winter 2008 - valpo chamber€¦ · “supporting this national program fits in very well with...

WINTER 2008A publication of the Greater Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce. 162 W. Lincolnway, Valparaiso, IN 46383 Phone (219) 462-1105, Fax (219) 462-5710 info@valparaisochamber.orgwww.valparaisochamber.orgwww.connecttovalpo.com

GREATER VALPARAISO CHAMBER OF COMMERCERex Richards, PresidentAmy Page, Senior Vice President, Member ServicesDanielle Oeding, Vice President, Sales & MarketingJulie Gaskell, Director of Operations and Assistant to the PresidentSusan Antoszewski, Marketing & Communications SpecialistKurt Gillins, Special Events CoordinatorGloria Lodics, Administrative Support StaffMaria Diaz, Bookkeeper

VALPARAISO MAGAZINEPublisher: The Greater Valparaiso Chamber of CommerceEditor: Susan AntoszewskiDesign and Production: Griffin Marketing Services, Inc.Printing: Foster Printing Service, Inc.Mailing: Flanagin’s Bulk Mail Service

VALPARAISO MAGAZINE is published quarterly by the Greater ValparaisoChamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 330, Valparaiso, IN 46384-0330. To submit “Around Town” entries, call (219) 462-1105 or send to: [email protected], Attn: Editor.For advertising inquiries, call (219) 462-1105, Attn: Danielle.

VALPARAISO MAGAZINE circulates 17,000 copies per issue by direct mailto all businesses, and, on a rotating basis, to most households in the46383, 46384 and 46385 zip codes:

Winter/Summer: Rural RoutesSpring/Fall: City Routes

Subscriptions may be purchased at an annual rate of $12, for those outside our regular circulation.

Winter 2008 | Volume 8 | Issue 1

<< Heart Victor Brooke Wilcox (right) with mother Tiffany

Photo & cover photo by: Aran Kessler Photo Imaging

FEATURES4 Valpo Goes Red

Important information women (and men) should know about heart disease

9 Act F.A.S.T. How to recognize the signs of a stroke

10 Defibrillators in Health & Wellness FacilitiesIs it worth the cost? One man’s story.

14 Salute to Leadership Awards

17 City Welcomes New EconomicDevelopment Director

18 Century & Half Century Business Awards

24 Can Yellow Cars Really Cause Heart Attacks?

SECTIONS8 Know Valpo

How well do you know Valpo?

13 New Chamber MembersThe Valpo Chamber welcomes Board-approved new members who joined during Sept., Oct., and Nov. 2007

16 Around Town

19 Business Spotlight

20 Ask An ExpertExpert answers to your business questions: “How do you begin the strategic planning process?”

22 Chamber FocusA.M. Valpo

26 Our VoiceClosing thoughts

CALENDAR OF EVENTSwww.connecttovalpo.com 3

4 Valpo Magazine – Winter 2008

When you hear stories about people whosuffer from heart disease or heartattacks, the first image that may come

to mind is a frail, gray-haired man. The truth is,this image is at best an incomplete – and atworst, a dangerous – concept. Certainly oldermen, with the natural effects of aging plusdecades of bad habits, suffer heart disease in greatnumbers. But the fact is heart disease is an equalopportunity affliction, cutting through all agegroups, races, and genders indiscriminately.

Children suffer from it. Teenagers sufferfrom it. Even famous professional athletes havebeen afflicted with heart conditions. Some peo-ple are born with it; some inherit it. Some earn itone pack of cigarettes or fatty food at a time. Butno matter how you get it, it is almost certain thatyou, or someone you know, will face some sortof heart ailment at some time.

According to the American HeartAssociation, heart disease is not only the overallleading cause of death for both men and women,it is also the leading cause of death in womenover the age of 25 and accounts for almost 40percent of all deaths in women – more than fivetimes the number caused by breast cancer! Whenyou add the fact that strokes account for aboutanother 20 percent of female deaths, you beginto understand how devastating cardiovasculardisease can be. In general, heart disease is fourtimes more fatal than lung cancer and 37 percentmore deadly than all cancers combined. It alsokills 10 times more people than Alzheimer’sDisease. More frightening is the fact that approx-imately 17 percent of deaths due to heart issuesoccur in people under the age of 65.

These are chilling numbers, and it’s impor-tant that people know. But there is also anotherset of numbers that everyone should know,according to Diane Kemp, American HeartAssociation Executive Director of Northern

Indiana. Knowing your numbers can make thedifference, literally, between life and death. “Onegoal of the American Heart Association is tomake every single individual aware of the twomonster risk factors: cholesterol and blood pres-sure,” she says. “Particularly, people aged 25-55who might be ticking time bombs and have noidea they are at an increased risk because they donot check their numbers on a regular basis.” Sheemphasizes that this is especially important forwomen because “they have a greater chance thanmen that their first cardiac event will be fatal.”

This is why Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costashas issued a proclamation designating February 1as “Go Red for Women Day” to show the city’ssupport of efforts by the American HeartAssociation to inform and educate women abouttheir susceptibility to the disease and methods forpreventing it and recognizing its warning signs.

“Supporting this national program fits in verywell with Valparaiso’s ‘Fit City Initiative’ to encour-age people to adopt healthier lifestyles,” Costasexplains. “The key to a healthy city is healthy peo-ple, from students to seniors. Any effort that helpspeople live healthier is very welcomed.”

Costas is a five-time Ironman event partici-pant, so it is not surprising to find that an entirecitywide project like this would be something hewould champion. “I am big on fitness, and I tryto lead by example,” he says. In addition, he hasanother personal motivation for promoting hearthealth. “My dad [former State Senator BillCostas] has had heart problems for years, so I amvery attuned to the threats of heart disease.

“The good news is that heart disease is verycontrollable with the right medications plus agood diet, smoking cessation, and exercise,”Kemp says. “That’s the message we want all ofValparaiso to hear through this initiative, but it isespecially important that women understandtheir risks.”

by Michael J. Griffin

cover story photos by Aran Kessler Photo Imaging

Bryce DrewJill Maassel Amy Hubbard

5www.connecttovalpo.com

Cardiovascular disease is not a single mala-dy but rather a spectrum of conditions, each ofwhich can have devastating effects. Fueled partlyby heredity and partly by lifestyle, it runs thegamut from a sudden, unexpected attack thatcan happen in the blink of an eye, to a defectthat may exist from birth and not be discovereduntil adulthood. These two extremes were expe-rienced by one local family, all in the course ofone year.

On the day after Christmas in 2002,Christine Maassel was shopping with her sistersin northern Minnesota when she felt a sharptwinge in her neck that hit fast but then wentaway. About 30 minutes later, her right armstarted to hurt, but that pain also dissipatedquickly. About 45 minutes later, she says, herworld imploded. “I suddenly was nauseous; Ididn’t want to talk; I couldn’t open my eyes,” sherecalls. “It came on so suddenly and was so outof the ordinary that I just knew something [seri-ous] was wrong.”

Her sisters took her to the emergency roomat the town’s small 22-bed hospital. “The ERwas staffed entirely by general practitioners, andthe doctor ordered a CT scan,” she explains.“Nothing showed up to indicate a stroke, butthe doctor wanted to make sure. So, he put meon blood thinners and lined me up for an MRIwhich was a ‘circuit rider’ [unit] that wouldcome by every few days. The MRI showed that Ihad suffered a stroke.”

What is crucial to this story, according toMaassel, is that the emergency room generalpractitioner who originally treated her perhapswould never have ordered the test if he had notbeen specially trained by the American HeartAssociation standards to look for stroke signs.

“I had none of the classic signs of a stroke,”she explains. “The CT scan showed nothing.The doctor could have given me pain pills and

sent me home, but because of training from theAmerican Heart Association, he was going tomake sure that the diagnosis was correct. It madea big difference.”

