Bend Chamber President/CEO pursues a new venture

     After three years at the helm, Bend Chamber President and CEO Mike Schmidt has left the Chamber to pursue a business of his own. “I have enjoyed my time at the Chamber,” he said. “We can be proud of all we have accomplished.”
     Schmidt believes now is a time for a change while he still has a positive attitude about his job. He feels he has accomplished everything he set out to do when he came to the Chamber. “Now it’s time to search out new challenges and opportunities,” he said.  
     Chairman of the Board David Rosell says Schmidt played such an integral part within the Chamber. “Mike will be missed by the staff, by the board, and our members,” he said. “I will miss my chamber interactions with Mike, but I expect him to still be a face of the Chamber in one way or another.” 
     The Chamber will continue to move forward during this transition. Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales Tim Casey will act as the Interim Executive Director. Casey has been with the Chamber since January 2003. During that time he has worked with membership sales, marketing, and acted as a staff liaison to the Chamber Ambassador Council as well as the Entrepreneurial Council.
     “The Bend Chamber has made leaps and bounds over the past 3 years; the growth in community outreach has been outstanding,” said Casey. “I look forward to us continuing this philosophy and enhancing our focus to help our members become even more successful.”
     The Chamber will not search for a new Executive Director at this time. Rosell says the staff is extremely competent, organized, and he trusts Casey to lead the way. “Right now there are so many moving parts, it’s time to focus on the Chamber and its members,” he said.

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Business community gathers together to celebrate Cessna

     A crowd of over 150 chamber members, community leaders, and employees gathered Tuesday to celebrate Cessna Aircraft’s ribbon cutting with the Bend Chamber.
     The crowd had the opportunity to hear State Representative Chuck Burley, County Commissioner Mike Daly, Mayor Bruce Abernethy, and EDCO Executive Director Roger Lee talk about Cessna and the impact the company brings to Central Oregon.
     “Having this prestigious company here in Bend not only provides living wage jobs for Central Oregon, but it also expands our economic diversification,” said Burley. 
      Abernethy echoed those comments by saying it’s thrilling to have Cessna in the area especially at a time when the economy is slower. “It’s exciting to hear about a business that is not only growing but is also thriving right here in Central Oregon,” he said.
     Cessna has added 100 employees to its workforce and has orders booked through 2008. Cessna aircraft was named Aviation Weeks 2008 Laureate for Business and General Aviation.

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Governor promotes renewable energy at PV Powered

     Gov. Ted Kulongoski praised Bend for promoting “green” living and stressed the value renewable energy brings to Oregon, during a visit Monday to PV Powered. Kulongoski said, “It is exciting to see the positive results of renewable energy.”
     Kulongoski says Oregon is on the cusp of leading the rest of the nation in solar cell manufacturing. Oregon currently has 60 companies which are designed around solar energy, including PV Powered.
     PV Powered specializes in the manufacturing of solar inverters. The inverter takes the DC power made by the solar panels and converts it into AC power. When the power is not being used, it goes back onto the grid for other people to use.
     One of the governor’s top priorities is to work on a comprehensive global warming package of legislation to put Oregon on the forefront of renewable resources. Kulongoski would like to create a cap for carbon dioxide emissions, look at energy efficiency, and promote green building.
     He said the state can not do this along and needs the help of local communities to promote “going green.” Kulongoski applauded Bend and Mayor Bruce Abernethy for becoming a climate conscious community.
     “Over 11 percent of our community is using renewable energy,” Abernethy said. “That’s about five and a half times the national average.”
     Kulongoski said the focus on renewable energy will also help the Oregon economy continue to diversify. With energy in solar, wave, and wind, the governor would like to see Oregon become a leader in each industry. “Oregon will become the national model,” he said.     

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SPAM

     The Chamber would like to take a moment to address an issue which has recently been brought to its attention. The Chamber does not promote or endorse the use of SPAM to its membership.
     Above all, the Chamber respects its members and their right to privacy regarding email addresses. If you receive SPAM stating it was authorized by the Bend Chamber, please contact the Chamber immediately at 382-3221.
     Please note members will never receive an authorized SPAM of any kind come from the Bend Chamber. 

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Bend Area Transit reaches Half Million Ridership Before 1 ½ Years Old

     As of March 19, the Bend Area Transit’s fixed route and Dial-A-Ride buses reached over half a million in ridership. Since September 27, 2006, 500,431 riders have used the system. These numbers surpassed all previous projections.
     The over half a million rides have saved 75,000 gallons of fuel and prevented the release of 1,455,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and 60,000 pounds of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.
     Currently, BAT fixed route buses provide around 6,000 rides per week at 21 rides per hour (averaged over all hours of service). Dial-A-Ride now averages about 1,000 rides per week. 

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Response to Survey Question    

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