Mission Statement “It is the mission of the Rowlett Chamber of Commerce to represent the business community, promote economic well-being and quality of life.”

Chamber Board of Directors

Mark Garcia, Chairman BB&T

Nancy DeVelde Coldwell Banker Apex

Becky Encinia Chick-fil-A of Rowlett

James Fowler, DC First Step Chiropractic

Larry Glick Individual

Sheila Hair My Computer Guy

Kevin Lawson, CPA Lawson & Company CPAs, LLC

Staci Mauldin, EA Lakeside Tax & Bookkeeping

Greg Mitchell The Mitchell Law Firm. LP

Mat Morris Capital One Bank

Kevin Parker Parker Family Chiropractic, PA

Jeff Patterson Lake Pointe Medical Center

Sherri Perkins Garland ISD / Herfurthy Elementary

Robbie Ryan The Ryan Insurance Agency

Craig Schill Lake Cities Community Church

Lori McKelroy, DVM Four Paws Animal Hospital Carol Wallace Individual

Barry Young Oncor

Scott A. Airitam - Past Chair Scott Airitam’s Leadership Systems, LLC

Vernon Schrade - Chairman Emeritus Schrade Properties

The Correspondent Rowlett Chamber of Commerce

Monthly Newsletter ~ February 2011

Chamber Staff

Tina Stelnicki, IOM Interim President Carol Prano Membership Services

Louise Brown Communications

Rowlett Chamber of Commerce

Office Address 3910 Main Street Rowlett, TX 75088

Mailing Address P.O. Box 610 Rowlett , TX 75030-0610 Ph. 972/ 475-3200 FAX 972/ 463-1699

email: rowlett_chamber@ rowlettchamber.com

Web Site: www.rowlettchamber.com

FEBRUARY MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON “Standing Tall and Thriving in a Tough Economy”

Tough economic times doesn’t have to mean that you fall back and let your business slowly dwindle. This can be a time of growth. It requires active exploration and planning that can catapult you forward. Take advantage of the opportunities surrounding you. Change your focus and rule your world.

Speaker: Bethany Williams, Author, Coach, Blogger & Exec. at a big four accounting firm

Host: PrinterSmart Office Supplies 972-475-8726 ~ www.printersmart.com

Join us on February 9th at the Rowlett Community Centre - 5300 Main Street

Food Service begins at 11:30am P Come early and network P Guests are always welcome Bring brochures & promotional items for the Information Table.

Reservations should be made before Friday, February 4th

Please be aware that if you make a reservation and do not attend, you will be invoiced for the lunch.

You must cancel by Noon on the Tuesday before the luncheon in order to not be invoiced. Note Change: Program cost to attend which includes meal is $15.00 for Chamber Members and $20.00 for Prospective Members. Remember when you make a reservation food is purchased. When you don’t show up, it costs the Chamber.

Call 972-475-3200 or email Carol Prano at carolprano@rowlettchamber.com to RSVP or go online at www.rowlettchamber.com & click on monthly events calendar. REMEMBER! You must RSVP! Your RSVP is needed to determine the amount of food to be ordered and adequate seating.

Host Company:

BETHANY WILLIAMS’ BIO

Bethany Williams, Author, Coach, Blogger & Executive at a big four accounting firm

Bethany is a published, executive mother of 3. She dedicates her work and efforts towards the hardworking executives everywhere that are yearning for answers and a better way of approaching the success that they desire. Her message is simple; we control our destinies as well as our earnings.

Her first book, “Winning Strategies for Women”, provides practical, step by step advice for excelling in business, including strategies for keeping your job, receiving the best assignments, finding a job and keeping it in a tough market, getting promotions and additional pay, and receiving more recognition in the process.

She learned the art of business survival as a single working mother. Widowed at a young age, she struggled to advance in male dominated companies in an effort to provide for her children. She put herself through college and secured top level positions in some of the nation’s leading organizations (GE, IDX, & Perot Systems Corporation). Today she works as an Executive for a big four accounting firm and spends a significant amount of her waking moments living her passion by speaking on the topic of advancing in business, mentoring as many people as she can, and working diligently to encourage others to achieve the success that they desire. She writes for her popular motivational blog 'Winning Strategies', read by many for motivation and encouragement. She also blogs for WorkBloom, a popular job seeker's web site.

She is remarried, and lives in Dallas with her husband and two children. Her daughter is a graduate of UNT and lives in Plano.

Bethany can be contacted via her website or blog: Website: www.bethanywilliams.org Blog: www.bethanywilliams.info

Welcome

New Members 12/17/10 - 1/19/11

Add these new members to your Business Directory.

Thank You for your investment in Rowlett & the Chamber of Commerce.

