Our monthly EThOs Lunch & Learn continue next Thursday, February 8th, at the Foundation Room on The Square (next door to Granny Puckett's Cafe).  The founder & CEO of Integrity Roofing, Terry Gwaltney, will speak about his new book Culture-neer: Building a Team that Beats the Odds.  The program is free to the public.

Lunch (optional) provided by Granny Puckett's is $15 for a meal, dessert, and drink. You may also bring your lunch to the Foundation Room. The program begins at noon and ends at 1:00 p.m. Networking before and after the program. Limited space is available therefore reservations are required for guaranteed seating. Walk-ins are welcome if space is available. 

EThOs Lunch & Learns meet on the second Thursday of each month and feature professional growth programs for entrepreneurs, nonprofits, managers, CEOs, teams, and all growing leaders.

labor and employment laws, as well as a recap of the multitude of significant 2023 changes.

There is a lot to discuss!

Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act

Amendment to One Day Rest in Seven Act Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act

NLRB Updates

And much, much more

Continuing Education Offered: 3.00 HRCI, 3.00 SHRM, 3.00 CLE per attendee request prior to event, and 3.00 HR & Management/Supervision Compliance Certificate Credits. HR Certification Institute’s® (www.HRCI.org) official seal confirms that the Illinois Chamber meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®.

The Marion Chamber of Commerce would like to invite you to our Monthly Membership Luncheon on February 13, 2024 at The Pavilion. Program starts at noon. (Food service begins as 11:30 AM.) 

Cost - $17 for Chamber Members, $22 for guests/non-members

• Please note we're asking for payment at the time of registration. If you have any questions, need assistance, or an invoice to submit for payment, please call the office at 618-997-6311.

• Pre-Program Slideshow featuring Chamber and Member Upcoming Events / Programs (email items to programs@marionillinois.com)
• Welcome from Chamber Leadership & Invocation
• Luncheon Sponsor Presentation
• Luncheon Program 
• Chamber Updates
• Member Network and Updates
• SI Made EXPO 2024 Event Launch and Special Announcements

The April 8th, a solar eclipse will cross Southern Illinois and bring tens of thousands of visitors to our area. What will this mean for your business? Join civic and tourism leaders to talk about the lessons learned from the 2017 event and how to make the most of the the upcoming event - an event that won't happen again in our area for 300+ years! Speakers include:

•  William Lo: Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Owner of New Kahala, and Admin for Southern Illinois Eats
• Jennifer Olsen: City of Marion, Director of Business Development
• Ashlee Spiller: visitSI Executive Director

Special Announcement

The New Year brings new laws in Illinois.  No better way to stay informed than joining the upcoming webinar - New Year, New Illinois Laws
Topics will include:

- Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act
- Chicago Paid Time Off Ordinance
- Child Bereavement Leave Act
- VESSA
And more new laws for 2024

Then on Thursday, February 15th, at 1:00 p.m., EThOs and The City of Marion are offering a free workshop on the Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 Loan Program presented by Steve Lindsey of the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

Find out why the SBA 504 Loan Program is one of the best financing solutions on the market for entrepreneurs looking to strengthen or grow their business. 

As many businesses struggle to find affordable growth financing in this higher-rate environment, SBA 504 Loans are offering business owners a pathway for securing quality, below-market, fixed-rate financing.  Combined with its longer repayment terms of up to 25 years and lower down payment requirements, you owe it to yourself to find out more about this incredible opportunity.  

Space is limited.  Registration is required at members.ethosmarion.org/events. 

Centerstone will co-host, along with Illinois First Judicial Circuit, Heritage Behavioral Health and Kane County System of Care, the no-cost “The Belonging Need: Part 2” webinar on February 21 from 9-11 a.m. CT featuring advocate, speaker and former NFL player Gaelin Elmore. CEUs will be available.

“The Belonging Need: Part 2” is geared toward youth-serving professionals, however everyone is welcome to attend.

To register or for more information, visit bit.ly/022124belonging.

