Thank you to our Gold Premier Sponsors |
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WELCOME TO OUR
NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS
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Message from
Karen Tercek, President/CEO
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Dear Chamber members,
I want to thank you for your commitment to making a difference with COVID-19 here at work, at home and in your communities. By setting an example for friends, family members and coworkers, your continued dedication to safe practices is helping to stop the spread of the pandemic.
We have come a long way to combat this crisis and our goal remains clear – to reach community immunity as quickly and with as little additional harm as possible. It is exciting that we now have an authorized vaccines that have been clinically tested and proven to be both safe and highly effective. These vaccines, along with continued safe practices, are our best chance to end the pandemic once and for all. I encourage all of us to get vaccinated as soon as we are eligible. In the meantime, it is important for all of us to continue to be patient as our medical professionals, laboratories and government agencies work as quickly as possible to get shots into the arms of all Ohioans.
1) The authorized vaccines are proven to be safe, but do not just take my word for it. I encourage each of you to get informed by seeking out the facts, starting with trusted sources such as the CDC and Ohio Department of Health. I just received my 2nd vaccine this week and am happy to contribute to the herd immunity that will help us get our businesses back on their feet and things back to normal!
2) Take the time before your eligibility to help others get their vaccines. Whether a family member, friend, or neighbor, you can help someone schedule a vaccine appointment or offer transportation.
3) Leading up to your vaccine appointment, and very likely for at least some time after, please stay dedicated to those proven safety protocols of wearing masks properly, social distancing and washing hands frequently.
I am proud of how each of you has managed through this difficult time. Thank you for your continued commitment to each other, your businesses, your families, and your communities. Together, we will get through this pandemic and hopefully be a little stronger for it. If there is anything that I or my staff can assist you with your business, please let us know.
Best wishes for a full, safe, and quick economic recovery!
Karen W. Tercek, President/CEO
Willoughby Western Lake County Chamber of Commerce
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Coalition Letter on Extension of the Paycheck Protection Program Deadline |
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With the support of our Chamber of Commerce Public Affairs Committee led by Bill Snow of Rad Air Car Repair, we are one of 600 chambers of commerce nationwide, who signed off on this letter in support of an extension on the Paycheck Protection Program deadline. |
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A message from Cynthia Moore-Hardy, President and CEO of Lake Health |
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What do the next steps look like?
And how do we take them?
By: Cynthia Moore-Hardy, President and CEO at Lake Health
As an Ohioan, I am proud to see the private sector step forward to help battle this pandemic. Coming together over the last three months to form the Coalition to Stop the Spread is no small feat. Thank you for your leadership.
The Coalition understands that our best chance to beat COVID-19 starts with the facts. Each of your organizations has done a great service to inform and educate your employees on the virus, the proven safety protocols and now the vaccines. With the recent FDA authorization granted for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, I know that your work to amplify the facts is ongoing. Please don’t let up on that front.
The next critical step to reaching community immunity involves access to the vaccines. At Lake Health and other healthcare systems around the state, our workforces, specifically our front line workers, were one of the first groups to receive the vaccine. Like your organizations, we began with information and then quickly pivoted to access. As your employees become eligible for upcoming vaccine distribution phases, I wanted to share a few lessons learned about employee access to the vaccines.
1. Scheduling: This is the first hurdle. It requires reliable internet access and time. Time to identify the local providers, to get familiar with the appointment process and to check back frequently for availability. Please consider how you can help your staff with the time and connectivity needed to schedule their appointments.
2. The appointment: Most appointment times occur during a work day, making it challenging for those who don’t work from home to get to their vaccination. Additionally, two of the currently authorized vaccines require two shots, three to four weeks apart. Prior to upcoming distribution phase announcements, it may help to develop a plan for how your employees can more easily schedule time away from work to get their vaccines. Also consider offering transportation for individuals who do not have a reliable means to get to a vaccination site.
3. Side effects: The day following the vaccine appointment is often overlooked. While side effects for some are little more than a sore arm, others experience symptoms, such as fever, fatigue and muscle aches, after one or both of the vaccine shots. A clear and communicated sick time policy can offer extra support to those feeling less than their best immediately following the vaccine.