Custom Window Treatments by Barb Rowlett, TX 972-412-1450 Contacts: Barb Cislo, Owner Draperies & Window Treatments, Blinds, Arches & Shutters / Interior Decorators Doigg’s Carpet Care & Restoration 651 S. HWY 205 Rockwall, TX 75032 972-771-5771 Contacts: Jeff & Cathey Doigg, Owners Carpet Cleaning, Emergency Water & Fire Restoration, Rug Cleaning

Renewals 12/17/10 - 1/19/11

Happy Anniversary to these members. Their investment in the Rowlett Chamber has recently been renewed. Thank you for your vote of confidence.

29 Years Oncor

23 Years Williams Funeral Directors Lake Ray Hubbard Pediatrics, PA

20 Years Eastfield College

13 Years Crescent Gage and Tool Sales, Co., Inc. Garland Welding Supply, Inc. Rowlett Firefighters Association Rowlett Transmission

10 Years & Under Beta Biomed Services, Inc. (2 yrs) Dry Clean USA (4 yrs) Edward Jones Investments / James Williams (4 yrs) Firehouse Subs (4 yrs) Hubbard’s A Real Texas Café & Grill (4 yrs) Kreekon Energy Services Co. (1 yr) Lake Pointe Medical Partners at Rowlett (3 yrs) Massage Envy Rowlett (4 yrs) Milestone Electric, LLC (2 yrs) Netera Network Integrations, LLC (3 yrs) North American Title Company (1 yr) Robert F. Deuell, MD (7 yrs) The Dallas Morning News (10 yrs) The River Church (8 yrs) Tom Thumb #605 (9 yrs) Waterview Community Association, Inc. (1 yr)

Fellow Members, As we approach the end of our Fiscal Year for the Chamber in April, we keep our fingers crossed that our businesses and friends will recover from the economic downturn we have all lived through the past two years. So many businesses and organizations have made a total shift in the way they operate to continue to succeed. We are defined less by our own missions and priorities today than by the partnerships and synergies we create amongst our peers towards a common goal. It is with great sadness that Lisa Ferrell resigned her position with the Rowlett Chamber effective January 14th but I am here to report that we will not skip a beat. The Chamber Board has acted quickly and enlisted Tina Stelnicki as Interim Director of the Rowlett Chamber of Commerce. Tina is very familiar with the programs that our Chamber uses day to day and has 8 years of Chamber Executive Leadership in Sachse. Tina will be helping with specific projects such as our Annual Awards Banquet, Health Fair, Job Fair, Membership Luncheons, Website Development and of course last but not least….other duties as assigned by the board. The Board of Directors has initiated an Executive search and hopes to permanently fill the Chamber President position as soon as the right candidate fit is achieved. This is an especially active event season. In early April, the Chamber is producing the Job Fair in partnership with the City of Rowlett. In late April we are hosting a new event to the community, a Family Health Fair. The Chamber office staff is available to help you select the event and level of sponsorship that is most beneficial to you and your business. Be sure to stop by or give them a call to make your selections early. Sincerely, Mark Garcia Chairman Rowlett Chamber of Commerce

The Voice of Area Business for Over 37 Years

Save The Date 2nd Annual

Job Fair

Program of the Rowlett Chamber of Commerce

Wednesday ~ April 6, 2011 Rowlett Community Center

5300 Main St.

Healthy Family Expo

Program of the Rowlett Chamber of Commerce

Saturday ~ April 30, 2011 Rowlett Community Center

5300 Main St.

YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN Ready for a vacation?

You increase your chances of winning a $2,500 vacation by attending Rowlett Chamber of Commerce events. Milestone Electric is sponsoring a "You Must be Present to Win" contest throughout the year. At each Chamber event a drawing from the Chamber Members present will take place. The winner will be announced at the Annual Chamber Awards and Gala. This month's entries include:

Sponsored By:

Bradley W. Chilcote The Alternative Board & ELDAR, Inc.

Diane Lemmons City of Rowlett

Bobby Montgomery Lake Pointe Medical Center

Dave DeWitt Insphere Insurance Solutions

Pam Minatrea Texas Family Insurance Agency

Felipe Resendiz Williams Funeral Directors

Mary Grace Haupert New York Life Insurance Co.

Greg Mitchell The Mitchell Law Firm

Cindy Underwood Rowlett Smiles

This is the first of a three part series. This one will cover Facebook. 1. Getting started 2. Best practices for marketing your business with Facebook 3. Breaking the code of Privacy Settings 4. Protecting your reputation 5. Tips on usage of Social Media.

Objective. Gain a better understanding of social media and how it can make or break your business. How to measure success of your efforts. White hat techniques and strategies.

BUSINESS BITES Educational Opportunity!

When: Friday, February 25th at 12:00 noon

Where: 3910 Main Street (Chamber Conference Room)

Cost: $10.00 for Chamber Members & $15.00 for Potential Members (Program cost to attend includes a boxed lunch.)

Speaker: Cliff Hand with Marketing Specific, Inc.

Topic: Facebook will be the featured topic. Space is Limited so Make Your Reservation ~ RSVP Required (972) 475-3200 or email: carolprano@rowlettchamber.com

Please Mark Your Calendar For The Following Events.