The American Heart Association is theumbrella organization that includes the AmericanStroke Association, explains Kemp, and since1949 they have been actively involved in settingprotocols for hospitals and doctors on the care

and treatment of strokes and heart attacks.“We set the standards for physicians, cardi-

ologists, general practitioners, and emergencyroom doctors on how to treat patients showingsigns of stroke, and our protocols are integratedinto hospital administrations,” she says. “Our[concepts] are based on scientific facts. We doresearch on drug therapies through double-blindstudies, and we are continually gaining a greaterunderstanding of strokes and heart disease.”

Kemp emphasizes that quick action forstroke victims is critically important (see ActFast sidebar page 9). “You have a two-to-fourhour window in which to administer propercare,” she explains. “Once you pass that mark,there is a high probability that the stroke willdo the maximum damage.”

Fortunately for Christine Maassel, the early

treatment not only worked, but actually negatedthe need for surgery. No brain damage occurredand her rehabilitation consisted mostly of over-coming fatigue. Today, Maassel considers herselffully recovered, but she still enjoys “a daily strokecocktail” consisting of blood thinners plus cho-lesterol and blood pressure lowering medications.

Ironically, Christine’s daughter Jill devel-oped a condition when she was about 15 yearsold where, for no apparent reason, her heartwould start to race – and when she says race, shemeans it. “My heart rate would [spike] to 220beats per minute for an hour or two,” sheexplains. “It caused me to faint. I missed workand school and couldn’t play sports.”

She was diagnosed with tachycardia, arhythm disorder in which the heart beats fasterthan normal, a condition that can be treatedwith medication. Her doctors hoped she wouldgrow out of the condition before the age of 18.Instead, the situation kept getting worse. Maasselsaw two specialists who ordered an electrophysi-ology study and ablation – a procedure in whichelectrode catheters were inserted into the heart inorder to study Jill’s cardiac electrical system andcauterize the area causing the arrhythmia.

Maassel underwent the procedure on her18th birthday. “It was the best birthday present Iever had,” she says. Today she feels healthy anddoes not require further medical care.

“This [experience] showed me the impor-tance of living a healthier lifestyle,” sheexplains. “I try to watch what I eat and exerciseregularly.” Equally important, the now 24-yearold devotes volunteer time to the AmericanHeart Association. “People don’t realize thatthese things can happen to kids and teens. Ithink that is one of the most important mes-sages we can convey.”

Anyone who watched Bryce Drew drain the1998 three-pointer that helped propel Valparaiso

Ed Charbonneau Brooke Wilcox Christine Maassel

“It came on so suddenly andwas so out of the ordinarythat I just knew somethingserious was wrong.”

– Christine Maassel

continued on next page >>


University into the NCAA “Sweet Sixteen”might be surprised to learn that this superb ath-lete – who competed at the highest levels in hissport from college to the pros – played for manyyears with a condition similar to that suffered byJill Maassel. As a teenager at Valparaiso HighSchool, he also took medicine to control hisspurts of rapid heartbeat.

“The medications I took made me lethargic,”he says, “but it was the only way I could compete.”

Then, at the age of 17, Drew had an abla-tion procedure, and everything changed.“It is a great blessing to have this type of tech-nology available. It literally changes your life,”he adds. “I had no side effects. I had energy.”

Today, after professional stints with theChicago Bulls, the Charlotte Hornets, andEuropean basketball, Drew coaches the VU bas-ketball team alongside his father Homer. Hishealth, he says, is “excellent” and, like Jill Maassel,he does not require any further medication.

Another person whose life was changed byscience and technology is Ed Charbonneau, cur-rent Indiana State Senator representing the 5thDistrict which includes Valparaiso. In 1994, atthe age of 50, he suffered a heart attack whileworking out on a treadmill.

“I never thought about heart disease, ever,”he says. “I was always very athletic, played sportsand was a runner. I never smoked, was neveroverweight. In the years [prior to the heartattack] I would run and get a pain in my chest,but it would subside when I stopped workingout. So, I didn’t think anything of it.”

Pain is a warning sign, but Charbonneaucame from the generation of athletes whosecoaches admonished them to “play through it.”In retrospect, this could have been fatal for him.

“I was on my treadmill in my basementand felt such intense pain that I had to stop myworkout,” he remembers. “I sat down on thesteps and waited until I felt better, then got backon the treadmill and finished my workout.”

Unable to completely shake the pain, hewent to the doctor for a stress test. “I was on thetreadmill for one minute and they shut itdown,” he says. The next day he went in for anangioplasty and came out with a diagnosisrequiring bypass surgery. Charbonneau had asextuple bypass. “I think it’s a record for thathospital,” he laughs. But the miracle of bypasssurgery has given him his life back, and today heis in “great shape.” “I was given a new hundredthousand mile warranty [on my heart],” hejokes, “and I’m going strong.”

Interestingly enough, each of these heartdisease victors lived fairly healthy lifestyles andyet were struck with life-threatening condi-tions. What they had in common, however, isthat all came from families with histories ofheart disease. Christine Maassel’s father had aheart attack at age 43, bypass surgery at 56,and a defibrillation at 65. Her uncle andgrandmother suffered strokes, and three of heruncles and one aunt died from heart attacksunder weirdly similar circumstances (see side-

bar: Do Yellow Cars Cause Heart Attacks? page24). Both of Charbonneau’s parents had heartattacks at a young age. Drew’s grandfather suf-fered cardiac infarctions.

A big part of the American HeartAssociation’s mission is making sure that peopleunderstand that even if a person lives a healthylifestyle of good diet, no smoking, and exercise,potential factors still may exist that can causeproblems. Christine Maassel says she preaches asimple mantra. “I tell everyone, ‘Know yournumbers!’ It is so important, and if something[cholesterol, blood pressure] isn’t where it shouldbe, you can get medications to help.”

While heart disease can be stealthy andunpredictable in some people, in others itshows up very early in life. Take the stories ofAmy Hubbard, Joel Owens, and BrookeWilcox, for example.

Hubbard was born with a condition knownas Atrioventricular Septal Valve Defect, alsoknown as a hole in the heart. This conditioncauses left-side, oxygen-rich blood from theheart to pass into the right side of the heart. Theblood then goes back to the lungs even though ithas already been oxygenated. Because of thelarge amount of extra blood going to the lungs,high blood pressure may occur there and overtime can damage the blood vessels. Additionally,the valve between the upper (atrial) and lower(ventricular) chambers does not close properly.Blood then leaks backward from the ventricularchambers to the atrial chambers. This leak isreferred to as regurgitation or insufficiency ofthe valve. When the valve leaks, the heart has topump more blood. This can lead to enlargementof the heart.

Hubbard was diagnosed with the conditionat birth. Open heart surgery was performed atage four. “For the first few months after surgery,I had to be carried around everywhere to preventmy heart rate from going up,” she says. “Otherthan that, I just had routine doctor visits, firstevery six weeks, then every two months, thenonce a year and now just once every 10 years.”

In short, because of early intervention, thenow 29-year old was able to live a normal life,taking part in sports, dance, and theater.However, her youthful ordeal has made her veryaware of the importance of taking care of herheart. “I do the things any woman my age shouldbe doing,” she explains. “I eat right and exercise.”

The heart condition of little Joel Owenswas diagnosed before the now 20-month old wasborn. According to his mother Sandra, a condi-tion known as Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndromewas discovered during a routine ultrasound at 20weeks gestation. In layman’s terms, the conditionresults when the left ventricle stops developing,leaving the child with literally half a heart.

“So far, he has had two of three open heartsurgeries, the first at three days old and one atsix months,” Sandra explains. “He will have athird when he is just over two years old.Chances are he’ll have other unpredicted surger-ies throughout his life.”