Every organization has their own unique business demands and workforce culture, so I am certain that vaccine access will look different from one to the next. But investing in proper vaccine access for your employees will pay off for your company, your employees and your community. It is literally a matter of life and death. Thank you for your tireless efforts as we all continue making meaningful progress to stop the spread of COVID-19.
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“Thank you to our Chamber Membership Committee led by Cara Ogren, board member and owner of Synergy Physical Therapy! The committee has been reaching out to businesses that are not members of the Chamber to share with them the many benefits of Chamber membership." |
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Cara Ogren,
board member and owner of Synergy Physical Therapy
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Patrick Ebner of The Law Firm of Patrick J. Ebner, LLC
Jen Oppenheim of POP Digital Group
Nicole Peterson of McDowell Homes Nicole Peterson / Cleveland Realtor Group
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Debra Casper of
Dollar Bank
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Thursday, April 1st 8:30am
In Person WWLCC Coffee Networking
Garfield Park Pavilion, Mentor
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Join us for an in person coffee networking in collaboration with
the Eastern and Mentor Chambers
No walk ins will be permitted..
BYOC - Bring Your Own Coffee
Masks are required
Adhering to social distancing
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Thursday, April 8th 11am
State of the Schools
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Our local schools have faced many challenges this year. Find out in our Chamber of Commerce “State of Our Schools” how 2020 made our schools better and how they are preparing their students to be career and job ready.
Hear from:
Steve Thompson, Superintendent, Willoughby-Eastlake Schools,
Joe Spiccia, Superintendent, Wickliffe Schools, and
Chad VanArnhem, Kirtland City Schools.
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WWLCC Annual Golf Outing
Foursomes Sold Out
Sponsorships Available
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The Annual WWLCC
Golf Outing
Little Mountain County Club
June 4, 2021
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New this year Keg Sponsor!-$500
- An exclusive hole sponsorship that includes 1/2 keg
- Embroidered Flag pin
- Logo on all golf outing emails
- Event webpage recognition
- special recognition of you Corporate Name and logo in the event program
- Recognized at the dinner
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Thank you to our 2021 Golf Sponsors |
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“Get maximum visibility with thousands of potential customers this summer” |
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Resources and support
for our members
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March 8, 2021
OhioMeansJobs.com Redesigned to Simplify, Streamline Job Search Process for Ohio Jobseekers
Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted and InnovateOhio, in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, today unveiled a fully redesigned, more accessible OhioMeansJobs.com website for Ohio jobseekers and employers.
Users will find it much easier to register for an account, navigate job opportunities, and apply for positions on mobile devices, all driven by user feedback and upgraded technology tools. For jobseekers, OhioMeansJobs.com lists over 156,000 job openings, with almost 84,000 that pay over $50,000 per year, and includes a resume builder and rater, a budget calculator, skill and interest assessments, online tutorials, and free GED and college entrance practice tests.
For employers, big and small, OhioMeansJobs.com offers free access to post jobs, search for qualified candidates, view metrics of their searches, set up automatic questions to screen applicants, and use advanced filtering tools to more easily identify the most promising candidates. The newly streamlined site will help the more than 30,411 recruiters currently using OhioMeansJobs to find their next employee.
OhioMeansJobs.com also includes sections that specifically serve veterans, K-12 and college students, apprentices, workers with disabilities, public assistance and Medicaid recipients, and restored citizens. Additionally, those receiving unemployment benefits through the state are required to use the website to meet reemployment activities. Each one of these areas has been upgraded as part of the redesign.
The OhioMeansJobs site has served as the state’s one-stop shop for jobseekers and employers since 2008. In 2019, the InnovateOhio team, under the leadership of the DeWine-Husted Administration, launched a mission to completely redesign OhioMeansJobs.com to better meet the needs of Ohioans looking for jobs and Ohio companies looking for talent.
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January TechCred Round Funds Nearly 5,000 Credentials, Program Updates Announced
Next application period opens April 1st
Lt. Governor Jon Husted, who serves as Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation, today announced the results of the January round of TechCred, which will provide the opportunity for Ohioans to earn nearly 5,000 technology-focused credentials.
