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Over the past few weeks, Doug Holman, vice president of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, says he's "become very familiar with Cloud Nine" and "living the dream of a lifetime." Over the weekend, his son Grant was part of the Chula Vista, Calif., team playing in the championship game of the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

Although Japan took home the prize, Grant got some major props from the media for his talent on the mound. Columnist Mike Chiari of the bleacherreport.com wrote, "Truth be told, Holman has done a little bit of everything for Chula Vista in this tournament. Not only has his pitching been spectacular, but he has also been swinging a hot bat. According to SportsCenter, he has already accomplished three incredible feats in the Little League World Series, which likely makes him the envy of every other player."

Check out this column from bleacherreport.com which highlighted Grant as one of the "three players with the best chance to gain Little League World Series immortality."

Jackie Krawczak, executive director of the Alpena Area (MI) Chamber of Commerce, attended ACCE’s convention last month in Oklahoma City. Visiting OKC (along with participating in the convention) was an eye-opening, inspiring experience for this chamber exec who frankly admitted in a recent editorial that “Oklahoma City was never very high on my list of places I'd like to visit.” But, after spending four days there learning about its renaissance and experiencing what it offers, she is “now a fan of so many other things about that big, yet little, city."

Take a moment to read Jackie’s editorial which appeared in The Alpena News this week, and learn how Jackie’s observations about OKC and its story have inspired her in her work for her community and the Alpena Area Chamber. 

The Greater Lehigh Valley (PA) Chamber of Commerce (GLVCC) just got a membership boost. Last week, the Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corp. (CCEDC) officially partnered with the GLVCC, solidifying the GLVCC’s position as the largest chamber in Pennsylvania.

While both organizations will still operate independently, the partnership provides networking opportunities and new resources for the CCEDC. For the GLVCC, the union offers a new membership base in Carbon County, increasing its roster to nearly 6,000 member organizations.  Tony Ianelli, president and CEO of the GLVCC, commented on the mutual benefit of the partnership in an article on LVB.com. “Carbon saw the Lehigh Valley as a critical market for the business community, and the Lehigh Valley saw Carbon the same way,” Iannelli said. “We’re hoping to increase business-to-business relations and have an impact on public policy, getting attention in Harrisburg like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.”

The GLVCC has been growing its presence in the region, partnering with more than 20 chamber and civic organizations. Learn more about the partnership and what it means for both organizations here.

New study finds that virtually no one believes less should be done to support Early Childhood Education (ECE)

Okay, that's probably not that surprising. What might surprise you in First Five Years Fund's recently-released report is the widespread public, cross-sector, and bi-partisan support for investment in zero-to-five education. Specifically, the 800 voters surveyed for their report believe overwhelmingly that: 1) Early Education should be regarded as a national priority- second only to increasing economic prosperity and decreasing the tax burden; 2)Early child education and care must be more affordable; and 3) Congress needs to act NOW to increase access to excellent and affordable early education and childcare services.

On the heels of the survey's release a group of Chamber CEOs and business leaders gathered at the US Chamber last Wednesday to advocate on behalf of business investment in early child preparedness programs. Speaking at the gathering, Brian Maher, the retired chairman and CEO fo Maher Terminals and former chairman of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce was quoted in a Washington Post article saying: "If somebody had said to me about a decade ago...that I would one day be down here in Washington speaking on behalf of early chidlhood education, I would have thought they were on drugs." 

On drugs he was not. An evolving body of research and data showcases early education's astounding return on investment, and Maher joins a growing contingency of business and public sector leaders that have seen the connection between investment in a child's formative years as a direct investment in our future economy.  

For a synthesis of the wide array of early childhood initiatives chambers and business organizations are engaging in across the country, refer to the recently-released study by America's Promise Alliance and project ReadyNation, with support from ACCE: Championing Success: Business Organizations for Early Childhood Investments.
The report shows that at least one state chamber of commerce, large city chamber, or state business roundtable in 44 states has publicly supported early childhood policy initiatives. 

Numbers Don't Lie: Take a look to determine the potential impact of your investment. 

• $11 of economic benefits over a child's lifetime for every $1 spent on Pre-K programs
• $7 in reducing societal and economic costs for every $1 spent on early childhood education
• Reduction in crime and societal costs
• Increase in college attainment and social and economic mobility

Tags: education, EAD, early childhood education