NEWS - July/August 2002
Titles:
- President's Corner
- Economic Development in Kansas City - Topic for August Luncheon
- Fall Golf Outing
- Education Classes Set to Begin
- Federated's BUSINESSOWNERS EXPRESS (R) May Be the Right Fit for Your Business
- Federated Announces Leadership Award
- People Column
- Study Shows Work Incentives Increase Performance by 22 Percent
Cyber Security
I had the opportunity while on vacation with my family in Washington DC over the 4th of July to sit down with my brother Paul Kurtz who is the Administration's Director of Critical Infrastructure Protection. During our discussion I learned some thought-provoking ideas and information that I felt were interesting to pass on.
There are 500 million Internet users in the world. By the end of this year $2 million of commerce will change hands every minute on the web. The Internet per day transactional value will soar to about $2.8 billion. About 80 to 90 percent of the national critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector.
What are we doing as an industry to protect ourselves from a cyber attack? Stop and think about how much we rely on computers. What if a recreational hacker, criminal or terrorist organization decided to cyber attack gas and oil lines, power grids, telecommunications, transportation, manufacturing, health care or banking and financial institutions? The results would be catastrophic!
There are questions we should ask ourselves. What are we doing to protect our company? Are we working with our peers to develop plans? Do we have contingency plans? Have we thought about what if scenarios? What about the safety of our people and customers? What are we doing to protect sensitive and confidential material?
The top 20 most critical Internet security vulnerabilities can be viewed at www.sans.org. This site will help identify and prioritize those issues that are most dangerous to you and your organization. Listed below are some of the issues mentioned:
Non-existent or incomplete back ups
Default installs
Accounts with no passwords or weak passwords
Large number of open ports
There are seven steps introduced by Bob Gerber, a threat analysis expert at the National Infrastructure Protection Center. These simple steps can be taken by anyone from the largest organization to the home computer user to help defeat intruders:
Use strong passwords
Make regular back-ups
Use virus protection software
Install a fire wall
DO NOT keep your computer turned on all the time
DO NOT open e-mail attachments from strangers
Use free security patches offered by your vendors.
You can locate local and national industry experts and more information via these web sites:
www.CIAO.gov - Critical Infrastructure Assurance
www.nipc.gov - National Infrastructure Protection CenterI hope everyone had a great 4th of July and will continue to have an enjoyable summer.
Take Care,
Peter Kurtz
What's in the development plans for Kansas City? What type of new development is on the horizon for our area? Are there areas of the city slated for redevelopment in the near future? Members and guests can find the answers to these questions and more at the next Electric League luncheon scheduled for August 23 at Lidia's Restaurant in Kansas City. Our luncheon speaker will be Kansas City Missouri Councilman Evert Asjes.
Councilman Asjes was elected to office in 1995 and was re-elected to a second term in 1999. He currently serves as chairman of the Finance and Audit Committee and is a member of the Aviation Committee. While in office, Councilman Asjes has been appointed to a number of special committees, boards and commissions. These appointments include: Kemper Expansion Oversight Committee, Telecommunications Committee, Centertainment Task Force Committee, Hotel Development Committee, and the Capital Improvements Committee. Councilman Asjes holds a bachelor's degree in landscape design from Kansas State University and is Chairman of Rosehill Gardens, Inc.
Make Plans Today To Attend The Next Electric League Luncheon - August 23 At Lidia's! A Registration Form Was Included With The July/August Newsletter.
Clean those clubs and shine your shoes because another Electric League Golf Outing is just around the corner. Mark your calendar for Tuesday, Sept. 10 to play at Loch Lloyd Country Club in Belton, Mo. With its rock outcroppings, streams and rolling hills, this beautiful course offers some of the most interesting scenery and terrain in the metropolitan area.
The event will kick-off with registration at 10:30 a.m. followed by a shotgun start at 11 a.m. Lunch will be served on the golf course. An awards ceremony will be held at the conclusion of the tournament - approximately 6 p.m. The $120 per player ($480 per foursome) fee covers green fees, cart, lunch and the awards ceremony.
A special raffle will be held at the tournament to benefit the Electric League Foundation. The raffle winner will receive 50 percent of the raffle ticket money collected - the remainder of the money will be donated to the Foundation.
