratory reception at
their headquarters in Tigard. Local SW Washington and Oregon
employers and members heard from Vigilant's Employment Law
Team about recent and potential state and federal legislation
changes for 2010 that affect employers of all kind. To learn
more about Vigilant, visit their Web site at: www.vigilantcounsel.org.
Back
to the top
15.
Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt hires new associate and honors
shareholder
Joyce
Wan, who focuses her law practice in the areas of labor and
employment law, was recently hired as an associate in the
Portland office of regional law firm, Schwabe, Williamson
& Wyatt. Roman Hernandez, a Schwabe shareholder, was recently
honored for his significant contributions to the Hispanic
legal community.
More
on Wan >>
More
on Hernandez >>
Back
to the top
16.
Portland Community College's new downtown facility opens
Left to right: PCC Board Members Bob Palmer,
Harold Williams, David Squire PCC District President Preston
Pulliams, Alliance VP of Downtown Services Mike Kuykendall,
PCC Board Members Denise Frisbee and Deanna Palm
On Tuesday,
February 23, Portland Community College celebrated the opening
of the college's Downtown Center with a President's Club Event
honoring PCC's past, present and future. The Downtown Center
will host Human Resources, Finance, Community Education and
Affirmative Action programs, among others. The building was
chosen because it's close to light rail and meets the highest
sustainability and energy efficiency standards.
More
on PCC's Downtown Center >>
Back
to the top
17.
Hillsboro's SolarWorld receives recognition
SolarWorld
products have produced more power than all other competitive
products for the past two years, according to the world's
only independent, industry wide analysis, conducted by Photon
Magazine. Photon conducted the tests on SolarWorld products
produced in Europe under scientifically controlled conditions.
SolarWorld makes its American products using the same stringent
quality standards entirely within the U.S. SolarWorld is the
first solar company to offer a "Linear Performance Guarantee"
for 25 years on all solar power modules installed as of 2010.
More
on Photon's Analysis >>
Back
to the top
18.
Restauranteur Lisa Schroeder interviewed by travel Web site
Lisa Schroeder,
owner of Mother's bistro and Mama Mia Trattoria, was recently
interviewed by www.52perfectdays.com.
Schroeder shared her perfect day in Portland, which serves
as great insider advice for anyone looking to discover or
rediscover unique businesses in Portland.
Read
the full article >>
Back
to the top
19.
PARC leads the way with Convergence Marketing
The Portland
Area Radio Council (PARC) recently launched the My Business
First (MBF) Campaign, a leading edge approach to radio convergence
marketing that includes an impact video, Webinar, on-air commercials,
and website. The on-air portion of the campaign drives the
listener to the MBF website. The PARC enlisted Remerge, a
Columbus, Ohio integrated media advisory company, to provide
online training to PARC's radio members throughout 2010. Remerge
will focus on convergence as the key to Radio's growing future,
which will allow PARC to remain in the forefront of marketing
and advertising strategies.
Read
More >>
More
on PARC >>
Back
to the top
20. Safely
discard your unwanted and expired prescription drugs
Saturday,
March 13 is prescription drug turn-in day for your unwanted
and expired prescription drugs. The nonmedical use of prescription
drugs is growing among young people, help keep your unwanted
and expired prescription drugs out of the wrong hands! The
statewide drug turn-in day is being coordinated by the Oregon
Medical Association Alliance, Community Action to Reduce Substance
Abuse (CARSA) and Oregon Partnership. For
more information >>
Back
to the top
21.
Upcoming Meetings
March
9, Communications Committee, 9:30 a.m.
March 9 , Transportation Committee, noon
March 10, Sustainability Committee, 7:30 a.m.
March 12, President's Council, noon
March 16, Central City Standing Committee, noon
March 18, Public Safety Committee, 8 a.m.
March
31, Government Relations Committee, 4 p.m.
April 21, Small Business Council, 4 p.m.
Back
to the top
|
