To support our members through programs that promote business development and encourage economic growth, educational excellence and legislative advocacy.
Use following link to view the latest Member Buy Member participant list:
www.allenchamber.com
Executive Committee
Bob Rothe, Chair
Fortune Financial Services
Sheila McKinney, Chair-Elect
Presbyterian Hospital of Allen
Izzie Waller, Past Chair
RCL Enterprises
Patti McKee, Treasurer
Community Credit Union
Griff Moore
Atrium Financial Services
Maxine Sweet
Experian
Sharon Mayer, President/CEO
Allen Chamber of Commerce
Board of Directors
Dr. Toni Jenkins
Collin County Community College
Kathy Litinas
An Ideal Arrangement
Sonia Malone
Allen Premium Outlets
Rudy Mann
Sunbelt Telecommunications
Danny McLarty
MBA Architects, Inc.
Jenny Preston
Allen Independent School District
Charisse Reaume
Allen Economic Development Corporation
Chris Ryan
Xtera Communications
T. Randall (Randy) Sandifer
Attorney at Law
Worley Stein
American National Bank
Andy Stewart
Compliments
Peter Vargas
City of Allen
Jim Waldbauer
BW2 Engineers
Staff
Pam Fechter
Membership
Carol Rodgers
Operations
The Chamber would like to acknowledge and thank the following major investors
Platinum Investors
Experian
HIT Entetainment
Presbyterian Hospital of Allen
RCL Enterprises
Sunbelt Telecommunications, Inc.
Gold Investors
Carter & Burgess
Community Credit Union
Crest Place Apartments
Frullati Cafe and Bakery
FSI International
Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse
Metro-Optix, Inc.
Oncor Group
Sage Telecom, Inc.
Sam's Club #4743 Plano/East
Sanmina SCI
Suncreek Family Dentistry
Twin Creeks Master Planned Community
Washington Mutual Bank
Xtera Communications, Inc.
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Chairman's Message
by Bob Rothe, Chairman
One of the major projects underway at the Allen Chamber of Commerce is the redesign of our web page. The homepage will
feature our new logo and a cleaner look. We would
like to know if any of you have suggestions for what you would like to see included in our new website.
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W.I.S.E. Program Begins
Women In Support of Enterprise
WOMEN - Mark your calendars for the first W.I.S.E. (Women In Support of Enterprise) workshop scheduled for Thursday, July 31, 2003 at 11:30 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn. Deborah Avrin will present information on Adaptive Communication Styles. Call 972-727-5585 for reservations or for more information.
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Eggs & Issues Breakfast
State Representative Ken Paxton
The next Eggs & Issues Breakfast will feature a legislative update by State Representative Ken Paxton on Friday, July 18, 2003 at the Hilton Garden Inn. In the event the legislature is still in special session, the breakfast will be rescheduled in August. Check your weekly Member...andum or special emails for updates.
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July Business After Hours
Join us for the July Business After Hours scheduled for Thursday, July 17, 2003 from 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. hosted by the Harvey Hotel, located at 1600 North Central Expressway in Plano. Chamber members and guests are invited to attend. Remember to bring lots of your business cards!
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Golf Tournament a Success
The Allen Chamber's 16th Annual Golf Classic was once again a success, thanks to the golf committee and the many sponsors. A special thank you goes to Danny McLarty, golf chair, and the committee of Teresa Lewis, David Wang and Cynthia Nichols. In addition, we would like to thank all the volunteers who helped on the day of the tournament - your efforts are greatly appreciated.
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Nothing But Networking
Join us for a Nothing But Networking Luncheon on Tuesday, July 15, 2003 at the Brazos Cattle Company. Lunch will be served at 11:30 and tables will be cleared at 12:00 for an hour of power networking. Reservations are $15 for members and $20 for non-members and can be made by calling 972-727-5585.
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New Teacher Reception
The Chamber will once again sponsor a New Teacher Reception on August 5, 2003. We need your support in the form of sponsorships and donations to help welcome these new teachers into the Allen community.
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Millennium Award Nominations Sought
The Allen Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) is accepting nominations for the annual Millennium Business Awards. In its fifth year, the award is the highest honor the AEDC bestows on Allen companies that promote excellence in business and contributing back into the community. An individual who has contributed time and effort to the advancement of economic development in Allen is also recognized.
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Chamber Receives Award
The Allen Chamber of Commerce was recognized at the annual Texas Chamber of Commerce Executives annual conference in San Angelo in June. Of 604 local chambers of commerce in Texas, only a few innovative chambers received one of the top three placements in the media contest. One of those chambers, the Allen Chamber of Commerce, received a Second Place award in the Electronic Media division for their creation of Chamber Connections, online newsletter.
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Leadership Allen Class Graduates
The Allen Chamber graduated the 15th class of Leadership Allen on June 12, 2003 at the Hilton Garden Inn. Local celebrity Burton Gilliam was the emcee for the evening. Graduates are (l to r)(back row) Angie Griffin, Jack Kissane, Tim Wilson, Gary Fink, Greg Robertson, Donna Kliewer, Regina Taylor, Tim Dentler
(front row) Chris Ishmael, Bonny Jackson, John Wilkins. If you are interested in applying for the next leadership class to begin in September, contact the Chamber at 972-727-5585 for an application.
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Health Insurance for Chamber Members
You have been asking for it for years and now it’s here - the Chamber's new benefits plan for Chamber Members, Chamber Choices. One part of the plan is a major medical program for businesses with 2 or more full time employees. The plan is unique and the prices are great! If you would like to see what this plan has to offer and see how much you can save – with NO Obligation – let us know at 972-727-5585 and the agents working on this program for your Chamber, Bowman O’Connor and JoAnn Gulledge, will contact you.
