Hollywood Casino Receives 2012 Salute To Accomplishment Award

The Hollywood Casino Joliet was awarded with the 2012 Salute to Accomplishment Award on Thursday evening, the 2nd of February at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Conventiion Center in Joliet. Since opening as Northern Illinois' first riverboat casino twenty years ago, Holllywood Casino Joliet, formerly Empress Casino Joliet, has been a vital community partner and leading contributor to the economic revitalization of the City of Joliet.

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John Leach Honored with Marx Gibson Community Leadership Award

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Joliet Area Young Professionals Annual Dinner / Young Professional of the Year

The Joliet Area Young Professionals (JAYP) held their Annual Dinner on Tuesday, October 10 at Harrah's Joliet Casino & Hotel and celebrated the 2011 Young Professional of the Year, Mr. Ed Jarot from the Joliet Law Firm of Dystrup, Hoster & Jarot, P.C. Ed Jarot is the eighth recipient of the award, following in the footsteps of A.J. Wilhelmi, Nick Churnovic, Bryan Dolgin, Todd Elbrink, Jim McFarland, Tina Postel, and Tyler Qualio.  The Young Professional of the Year award was created to honor and recognize a young professional who has made strides in their career, has been a good friend to the community, and who is able to set a good example for future young professionals.  Mr. Jarot has made outstanding contributions to both his profession and the community during the early years of his career.  Jarot continues to uphold the values of the JAYP, is a voice for young professionals, unselfishly volunteers his time and services to local boards and commissions such as the Rialto Theatre Foundation, Leeza's Place at Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center, and the University of St. Francis Annual Caritas Ball.  Ed is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Will County Bar Association, and the Estate Planning Council of Greater Joliet. Ed and his wife, Cheryl, reside in Plainfield along with their two children, Moira and Liam. 

The evening also featured a special presentation from Jim Roolf, First Midwest Bank, on the importance of volunteerism, professional development, and networking.  These three crucial areas of one's professional life are what the JAYP was founded upon. Jim spoke of the necessity to get involved, to give back to the community, educating one's self and ultimately the need for future generations to step up and become the leaders of this community. 

The JAYP is a personal and professional group whose purpose is to identify and satisfy the needs of young professionals through networking with other members of the greater Joliet community. They strive to be a voice for young professionals through communicating and exchanging ideas, educating one another from different spectrums of serving the public, sharing common interests, volunteering their service to local boards and commissions to ensure the needs are reflected in the policies that impact the community. The JAYP was founded in 2003 and is a division of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Congratulations to the 2011 Joliet Area Young Professional of the Year, Ed Jarot. Ed is joined by Mary Jaworski, (Executive Vice President, Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce), Allison Deninger (JAYP President, First American Bank), Rick Cronholm (Joliet Chamber Board Chair, Johansen & Anderson), Tyler Qualio (2010 YP of the Year, The Reynolds Group), and Jim McFarland (2008 YP of the Year, Will County Forest Preserve).

Annual Dinner & Celebration of Success

Join us for the 2011 Annual Dinner and Celebration of Success on Monday, November 7, 2011 at Syl's 150 West.  Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 and Dinner / Program at 6:30.  Please join us as we honor the following award recipients:

Business of the Year:

Edward Jones Investments / Edward Dollinger

Professional / Business Services:

Professional Development Alliance

Retail:

Denny's Restaurant - Joey Terrell

Social Service Agencies:

Will County Center for Community Concerns

Rabbi Hershman Community Service Award:

Sister Mary Frances Seeley, OSF, PHD

Lifetime Achievement Award:

Former Joliet Mayor Arthur Schultz

Please mail in your response card or click here to register on line.

ATHENA Recipient Selected

Lisa Morel Las has been selected as the 2011 recipient of the Joliet Region Chamber's ATHENA Award.  Lisa becomes the 24th Chamber ATHENA recipient, and will be honored by the Chamber and the Council for Working Women at a luncheon on Thursday, September 1st at the Holiday Inn Joliet Hotel & Conference Center.