The most recent TechCred application period closed at the end of January. Today, 384 Ohio employers were approved for funding, resulting in Ohio employees earning up to 4,736 technology-focused credentials. The January round was record-setting, as almost 100 more employers were approved, in addition to more credentials being approved, than the previously most successful round.
With the approvals announced today, a total of 1,168 Ohio employers have been approved for funding, supporting the earning of 19,841 tech-focused credentials by Ohio employees.
Starting with the April round, the following updates have been implemented to further streamline the program:
- The length of the grant will be reduced from 18 months to 12 months from the award date.
- Training programs must start on or after the date of the award, not before, and must be completed in less than 12 months.
- Training providers are no longer eligible to receive reimbursement for employees trained in-house. If a training provider wishes to utilize TechCred to upskill their employees, they must use an external training provider.
The next TechCred application period opens Thursday, April 1st and closes April 30th at 3:00 p.m. Businesses with employees who have completed their TechCred training should submit proof of credential completion to receive reimbursement at TechCred.Ohio.gov.
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Do we still need to wear masks?
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SBA Increases Lending Limit For COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans
Requesting EIDL Increases
Business that have already received the Economic Injury Disaster Loan do not need to submit a request for an increase at this time. SBA will reach out directly via email and provide more details about how businesses can request an increase closer to the April 6 implementation date.
New and Pending EIDL Applications
Any new loan applications and any loans in process when the new loan limits are implemented will automatically be considered for loans covering 24 months of economic injury up to a maximum of $500,000.
EIDL Deferment Update
Questions?
If you have questions about the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, the SBA Customer Service Center is available to provide assistance from the hours of 7:00 am to 7:00 pm CST, 7 days a week, at (800) 659-2955, or via email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Please also see more EIDL resources below.
Stay updated
Visit sba.gov/coronavirus for updates on the loan programs, guidance for businesses and employers, and other SBA resources.
If you have questions about your already submitted EIDL application, contact the SBA Disaster Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
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Cybersecurity Visibility for Small Businesses
Wednesday, April 7th
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EDT
Webinar
Cybersecurity’s importance only grows every year.
As a small business owner knowing the threats it impacts is essential.
As a small business owner, it goes without saying that one of the steps you can take in protecting your business's personally identifiable information (PII) is getting and staying educated on cybersecurity.
With so many entrepreneurs emerging to conduct business via the internet and selling products or services, it’s important to understand how you could be viewed as a start-up or existing business by potential scammers. Your understanding this could be key in limiting your possibility of being hacked.
Join the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, CSU SBDC and SBA for a free webinar to learn how to protect your small business in the 21st century with cybersecurity.
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2021 virtual Ohio State Fund seminar registration is open!
Join us for the first-ever virtual Ohio State Fund seminar.
We know you are busier than ever navigating constant challenges related to workers’ compensation. We are here for you. The pressure of understanding your exposures and managing claims can be challenging. In times like these, extra insight makes all the difference.
We invite you to spend a half-day with our industry experts from Sedgwick (formerly known as CompManagement and CareWorks Comp) to address current issues relating to workers' compensation, safety and unemployment.
During this free event you will learn about:
- BWC updates
- Unemployment during this unprecedented time
- Cost savings through coordinated claims management
- OSHA: mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace
- Taking a comprehensive approach to managed care
This half-day seminar qualifies for two-hour group/group retro safety credit through the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
Two identical sessions are available to accommodate schedules.
Please click below to register for your preferred session.
April 13, 2021
9am - 12:30pm EST
April 22, 2021
1pm - 4:30pm EST
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Complimentary job postings for our members and other Free Benefits for Chamber Members |
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Did you know the Chamber supports our members by listing their job openings and promoting the openings on the Chamber website?
A strong workforce contributes to the success of our members and we want to assist!
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Did you know that you can share these Chamber benefits with your employees?
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Good news!
We will be resuming outdoor ribbon cuttings for any new member starting in April following CDC & Health District guidelines. Please contact Tyler Wetzel for details @twetzel@wwlcchamber.com
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WWLCC 2021 Sponsorship Opportunities
Gain more business / Visibility in 2021
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