With this condition, little Joel will alwayshave half a heart. According to the AmericanHeart Association, children with HypoplasticLeft Heart Syndrome require lifelong follow upby a cardiologist for repeated checks of howtheir heart is working. But there is no tellingwhere research may lead. The last decade hasseen tremendous breakthroughs in medicine,artificial parts for the heart and even heart trans-plant technologies – all of which may evolve inthe future to allow Joel Owens to live a normal,healthy life.

In the meantime, however, his family has towork with what they have. “He’s weak becausehis heart has to work extra hard,” Sandraexplains. “We have to be careful, especially inwinter, not to expose him to germs because hisimmune system is weak. It puts a lot of stress onthe family.”

When then four-year old Brooke Wilcoxcomplained of chest pains while being put tobed, her mother Tiffany had no reason to believeit was anything worse than a stomach ache.However, after holding Brooke, her father Davidnoticed her heart was beating very hard and veryfast. After Brooke suddenly fell asleep, Tiffany, acardiovascular nurse, monitored Brooke’s heartrate and discovered her heart was racing over250 beats per minute. Unable to wake Brookeup, a 911 call was made and she was taken tothe hospital where she was diagnosed withSupraventricular tachycardia (SVT) – a condi-tion similar to those suffered by Jill Maassel andBryce Drew.

“We regularly visit an electrophysiologist,and Brooke takes medication to help control thecondition,” Wilcox explains. “We also practicesimple measures at home to stop SVT episodesby stimulating the vagus nerve (one of thenerves that help regulate the heart rate.)” Theseexercises include holding Brooke upside downby the ankles and putting ice on her head andface for very short periods of time.

Eventually ablation therapy may be neces-sary. In the meantime, like many children,

“You have a two-to-four hourwindow in which to administerproper care. Once you pass that mark, there is a high probability that the stroke will do the maximum damage.”

– Diane KempAmerican Heart Association

Executive Director of Northern Indiana

(continued from page 5)VALPO GOES RED

7www.valparaisochamber.org

Brooke is doing really well, according to hermother. “She understands that she has a heartcondition, but that it’s nothing to be afraid of.She’s learning how to deal with it without think-ing she is any different than anyone else.”

It should be easy to understand by now,that heart disease does manifest itself in manyways. We would be remiss,however, if we did nottake a look at the con-dition most peopleprobably think ofwhen they think ofheart issues. You knowwhat we’re talkingabout – the old fash-ioned whack-in-the-chest heart attack thatseems to come out ofnowhere, just like it didto Max Kitchel.

Kitchel is another victorwho defies the “old man”stereotype. However, lastSeptember, about a week after mov-ing some heavy furniture, the 58-yearold was literally knocked flat by a heartattack while innocently brushing his teeth.It was the quick action of his wife Linda thatinitiated his recovery by immediately performingCPR. She called 911 and continued to performCPR until the ambulance arrived. Kitchel had

mistakenly attributed his chest pains and/or dis-comfort prior to the heart attack to pulled mus-cles from the moving activity rather than heartcomplications.

After angioplasty surgery and continuingmedication, he is still in a recovery mode. “I stillget tired fairly easily, but every day is getting a

little bit better,” hesays. “I have

made substan-tial changes tomy diet [asrequired by]my cardiodiet plan. I’meating a lot offish, veggies,and fruits.”

Kitchel is on acardio-care

rehab exerciseregime and attrib-

utes a good portion ofhis ongoing improve-

ment to that activity.The one thing these sto-

ries clearly point out is the factthat, if you have a heart, you can

have heart disease. It is very encour-aging, however, to know that despite the

rather dire statistics about heart disease, the fatal-ity trend is downward. This trend is thanks in

large part to better science, legislation requiringdefibrillators in public places (see sidebarDefibrillators in Health and Wellness Facilitiespage 10), and perhaps most importantly, greaterknowledge and awareness of factors that lead tothe condition in the first place, all highly focusedinitiatives of the American Heart Association. Inother words, there is hope – hope for older menlike Ed Charbonneau, hope for active womenlike Christine and Jill Maassel, hope for youngadults in an age group whose members nevereven think about heart disease, and, yes, evenhope for the little ones like Brooke Wilcox andJoel Owens who still can benefit from continu-ing progress in the fight against the disease.

But for everyone, the best way to fightheart disease is with knowledge. Sharing knowl-edge with everyone – people of all ages, doctorsand nurses – is a key mission of the AmericanHeart Association, and it is this encompassingvision that results in the creation and promotionof events like “Go Red for Women.”

“The more people know about how wide-spread heart disease is, and how every one of usas individuals has the ability to reduce ourchances of suffering from it, the better thechances of getting people to change their habitsand lifestyles,” Kemp says. “We know we aresaving lives [through events like these], and thatmakes it worth every effort.”

Did you know?By wearing red on February 1 you will helpraise awareness of the prevalence of heart

disease and bring the message ofurgency, hope, and help to

women everywhere.

Valpopourri


How well do you know Valpo?The photo below depicts some landmark,place, or building somewhere in the citylimits of Valparaiso.

If you think you know, simply visit www.valparaisochamber.org, click on the "Know Valpo" logo, and tell us where the photo wastaken. Be as specific as possible (include an addressor approximate name/location). Don’t forget toinclude your own contact information!

Each quarter, we will draw one entry, among thosecorrectly identified and submitted, and send you a$25 Chamber Gift Certificate, redeemable at over100+ participating chamber member merchants.See www.valparaisochamber.org for official rules.

Good Luck! Enter to see how well you Know Valpo!

– The Valpo Chamber

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Know Your Numbers!American Medical Association Guidelines for Cholesterol andBlood Pressure

You’ve seen the recommendation to “know your numbers” several places in this issue, but what exactly does that mean?Here are simple guidelines to answer that question.

Ask the person to smile. Didone side of the face droop ornot respond?

Ask the person to raise botharms. Did one drift downward?

Ask the person to repeat a sim-ple sentence. Are the wordsslurred? Was the sentencerepeated correctly?

If the person shows any ofthese symptoms, immediatelycall 911 or get to a hospital asquickly as possible.

Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels for People (without Heart Disease), mg/dL

Blood Lipid Good Borderline High

Total cholesterol 200 or t 200–239 240 + s

LDL cholesterol ("bad cholesterol") 130 or t 130–159 160 + s

Triglycerides 200 or t 200–399 400 + s

HDL cholesterol ("good cholesterol") 60 or s

Blood Pressure Levels for People without Heart Disease

Blood Pressure Good Normal Borderline High

Systolic (when the heart contracts and pumps blood out.) 120 or t 120–130 131–140 141 + s

Diastolic (between beats, as your heart fills with blood again.) 80 or t 80–85 86–90 91 + s

A stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel or the vessel breaks, interruptingblood flow to the brain. Without continual blood flow, the cells in the brain die quicklyand brain damage occurs. The abilities controlled by the afflicted area of the brain arethen lost. Speech, movement and memory can be severely impaired or lost depending onthe severity of the stroke and the speed at which medical intervention took place.

F = Face

A = Arms

S = Speech

T = Time

ValpopourriDid you know?

Heart disease kills more women under 45than any other single disease.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Act F.A.S.T. – How to Recognize the Signs of a Stroke

Stroke symptoms include sudden and unexpected:

• Numbness, particularly on one side of the body and often experienced in the face, arm or leg

• Trouble walking or maintaining balance, dizziness,uncoordinated movements

• A severe headache

• Trouble seeing with both eyes, blurred or fuzzy or vibrating vision

• Confusion

• Trouble speaking or understanding

As Diane Kemp, American Heart Association ExecutiveDirector, Northern Indiana explains, the sooner a persongets medical treatment, the better the chances of recov-ery. In fact, a stroke not treated properly within two tofour hours is likely to do maximum damage.

So, how do you know when a stroke may be occurring?Here’s how;

Act F.A.S.T.



