The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Rotary International Vice President Jennifer E. Jones as program speaker at the Thursday, Nov. 3, meeting. Jones serves as Rotary International Board of Directors Vice President in 2016–2017 and is a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland in Ontario, Canada. Jones will speak about "The Future of Rotary."
Jones is president and CEO of Media Street Productions Inc. She actively participates on many boards in her community, including as chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Windsor.
Before serving on the Rotary International Board of Directors and becoming Vice President, Jones served Rotary as RI president’s representative; RI training leader; committee adviser, member, and vice chair; Rotary public image area and zone coordinator; leaders’ seminar trainer; moderator; and district governor. Jones is a recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award. She and her husband, Nicholas Krayacich, are members of the Arch Klumph Society, Paul Harris Society, and Bequest Society of The Rotary Foundation. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland,Ontario, Canada.
We will welcome Rotarians from area clubs to our meeting to hear Vice President Jones speak. Cash and check payments are accepted at the front desk. Credit card payments will not be accepted at the Nov. 3 meeting.
All Rotarians are encouraged to wear their Rotary pins to the meeting Nov. 3!
Next week is the Area 3 Rotary Veterans Luncheon on Friday, Nov. 11. Today is the last day to register to attend the Veterans Luncheon. There is no meeting Thursday, Nov. 10.
I had the opportunity to spend some time at Camp Enterprise this past week and I was so elated to see so many long-time Rotarians, and new members, who were volunteering to ensure that 100 high school students had a learning experience about leadership roles and techniques in team development. All Rotarians should consider volunteering at this event. Next year Sam Thompson from our club will be chairing Camp E.
I'm excited that this week we have the rare opportunity to host a Rotary International Vice President and trustee, Jennifer Jones. Some of the clubs in our area are cancelling their meetings this week and attending our meeting. This will give their members the privilege of hearing Jennifer's talk about "The Future of Rotary." She is an inspirational speaker and you will not walk away disappointed. Members of Bloomington Noon, Edina Morningside, Eden Prairie Noon, along with other club's members, will be in attendance. Early arrival is encouraged.
Be sure to wear your Rotary pin to this week's meeting!
Join us for the Edina Rotary Happy Hour/Vocational Development Group. The next gathering will be tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.at The Mezz, located upstairs in Lunds & Byerly's at 7171 France Ave. S. in Edina. Access The Mezz from the entrance closest to France Avenue (SW corner of the store). Wine and craft beer is available at your own cost. A limited menu may be available, but you can also purchase food in the grocery deli and bring it upstairs.
The event will feature a short social period, with a "formal" program beginning at 6 p.m. Each person will have a brief opportunity to introduce themselves and make new connections. A featured presenter will have 15 minutes to share information that is relevant to his or her profession followed by a short Q&A period. The speaker at the Nov. 2 gathering is Jim Bizal of Bizal Built. Jim is a member of the Edina Morningside Rotary Club.
The December Rotary happy will be moved to Monday, Dec. 12. The speaker will be Dick Crockett of the Edina Community Foundation. He is a member of EMRC.
Rotary Happy Hour is a collaboration between the Rotary Club of Edina and EMRC. Contact Renee Harberts for more information.
The Rotary Club of Edina, along with the Edina Chamber of Commerce and Edina Morningside Rotary club, will host a mixer for members and prospective members Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the Edina Country Club. The gathering will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. and will be a fun evening of connection and cross pollination.
All Rotarians and Chamber members should bring a guest to the gathering. Guests will learn more about these great local organizations, and have a chance to network with membership. This is a great opportunity to meet area business leaders who actively serve our community and learn more about each organization's upcoming programs and activities. Non-members are cordially welcome to attend and see if Rotary or Chamber membership is for you.
Go to the Chamber website and register yourself and any guests. Please register by Monday, Nov. 7.
