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Wonder Woman in Business

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dedicated to the professional development of Kankakee regional businesswomen

Women in Business Lunch & Learn (L&L) for August greeted six new members and many guests. All members were encouraged to submit recipes for the recipe compilation organized by L&L Chairs Glendal Kilbride and Julie Caplinger. One idea was to compile the recipes and sell them to raise money for the Anita Grant Scholarship Fund. This idea will be explored further and an announcement is forthcoming.

At the August WIB L&L, Dick Frey (pictured, right), Ambassador and Board Member for Kankakee Community College (KCC), presented a program comparing opportunities offered by Women in Business (WIB) with those offered by KCC. Frey demonstrated the many similarities between these opportunities. Frey came to KCC in 1959 when KCC was in its organizing stage. He has been associated with KCC in some way since then. Frey may be more familiar to some because of his extensive youth sports involvement through coaching and referee duties.

Frey pointed out that WIB and KCC both offer important opportunities to all women of the area, opportunities that enhance the quality of life in both their professional and personal lives. KCC’s educational programs help people overcome illiteracy as well as preparing students to be physicians, attorneys and for the gamut of careers. WIB and KCC meet people where they are and help them move toward their goals with success while dignifying all occupations.

KCC’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) partners with SCORE to help people develop their entrepreneurial dreams. Assistance is provided in finding funding sources, developing business plans and moving toward actualization.  For more information about SBDC programs, contact Ken Crite at (815) 802-8222 or e-mail kcrite@kcc.edu.

KCC’s new Education to Go (Ed2Go) program offers instructor-facilitated online courses that are informative, fun, convenient, inexpensive ($79 per) and highly interactive. The courses run for 6 weeks, are project-oriented and can be completed from any computer at anytime of day or night. With more than 200 courses available, Ed2Go will surely have something for everybody. To view the entire listing, go to www.ed2go.com/kankakeecc.

Frey and KCC staff provided copies of the current Corporate & Continuing Education Catalog that lists the educational opportunities for the Fall Semester. The KCC Corporate & Continuing Ed programs and Workforce Development Center assist in addressing some of the workforce issues in the area. Statistics show that KCC graduates (7,000 so far) add $350,000 to their lifetime earnings. KCC’s equal educational opportunities at a lower cost help prepare the workforce for the ample jobs in the area.

KCC offers many programs specifically designed for women. Frey encouraged WIB members to investigate and take advantage of programs that are conveniently accessible and affordable. On-campus childcare is another plus for women accessing the personal and professional development opportunities at KCC.

The KCC Foundation has just launched its first comprehensive capital campaign with the goal of $3 million. The campaign already has $2.1 million pledged and will provide funds for scholarships, workforce initiatives and a health careers center of excellence.

Two important upcoming L&L activities occur in November and December. The Anita Grant Scholarship Fund Auction is scheduled for the November meeting. Our goal this year is to raise funds for three scholarships. A possible highlight for this year is a live auction with a real auctioneer along with the silent auction. So, start thinking of what you can contribute to the auction and start saving your $$$ to “bid high and often” to help us toward our $1,500 goal. In December, we will once again collect for our Benevolent Project. The recipient of this year’s collection and specific needs will be announced soon.

Your WIB Executive Committee is always available to answer questions and to provide more information on how to get more involved in community and Chamber events.            

Jackie Bruhn                      Georgann Butterfield                Julie Caplinger

Lori Gadbois                      Gwen Hopkins                         Glendal Kilbride         

Bev Lemenager                  Denise Longtin                         Rose Mitchell  

Rhonda Olechowski          Tinker Parker, WIBEC Chair      Terri Wiley-Pepin

Lisa Sanford                      Ida Simington                            Melissa Tanner           

Mary Thomson

The Women in Business Lunch & Learn is open to anyone interested in personal/business growth.  Membership dues include the monthly luncheon fee while continuing to support the Kankakee Regional Chamber of Commerce.  WIB L&L offers opportunities to make contacts, hear wonderful presentations and promote your business.  Please contact the Chamber office at 815/933-7721 for more information.  The goal of WIB is to provide a healthy atmosphere for area women to network and grow personally and professionally.  New members expand the networking opportunities.  Bring a friend and introduce her to the amazing opportunities provided by Women in Business. WIB Lunch & Learn meets at the Quality Inn in Bradley usually on the fourth Wednesday except in May when the seminar is held. If you are interested in attending once as a guest and to learn more about us, please RSVP to the Chamber (815-933-7721) or at www.chamberwib.org.

Submitted by: Mary Thomson, WIB Newsletter

Next Lunch & Learn: Wednesday, September 26
Speaker: Tammy Duckworth
12:00-1:00pm
Quality Inn & Suites, Bradley

Please contact the Kankakee Regional Chamber at (815) 933-7721 for more information. The goal of Women in Business is to provide a healthy atmosphere for area women to network and grow both personally and professionally. New members help all of us achieve our goal by helping to expand the networking opportunities at each event. Bring a friend and introduce them to the amazing
opportunities provided by Women in Business.