The defibrillator at the Valparaiso Family YMCA sat in its casefor more than five years, being removed only for the purposesof training – until July 12 of last year. That’s when YMCA

member Mukund Phadke suffered aheart attack while working out on atreadmill in the Cardio FitnessCenter of the facility, and this devicebecame a life saver.

Fortunately for Phadke, RobertBoby, a nurse from St. Mary MedicalCenter, was exercising near him andimmediately came to his aid, as didYMCA Program Director KatieBurgus. Together they immediatelybegan CPR.

Even more fortuitous was the factthat the YMCA had that automatedexternal defibrillator (AED) only afew steps away. YMCA receptionistEden Tallman plucked it from itscase and handed it to CEO BobWanek who joined in the lifesavingefforts. Boby shocked the unconscious Phadke three times, revivinghim minutes before the ambulance arrived.

“I don’t remember very much about the incident,” Phadke says.“One minute I was working out and the next I was waking up inthe hospital.”

By all medical accounts, Boby, Burgus, and Wanek savedPhadke’s life, but the results might have been very different if theAED had not been readily available. The apparatus was donated tothe YMCA approximately five years ago by Dr. John Johnson, thehead of emergency services at Porter. “We had never used it before,but we were sure glad we had it at that moment,” Wanek says.“Mukund was very lucky to be in this place when [the heart attack]happened and not driving a car.”

“I feel very lucky to be alive,” echoes Phadke. The ValparaisoFamily YMCA had such a device on hand because of the generosityand foresight of Dr. Johnson, but soon AEDs will be found in most

1-888-IVY-LINEhttp://nwi.ivytech.edu

When You’re Considering A College For Your Child,

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Defibrillators in Healthand Wellness Facilities

– Is it Worth the Cost? One Man’s Story.

“I don’t remembervery much about theincident; one minuteI was working outand the next I waswaking up in thehospital. I feel verylucky to be alive.”

– Mukund Phadke,YMCA Member

– by Michael J. Griffin


health and wellness facilities inIndiana. Because of legislationpassed in 2007, beginning in July ofthis year, all facilities with 30 ormore motorized cardiovascularmachines, or 50 or more dues-pay-ing members, will be required tohave an AED onsite as well as toprovide training on how to employit. Physical fitness facilities with lessthan 30 pieces of motorized cardio-vascular equipment or less than 50dues – paying members are exempt.

Winfred “Buzz” Bowen ofValparaiso was directly involved inthe efforts to get this law enacted inIndiana, having worked on similarlegislation in Minnesota. As chair-man of the American HeartAssociation’s Northwest IndianaAdvocacy Committee, he workedwith other members to successfullylobby lawmakers to make the life-saving devices mandatory in mostphysical fitness facilities.

“As a board member of the

American Heart Association, I feltthat this was a very importantcause,” he explains. “We are verypleased that the law has beenpassed, but the truth is, we haveonly scratched the surface. We arenow working on making sure [thatAEDs] are placed in all first responsevehicles and onsite in venues likemalls, airports, schools, restaurants,hotels, and other places that attract alarge number of people.”

According to the NationalConference on State Legislatures,Florida was the first state to enact abroad public access law for defibril-lators, and today all 50 states havesome laws to encourage broaderavailability of the devices. Only onestate, New York, has laws requiringAEDs in places of public assembly.

First demonstrated by two Swissphysiologists in 1899, defibrillationis the definitive treatment for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia andother conditions. It involves deliv-ering a therapeutic dose of electricalenergy to the affected heart throughtwo paddles strategically placed onthe chest of the victim. The result-ant jolt of electricity works bydepolarizing a critical mass of heartmuscle which terminates thearrhythmia, and allows normalsinus rhythm to be reestablished bythe body's natural pacemaker.

Defibrillators can be externallyapplied, internally applied and evenimplanted, depending on the type

of device. AEDs automate the diag-nosis of treatable rhythms, allowingnon medical responders orbystanders to use them successfullywith little, or in some cases, notraining. These devices can actuallyanalyze heart rhythms, diagnose theshockable rhythms and then auto-matically charge to treat.

Phadke was so grateful that hislife was saved by this device that hedonated a new one to theValparaiso Family YMCA. Like somuch other technology, the newAED is a quantum leap from theold one, according to Wanek.

“The new device makes the oldone look like a dinosaur,” he adds.“It is entirely updated and muchdifferent, much easier to use.”

Phadke laughs, “The new AEDhangs three feet away from where Iwent down.” He is eager to get backto the YMCA in a few months aftercompleting rehab at Porter facilitieson Roosevelt Road. “I’ve had my 15minutes of fame, and I have thegreat people at the Y, and particular-ly Robert Boby, to thank.”

So, in the end, are defibrillatorsworth the cost? Wanek is emphatic.“No matter what the device cost, itwas worth it. I mean, what is ahuman life worth? Wanek’s voicetrails off, “When I see Mukundnow with his wife and daughters...”

Nothing more needed to besaid.

“We are now working on making sure [that AEDs] are placed in all first response vehiclesand onsite in venues like malls, airports, schools, restaurants, hotels, and other places thatattract a large number of people.”

– Winfred “Buzz” Bowen, Chairman, American Heart Association’s Northwest Indiana Advocacy Committee(Photo by Aran Kessler Photo Imaging)

Valpo Family YMCA Program Director Katie Burgus and CEO Bob Wanek (Photo by Aran Kessler Photo Imaging)

All addresses are in the 46383 zip code and phone numbers are 219 area code unless otherwise indicated.


All American Welding Supply, Inc.3007 Cascade Dr462-5900Karen HersickRetail Stores

Allstate/Burkus Gregoline Agency570 Vale Park Rd, Ste C464-4038Robert BurkusInsurance

Barnes Design Group50117 ArnoldNew Buffalo, MI 49117(269) 469-6919Sally J. BarnesAdvertising & Marketing Services

Best Buy91 Silhavy Rd548-8537Rich FoxRetail Stores

Cardinal Fitness of Valparaiso, LLC1805 E Lincolnway548-8881Tito GarciaHealth/Fitness Centers, Equipment,Instruction

Doctors Plus3028 N Calumet Ave477-6888Dr. Michael SpencePhysical Therapy

Evans Plaques & Promotions, LLC603 E Lincolnway464-9385Keith KirkpatrickPlaques & Awards

FC Tucker Northwest IndianaRealtors, Inc. (Tratebas)2500 Calumet Ave464-3800Kathie TratebasReal Estate – Commercial

Garman Printing Co., Inc. 1104 W Chicago AveEast Chicago, 46312397-1985Patsy DreckmanPrinters

Hodges & Davis, P.C.8700 BroadwayMerrillville, 46410641-8700Bonnie C. ColemanAttorneys/Legal Services

Ideas in Motion184 N 350 W, 46385707-5023Christopher MahlmannAdvertising & Marketing Services

Indiana Tech College ofProfessional Studies285 W 80th PlaceMerrillville, 46410736-5557Derek DabrowiakSchools/Education

Illinois Mutual: Sara Pender-Morales326 W Phillips Rd, 46385928-5799Sara Pender-MoralesInsurance

Jazzercise Fitness Center52 Marks Rd, Ste 2531-0861Lorrie CondronHealth/Fitness Centers, Equipment,Instruction

KPM Group, Inc.410 E Lincolnway465-6818Keith KirkpatrickConsultants

Interested in joining the largest and most active

chamber in Porter County?

