DATE: May 21st, 2024
START TIME: Meeting 8:00 a.m.
LOCATION: Town Hall, Council Chambers
9312 W Smith St, Yorktown, IN 47396

Agenda: 7:45 a.m.-8:00 a.m.-Doors open/Coffee served

8:00 a.m.: Call to order/Pledge of Allegiance

Introduction: Dr. Brianne Kelly (Membership Chair)-We had 36 people in attendance.
Question of the Month: What is your summer beverage?

Hot Spot: Breakfast Sponsor (3 minutes)-Bree Hill-Senior Helpers-Bree Hill is the owner of Senior Helpers. It is important for Bree and Senior Helpers to partner with the Chamber and support the community. Bree started working her first job at the age of 15 at Thai Smile restaurant. She worked her way up to the GM position. At the age of 18, she knew she wanted to be a nurse and work on a burn unit. In 2013 she started her healthcare journey as a CAN. She became an LPN in 2015. In 2019, she worked alongside Dr. Bahrami for 3 ½ years. She became the new owner of Senior Helpers in 2023. They are in 16 different territories. They provide quality service to seniors and help them age in place. Senior Helpers became the 1st ever national healthcare agency to be featured as one of the best places to work!

Presentation of last month’s Minutes: Erin Ailstock-approved as submitted

Treasurer Report: Tony Coston-Tony took over in January 2024 as Treasurer. He is working on getting the Chambers tax return done and is currently working on the annual budget with Kat.

School Report: Dr. Greg Hinshaw-Dr. Hinshaw thanked the community for all of their support. US News & World Report ranked Yorktown Community Schools as a top-rated traditional school. They are ranked #1 in the Hoosier Heritage Conference. The student’s SAT scores are the measure of all of the high schools. May 31st at 7:00 p.m. is graduation. Construction will be underway starting Monday, June 3rd. It is projected to be a 14-month project. The school district will have additional funds due to the project coming in under budget. For the 2024-2025 school year, grades 5-12 will not be taking transfers. Enrollment will be up again and is up 30% over 30 years.

Town Report: Chase Bruton/Erin Hurley-There is a traffic study being done at River & Tiger Drive for future improvements to that intersection. The Town Council approved Broadway Street and 600 W to Jackson to McGalliard to be repaved. The town has partnered with the Arsenal Fitness to start having classes in June. The Forever Fit Class will be on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. and the Cross Fit-based class will be on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m. The classes are free for the community.

Program: Kevin Mullaney- Assistant Athletic Director for Championship Experiences and Brand Elevation (Includes Q&A)-Kevin Mullaney spent 4 years as the Associate Director of ticket operations at Notre Dame, focused on ticketing strategies and revenue generation for premier sports programs including, football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and hockey. He also helped optimize ticket sales during a 14-month stint as box office manager with Pacers Sports & Entertainment. He is originally from Hammond, Indiana. Kevin began his career working in the ticket office at Notre Dame in August 2014, following undergraduate years in Muncie that featured work with the Ball State Marketing staff and performances as Charlie Cardinal. Kevin’s wife got a job at BSU and that is what brought them back to Muncie. They reside in Yorktown. Before getting his position as Assistant Athletic Director for Championship Experiences and Brand Elevation, he worked in the Alumni Association for 1 year. His role is to have positive brand recognition, keep fans happy, and supply the best customer service. Their #1 goal is to have the student-athletes graduate. They want to roll out the red carpet for everyone and give the very best experience. One of the first things that they looked at and implemented was the Disney Model: sight, smell, and sound. BSU is a hub for everything on campus. What does their communication look like to visitors coming into town for BSU events? They want to have fun things for kids to do and get involved with during games. When it comes to branding and Charlie Cardinal, Kevin is in charge of licensing and trademarks. Kevin stated that it is his goal to not have students wear other college attire, he wants to produce items for the students that they want. When it comes to fan engagement and driving ticket sales, Kevin faces the public and wants to create the best environment for the athletes and that starts with the community.
Q: Do the departments communicate when it comes to financial fundraising?
Eric Baize stated that he gets several fundraising calls from different departments and was curious about why this happens.
A: They are working on this. Yes, athletics is including CBC and the Foundation in all of their communication to hopefully make this better.
Q: Has there been an increase in Women’s Basketball ticket sales?
A: Yes, this year was the highest revenue year for women’s basketball.
Q: How do you chirp, chirp with your fingers?
A: Put your pointer finger and thumb together just enough to touch the tips of each and then put the other 3 fingers up.

Lunch and Learns: Brendon Comp
Wednesday, June 12th, 2024 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with Tisha Gierhart
Pizza King, Yorktown. “Multi-Generational Teams Acting out”
You can make your reservation online at yorktowninchamber.org. It is free for Chamber members and $10 for non-members.

Shafer Leadership News: Ted Ward-All Yorktown Chamber members have access to all of Shafer Leadership’s programs. You can go to https://link.edgepilot.com/s/37562726/2Bt3Zyd2dEeVgO0j3f7ujQ?u=https://www.shaferleadership.com/find-a-program/ to find the upcoming programs that they have available. Their monthly programs are free for members to attend. Shafer Leadership does have sponsorship opportunities available if your business would like to sponsor. Kat let the attendees know that the Chamber pays $3000 for the membership with Shafer.

Ambassador news: Katadyn Connerley-The ambassadors need the members’ help with luncheons and after-hours. They are looking for featured businesses to help with locations and light refreshments. The next after-hours is scheduled for August 22nd and they need a location to host it along with light refreshments. Picnic on the Green will be held on July 18th, 12 p.m.-2 p.m. There will be a DJ, food trucks, and booth space opportunities for businesses. The cost of each booth is $20 for members and $30 for non-members. If you aren’t a member and would like to join the chamber, your $30 will go towards your membership.

Civic Green Report: Kat B-First Concert May 31st-The Concert on the Green posters are out if you want to display some at your business or are willing to put some up at some other companies. The budget for the concerts is $45,000 for the 4th year…which started as a $12,000 budget for the first year. If you are on Facebook, share the post for the concerts.

Member Announcements: Nancy-Farmers Market opens May 31st, with 55 vendors. The chamber is sponsoring young entrepreneurs. They except SNAPS. Katadyn-She is getting ready to open another business. She will be hosting a workshop on June 11th for Canva. Ed-The VA cemetery in Marion will be putting out flags on Saturday, May 25th starting at 9:00. Chase-June and July on Wednesday nights, they will have movies on the green. They start at dusk.

Tip of the day: Mark Goodpaster-Always plan to come to the Chamber meetings on Tuesday because it is always sunny!

Adjournment: Kat B – Promptly at 9:00 a.m.
Next Meeting: June 18th at Sacred Steps Studio 4006 W Jackson St Muncie, IN 7:45 a.m. doors open
JULY 18TH IS THE CHAMBER PICNIC ON THE GREEN