The ATHENA Award, sponsored locally by D'Arcy Automobiles and PNC Bank, is presented annually to an area leader who demonstrates outstanding commitment to their profession, their community and to the advancement of women. 

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Downtown Joliet Post Office to Remain Open for Business

JOLIET — The downtown U.S. Post Office will stay open.  Mayor Tom Giarrante received notice Tuesday from the U.S. Postal Service that office will remain open to serve residents and businesses.

A survey conducted by the U.S. Postal Service showed that the demand for postal service in downtown Joliet remains strong. With the pending projects for the expansion of the Joliet Junior College downtown campus and the construction of the multimodal transportation center, demand is expected to grow in the near future.  In a press release, Giarrante thanked the U.S. Postal Service for responding so quickly to the community and reaching the conclusion that the downtown office is a key institution in Joliet. The mayor and city council also thanked residents and businesses that responded to the survey.

Sam's Club Announces Membership Certificate for Joliet Region Chamber members

Our local Sam's Club is offering a $25 Sam's Club Gift Card when you join or renew as a Plus Member or receive a $10 Sam's Club Gift Card when you join or renew as a Business Member.  Click here for more info

Chamber to Recognize Top 75 Joliet High School Seniors

The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce will recognize the top 25 students from Joliet Central, Joliet West and Joliet Catholic Academy High Schools on Monday, April 11 at the Holiday Inn Joliet Hotel & Conference Center.  All Chamber members and the public are welcome and encouraged to come help honor the top local High School Seniors.

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Chamber to honor Great Teachers

The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce will recognize 15 top educators at its Great Teachers banquet Thursday at the Jacob Henry Ballroom in Joliet. The 15 honorees come from a variety of backgrounds and work with preschoolers through high school students.The following teachers will be honored:

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Mayoral candidates pitch themselves at Joliet forum

JOLIET — All nine candidates for mayor were at a Wednesday forum sponsored by the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry. What follows are highlights from each candidates’ three-minute presentations about themselves and their candidacies in the same order as they spoke at the forum.

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First Midwest Bank Receives Unprecedented Honor From Joliet Chamber

JOLIET, IL — First Midwest Bank ("First Midwest"), the wholly owned subsidiary of Itasca-based First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: FMBI), was recognized recently by the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry as the recipient of the 2011 Salute to Accomplishment award in Joliet, Illinois.

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University of St. Francis, Joliet Chamber honor Val Rand

The word volunteer can easily be defined by the life’s work of Val Rand of Joliet. Rand received the 2010 Marx Gibson Community Leadership Award given jointly by the University of St. Francis and Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Rand of Joliet is the 10th recipient of the award given in the name of the late newspaperman Marx Gibson, who was dedicated to volunteerism and making a positive difference in the community. The award was presented by USF President Michael Vinciguerra and Russ Slinkard, CEO of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nov. 10 at the chamber’s Community Leadership School graduation dinner.

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Will County Business Recycling Program

Provided here are common links and resources for businesses (big or small) who need additional information about recycling, waste reduction, or energy savings.  If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Marta Keane in the Waste Services Division via email or phone at 815-727-8834.

IRS / Tax Information (English and Spanish)

Information for Small Businesses and Self-Employed

Federal Government "Goods" Purchasing Handbook

Please click here for a link to a handbook listing all of the "goods" purchased by the federal government. 

The Illinois Employee Classification Act

Employers in the construction industry have been significantly impacted by the Illinois Employee Classification Act, which became effective on January 1st of 2008.  A broad definition essentially covers all Illinois general contractors and subcontractors in the construction industry.  Aimed at addressing the industry’s perceived “practice of misclassifying employees as independent contractors,” the Act provides that any individual performing services for a contractor must be classified as an employee except under very limited circumstances. 

Here is a link to the text of the Employee Classification Act.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2898&ChapAct=820%26nbsp%3BILCS%26nbsp%3B185%2F&ChapterID=68&ChapterName=EMPLOYMENT&ActName=Employee+Classification+Act  

This information covers factors used to determine "non-employee status" and criteria to be considered an independent contractor.