Contact Danielle Oeding at (219) 462-1105 or

[email protected]

Lauth401 Pennsylvania ParkwayIndianapolis, 46280(866) 848-6500Marc LotterBuilders & Developers

Levin Tire Center of Valparaiso203 Silhavy462-1500Jeff RussellAuto – Repairs/Service/TowingLubricating/Oil Change ServicesTires

Northwest Indiana Hand &Physical Therapy605 McCord Rd 465-1554Jennifer KratzPhysical Therapy

Ondrovich & Associates, P.C. 3060 Willowcreek RdPortage, 46368764-3949Sherry OndrovichAccountants/Tax Services

Plexus PinkHebron, 46341707-6255Cassandra L. ErdelacHealth & Wellness Products

Pro Bookkeeping Services, LLCP.O. Box 2022, 46384-2022464-3759Carrie HanksAccountants/Tax Services

Raymond James & Associates1351 Silhavy Rd, Ste 300531-6900James O’HaraFinancial Advisors

Reilly C. Bush MemorialFoundation, Inc.P.O. Box 208, 46384-0208476-0628Chad BushFundraising Organizations

Reverie Spa & Retreat3634 N 700 WLaPorte, 46350861-0814Beth WarrenMassage TherapySalons & Spa

Sand Creek Country Club1001 Sand Creek SouthChesterton, 46304395-5200Mike ClindanielBanquet/Meeting FacilitiesCaterersGolf Courses/Country Clubs

Shelter Insurance1615 N Calumet Ave, Ste 200464-7744Christian CortheirInsurance

Steiner Homes, LTD40 Warren Dr916-3744 Dave Gring Builders & Developers

Steindler Sign Company105 Koselke StWanatah, 46390733-2551Tom Steindler, Jr.Signs

The Mitre Group, Inc.1500 N Main StCrown Point, 46307661-9400Scott PollackFinancial Services

Total Site Management21 E Lincolnway477-3800Rick CarlsonReal Estate Developers

Trust Financial, Inc. 373 Reif DrHebron, 46341695-0369Scott SwinfordMortgage Brokers/Lenders

University of Phoenix8401 Ohio StMerrillville, 46410794-1526Hannah KorbySchools/Education

WineStyles2505 LaPorte Ave, Ste 161462-9002Sheila R. JordanGiftsGourmet/Culinary Sales & ServiceLiquor Stores

Wings, Etc.501 Silhavy Rd, Ste B101464-7250Ron TaylorRestaurants


Salute to Leadership

The Greater Valparaiso Chamber of

Commerce will host its annual

Salute to Leadership dinner on

Saturday, January 12, 2008.

The Valpo Chamber Board of

Directors will honor Stewart McMillan,

President of Task Force Tips, with the 2007

Distinguished Community Leader Award.

This award is given to an individual

who: demonstrates a leadership role; is suc-

cessful in promoting and developing busi-

ness and industry; is involved in and con-

tributes to the community; has a general

reputation among the community business

leaders; and enhances the quality of life of

the community on a sustained basis.

Chuck Worden, Community Relations

Officer and Pines Village Branch Manager

for Centier Bank, will be awarded the 2007

Legacy of Service Award. The Valpo

Chamber Board of Directors created the

Legacy of Service Award in 2004 to give

recognition to individuals in the communi-

ty who have, over the course of time or in

an extraordinary circumstance, given service

to the community above and beyond what

is expected in their profession.

Three Valpo Chamber member busi-

nesses that were recently honored by

Governor Mitch Daniels with Indiana’s

Century and Half Century Business Awards

will also be recognized (see page 18.) The

2007 Chamber Board Chair, Dave Rose,

and incoming 2008 Board Chair, Dee

Haklin, will also receive recognition.

The evening will begin with cocktails at

6:00 p.m. at Strongbow Inn. Dinner will be

served with the awards ceremony to follow.

The event is open to the public. Seating is

limited; please contact the Valpo Chamber

for reservations. Presenting Sponsor for the

Salute to Leadership event is Porter.

Stewart McMillan was just 14 years oldwhen his father Clyde McMillansketched an idea on a napkin that

would change the world of firefighting forev-er. “It’s been a whirlwind since then,” saysStewart, “but that single innovative designwas the beginning of great things to happen– both to the McMillan family and the Cityof Valparaiso.”

While still in high school, Stewartbecame a firefighter in 1969 working for hisfather, Chief Clyde McMillan. After graduat-ing from Purdue in 1977 with a degree inInterdisciplinary Engineering, Stewart wentdirectly to work full-time for the family busi-ness. “Five years later, my father passed awayvery unexpectedly,” says Stewart. As a resultof that tragic event, Stewart became presi-dent of TFT at a very young age. “It is thementoring I received from pastDistinguished Community Leader recipients,other local business leaders, and friends thathelped me get through a very difficult timeand rise to the task.”

Under Stewart’s leadership over the past25 years, Task Force Tips (TFT) has grownto a $30 million a year company selling itsproducts to more than 60 countries andemploying more than 170 people. As a resultof the company’s present and anticipatedfuture growth, TFT is in the process ofexpanding its Industrial Drive facility toaccommodate all of its employees andprocesses under one roof so that the compa-ny can maintain the family atmosphere envi-ronment that is very prevalent and a coremanagement philosophy.

Stewart has served on the ValpoChamber Board, United Way Board, PorterCounty Airport Board, Valparaiso ParksFoundation Board, Valparaiso EthicsCommission, Harris Board and PurduePresident’s Council. Stewart was twiceappointed to the Blue Ribbon Panel forPorter Hospital. He also volunteers his

services as a pilot to Lifeline Pilots andVeterans Airlift. In addition to these activi-ties, Stewart served as a Volunteer Firemanfor Washington and Union Townships for 31years, just recently going inactive four yearsago due to business commitments.

Stewart’s professional affiliations includeWorld Presidents Organization, Society ofManufacturing Engineers, Association forManufacturing Excellence, NationalAssociation of Manufacturers (BoardMember), Indiana Manufacturers Association,Fire Equipment Manufacturers Association,Fire Apparatus Manufacturers Association,Society of Innovators, Rotary International,National Business Aircraft Association, PilatusOwners and Pilots Association, andExperimental Aircraft Association.

In 1977, several Valparaiso communityleaders approached the McMillan familyabout moving the fledgling business toValparaiso. Convinced that Valparaiso was abusiness-friendly place to be, the familymoved the operations to Cascade Drive, thefirst of the three Valparaiso locations TFTwould call home. “Valparaiso has been agood home for Task Force Tips,” saysStewart, “and for that reason, I am dedicatedto giving back to the community and mov-ing it forward.”

One of Stewart’s greatest passions is pro-viding career opportunities for the region’syounger generation. Understanding that col-lege is not for everyone, Stewart takes greatpride in hiring young people who would liketo learn a trade, mentoring them, and offer-ing them a career that will enable them tochallenge themselves, earn a living, and raisea family in Northwest Indiana.

Valparaiso has proven to not only be agreat place to build a company but also raisea family. Stewart and Kathryn have beenmarried for 20 years and live in Valparaisowith their daughter, Kelly and son, Ian.

STEWART McMILLAN 2007 DISTINGUISHED COMMUNITY LEADER


presenting sponsor

Distinguished Community Leader Stewart McMillan (left) andLegacy of Service Recipient Chuck Worden.

Photo by Aran Kessler Photo Imaging

“Service to humanity is the best work of life.” This is thepledge Chuck Worden took upon joining the ValpoJaycees in 1965, and that is how he has tried to live his

life. Born and raised in Valparaiso, Chuck has a love for this citythat is contagious. After graduating from Indiana University in1965 with a degree in Marketing, Chuck set out on a career in notonly business, but in service to his community.

Currently the Community Relations Officer and Pines VillageBranch Manager for Centier Bank, Chuck has served as presidentor board chair for the Merchant Association, Valpo Jaycees,Valparaiso Board of Realtors, Valparaiso YMCA, CertifiedResidential Brokers, Valpo Rotary Club, Valpo Chamber, andCropwalk. In addition, he has served on the board of the PorterCounty Builders Association, Christian Community Action,Christmas in April, United Way of Porter County, Dollars forScholars, and many other committees, fund drives, event activities,as well as various Methodist church offices.

