Andre Paternina, a Maricopa High School senior has been chosen The Maricopa Rotary Club February Student of the Month.  Paternina has been chosen for the status of his grades, citizenship and honors classes that he is enrolled in.  He is also a participant in student clubs, The Link, Key Club, National Honor Society, Journalism, and Orchestra and is involved in community projects and your local church organization.

Mr.Paternina will be eligible with other students at the end of the year for a scholarship to be used at your choice of a post secondary school after graduation from Maricopa High School.

Madison Moncel, a Desert Winds Middle School eighth grade honors student has been chosen to be the Rotary February Middle School Student of the Month. She is the daughter of Mitchell and Lois Moncel. At school she is active in student council, band, yearbook, and softball. Outside of school she is active in club softball and dance.  Madison will be eligible for a $250 high school scholarship to be used at Maricopa High School.

Madison and her mother were honored guests at a recent Rotary Club meeting where she was honored and presented a certificate and gift certificates from various businesses in Maricopa.

Peñasco strengthens ties with Maricopa, Arizona

Puerto Peñasco and the city of Maricopa, Arizona are embarking on a new relationship of friendship and collaboration, with the greatest beneficiaries being the residents of both communities. This was agreed upon recently in a gathering of authorities from both communities.
Mayor Alejandro Zepeda Munro underscored the importance of the agreement reached with city authorities from the neighboring U.S. state, with whom he met recently, in establishing the beginning of more constant communication.
Those in attendance at the meeting included Maricopa Mayor Anthony Smith, accompanied by Vincent Abramo and Rusty Akers, who reaffirmed their interest in strengthening collaborative ties.
“It was a very positive meeting; we can say that this is the beginning of a new and better relationship between Peñasco and Maricopa, which allows us to begin to plan for cultural, athletic and commercial exchanges between the two cities,” noted Zepeda Munro.
“The (Maricopa) Mayor and I,” he added, “share an interest in promoting this new relationship between both cities, with the citizens themselves being the principal beneficiaries through activities set to be programmed as part of this communication.”

He mentioned that Mayor Smith, as representative for Maricopa, is interested in assuring residents of Peñasco are confident in visiting his city, as they will be well received and there is the openness of the authorities to assist them as needed.
During the meeting, an invitation was made to the Maricopa authorities to attend the 2010 February Peñasco Carnival, as well as to be open to the possibility of embarking on athletic, artistic and cultural exchanges.

From Harvey Mackay’s Column This Week

Today I received this as part of Harvey Mackay’s weekly column and thought is was “right-on.”

Some of the worst employees a manager will ever deal with have a vocabulary problem.  “No” and “maybe” don’t seem to be in their dictionary. Who are they?  The “Yes” people – those who answer “How high?” every time the boss says “Jump!”

At first glance, they might seem like a manager’s dream employee – someone who doesn’t give you a hard time every time you make a request, who appears to treat your every wish as a command. Someone who never has a different – or better – idea. But is this what you really want?

Ineffective leaders surround themselves with the familiar, the comfortable – and people who think exactly like they do.  In other words, Yes people. These employees tell the boss whatever he wants to hear and withhold any negative information. Like a horse with blinders on, the manager runs the race without any idea whether she is going in the right direction or if there are obstacles in the way.

The best leaders seek out those who think differently, and they encourage creativity and innovation in their employees.  If everyone agrees with you all the time due to fear or constant rejection, how will you hear any new ideas?  If you only have Yes people around you, you can’t improve.
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For those of you who missed the January 26th Breakfast presentation, here it is.

The Past and Present of Health Care Reform Presentation Read-Only

Tuesday February 23, 2010

Welcome to Maricopa Pinal County Federal Credit Union!

The doors were officially opened on Tuesday and the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Ambassadors were on hand for the festivities.  A special thanks to Chief of Police Fich and Sargent Judd for taking time out of their day to joy us.

(Phoenix, Ariz. – January 22, 2010) Attorney General Terry Goddard is warning Arizonans to be cautious of unsolicited contractors coming to your door and offering help with repairs or clean-up related to the recent storms that have pounded the State.

Scam artists often try to capitalize on severe storms by taking advantage of homeowners coping with damage. Some unsolicited contractors will claim to have extra materials because they are doing work in the neighborhood. The pitch to the homeowner includes a “discounted” price for materials so the contractor won’t have to throw materials away.

The homeowner is typically given a verbal quote, but never a written estimate for the job. The unsolicited contractor will do the work, and in some cases without the homeowner’s consent, will do additional work.  After the job is complete, the homeowner may be presented with a bill that is hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than what was originally quoted. The person will often demand immediate payment and in some cases refuse to leave in an attempt to pressure the homeowner into paying in full.

Goddard cautions Arizona residents to think twice before allowing anyone who shows up after a severe storm to work on your home. Instead, he offers the following tips when choosing a contractor:

• Check with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (www.azroc.gov) to make sure the contractor you are considering has a license.
• Ask for written estimates from at least three contractors.
• Request a list of references and check them before agreeing to hire anyone.
• Make sure the scope of the project, the price and any other relevant terms are spelled out in a written contract.
• Never allow yourself to be hurried into making a decision.  No reputable contractor will pressure you into a quick hiring decision.

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at 602.542.5763; in Tucson at 520.628.6504; or outside the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas at 1.800.352.8431.  To file a complaint in person, the Attorney General’s Office has satellite offices throughout the state with volunteers available to help.  Locations and hours of operation are posted on the Attorney General’s Web site.  Consumers can also file complaints on line by visiting the Attorney General’s Web site at www.azag.gov

For additional information, please contact Molly Edwards at (602) 542-8019.

Full Schapiro Group ACCE Report

In 2007 The American Chamber of Commerce Executives association contracted with The Shapiro Marketing Group to study the benefits to businesses of Chamber Membership.

The full study is attached, however here are the highlights:

WASHINGTON — A national study by The Schapiro Group, an Atlanta based market research firm, reveals a number of important findings about how consumers and business owners perceive the local chamber of commerce and the businesses that are their members.

For example:

• When consumers know that a business is a member of the local chamber, they are 44% more likely to think favorably about it,

• Consumers who are told that a business is a chamber member are 51% more likely to be highly aware of it and 57% more likely to think positively of its local reputation.

• Consumers are 63% more likely to buy goods and services in the future from a company that they believe is a member of the local chamber of commerce.

The study also has good news for businesses that sell to other businesses.

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Terri & Michael

On Thursday August 27th I had the honor of being present at the

Grand Re-Opening Ribbon Cutting celebration for MainStay Suites.

Thanks to the Casa Grande Chamber for hosting this event for our Co-member.   We wish you good luck!

In my mail yesterday I received my local monthly coupon paper.  This is an  publication that services Maricopa’s residents.  As I was flipping through it I noticed quite a few Chamber Members have ads and coupons listed.  I think this is great!  Members are out marketing their businesses, but it also made me wonder why these same members do not take advantage of the same types of marketing opportunities that the Chamber provides at no cost as a benefit of membership?

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