SMBA June 2015 Annual Meeting

It’s that time of year again!  Each June we hold our annual member meeting as we vote in Board members, review financials, and get updates from our various committees.

We also held a discussion period during lunch where our Board received feedback from you, our members, on what you like about SMBA, what you would like to improve, what you would like to get out of the group, and any other feedback you would like to share.  Results will be reviewed by the Board and goals, programming, and committee work will be determined based on your input!

We were also happy to have Kaleem Caire of One City talk with us briefly about funding for his initiative in South Madison.  Kaleem is heading the start-up of a South Madison learning center with goals set to increase reading levels in under-privileged children, as well as educate parents on effective and healthy parenting in order to, among many other things, support the education children are receiving.  One City is currently in the fundraising stage and hope they are able to open doors this fall for children.

SMBA will match all member contributions up to $1,000, so be sure to donate to this very worthy cause!

Craig Schmidt, SMBA Treasurer

Kaleem Caire of One City

Lorelle Micklitz, SMBA Secretary

Awards for our SMBA sponsors...thank you so much for your support!

SMBA May 2015 Meeting

This month SMBA decided to try something different, and welcomed Nancy Depcik of Unshakeable Success to talk with us about overcoming challenges in both our personal and professional lives.

Nancy Depcik is a nationally recognized speaker and coach. She has worked with major corporations such as Walgreens, PepsiCo, and Subway just to name a few. Her background as a successful salesperson, leader, and business owner have given her the secrets to Unshakable Success™, the kind of success no one can ever take away from you, no matter what may come your way. 

Nancy shared with us her secrets to staying positive during challenging times and offered suggestions on techniques we can start using today to bring joy into our lives. She showed us how to find the strength within to face life’s challenges and thrive.

From the comments we received afterwards, the presentation was a huge success and a welcome addition to our normal line of presenters!

• "Great!  I'm curious!"
• "Very good - positive talk!"
• "Good topic, "think positive" can be a real healer"
• "Nancy is an excellent speaker - enjoyable"
• "Very good.  One of my favorites."
• "Nancy was fabulous!"
• "Excellent!  Let's make lemons into lemonade!"
• "Good presenter - challenged your attitude and mindset"
• "Easily the best speaker we have had!"

Thanks to Nancy for this wonderful presentation!

Networking at the SMBA May luncheon

Featured Speaker Nancy Depcik of Unshakeable Success

SMBA April 2015 Meeting

We would like to thank Matt Mikolajewski of the City of Madison - Economic Development Division for coming to speak to our group.  The updates on many different city projects, progress his Department his made, and sharing the resources they provide to businesses in Madison were all relevant and interesting to our attendees.

We were also happy to highlight our Gold Sponsor, AMS, and hear more about their company.  Check out their website...they are much more than installers of car radios!!

Please welcome our new member this month, Mark Haas of Zounds Hearing!

And last but not least, a huge thank you to Mark Patun of AMS for donating a waterproof bluetooth speaker for our door prize...now Andy Fickett, the lucky winner, can sing in the shower to his heart's content!

Mark Patun, AMS; Gold Sponsor of SMBA

Matt Mikolajewski, City of Madison - Economic Development Division

SMBA March 2015 Lunch Meeting

Leadership Greater Madison has been an active non-profit in our community for 22 years, preparing adult leaders and helping them become engaged in the community.  We were thrilled to have Lynn Wood, Program Director for the group, come speak with us about the differences they have made with our community leaders, as well as share results of the first LGM-Youth program that kicked off in March for Dane County high school sophomores, and give a preview of a new program designed for new-to-the area executives.

Thanks, Lynn, for speaking to our group and for being such a force for building and supporting leadership in our area!

Member News
We were also excited to introduce March's new members:

• Momentum Insurance Plans, Inc. – represented by Kathleen Bobholz-Rewey
• All Comfort Services – represented by Debbie Wuksinich
• J. F. Ahern Co – represented by Chris Behrendt

We hope to see everyone next month!

Susan Thomson, SMBA President

City Updates from Carole Schaeffer

Lynn Wood, Program Director of Leadership Greater Madison

SMBA July 2014 Lunch Meeting

While summer meetings are typically smaller groups, this month's speaker drew lots of members and guests!  Everyone was happy to leave the beautiful weather to see what Dr. Jack Daniels of Madison College had to say about the future plans of the technical college, and how it impacted Madison and our surrounding area.  It was interesting to hear about the challenges they face, what employers can expect from their graduates, and how we as a community can support our local colleges.

SMBA also welcomed Jim Sauter of NovaONE Networks as our featured member speaker.  The group enjoyed hearing about their services and offerings, and how they stand out from other communication providers.

We also wanted to give a shout out to Badger Bowl for being such great hosts!  The food and the service exceed our expectations, and we are happy to hold our monthly meetings at such a great spot!

Dr. Jack Daniels of Madison College, SMBA's July Featured Speaker

Jim Sauter of NovaONE Networks, featured SMBA member

SMBA June 2014 Annual Meeting

SMBA held our annual members-only Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 19.  Along with elections of our Board of Directors, we also thanked Rob Waterman and Jim Mankowski for their many years of service on the Board, and wished them well as they retired from our leadership team.

Our members also heard from each of our committees, including the Finance Committee, the Membership Committee, and the Expo Committee.  Susan Thomson, President of SMBA, announced that we are also adding a Programming Committee and Networking Committee.  SMBA is always looking for volunteers, so please let our Administrator, Jodi, or any Board member know if you would like to get more involved.

SMBA 2014 Annual Meeting

Susan Thomson, SMBA President

Mike Flynn of the SMBA Finance Committee

Gail Johnson, former Chair of the SMBA Expo Committee

SMBA May 2014 Meeting

It was a pleasure to have Dan Kennelly of the City of Madison as our featured presenter at SMBA's May meeting!  Dan briefly touched on the Public Market and where that project stands, and also informed the group of the City of Madison's Economic Development Strategy.  It was a very interesting topic, and we hope to have Dan back periodically with more updates on the City of Madison.

Our featured member of the month was Tom Johnson of Kavanaugh Restaurant Supply.  Thanks for sharing more about your business and services!

SMBA May 2014 Member Meeting at Badger Bowl

Dan Kennelly, City of Madison