Barb Gatti is on the left and with the rest of the 2011 Golf Committee.

Who could have imagined when the first Richardson Chamber’s golf tournament was held back in 1987, that the tournament would celebrate its 25th year? 

But such is the case for the upcoming Chamber golf tournament set for Friday, Oct. 5 at Sherrill Park here in Richardson.

Deemed the largest networking event for the Chamber, the tournament has gone through many changes during its 25 years. At first sponsorships were named the St. Andrews or Augusta after the “home of golf” or the city where the Masters is played. Now the sponsorship names fall more in line with the categories of medals recently given out at the 2012 London Summer Olympic games  – gold, silver, or bronze. 

Bob Evans Foods will once again be the title sponsor, and this year we are proud to say the City of Richardson will be our Silver Sponsor. Bronze sponsors this year include Avnet Inc., Courtesy Nissan, Digital Realty, Legacy Texas Bank, Methodist Richardson Medical Center, NeighborsGo, Oncor Electric Delivery, Pan-American Benefits Solutions, Ron Patterson Insurance, ViewPoint Bank-Arapaho, and the University of Texas at Dallas.

To celebrate the silver anniversary theme we also made a few changes in the structure of the tournament and are including some “gray” items in the silver tournament bags to commemorate the tournament silver anniversary sponsored by Time Warner Business Class.

This year we have gone to a one-tee-time shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. The registration fee of $100 includes the greens fee for 18 holes of golf on the course, a cart, lunch provided by Chick-fil-A (I’ve heard right after lunch we might also have a silver cupcake for dessert!) and the awards and dinner reception following the tournament, held at the Hyatt Regency North Dallas/Richardson. We have invited back several past golf chairmembers and Chamber board members for a special slideshow presentation. If you have photos from previous years, please get them to Ryan at the Chamber.

During play, the golfer who gets closest to the pin on a specified hole number will win a prize. In addition, prizes will be awarded for the first low score foursome as well as the longest drive, and you now have an opportunity to win two cars by hitting a hole in one on hole #3 and hole #12 thanks to Reliable Chevrolet and Courtesy Nissan.

Raffle prizes at the tournament include a Scotty Cameron putter, an IPAD Nano and other great prizes. One raffle ticket is included in your registration packet, but you can purchase additional raffle tickets at registration or the dinner. There’s just one catch – you have to be present to win.

Hole sponsorships are still available. Those interested can also provide door prizes or items to be included in the event’s goodie bag. A team of four costs $400. For more information about becoming a player, sponsor, or donor, please contact Ryan Abrey at the Richardson Chamber of Commerce at 972-792-2816 (ryan@richardsonchamber.com).

 

Good leaders always looking for proven ways to increase performance and profits. Bob Prosen will show them how at the Chamber’s Leadership Forum, Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Doubletree Hotel Dallas-Richardson. This event is ideal for business people who want to get more done, react less, have more time to plan, and consistently achieve their objectives at any size company.

Prosen is the author of Kiss Theory Good Bye and a nationally recognized business consultant to USA Today, Fox Business, MSNBC and hundreds of companies across the country. Here is a precursor to the valuable information Prosen will offer in October.

 

By Bob Prosen, CEO, Prosen Center for Business Advancement

Leaders are always asking how they can be more effective. My advice is to start by defining your role when it comes to delivering results. Simply put, the leader’s job is to ensure every member of the team wins. Winning is defined as meeting the organization’s top objectives. I only wish someone would have explained this to me earlier in my career.

This is so powerful, in part, because of the inherent quid pro quo. Throughout my career, one of the best ways I’ve found to help people win is to establish an accountability-based culture, focused on results. To do this, start by removing roadblocks that stand in your people’s way.

Top leaders are direct and forthright in every conversation, letting people know where they stand, what’s needed from them and when it is needed. Good leaders often can become great leaders by reshaping the way they talk. Here’s how it works.

When you make a request of someone, take a little extra time to explain why you are making it. Put it in context and explain why it’s important to the goals of the business. The other person can provide a more robust solution when he or she understands the purpose of the task and how the information will be used.

