NEWS - January & February 2003
Titles:
- New Executive Director
- Wind Generation - Topic of February Luncheon
- Federal Legislative Update
- Member Luncheon Charges
- Electric League Holiday Luncheon
- People Column
As of January 1, 2003, the Electric League of Missouri & Kansas has a new executive director, Jane Male, CAE. Jane has been working with SouthWestern Association (formerly Western Association), the League's management company, since January 2002. She has a strong background in association management and earned her Certified Association Executive designation in 1993.
The name change and staff changes at SouthWestern Association are the result of the recent merger of Western Association and the Southwest Hardware and Implement Association (headquartered in Fort Worth), which has created an eight-state territory for the new entity, as well as new opportunities for the staff.
I will continue to work at SouthWestern as Director of Marketing and Member Services, with responsibility for promoting services to current members and prospects in our new market areas. While I'm excited about the challenges and opportunities related to my new position, it is with sadness that I leave management of the Electric League.
Many thanks to everyone who has made my time with the League so fun and rewarding. I've enjoyed the past eight years working with members and volunteers on the many projects and activities that are ongoing at the League. I am grateful for the opportunities and friendships that have come my way as a part of my involvement with the League, and I leave knowing you are in the capable hands of a seasoned Board of Directors and an excellent executive director. Thank you for making my years at the League memorable ones. I hope to continue to see you from time to time at League activities and know you will offer Jane the same support and encouragement that I enjoyed as your Executive Director.
Warm Personal Regards,
Olivia Holcombe, CAE
There is a growing need for energy in the world, and it is critical that this need is met with as little negative environmental impact as possible. Renewable energy systems based on wind turbine technologies has become one of the fastest growing segments of alternative generating methods. Two members of Black & Vetch Corporation's Wind Generation team, Ryan Pletka and Ryan Jacobson, will be presenting this subject at the February 28th Electric League Luncheon. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about it from these experts.
Mark your calendar for Friday, February 28 to attend the Electric League Luncheon at the Embassy Suites Hotel on the Plaza in Kansas City, Mo. A registration form was include in your newsletter.
Off to a Fast Start
The 108th Congress convened on Jan. 7 and within three days had put its first new law on the books. After swearing in new senators, the Senate immediately passed legislation to extend federal unemployment benefits for workers whose state benefits run out. The bill, which extends benefits through May 2003, sailed through the House as well and the President signed it within hours of final passage.Lawmakers then turned to more unfinished business - appropriations bills for 2003. They quickly passed another short-term continuing resolution extending funding at 2002 levels until Jan. 31.
At the same time, the House Ways & Means Committee wrote up a second continuing resolution with no provisions. Over in the Senate, lawmakers began work on an omnibus spending bill that would roll the 11 pending appropriations bills into one. The plan was to fold this bill into the empty continuing resolution.
Economic Growth
Ideas Last year President Bush's attention was focused primarily on national security and, late in the year, the possibility of war with Iraq. In one of its final acts before adjouring, Congress approved a new Department of Homeland Security.But hovering over national security efforts were concerns about economic security. Economic growth pushed its way to the top of the President's agenda.
He wasted no time outlining what he wanted. The centerpeice is the elimination of income tax on corporate dividends paid to investors. The plan also includes creation of personal re-employment accounts to provide funds to help individuals with retraining and other expenses associated with finding a new job.
Tax provisions include increasing the child tax credit rebate, accelerating reduction in individual tax rates and the scheduled reduction in the marriage-penalty passed in 2001 and changes in the alternative minimum tax for individuals. The proposal triples the small business deduction for equipment purchases.
Congressional Democrats immediately charged that the plan favored the wealthy and corporations. House Democrats proposed a plan of their own which includes a one-time refundable tax rebate to all taxpayers, doubling the small business equipment expensing limit for 2003, a one-year increase in the depreciation bonus and financial assistance to state governments.
Source: National Retail Hardware Association, January 2003
Beginning with our February 28, 2003 membership luncheon, we will have two rates for lunch. Electric League members will pay one rate and nonmembers will pay a higher rate. Members can continue to bring guests to the luncheon at the member rate. Your Board of Directors, membership committee, and program committee discussed this at length, and determined it's fair for nonmembers to pay more.
Nearly 300 League members and guests attended the festive Electric League Holiday Luncheon held December 12 at Harrah's North Kansas City Casino and Conference Center. Highlights of the event were the presentation of the Electric League Foundation check to this year's designated charity, Camp MITIOG, a summer camp for children with Spina Bifida, and the annual prize raffle. In addition, members donated canned and non-perishable food to the Harvesters Food Pantry. The luncheon also included the election of officers and official League business. Below is a list of raffle prize winners and donating companies.