February

Tues. Feb. 1 11:00 am Ribbon Cutting - Black-Eyed Pea Restaurant @ 2861 Ridge Road, #101 Rockwall, TX 75087 Wed. Feb. 2 8:00 am Ambassadors Meet at the Chamber Office Thurs. Feb. 3 8:00 am - 9:00 am “Make A Connection” Networking Event ~ Next events: 10th, 17th, & 24th Wed. Feb. 9 11:30 am Monthly Membership Luncheon @ Community Centre - 5300 Main St. Wed. Feb. 9 Member of the Month - Lawrence Glick @ Chamber Membership Luncheon Fri. Feb. 11 NOON Small Business Network Luncheon at Kyoto’s Tues. Feb. 15 8:00 am Board of Directors Meeting Fri. Feb. 18 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Friday Night Live @ Travel Leaders @ 3326 Lakeview Pkwy. Fri. Feb. 25 NOON Business Bites @ Chamber Conference Room

March

Wed. Mar. 2 8:00 am Ambassadors Meet at the Chamber Office Thurs. Mar. 3 8:00 am - 9:00 am “Make A Connection” Networking Event ~ Next events: 10th, 17th, 24th & 31st Wed. Mar. 9 11:30 am Monthly Membership Luncheon @ Community Centre - 5300 Main St. Fri. Mar. 11 NOON Small Business Network Luncheon at Kyoto’s Tues. Mar. 15 8:00 am Board of Directors Meeting Fri. Mar. 25 NOON Business Bites @ Chamber Conference Room

Member of the Month February 2011

Lawrence Glick

972-475-4000

Presentation of the plaque will be at the

Chamber’s Membership Luncheon

February 9, 2011 Everyone Welcome!

Friday Night Live

Friday, February 18th 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Hosted by:

Travel Leaders 3326 Lakeview Parkway

972-864-1441

James Williams Edward Jones Investments

Save The Date

Friday, May 13, 2011

32nd Annual Rowlett Chamber of

Commerce Gala

More info to come

City Council meetings are held on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday - 7:30 pm

P & Z meetings are held on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday - 7:00 pm

City of Rowlett Television Network RTN 16 Video on Demand

Work Sessions are telecast at 7:00 pm on Wed. & Fri./ Sat. 12:30 pm

Rowlett Chamber of Commerce

P.O. Box 610, Rowlett, TX 75030-0610 PRSRT STD US POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT 242

ROWLETT TX

Rowlettchamberchatter's Blog

Connecting the Rowlett Business Community

The strength of a Chamber of Commerce has always been in its members. The amount of expertise, knowledge, and experience spanning a diverse group of businesses creates a powerful organization. With our new blog, members can easily post comments and communicate with one another sharing information, knowledge, tips and resources.

Please visit the Rowlett Chamber Chatter and let’s start chatting!

http://rowlettchamberchatter.wordpress.com

972-772-3269 www.flower-box.com

3701 Rowlett Road

Rowlett, TX 75088 972-412-5195

www.resthavenfuneral.com

“Service That Exceeds Expectation” TFSC Lic. #2169

Newly Opened August 2010 Free Hot Breakfast, Free WIFI 

Indoor Pool / Spa / Fitness Room 1050 Sq. ft. Meeting Room 

Ask for Rowlett Specials rates www.hotelrockwall.com 

Rockwall Inn & Suites (972)722-3265

996 E I 30 - Rockwall, TX 75087

Ambassador of the Month

December

Bari Woolley

First Step Chiropractic

Chamber Ambassadors

Chair Cliff Hand - Marketing Specific, Inc.

Shaun Acker - State Farm Ins. / Kathy Robinson Mike Adams - Automated Interiors Pam Bell - Coldwell Banker Apex Eric Boon - Lake Pointe Medical Center Kim Danna - RMCN Credit Service, Inc. Nancy DeVelde - Coldwell Banker Apex Suzan Fulton - ACTOR Michael Gallops - Individual Mary Grace - Community Bank - Rowlett Fernando Gutierrez - State Farm Insurance Mindy Harris - American National Bank Grace Haupert - New York Life Insurance Kevin Lawson - Lawson & Co. CPA’s Kristy Lilly - Business Directories of Texas Staci Mauldin - Lakeside Tax & Bookkeeping Jan May - Marketing Specific, Inc. Kenneth McKelroy - Edward Jones Investments Pam Minatrea - Texas Family Insurance Agency Mat Morris - Capital One Bank Kim Nguyen - Dry Clean USA Felipe Resendiz - Williams Funeral Directors Kathy Robinson - State Farm Insurance Robbie Ryan - The Ryan Insurance Agency Becky Sebastian - Rep. Senator Bob Deuell’s Office Kita Smith - Mail + Robbert van Bloemendaal - Travel Leaders Teresa Wallack - BIS - Health Insurance Amy Wiggins - My Computer Guy James Williams - Edward Jones Investments Bari Woolley - First Step Chiropractic