Chuck has made Valparaiso his life long home where he mar-ried his wife Marian in 1965. The Wordens have two daughters,Patricia Admire (John) and Carole Van Senus (Charles), and fourgrand children: Heather, Alex, Craig, and Rebecca.

One of Chuck’s favorite Bible passages is Proverbs 14:14which states, “You harvest what you plant, whether good or bad.”

“Valparaiso is my home,” adds Chuck. “I hope I have plantedsome good into our great community.”

CHUCK WORDEN 2007 LEGACY OF SERVICE


Planning, architecture, and interiordesign firm, Design Organization,Inc., has named Jeffrey Lewis anAssociate. Lewis joined the firmafter graduatingfrom Ball StateUniversity withBachelor ofArchitecture andEnvironmentalDesign degrees in1998 and is aLEED Accredited Professional man-aging DO’s sustainable design inte-gration process. Lewis has been aSenior Project Manager for BritishPetroleum, Aetna, and AAA proj-ects. Lewis was appointed to theMayor’s Valparaiso Energy TaskForce, and serves on the ValparaisoPark Foundation and GreaterValparaiso Chamber of CommerceBoard of Directors.

DÉCOR Magazine, a national tradepublication serving the art andframing industry, recently namedFraming Concepts Gallery ofNorthwest Indiana the first placewinner in the magazine’s Top 100Art & Framing Retailers Awardprogram. This is the second time inthe company’s five year history ithas attained the industry’s highesthonor of America’s Best Gallery,while placing in the top 100 theother three years. FramingConcepts is located at 74 W.Lincolnway, Valparaiso.

Cassandra Vereb, President ofgreatwhitegraphics, Inc. is celebrat-ing the beginning of her secondyear in business. greatwhitegraphicsprovides unique, high quality, pro-fessional sharp designs for all adver-

tising needs. Formore informationabout design serv-ices such as directmail, corporateidentity packages,logos, ads or post-cards, contact

greatwhitegraphics at (219) 926-8499 or visit www.greatwg.com.

Life Care Center of Valparaiso,located at 3405 North CampbellRoad, was recently named LifeCare Centers of America's Facilty ofthe Year. The facility was recog-nized as the premier location in LifeCare's Heartland Division, whichincludes 39 skilled nursing andrehabilitation facilities in Indiana,Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri, andNebraska. Life Care Center ofValparaiso, under the leadership ofExecutive Director AmberJaneczko, has set itself apart in thedivision by achieving high scores onits state survey and its company-based customer satisfaction survey.For more information about LifeCare, visit www.lcca.com.

Pines Village RetirementCommunities was recently honoredfor taking World War II andKorean War veterans to WashingtonD.C. The organization was singledout for special recognition by theAmerican Association of Homesand Services for the Aging. MayorJon Costas andLaurie Mullet,Pines Village CEO,were presented theChair’s Citation forthe Tour of Dutyproject while inD.C. The associa-tion has 5,700 members across the

country and fewerthan ten citationsare given annually.Additionally, theGreat LakesMuseum ofMilitary Historypresented Mullet

with the 2007 Spirit Veteran of theYear Award at their annual Red,White, and Blue Ball.

Not-for-profit community mentalhealth center Porter-StarkeServices, recently announced theaddition of Bob Jacobs to the orga-nization’s Board of Directors.Jacobs, Vice President of Sales atNorth Coast Distributing, lives inValparaiso with his wife Kathy, andchildren Lindsay, Lauren, and

Bobby. Porter-Starke, serving Porterand Starke countiesfor over 35 years,provides mental well-ness services to chil-dren, adolescents,adults, and families. For more infor-mation on Porter-Starke Services,phone (219) 531-3500 orwww.porterstarke.org.

The Reilly C. Bush MemorialFoundation is wrapping up a phe-nomenal fundraising year toppingits goal of $100,000 in its firstyear. Over 7,000 children will haveenriched life experiences because ofits fundraising efforts. With out-reach programs through the Reilly’sPink Lemonade Stand Project andKey Club International, childrenin communities throughout thestate of Indiana and greaterChicagoland are learning the valueof philanthropy. The Reilly C.Bush Memorial Foundation pro-

vides emotional, educational, andfinancial support to chronically ill,critically ill, and economicallyunderprivileged children whileteaching children civic responsibility.To learn more about the foundation,visit www.reillycbushfoundation.org.

To submit Around Town entries,call (219) 462-1105 or send [email protected], Attn. Editor.

ValpopourriDid you know?

Fitness programs have reducedemployer healthcare costs

by 20-55%.

Source: U.S.Departmentof Health


Start your own business, becomea State Farm Insurance Agent.

Join the nation’s leading auto and homeinsurance company as a State Farm Agentand experience personal success runningyour own agency in your own community.

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with a focus on marketing and customer service• Driven by achievement and financial rewards• Financially stable

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Mayor Jon Costas recently named MattMurphy as the new ValparaisoEconomic Development Director

replacing Charlie McGill. McGill will lead thenewly formed Valparaiso EntrepreneurialExcellence Center, a technology incubator located in Eastport Centre.Murphy also serves as Vice-President of the Valparaiso EconomicDevelopment Corporation.

Murphy, a Valparaiso native, graduated from Indiana UniversityNorthwest. He started his professional career with Bethlehem Steel, firstworking as an inside sales representative and through acquisitions mostrecently served as an Inventory Analyst with ArcelorMittal Steel in BurnsHarbor, IN.

In November 2007, Murphy was elected to the Porter CountyCouncil, Center District. Because of his new position as EconomicDevelopment Director with the city, Murphy will step down from hispost on the Council, effective January 2008. “I believe to avoid any hintof a conflict, and to be able to dedicate myself 100 percent to my newrole, stepping down from the Council is the right thing to do,” com-mented Murphy.

Murphy pointed out that in his first few weeks on the job he realizedjust how much is going on in Valparaiso. “It’s really an exciting time tobe involved in economic development in Valparaiso, from the possibilityof an extension of the Westlake Corridor, to the improvements beingmade at Cumberland Crossing, Porter’s Vale, and the Eastgate Corridor,the potential of this city is amazing.”

Murphy is most excited about the changing health care industry inValparaiso and Porter County and sees immense upside potential forfuture growth in that sector. “In the next three to four years, there willbe massive investment in the growing health care sector both with theannouncement of Memorial Hospital to build a new 100-bed hospital inValparaiso, and Community Health System’s recent acquisition of PorterHospital, and its commitment to building a 250-bed facility, most likelyat the intersection of Rt. 6 and 49.”

In addition to the health care field, Murphy pointed to the criticalneed for creating shovel-ready sites in Valparaiso. Murphy will also con-tinue to keep the lines of communication open with Valparaiso’s existingbusinesses. “Most job creation comes from existing companies in thecommunity and we are fortunate to have several exceptional qualityemployers in Valparaiso,” he said.

Murphy is a part-time student at Valparaiso University, currentlyworking on attaining his M.B.A. He and his wife, Kathy, reside onValparaiso’s north side. “I think this is a great opportunity for me tohave an impact on this wonderful city. I look forward to serving on theMayor’s leadership team.”

City Welcomes New Economic Director

18

Century Award101 Years – Home Mountain Printing3602 Enterprise Avenue, Valparaiso(219) 462-6601

Translated literally from the name of its founder,Herman F. Heimberg, Home Mountain Printingwas established in 1906 in a converted chickencoop. As his business grew, Heimberg gave up ateaching career to run the printing business, which centered on printing materials and newsletters forLutheran churches. The company moved to Valparaiso in 1951 in order to provide better service toValparaiso University. The company also continued to print a variety of products for Lutheran churchesacross the nation. Today, the company provides printing services to the newspaper and commercial mar-kets from its 40,000-square-foot facility in Valparaiso.