Last but not least, don’t forget to ask what the person needs in order to complete the task. This approach removes excuses, reduces rework and builds relationships. It’s also a great way to develop future leaders by increasing responsibility and encouraging decision-making and creativity.

Find out more about Bob and his book.

by Jordan Everhart

The members of the Leadership Richardson Class XXVI Social Service Committee delivered their one-day session, which focus on the social service opportunities in Richardson. The theme for the day was Star Trek, an idea that materialized from the committee’s logo, the Social Services Solar System.  Richardson represents the sun and the different social service organizations are the planets in its gravitational pull. Like the planets in our own solar system, each organization is unique and has its own place in “orbit”.
 
The session began with the Prime Directive. Class XXVI was beamed up on the S.S. Compassion Action (the committee’s name) to take a voyage and explore the exciting social service opportunities in Richardson. In Galaxy of 100 they learned about Richardson’s demographics and its diverse population.  During the Discovery Mission, the class traveled to different “planets” to discover more about the social services from representatives of seven social service organizations. The organizations represented were: Genesis Women’s Shelter, Heroes for Children, International Students Inc., Neighborhood Youth and Family Counseling, Richardson Adult Literacy Center, Take Me Home Pet Rescue and Visiting Nurse Association. Next, they attended Star Fleet Academy. Bonnie Perry discussed what it means to serve on a board. After the Galactic MRE’s (lunch), the group jumped into their travel pods and boldly went where no one has gone before - to tour Network, the Warren Center and the YMCA. At the end of the day, they played a friendly game of Captain Piccard vs. Captain Kirk (Family Feud) and had a Voyage Debrief.      
 
By the end of the day, they learned several things: They learned that Richardson is home to several organizations that meet many of the different needs of the community. They learned that volunteering does make a difference. Whether it is once a month or once a week, in order for these organizations to thrive, people are needed to step up and serve.
 
On this day, the group was reminded that life can be hard and nobody is excluded from any situation it may present. We could lose our job, become a parent to a special needs child, begin the care of a loved one on hospice or become a victim of a violent crime. These realities are the sole purpose for which these organizations exist.
 
The leaders and volunteers of these organizations epitomize what it means to hold their community in trust. Every morning they get up believing they will make a difference in somebody’s life that day - and they do. They help people build confidence, feel accepted, and learn to read. They offer hot meals, warm clothes and bedw to sleep in. They understand what people are going through when no one else does. These are regular people doing extraordinary things, and they are right here in Richardson. 
 
Social Service Committee members are: Debbie Deaton, Marta Frey, Ashley Frysinger, Jordan Everhart, Maria Harris, Danny Martin and Richard Luttrell.

Beginning January 2011, the Richardson Chamber of Commerce’s EarlyNet networking meeting will be moving to the Holiday Inn – Richardson.
 
For the last three years, the group has been meeting in the second floor dining room of Highland Springs, but the hotel made a fantastic offer and Chamber staff felt it may be time for a change.
 
The Holiday Inn – Richardson will allow EarlyNet attendees and guests to visit their full breakfast buffet every Wednesday morning.  Highland Springs provided a hot breakfast on the first Wednesday of every month and an assortment of pastries on the other weeks.  The central Richardson location and close proximity to Central Expressway also make it the ideal location for this long-standing Chamber event.
 
The cost for attending EarlyNet will increase from $5 to $8 to cover the additional food costs.  Chamber staff and EarlyNet leadership are also aggressively pursuing guest speakers and purchasing agents from large Richardson based corporations to periodically present information to EarlyNet. These presentations will provide valuable information and tools that will enable attendees to bid for large corporate contracts.
 
“We’re excited to take EarlyNet to the Holiday Inn – Richardson,” said Drew Snow, Manager of Member Services for the Richardson Chamber.  “The location and full breakfast buffet will only enhance EarlyNet’s draw and will provide some nice value-added benefits for our members and guests.  We feel we are taking EarlyNet to the next level.”
 
EarlyNet is a weekly Wednesday morning networking and referral group and is responsible for creating thousands of business referrals and professional relationships every year.  They meet every Wednesday morning from 7:30 to 8:30.  Please contact Ryan Abrey for more information at (972) 792-2816, or visit our website.