The annual Area 3 Rotary Veterans Luncheon will be Friday, Nov. 11, at Bearpath Golf and Country Club, 18100 Bearpath Trail, Eden Prairie, MN 55347. Registration begins at 11 a.m. with live music, with the luncheon beginning at 11:15 and concluding at 1:15 p.m.
Our club is one of eight southwest metro Rotary clubs in District 5950 to sponsor this special Veterans Day Luncheon to honor those who have served our country. The keynote speaker at the luncheon will be Brigadier General Sandra Best. She was named the first female general in the history of the Minnesota National Guard earlier this year. Emcee of the luncheon is General Denny Schulstad, U.S. Air Force (retired), a member of the Rotary Club of Edina.
Each Rotarian was invited to bring up to two veterans as guests of our club, and Senior Active and Honorary Rotarians who are veterans may attend free of charge. Cost for guests that are not veterans will be $25. Payment can be made at the door, or charged on members' next quarterly invoice. The Veterans Luncheon will take the place of our club's regular meeting that week, so there is no additional charge for regular Rotary Club of Edina members to attend. Senior Active or Honorary members who are not veterans will be charged the usual $20.
If you and/or your guests are veterans, we would like a military photo for the slide show, which will be shown before the meeting. Please email photos to President-Elect San Asato. If you have previously submitted photos of yourself or guests for the Veterans Luncheon slideshow, there is no need to send the photo again.
There is no Rotary Club of Edina meeting on Thursday, Nov. 10.
For more information about the Veterans Luncheon, contact San Asato.
Register now for a musical night out in St. Paul with your fellow Rotarians! The Membership Retention Committee invites Rotarians and guests for a social hour and dinner followed by a St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concert. We will gather at Bonfire Wood Fire Cooking, 850 Grand Ave. in St. Paul at 5 p.m. for the social hour. From 6 to 7:30, we will have dinner at the restaurant, which is only two blocks from the concert venue and is in the premier dining and entertainment area of St. Paul.
Then we will walk over to St. Paul's United Church of Christ, 900 Summit Ave., for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's "Dvorak's Serenade for Winds" concert, which begins at 8 p.m. The SPCO's wind section is featured in this lively program, featuring works from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Cost for dinner and the concert is $52 per person. The social hour will have a cash bar and any food ordered from 5 to 6 p.m. will be at the member's or guest's own cost.
Go here to register soon, as space is limited. Contact Wade Thommen with any questions.
A wonderful performance on the violin by Ellie Kile, a senior at Edina High School, was given as members and guests arrived and were served lunch. Steve Slyce stepped in for PresidentAnn Platt, opening the meeting with the professionalism and performance considered to be on par with that given by the Ohe children.
You were greeted by David Kunz, André Brewer, Susan Johnson and Jen Tregarthen. Helping at the front desk was Ross Peterson. Stan Brown gave our invocation and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and the Rotary Four-Way Test.
Jeff Ohe introduced guests and visiting Rotarians:
Libby Schmit introduced her "guest," a baby due March 17! Congratulations, Libby!
Greg Schwartz—guest of Wooj Byun
Lisa Loushin Kroskin—guest of Bjorn Freudenthal
Margaret Li—visiting Rotarian from Plymouth Rotary Club
Steve Buettner introduced our student guests, MacAllister Balcer and Frances Bray. Both are seniors at Edina High School.
Ross Peterson gave his classification presentation. Ross is founder and president of Multiventure Properties, Inc. Started in 1984, from a spacious office space located in the Hatzung Insurance Offices complete with the cutting edge Apple 2 computers, Ross grew the full-service Association Management for Condominiums and Townhome Common Interest Communities business. Ross and his wife, Gail, currently reside in Prior Lake. They raised three children, who all currently reside in Eden Prairie, and spend every Sunday with Gail and Ross. Ross enjoys theater and is currently involved with the board of Full Circle Theater Company.