Donating Company Prize Winner Alber Electric $50 Home Depot Gift Card Nadine Arnold Associated Air Products $25 Best Buy Gift Card Joe Carroll Associated Air Products $25 Best Buy Gift Card Lori Lane BA Electric Supply $50 Dick's Sporting Goods Gift Card Dave Mathia Belden Wire & Cable $50 Dick's Sporting Goods Gift Card Mike Ginther Bernie Wholesale, Inc $50 Plaza Gift Certificate Chris Lacy Bob Herzig & Associates $50 Plaza Gift Certificate Karl Roebbeke BSA $25 Sutera's Gift Certificate Pat Foley C&O Electric Sales $50 Plaza Gift Certificate Larry Angelotti C&O Electric Sales $50 Plaza Gift Certificate Barbara Hoppas Capital Electric Uniden Two Way Radios Fred King Christopher C. Hedges Co. Cuisinart Coffee for Two Sharon White Cleaves-Bessmer-Marietti $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card Eric Brummel Cleaves-Bessmer-Marietti $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card Nikki Lagerstrom Cooper Bussmann Putter Dan Kohmen C's United Electrical $50 Cheesecake Factory Gift Card Ellen Rains Current Solutions $50 Cabela's Gift Certificate Scott Keeler Diamond Electric $25 Plaza Gift Certificate Richard Sheldrake Eaton/Cutler-Hammer $75 McCormick & Schmick Gift Cert. Jay Rains ECA $75 McCormick & Schmick Gift Cert. Pat Morrill ECA $75 McCormick & Schmick Gift Cert Rachel Williams Electric League Toshiba DVD Player Jason Carroll Electrical Materials $50 Capital Grill Gift Certificate Joyce Murdock Electrical Materials $50 Capital Grill Gift Certificate Wanda Wilson Electrical Sales, Inc. CD Repair Kit Rocky Romero Electrical Systems CD Player Tela Payden FCI/Burndy $50 Home Depot Gift Card Deb Blair Foley Group $50 Michael's Gift Certificate Marge Workman Foley Group $50 Michael's Gift Certificate Gail McMinn French Gerleman $50 Joe D's Gift Certificate Shirley Henderson French Gerleman $50 Joe D's Gift Certificate Doug Rehfeld General Cable Hand-Painted Denim Jacket Rick Huber General Cable Celebration Basket Jay Carlson Gibbens Drake Scott $50 Anderson's Rest. Gift Card Kevin Sterrett Graybar Electric Co $50 Plaza Gift Certificate Pat Bellew Harris Electric Service CD Player Ron Gabrielson Heartland Electric Corp. $100 Best Buy Gift Card Ben Hampton Independent Electric Bottle of Wine Penny Sage Independent Electric Bottle of Wine Tim Scott Kansas City Power & Light DVD Player Steve Johnson Kansas City Power & Light Meco Portable Electric Grill Joseph Clark Kornis Electric Supply $50 Dick's Sporting Goods Gift Certificate Beth Tiesing Mark One Electric $50 Cabela's Gift Card John Guerdan Mark One Electric $50 Cabela's Gift Card Kim Swank Meglio & Associates $25 Cabela's Gift Card Jane Male Meglio & Associates $25 Cabela's Gift Card Pam Lickteig Mercer-Zimmerman $50 Oak Park Mall Gift Certificate Bob Herzig Mercer-Zimmerman $50 Oak Park Mall Gift Certificate Rick Tyner Milbank Manufacturing Gerber Multi-Tool Cindy Fuson Missouri Valley Electric $50 Plaza Gift Certificate Steve Pankowicsz Missouri Valley Electric $50 Plaza Gift Certificate Jay Rains MWE, Inc. $50 Best Buy Gift Card Penny Sage NECA $100 Plaza Gift Certificate George Smith Phillips Lighting Philips Digital Tuner Larry Birks Rains Electrical Sales $25 Mimi's Cafe Gift Card John Marietti Rains Electrical Sales $25 Mimi's Cafe Gift Card Carl Privitera Rensenhouse Electric Supply $50 Plaza Gift Card Kim Eagen Rexel Glasco DeWalt Reciprocating Saw Vern Skripsky Shaw Electric Co. Electronic CD Wall System Mary Dix Shaw Electric Supply Co. $50 Anderson Rest. Group Gift Card John Dussold Siemens Energy & Automation $50 Home Depot Gift Card Leroy Maurer Square D Co. $75 Super Gift Certificate Mary Self Staco Electric RCA CD Clock Radio James Wilson Teague Electric $50 Plaza Gift Certificate Jerry Longstreth Teague Electric $50 Plaza Gift Certificate Jo Trombain Wesco $50 Best Buy Gift Card Tom Gibbens Western Extralite Philips Boombox Anna Marie Denney Electric League GRAND PRIZE - $500 cash Doc Kittchell
Hope everyone had a great Holiday season and now, we're back to work to make 2003 a wonderful year! We'll start with Congratulations to Cindy and Dave Fuson on the birth of their new baby girl, Elnora Ann, on Tuesday, December 31, 2002 ... all are doing well we're told.
Happy January Birthdays to: Shirley Henderson, Derrin Blackburn and Mary Coldiron at C&O Sales; Susanne Bragaw at Current Solutions; John Dougherty at French Gerleman, and Jeff Rudd, and David Launder at Independent Electric. Birthday wishes to Bob Keller at Cutler-Hammer also. Happy February birthday to Kevin O'Neill at C&O Sales.There was a nice picture in the January 25th edition of the Kansas City Star of Maurice (retired from Missouri Valley Electric) and Jeanne Brownlee enjoying themselves at the St. Luke's Hospital Auxiliary annual Christmas luncheon at The Rockhill Tennis Club.
Keep those e-mails coming in ... this is your column, only you can make it great! Send your news to: peoplecolumn@electricleague.org
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This page revised 01/02/08