Pictured (left to right): Governor Mitch Daniels, Larry and Jerilyn Klemz, Lt. Governor Becky Skillman,and State Senator Ed Charbonneau

Century & Half CenturyBusiness Awards

Half Century Awards86 Years – Doelling Paints & Wallpaper, Inc.753 Washington Street, Valparaiso(219) 462-3043

Valparaiso has been home to Doelling Paints &Wallpaper, Inc. since 1921 when the family’s namefirst became associated with quality service and homeimprovement. Today, the family business offers a

wide range of services to support home design needs, including design consultation, interior design serv-ice, and measuring and installation. The company is active in the community, sponsoring local schoolorganizations at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Pictured (left to right): Carol Detmar; Fred Doelling, Owner; Malissa Doelling-Happer; Phil Doelling;George Shaw; David Doelling; Paul Doelling, Owner; Amy Osterhout

50 Years – Anton Insurance Agency, Inc.2600 Roosevelt Road, Suite 2007, Valparaiso (219) 465-6530

The current Anton Insurance Agency, Inc. was orig-inally founded as Logan Insurance Agency in 1957when John and Annabel Logan opened an insurancesales office on the front porch of their house inChesterton. In the past eight years, the companyhas experienced significant growth and now has 18 associates in Chesterton and Valparaiso.

Pictured (left to right): Governor Mitch Daniels, Michael Anton, Jr., Nancy Anton, Lt. Governor BeckySkillman, and State Senator Ed Charbonneau

G overnor Mitch Daniels honored three Porter County businesses for longevity and community serviceon November 14, 2007 during the annual Governor’s Century and Half Century Business Awards ceremo-ny in Indianapolis.

The governor presented Home Mountain Printing with a Century Award and Anton Insurance Agency,Inc. and Doelling Paints & Wallpaper, Inc. with Half Century Awards. Lt. Governor Becky Skillman andSecretary of Commerce Nathan Feltman joined Daniels in honoring all of the Indiana companies for theircommitment to Indiana.

“These companies are the foundation of economic growth for our state. Home-grown Indiana compa-nies like these provide the stability and longstanding community involvement that typifies our traditionalHoosier values,” said Daniels.

The Governor’s Century and Half Century Business Awards honor Indiana businesses that have remainedin operation for 100 or 50 years or more and have also demonstrated a history of community service.Nominated by individuals or organizations within the same community, the awards honor well-establishedcompanies and their outstanding contributions to the economic growth and prosperity of the state. Morethan 1,000 companies from across Indiana have been recognized during the 17-year history of the awards.

Spotlight your business with a 2” x 2” ad. Reach 17,000+ readers quarterly!

Call Danielle Oeding, at the Valpo Chamber. 462-1105 | [email protected]



“ How Do You Beginthe Strategic

Planning Process? ”ave you been struggling with the direction ofyour business lately? Do you wonder if you havethe right people in the “right seats on the bus” to

move your business forward? Are you worriedabout maintaining your edge with the competition? Areyou concerned your systems are too antiquated to servecustomers efficiently? If you answered yes to at least two ofthese questions, you might consider engaging in a strategicplanning process for your business.

Strategic planning is a great way to move your businessin a positive direction regardless of the size of your compa-ny or number of employees and clients. Understand thatthis process may take several years to achieve and mayrequire a whole new attitude about change with you andyour employees. The following are some basic steps to getyou moving in the right direction.

Do a little research. Make a list of pre-planning itemsthat will create a solid foundation for the strategic plan.These bricks that support the beams are already withinyour reach. Cities, counties, and schools frequently investin professional research consultants to measure demo-graphics, business growth projections, coupled with com-parisons of similar communities throughout the region.Other resources include colleges and universities engagedin capital expansion campaigns that require extensive com-munity research, or results from classes that focus ondeveloping surveys. Many of these items are accessiblethrough networking at Chamber sponsored events.

Identify portions of this data that specifically relate toyour business growth. Look for parallels between datafrom different organizations that substantiate the accuracyof the research. Pull this information together in a singlebinder with title pages to identify the source of theresearch. Recruit a team of business leaders to share theinformation informally and assist you in developing a listof assumptions. Test these assumptions with other businessleaders and key employees, encouraging dialogue withquestions challenging the assumptions.

Hopefully, this process will produce two key initiatives.The first is the beginning of a collective vision for yourbusiness and the second is identification of key peoplewho will help you lead this challenge based on their pas-sion throughout the process.

Identify barriers to your business growth. This involvesa wide range of possibilities from hiring a consultant tolead a structured process complete with analysis to identifyroadblocks to success, to recruiting a key leader (preferablyan owner, President, or CEO that recently completed asuccessful strategic plan) to provide an unbiased, fresh out-look to your team. Either way, you should fully researchtheir process, interviewing references to determine if thefinished product would match your business. In otherwords, will it be a tool that you can use effectively?

Here are some other key items you might want to consider:

• Get it done in one day! If you did your pre-planningcorrectly, you should be able to provide research data andassumptions to the planning team ahead of time so theycan digest this information, therefore focusing your ener-gies on developing your visions.

• Involve multiple teams to engage in back-to-back plan-ning sessions. Require the facilitator to conduct two tothree planning sessions in one day, and compile results atthe end of each session.

• Consider involving community leaders, employees,and customers on separate teams. Imagine how valuableit will be to develop a sound working plan to improveyour bottom line with input from your employees, thebusiness community, and your customers.

Careful advanced planning saves time in execution andincreases the return on energy and mental capital you haveinvested into your business.

H

Ask An Expert

byBOB WANEK

Bob Wanek has been

the CEO of the

Valparaiso Family

YMCA since 2000

and a YMCA profes-

sional for 25 years,

serving as District

Executive Director

with YMCA Greater

St. Louis, and CEO of

the North Suburban

YMCA in Northbrook,

Illinois. He is a past

board member of the

Greater Valparaiso

Chamber of Commerce

where he served as

chair of the Small

Business Committee.

(Bob’s photo by Aran Kessler Photo Imaging)


On the first Wednesday of every month,bright and early at 7:00 a.m., while someare still nestled in their beds and others in

the bustle of getting ready for their work day, 50+Valpo Chamber members are gathered at theChocolate Café in downtown Valparaiso, eager tomake business connections.

Developed by the Valpo Chamber in November2003, A.M. Valpo is undoubtedly one of the mostsuccessful, free, early-morning networking pro-grams in Valparaiso. Unlike typical networkingprograms, A.M. Valpo guarantees that all atten-dees will receive 30 seconds to individually intro-duce themselves and their business to all other

professionals in the room. The format forces busi-ness professionals to create a comprehensiveinfomercial that entails the most important aspectsof their business.

At the conclusion of each monthly program,one feature business card is drawn. The selectedbusiness is given five minutes of time the followingmonth to give a more in-depth presentation oftheir products and services. As a result, the hour-long A.M. Valpo concludes each month with a dif-ferent business profile. Following the event, a con-tact list of all attendees is e-mailed to the group,thus encouraging the connections to continue.

A.M. Valpo is the brainchild of the Valpo

Chamber Small Business & Retail Committee. Inan effort to provide programs to meet the needs ofthe Chamber’s small businesses in late 2002, thecommittee held focus groups to address their mostpressing issues. “The consensus of all the partici-pants was that they wanted more opportunities topromote their business to other Chamber mem-bers and make new businesses connections,” statesAmy Page, Senior Vice President of MemberServices. “The committee began exploring differ-ent types of program formats that would generatebusiness awareness and referrals.”

The growing trend at that time was the forma-tion of organized groups that met these goals, but

You want business

connections?Give us 30 seconds…

Chamber Focus:

Photo by Aspen Studios

by Susan Antoszewski

A.M. Valpo hosts John Freyek (left) and Gary Taylor (center)


placed limits on the number of participants inspecific industries. “The Small BusinessCommittee wanted to establish a program thatwas open to every member of the Valpo Chamberand wanted the focus to be not only businessawareness, but the development of business rela-tionships,” adds Page.