Wade Thommen and Ken Andersen introduced Ellie Kile, who performed a piece composed by Bach as an introduction for the upcoming Rotary musical evening in St. Paul set for Saturday, Nov. 19. Rotarians and guests can enjoy dinner and drinks at Bonfire Wood Fire Cooking starting at 5 p.m. with a social hour, followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Then everyone will take a short two-block walk to St. Paul United Church of Christ for a performance by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s wind section at 8 p.m. Cost is $52 per person for dinner and tickets (food ordered during the social hour is paid by members/guests with a cash bar). Register here or contact Wade for more information.
Jean Morrison was then introduced by Steve to present our speaker for the day, Jennifer Smith, founder and CEO of Innovative Office Solutions (IOS). Jennifer began IOS in 2001 with a vision of making working professionals more productive. Since then her entrepreneurial spirit has helped expand IOS to touch on every area of office life and become a single-source office solutions company. This year, IOS was named one of the fastest growing companies in the United States, with sales growth of 84 percent in the last three years.
Jennifer noted Slyce’s “on-time” anxiety and launched into a synopsis of what she has learned in the 15 years of leading IOS. She said there were many entrepreneurs in the room, and that there are three things entrepreneurs have in common: Risk, Reinvention and ROL.
Year 1—launched IOS during a recession. Learned about mitigating risk.
Year 2 and 3—marketing: partnered with sports teams, thus associating with a more powerful brand and wrapping in charitable programs.
Year 4—acquired a company.
Year 5—culture: the purpose around culture is that relationships matter. This realization led the company to understand how to scale and treat clients and build relationships
Year 6—reinvent: entered the school market.
Year 7—feeling good! IOS voted one of the best places to work in Minnesota!
Year 8 (9,10 and 11)—2008—BIG RECESSION: IOS was an efficient and well run company. There was no fat to be cut—$15 million in sales, 25 employees (only four more than when they started!). What to do? DOUBLE DOWN! Opportunity was to bet on “things." So IOS invested in people, technology and branding. IOS grew 50, 75, and 50 percent consecutively over the following three years. This is where Jennifer brought in ROL, the third thing she believes entrepreneurs have in common—Return on Luck!
Year 12, 13, 14—movement toward a paperless society. With 50 percent of revenue generated in paper sales, this was a challenge to overcome. How to retain clients, make up for a 5 percent annual decline in paper sales? IOS added furniture to their product line and created a new category. This action led to winning the US Bank Stadium business of furnishing the offices.
Year 15—another acquisition.
Year 16—reached $100 million in revenue and now have 100+ employees!
Jennifer closed her presentation with the question: “What risks are you taking? What would happen if your 'paper' were gone—how would you reinvent? Relationships are VERY important! Always be aware of opportunities—may be complementary product mix or customer-driven.
Jennifer then took questions from the audience:
What is next for IOS? Take products into solutions and services—IOS is working on building a service business of moving furniture for events, etc., for large clients as a result of their relationship with US Bank Stadium, and the opportunity to assist the client with this need. IOS is also exploring opportunities to provide service for 3-D printers.
How does IOS plan for online competition, such as Amazon? IOS already provides next-day delivery. In addition, IOS provides a “desk-top” service that goes above a simple delivery service.
Some accomplishments of IOS, according to the speaker:
Ranked for four years on the Minnesota Business 100 Best Places to Work.
Ranked for four years in the 50 Fastest Growing Women Owned/Led Companies in North America, presented by the Women's Presidents Organization.
Ranked for seven years on the Inc 5000 fastest growing privately held companies in America
University of Minnesota Supplier of the Year Award in 2011 and 2013
Jennifer’s progressive thinking extends beyond her own business. She is also a tireless participant in local business and community organizations. As a leader and a woman working in business, she is very active as a mentor with the Women Venture Organization and as a member of the Forum for the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Jennifer recently traveled to Rwanda to support, bring awareness and fundraise for female-owned businesses there. IOS supports and funds several charities and programs throughout the Twin Cities.