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Message from U S Senator John Cornyn
As we celebrate Independence Day, it is a good time to pause and reflect on where our nation came from, and where we are going today. We must never forget how much we owe to our Founding Fathers, to those who stood together, signed a piece of paper and changed the world with each stroke of the pen. We must always remember that our freedom was not won without cost, but bought and paid for with the sacrifices of generations.
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The County Line
by Co. Commissioner Joe Jaynes
MUDS, SUDS and PUDS. Those are acronyms for just a few of the many special districts that are available to developers in Texas. These special districts are big in the Houston area but most governmental entities in this part of the state, with the exception of Denton County, view them with suspicion.
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U S Postal Inspection Service Gives Warning
The U.S. Chamber continues to receive complaints about the Regional Chamber of Commerce. As previously reported, we are informed the "Regional Chamber of Commerce" calls local businesses, identifies itself as "your chamber of commerce" and verifies the businesses' contact information. After calling a Regional Chamber of Commerce information number, we were told that these calls originate from a telemarketing center in Canada.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service fraud inspector assigned to the Regional Chamber matter requests that any chamber member who receives an unsolicited invoice from the Regional Chamber send the original invoice and original envelope to the fraud inspector.
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Bush Tax Cut Spurs Business Growth
by U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson
Initiated by President George W. Bush, the Jobs and Growth Tax Act of 2003 will create an estimated 1.2 million jobs and pump $200 billion back into the private economy by the end of 2004.
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Calendar of Events
www.allenchamber.com/calendardb.asp
Click on the above link to access the calendar of events.
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Web Site Statistics
www.allenchamber.com received 2,544 visits during the month of June. The top visited member sites were as follows:
Platinum Fitness
Accudata Technologies
ARI Communications Group
Kids Pediatric Dentistry
ChiroSpa Chiropractic
Rainforest Creations, Inc.
Best Western McKinney Inn & Suites
A.H.D. Publishing
Lady of America Fitness Center
The Circle
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New Members
The Chamber would like to welcome several new members who joined during the month of June. Please print this page and add it to your membership directory for future reference.
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June Events
Membership Events
June was a busy month with several events including the golf tournament, Leadership Allen graduation, luncheon and seminar.
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Retail and Service Awards
Several businesses were recognized for the contributions to the Chamber and the Allen community with the Service and Retail Members of the Week.
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National "Do Not Call" List
www.ftc.gov
A national "do not call" list has been established by the Federal Trade Commission. Registration for the "do not call" list began in June. Over 635,000 phone numbers have already been registered. If you are interested in registering your telephone number or mobile number, go to www.ftc.gov and follow the link to the "do not call" list. Traffic is extremely high, so it may take a while for you to be able to log on to the site and get registered. Be patient.
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Parenting Tips for a Stress-free Summer
The summer is a joyous time when loved ones come together. But for many families, the summer can also be a time of stress and frustration, sometimes unintentionally resulting in an increased risk of child abuse and neglect.
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Christmas in July
Each July, Allen Community Outreach holds the annual fund raising mail campaign, entitled Christmas in July and this year's theme is "Together We Share, Together We Care". July is ACO's giving season when families, businesses, organizations and individuals make contributions to the agency which last all year long. It's the time of year when families are asked to share. The first quarte of 2003 compared to last year, ACO experienced a 37% increase in information and referreral calls and an increase of 32% of thouse passing through the doors in desperate need of assistance with rent and utilities. The need is great and resources are quickly depleting. For more information, contact the ACO at 972-727-9131 or www.acocares.org.
Cancer Monument
The Honoree Registration forms for the Cancer Monument are now available at www.cancerwallofhope.org. Print off the form that you need, fill out and mail in along with your inscription fee. Only 60,000 people will be able to engrave an Honoree Name on this unique granite monument. Don't miss this opportunity! The Cancer Monument - "Honoring Those Who Have Fought The Battle".
Heard Museum
An escape from the city life. Our 289-acre site enchants visitors of all ages with hiking trails, natural science exhibiits, education programs, live animals, a Native Plant Garden, the Heard Nature Store, and more! Open daily. One Nature Place, McKinney, TX (972) 562-5566
Ratsnakes to Rattlers - A Live Texas Exhibit from May 24, 2003 to September 21, 2003.
Friedman's Jewelers Moving to New Location
Friedman's Jewelers will be moving to their new location in the Allen Central Market Center (next to Target). The grand opening/ribbon cutting has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 12, 2003. Store hours for that day will be from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The first 100 customers will receive a free gift of jewelry.
Special Thanks to our Sustaining Members
1 Year
Atrium Executive Business Centers
5 Years
CopyNet Office Systems, Inc.
World Wide Deb
6 Years
Consumer Credit Counseling Services
Greg Delk, CPA
Primrose School of West Allen
RE/MAX Town & Country - Sue Johnson
Tipton Engineering
7 Years
RE/MAX Town & Country - Sheri Stinson
9 Years
Taekwondo USA Family Center
10+ Years
Allen Professional Park
Collin County Community College District
Community Credit Union
North Central Medical Center
Southwestern Bell
Jeffery Wood, O.D.
The Chamber would like to thank the following members for their generosity in sponsoring an event or by donating items or services: Mimi's Cafe - Tuesday Morning Live Sponsor; Java & Cha - VIP Coffee; Jupiter Office Park - SOHO Cafe; Dave and Busters - Business After Hours; and The Dallas Morning News - seminar sponsor.
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