The goal was to keep it simple and casual andlet the business professional have a platform totalk about their business. “We needed two com-mittee volunteers to act as hosts for the programand keep it running smoothly and John Freyekand Gary Taylor enthusiastically volunteered, aslong as we allowed them to have fun with theattendees. After all these years, John and Garyhave kept A.M. Valpo fresh and fun for our mem-bers,” explains Page.

The early morning program is hosted by JohnFreyek, Vice President and Relationship Managerat Harris N.A. and Gary Taylor, owner of KEN-PRO Cleaning Services, Inc. “In the committeemeetings before A.M. Valpo started, we were pre-occupied with ‘What are we going to do if no oneshows up?’” says Freyek.

“We said if we could get twelve people, that waspretty good,” adds Taylor. That first A.M. Valpomeeting in 2003 counted 46 business profession-als. The average number at the networking pro-gram per month, since its inception, is 52 atten-dees; the highest attendance to date is 72 businessprofessionals. “People just kept coming in. I’venever felt more amazed,” adds Freyek.

“There is a quantifiable effect on business inValparaiso,” explains Freyek, “Many more peopleare doing business with each other that wouldhave never done before because they didn’t knoweach other.”

For business owners, A.M. Valpo is a great wayto reach the community. “The contacts I havemade at A.M. Valpo have been a crucial part ofhelping to establish my new business,” attestsBeckie Guffin, owner of United MarketingServices for Northwest Indiana. "I have not onlyobtained new customers, but it has been a won-derful vehicle for marketing my product to theconsumer as well. I have been attending since2005, missing only one or two meetings. Theresults of consistent attendance have been obvi-ous...and only for the price of my time and a cupof coffee."

“I've found services I need, both personally andprofessionally, through A.M. Valpo,” explains RichSchmidt, Pastor of Living Hope CommunityChurch. “When we needed auto insurance, I calledJean Kohler at Todd Thomae's State Farm office.When we needed our carpets cleaned, I calledGary Taylor of KENPRO Cleaning Services.When we bought a house, we called Lyle Bairdfrom American Mortgage Group. When thechurch needed a jumping castle for a picnic, Icalled Mark Popovich from Popo's PartyOrganizers. When the church was sending outpostcards inviting people to our ‘Christmas at theMovies’ message series, I called Debbie Thiel from

Flanagin's Bulk Mail Service. And the list goes on.” Not only do attendees talk about their business,

they talk about others. “You know a program is asuccess when people will give up their 30-secondsto give credit to another business in the room,”says Taylor.

“It's just plain encouraging being with thesemen and women every month,” adds Schmidt.“They have a genuine interest in how you're doingand how your work is going. They're always look-ing for ways that they can help you succeed. Andif they can't, then they're trying to think of some-one to connect you with who can! A.M. Valpo isone of the things I appreciate most about theValpo Chamber. A big ‘thank you’ goes out to thefolks who make it happen.”

“One of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve hadwas when I had to do the opening address at thePercolator Club [Membership Meeting] severalmonths ago. I stood up and said ‘I see a lot of myA.M. Valpo friends here’ and I saw many smiles.”Freyek explains. “That’s when I thought - this isthe flagship program. I think more people knowthis program and more people participate. It hasgone so far beyond what we ever anticipated it wasgoing to be.”

If the rest of you want to know why we’re allsmiling, join us at the next installment of A.M.Valpo on Wednesday, January 2, 2008, at 7:00a.m. at the Chocolate Café, located at 57 Franklinin downtown Valparaiso. Stop in for a cup of joe.You’ll be glad you did.

24

Most people understand that heart attacks and strokes havemany probable causes including heredity, smoking, obe-sity, sedentary lifestyle, stress, and poor diet. But we’re

willing to bet that no one ever suspected that a yellow car couldtrigger such a traumatic response. In a strange story reminiscent ofa Twilight Zone episode, this is exactly what happened in ChristineMaassel’s family, not once, not twice, but four times.

Three of Christine’s uncles and one of her sisters died of car-diac arrest while putting a key into the door of a yellow car – not thesame car, not at the same time but over a period of five years or so.“Each one of them was found alongside the driver side door withthe keys still in their hands,” Maassel explains.

Coincidence? Most experts would likely agree that this is sim-ply a sad and bizarre case of serendipity. However, could there actu-ally be a logical explanation?

Psychologists have long understood that color indeed affectspeople, and different colors affect them in different ways. Colorresearch reveals some interesting effects of yellow.

Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. Yet, while it isconsidered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more oftenand babies will cry more in yellow rooms. It is the most difficultcolor for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused.Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It alsospeeds metabolism. In other words, yellow can cause stress, andstress as we all know is a trigger for heart attacks.

Is it possible – just possible – that the yellow cars in Maassel’sfamily might have been the proverbial “straw that broke the camel’sback,” inducing just enough stress to trigger heart attacks in her rel-atives? She doesn’t know, but she isn’t rushing out to buy a yellowcar any time soon either.

THE VASCULAR CENTER OF THE

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by Michael J. Griffin

The Duneland Fitness Center is located in Chesterton, IN on the campus of the Duneland Health & Wellness Institute.The medically based program at the fitness center focuses on mind, body and health.

The Duneland Fitness Center offers:

• Personal training services• State-of-the-art equipment• Land & aqua group exercise classes• Indoor walk/jog track• Cardio and strength training equipment• 4-lane lap pool, therapy pool, whirlpool & sauna• Babysitting services• Degreed professional staff

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810 Michael Drive, Chesterton, IN 46304

[ Closing Thoughts ]

O


One of the premier events which the Valpo Chamber conducts each year is the Salute toLeadership dinner. There are two primary awards featured at this event: the DistinguishedCommunity Leader Award and the Legacy of Service Award.

This year’s Distinguished Community Leader Award goes to Stewart McMillan, President of TaskForce Tips. Stewart is a business leader of one of Valparaiso’s signature home-grown industries thatstarted in his father’s basement and has grown to be a firm that employs 170 people and providesfire fighting equipment to all parts of the United States and over 60 foreign countries.

As a business owner, his many leadership roles throughout Valparaiso are so numerous it would beimpossible to list them all in the space provided in this article. Most importantly, StewartMcMillan is a business owner who truly personifies one who is committed and involved in makingValparaiso a great place to live and work. A volunteer leader such as Stewart personifies clearlywhat the Distinguished Community Leader award represents.

The Legacy of Service award was created three years ago to recognize individuals who have made along term commitment of service throughout the community. This year’s recipient is ChuckWorden. Chuck grew up in Valparaiso and has been at the forefront of numerous important causesand community projects for nearly 45 years. He has served on projects that include the UnitedWay, First United Methodist Church, Valparaiso High School, and the Homeless Shelter. Chuckserved with distinction on the city council as well as a myriad of boards and commissions and hasbeen a volunteer on nearly every major project occurring in Valparaiso during his work life.Chuck is a roll-up-your-sleeves kind of volunteer who gets the job done.

It is most fitting that Chuck receives the Legacy of Service award because that is what his gift tothis community has been. His example of service is truly a legacy for Valparaiso leaders who willfollow in his footsteps.

Dee Haklin is the ExecutiveDean of the ValparaisoCampus of Ivy TechCommunity College. In addi-tion to her role as 2008 ValpoChamber Chairwoman of theBoard, her activities includeholding the position of BoardMember of Family House;Member of the Noon KiwanisClub; Board Member of thePorter County Career Center;Chair of the Porter CountyTobacco Prevention Coalition;and Committee Chair for theNorthwest Indiana Compact.

Dee’s photo by Aran Kessler Photo Imaging.

By DEE HAKLIN

winter 2008 - valpo chamber€¦ · “supporting this national program fits in very well with...

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