Married for 29 years, Jennifer remains active in her family and the community. With two children growing up fast, her involvement with their athletics has turned into a track record of coaching, fundraising and volunteering.
Josh Sprague thanked Jennifer for joining us and sharing her wisdom.
Steve Slyce closed with this quote from Thomas Edison: “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
Meeting adjourned “on time.” An anxiety-free Steve rang the bell!
2016 Edina Rotary Foundation Fundraiser & Gala
"New York State of Mind"
Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016
DoubleTree West, Bloomington
Presenting Sponsor
Platinum Sponsor
Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels and Cremation Services
Gold Sponsors
Baird
Brandpoint
Faribault Woolen Mill
Grandview Tire & Auto
The Tankenoff Families Foundation
Silver Sponsors
Cahill Financial Advisors
Christensen & Laue P.A.
EdinAlarm
The Jennings Family Foundation
Jessen Press
Key Cadillac
Les Jones Roofing
North American Banking Company
Peters Billiards
Dr. Steven Veker, DDS—44th Street Dental
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage—Jody Kern
Bronze Sponsors
Abdo, Eick & Meyers
Edina Liquor
Edina Rotary Ethics Seminar "Do the Right Thing"
ESP
Fairview Southdale Hospital
Handyman Matters
Carl M. Hansen Companies
Hatzung Insurance
Hutchison Financial Advisors
Kallas Law Office
Mac & Mac
Morrison & Associates
Dan & Stacy Mott
Pearson Orthodontics
Bob & Rhoda Perkins
Kip & Rebecca Peterson
Pets Are Inn
SideKick Inc.—Advanced Document Services
Patti & Bob Solheim
Josh Sprague, Sotheby's International Realty
Bob & Vianne Stehlik
Terry & Marilee Stevens
Skip Thomas, Realtor—RE/MAX Results
The Wooddale Team of American Mortgage & Equity Consultants
The Edina Country Club will serve their special "Angry Chicken Pasta" at Rotary Club of Edina's Oct. 20 meeting.
The Rotary Club of Edina's Administrator, Jennifer Garske, works part-time Tuesday through Friday. To contact her, write to jgarske@EdinaRotary.org or call 612-875-3109.
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The Rotary Club of Edina will welcome Rotary International Vice President Jennifer E. Jones as program speaker at the Thursday, Nov. 3, meeting. Jones serves as Rotary International Board of Directors Vice President in 2016–2017 and is a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland in Ontario, Canada. Jones will speak about "The Future of Rotary." .jpg)
I had the opportunity to spend some time at Camp Enterprise this past week and I was so elated to see so many long-time Rotarians, and new members, who were volunteering to ensure that 100 high school students had a learning experience about leadership roles and techniques in team development. All Rotarians should consider volunteering at this event. Next year Sam Thompson from our club will be chairing Camp E.
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The Rotary Club of Edina, along with the Edina Chamber of Commerce and Edina Morningside Rotary club, will host a mixer for members and prospective members Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the Edina Country Club. The gathering will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. and will be a fun evening of connection and cross pollination.
The annual Area 3 Rotary Veterans Luncheon will be Friday, Nov. 11, at Bearpath Golf and Country Club, 18100 Bearpath Trail, Eden Prairie, MN 55347. Registration begins at 11 a.m. with live music, with the luncheon beginning at 11:15 and concluding at 1:15 p.m. .jpg)
Register now for a musical night out in St. Paul with your fellow Rotarians! The Membership Retention Committee invites Rotarians and guests for a social hour and dinner followed by a St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concert. We will gather at Bonfire Wood Fire Cooking, 850 Grand Ave. in St. Paul at 5 p.m. for the social hour. From 6 to 7:30, we will have dinner at the restaurant, which is only two blocks from the concert venue and is in the premier dining and entertainment area of St. Paul.
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The Edina Country Club will serve their special "Angry Chicken Pasta" at Rotary Club of Edina's Oct. 20 meeting.