Speaker Panel Solidified for the
Central Oregon Business Forum
This year’s Central Oregon Business Forum on September 27, 2023 at the Riverhouse Convention Center will feature the following speakers:
- Kevin Cole, CEO of MidOregon Credit Union, sharing thoughts on Corporate Community Engagement,
- Matt Ertle, CEO of PrideStaff (back by popular demand), addressing Generational Staffing Challenges.
- – Heather Zumwalt, founder of RnR Performance Horses. Now, you might ask, “What could a group of business leaders learn from one of the top horse trainers and riding instructors in the state?” As it turns out, there’s a lot. Heather will kick off our vigorous discussion on Business Negotiation Strategies as she shares relevant lessons from a career “negotiating” with horses. Central Oregon businesses must negotiate with entities much bigger and more powerful than they are, like customers, vendors, creditors, landlords and government agencies. As a top trainer and a coach to coaches across the state, Heather’s job is to bring 1,200 pound animals into alignment and positive agreement with her agenda. It’s no easy task. Her unique perspectives will “spur” valuable discussions around the table.
The highly valuable peer-peer roundtable discussions that attendees enjoyed so much last year will also be part of the program this year.
The beneficiary of event proceeds this year is the nonprofit New Each Morning (more below).
- Please attend. Register now at: Eventbrite.com
- Please consider purchasing a table or two and bring your business colleagues, customers, vendors and competitors.
- Please spread the word. Events like this fill best by word of mouth.
- I’d also like you to please consider being a sponsor of this event at whatever level you are able. If you are unable to attend, please consider purchasing a scholarship table, or securing a table for the leadership team of a nonprofit of your choice.
All proceeds go toward support New Each Morning (NEW).
New Each Morning (NEW) serves Women Gradutes of Drug and Alcohol Recovery Programs. NEW addresses a significant and dramatically under-served need because it focuses on back-end support by providing post-recovery services. This is very rare. Most drug and alcohol addiction related programs focus on front-end efforts to get substance abusers into treatment. Unfortunately, the recidivism rate for participants in drug and alcohol addiction recovery programs can often approach 85 percent! The failure rate is so high because there is little post-recovery support to provide connection, coaching and guidance to the graduates as they venture into a new life of sobriety.
NEW provides a solution to this problem by connecting women graduates of treatment programs with the people and resources necessary for them to successfully transition into the workplace and the community. To date, NEW has not had a single client return to a life of addiction. The secret to success is that women in recovery need connection…and that’s what NEW provides.
Watch the 90 second video testimonial from a New Each Morning client:
New Each Morning is raising money toward addressing the following needs:
- Peer Support Certification Training for volunteer Connection Advocates.
- Peer Support Certification required to receive Oregon Health Plan insurance reimbursements for services renderd, thus producing a longterm funding stream.
- A organizationally-owned and insured vehicle to provide transportation and moving support for clients.
- A $25,000 fund to provide no-interest short-term loans to trusted NEW clients facing rental housing challenges, as housing disruption or loss is often a cause of recidivism.
- A transitional housing solution to support clients as they graduate from treatment and navigate re-entry into mainstream society.
Your participation in the Business Forum will not only accelerate your business and positively impact the regional business community, it will change (perhaps save) the lives of courageous women willing to do the work necessary to become productive members of our community.