The purpose of this webinar is to develop intentional implementation of belonging, specifically:

• Why belonging is equally strategic implementation and cultural commitment
• Stories of already successful implementation
• Specific strategies for implementation

Belonging is a vital component of human flourishing. However, youth who have experienced traumatic and adverse situations often lack a sense of belonging, which can hinder their relationships, development, and their future.

Elmore believes that the only thing that was more powerful and long lasting than the trauma that he experienced was the belonging that he encountered. After a childhood filled with trauma, abuse, neglect, and homelessness, Gaelin believed that his issues would be solved if he became successful. From college football to signing an NFL contract, Gaelin was driven, even comforted, by this assumption.

It wasn’t until Gaelin achieved what he thought was “success” (making it to the NFL), that he finally realized he had been wrong all along. And so, Gaelin retired as a rookie to begin his journey of self-love, self-discovery, and belonging.

That journey has led Gaelin here today, and to stages all across the country, aiming to inspire, encourage, and equip others, to erase the belonging gap plaguing youth with adverse childhood experiences. Gaelin lives in Eden Prairie, MN, where he gets to experience the purest form of belonging, as a husband to his wife, Micaela, and a dad to their two daughters, Laniah and Tatum.

CEUs are being applied for through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR – counseling / social work) and the Illinois Certification Board.

“Centerstone’s Building Compassionate Communities (BCC) program is thrilled to partner with the Illinois First Judicial Circuit, Heritage Behavioral Health and Kane County System of Care to bring in Gaelin to work his time, talent and treasure with our region to tell his inspiring story,” said Dr. David Mills, Centerstone BCC grant coordinator.

This webinar is a part of “The Belonging Need” training series, which includes:

• “The Belonging Need: Part 1” – January 24 from 9-11 a.m. CT via Zoom
• “The Belonging Need: Part 2” – February 21 from 9-11 a.m. CT via Zoom
• In-person “A Trauma-Informed Courts and Community Symposium: Creating a Culture of Belonging” – March 21 from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center featuring Gaelin Elmore as the keynote speaker presented by Illinois First Judicial Circuit Chief Judge William J. Thurston, Access to Justice Improvement Grant, Williamson County Presiding Judge Stephen R. Green, and Centerstone
• “The Belonging Need and Deficit for Youth Navigating Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)” – March 26 from 5:30-7 p.m. CT via Zoom

• 8 AM: Check in and networking
• 8:30: General training begins
• 9:30: Additional training for restaurants/bars
• 10 ish: Training concludes

visitSI was established in 1986 to promote memorable travel experiences throughout the various communities in Williamson County. 

The organization is a not-for-profit 501(C) 6, governed by a Board of Directors made up of community leaders from the various towns we serve and led by Executive Director, Ashlee D. Spiller, CTE.

Mission Statement: To lead the way in coordinating a unified promotional and development effort; which will increase the quantity and expenditures of visitors to Williamson County and Southern Illinois, maximizing Tourism’s contribution to the local economy.

Additional Sponsorship Opportunities

Air Supply is one of the cornerstones of Soft Rock music. Through heartfelt lyrics and passionate storytelling, Air Supply has tapped in to universal emotions we all share through their songs. Whether it's love's highs or love's lows, Air Supply has an extraordinary way of describing it through song.

Air Supply, was formed in Australia and soon after relocated to the United States. Air Supply's first top five Billboard Got 100 song was a remixed version of "Lost in Love," released in 1980. From 1980-1983, Air Supply had eight top-five hits on the Us Billboard Hot 100 including "All Out of Love," "The One That You Love," "Here I Am," "Sweet Dreams," and others. Air Supply was inducted to the Australian Recording Industry Hall of Fame in 2013.

Tickets are $60, $70, $75 and $85 plus applicable online/phone ticketing fee. This fee is waived when tickets are purchased at Café at 22 & Vine inside Walker's Bluff Casino Resort®. All ages are welcome. Doors will open one hour prior to showtime.

It's Not All Okay for Business - What You May Have Missed Lately in Illinois Workers' Compensation
Adam Cox and Lisa Azoory-Keller will discuss developments in workers' compensation law in Illinois over the previous year, present an overview of new case law relevant to the practice, and answer the burning questions you may have. They will also examine trends and developments at the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission and their effect on employers across the state.