Dear Chamber Supporters,
I trust your Memorial Day weekend was filled with meaningful moments. In regular Makayla and Ryland fashion, we packed as much content into the few days as possible. Starting with a concert on Friday night, a wedding shower on Sunday, and family pool time on Monday. We enjoyed games, fellowship, and a bit of sun, making it a fantastic three-day weekend. Before diving into these festivities, I had the honor of attending the Franklin County Honor’s Memorial Day Ceremony at 4th and Main (picture here). This event, which I hope becomes a tradition, was a beautiful way to honor and remember those who have served and sacrificed for our community.
Fearless Financials for Small Businesses
Yesterday evening, the Chamber and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted the second Small Business Seminar Series at the Ottawa Recreation Commission (pictures here). The first quarter focused on the digital market space and how to get the most out of online tools and resources to leverage your virtual presence best. We had excellent feedback from participants, with all those who shared their opinions stating that they learned something from the chat and were interested in attending more. If you would like to watch that first conversation back, you can do so on our website, along with last night’s session once it is uploaded (click here to view that page). The second quarter’s topic addressed finances, tips on what to pay attention to, how to avoid pitfalls, and resources to engage with for optimum results. Along with the SBDC, Greg Crum, owner of DataScribe, participated in sharing the freedoms people can find with proper bookkeeping. The evening was titled “Fearless Financials: Conquering the Worries of Managing Money for Small Business Owners.” According to national statistics, 50% of small businesses fail within their first five years. Often, lack of business plans, funding issues, or poor management hinder success. More than all of those, cash flow problems are key contributors to the closing of small businesses. With this in mind, the SBDC spoke heavily about cash flow last night but, more importantly, offered support for any business to receive help on this issue. Check out this slide here for contact info, which ultimately leads to free, confidential business advice. We will have another seminar in the works for the third quarter, stay tuned for more info!
Welcome Jenna Kelsey
I am incredibly excited to share that the Chamber office is growing! After a long search for the next team member for our staff, we are extremely pleased to announce that Jenna Kelsey will join us as our new Membership Director (picture here). Jenna comes to us with a wealth of Chamber experience and an aptitude for relationship building like none other. She obviously has a deep passion for working within the community, and we are fortunate to have her play a pivotal role in our organization moving forward.
Having been born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia (she is an Eagles fan, but we won’t hold it against her here…), she and her family moved to the Paola area in 2021 after a decade in Vermont. She was able to experience her first Ottawa Chamber Coffee this morning, and her response was, “It was exciting!” I am looking forward to strategizing with Jenna on how best to share the good word that is the Ottawa Chamber with our business community in ways that I don’t think would be possible without her. I also know she will be able to spend time intentionally learning the challenges our business community faces in hopes the Chamber can bridge those gaps.
“I am excited to be here and get to know the members of the community and find out more about YOUR business!!” - Jenna
Governor Kelly Calls Special Session
It was expected by most that our state legislators would be getting called back following the spring session after several failed attempts at tax relief packages to Kansans. That announcement was made this past Wednesday as Governor Laura Kelly has called for a special legislative session on June 18 to address tax relief, following her veto of three related bills earlier this year. Emphasizing the need for "responsible, sustainable tax cuts for all Kansans," Though no formal proclamation has been issued yet, Kelly assured action "in the coming days." This session, the 26th in Kansas history and the third under Kelly aims to finalize a tax plan agreeable to both legislative leaders and the Governor.
Our Legislative Action Committee will be planning to host a Legislative Coffee following this special session to recap what took place and answer any questions the public might have before moving into campaign season with elections right around the corner—we’ll announce that date and time soon. Along the lines of elections, we do have our Primary Candidates Forum on the books for July 10 at 7 pm in the County Commission Chambers. It is open to the public but will also be streamed on social media. This will include participation through written questions to candidates for the varying elections. Make sure to get that on your calendar!
Enhancing Childhood Communication with Crist Early Language Center
Chamber members were invited to 401 S Main St. this morning in the offices behind Corner Market. A quick walk down the hall will lead you to Crist Early Language Center, where Hillary Crist, the owner and speech pathologist, works with families on speech and language assessments and therapy services (pictures here). Having 25 years of experience in this role, she worked on the East and West Coast before coming to Ottawa to start her business—accepting clients in October of 2023. She and her husband relocated to this area because of family, but opening up her private practice wasn't her first thought until she saw our community's need in this field. She shared that our rural community is not alone in that need and that many communities throughout the state of Kansas have fewer and fewer providers. Now, just over half a year in, she works with families independently, as well as in parochial or private schools and daycares. One of Hillary’s specialties is her training in working with youth with autism spectrum disorder. This disability affects how children communicate, learn, and behave and Crist Early Language Center addresses those needs.
Hillary knows how scary it can be for families when they can’t communicate with their children. These challenges can often snowball into much larger developmental issues if not addressed at a young age. This is where Hillary makes her impact, transforming the way parents behave with their kids through communication work. Crist Early Language Center foundationally believes that hour-long sessions can only make a true impact with the involvement of the parent/guardian. These individuals are the best teachers because they spend exponentially more time with the kiddo, meaning that teaching the parents these processes allows for far better results. Hillary also believes in meeting families where they are and ensuring that a child in need can find support in her office regardless of their current circumstances. Children between the ages of twelve months to around eight years old are invited to grow their speech skills with the work at the Crist Early Language Center. We’re glad Hillary chose to locate her business in Ottawa!
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As we move into the weekend, I want to inform you of several upcoming events. This Saturday, the Franklin County Optimists will host their 29th Annual Duck Race in Skunk Run at City Park (home of the new city splash pad). You won’t want to miss this exciting fundraiser, with ducks moving at noon on Saturday (6/1).
Next Tuesday, our Chamber and six others in Miami and Johnson County will host a Multi-Chamber After-Hours event at Jayhawk Marina at Hillsdale Lake. We would love to see Ottawa Chamber members take this opportunity to meet other business owners in the region and enjoy free food, drinks, and boat rides this Tuesday (6/4) evening starting at 5:30 p.m.
Lastly, the Chamber's first concert of the summer is taking place next Friday, the beer garden opens at 5:30 pm and Savanna Chestnut and the Field Hands will begin close to 6pm. Savanna is known for her beautiful country voice, which can be seen in the 2021 season of The Voice when she was chosen to be on Blake Shelton's team. Since her time on TV, Savanna tours the region and will be stopping in Ottawa for the first time next Friday (6/7). Join us for this FREE concert at Legacy Square as we kick off the summer! Talk to you soon,
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