A golf outing registration form is included with this newsletter. Complete the registration form and return to the Electric League office along with payment. For more information contact: Richard Meek, Golf Committee Chairman, Graybar Electric, 816-221-1644, or Olivia Holcombe, Electric League, 816-561-5323. See you Sept. 10 at Loch Lloyd!
Once again this fall the Electric League will offer a series of education classes on a wide variety of industry topics. This semester the League is offering seven courses with the first class beginning on Sept. 18. Classes offered include: Electrical Fundamentals & Single Phase Systems, Electrical Three Phase Systems & Practical Applications, Lighting Fundamentals 101, Adjustable Frequency Drives, Transformers - Selection and Application, Structured Wiring Fundamentals and Advanced Lighting Applications. Watch your mail for a brochure with class descriptions and a registration form.
Business insurance is not a one-size-fits-all product; however, it doesn't have to be a complicated process to purchase the right coverage to fit your business. While large businesses often have unique coverage needs that require detailed programming, Federated Insurance Companies has found that many small and medium-sized businesses have common property and liability insurance needs.
For years, Federated has concentrated on the insurance needs of selected industries and designed packages to protect their unique business operations. Now, Federated has simplified the process of buying insurance by offering an "express" package that may very well fit the size and scope of your business.
The FEDERATED BUSINESSOWNERS EXPRESS® offers these advantages:
- Coverage designed specifically for your business in our unique Bronze - Silver - Gold packages.
- Pricing designed for flexibility. Small to medium-sized businesses may self-insure some exposures that can be successfully managed for risk control in-house.
- Non-audited program. Last year-end receipts used for rating on your next renewal.
- Simplified application process. Federated's marketers use an on-line application for rapid handling.
- Rapid quote turn-around. Processed within 48 hours after receipt of all needed quote information.
To find out if your business is eligible for this quality BUSINESSOWNERS EXPRESS program, please contact your local Federated marketing representative or your association office. We will help you find the right size plan to fit your business and save you some time in the process.
Federated Announces Leadership Award
Federated Insurance Companies is proud to announce that Todd Bishop, of Independence, Missouri, has earned the prestigious Federated marketing Leadership Council award. Marketing representatives chosen for this award are recognized for their outstanding performance including sales achievements and service to clients.
"Federated takes special pride in recognizing this achievement," said Al Annexstad, Executive Vice President, Director of Insurance Operations at Federated. "At the same time, we want to thank Todd's friends and business associates for making this possible, and the Electric League for its role in his success."
Study Shows Work Incentives Increase Performance by 22 Percent
A recent survey by the New York-based SITE Foundation showed that tangible incentives dramatically increase work performance by an average of 22 percent. The findings are particularly relevant today as companies struggle with improving productivity, performance and profitability in a down economy. "Incentive programs may be the single most important performance improvement tool available to executives today," said Mike Hadlow, president of the SITE Foundation. "They help create positive motion in a work environment."
Other Key Findings of the SITE Foundation Study:
Incentive programs aimed at individuals increased performance a substantial 27 percent. Programs aimed at teams increase performance a stunning 45 percent.
An overwhelming 92 percent of workers surveyed indicated they achieved their goals because of incentives, and 57 percent of corporations surveyed reported that objectives were met or surpassed.
Source: Electrical Wholesaling, May 2002
Condolences to Tom Tholl of Missouri Valley Electric and his father, Larry, retired from R.F. Fisher Electric, on the loss of Tom's mother recently.
Happy August birthday to Doug McGough at C&O Sales. And speaking of C&O Sales, they celebrated 37 years in business on August 1st. Congratulations go out to Luke Stanker, son of Jim Stanker, for making the Dean's List at K-State with a 4.0 GPA.
Congratulations are also in order for Amanda at Heritage Electric on the birth of her big baby boy and Brenda at Wesco who is the proud new grandmother (again) of a bouncing baby girl.
Best wishes to Susanne Bragaw of Graybar Electric, Kansas City, for a quick recovery from surgery in late July.
See you next time - keep your news items coming. You can e-mail your news to: peoplecolumn@electricleague.org
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