UK offers CBA to sharpen business knowledge, skills
The Gatton College of Business and Economics at UK is offering a time-saving opportunity for the heavily committed and super busy to sharpen business knowledge and skills with a "Certificate in Business Administration" (CBA) series of night classes later this year.
Topics covered by distinguished faculty and guest speakers from the college range from "Essentials of Marketing" and "Strategic Management" to "Power, Conflict and Negotiation in Organizations."
The CBA is offered in three-hour sessions on Thursday evenings, beginning Sept. 10 and continuing through Nov. 19, 2009. Attending all of the sessions earns 27.5 course hours of continuing education credit and a certificate of completion.
Since 2007, 165 people have completed the Gatton CBA program.
Participants have included individuals from a variety of government, educational, health and business organizations. These include hospital administrators, corporate executives and managers, school district administrators, small business owners, and graduate students from non-business disciplines.
A discounted price of $750 for the entire program is offered for those who sign up by August 1. After that date, the full registration fee of $888 will be charged.
For registration information call the Gatton College of Business Executive Education Center at (859) 257-8746 or log on to www.gattonibmc.org/CBA.html.
Credit counseling service stays same, changes name
Only the name has changed at Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central Kentucky. The parent company of the community-based non-profit now sports a new name: Apprisen Financial Advocates. With 64 offices in 10 states, company officials decided it was time to establish a national identity. The agency has been offering financial counseling services in Lexington since 1989.
Bourbon caucus forms in D.C.
A new Congressional Bourbon Caucus has formed to look out for the interests of an industry that provides Kentucky with more than 3,200 jobs, pays more than $100 million in taxes and generates $3 billion in gross state product.
The bipartisan caucus was created and is co-chaired by Congressmen John Yarmuth and Brett Guthrie. Kentucky Reps. Ben Chandler, Geoff Davis and Ed Whitfield are among its original 17 founding members.
Kentucky film producer working on carbon documentary
At a Lexington screening of his provocative water documentary FLOW, Louisville-based film producer Gill Holland said his next project, Carbon Nation, looks at efforts to reduce CO2 output.
An audience filled Natasha's screening room for the screening of FLOW, the latest presentation of the Kaleidoscope Micro-Cinema series at the downtown bistro, bar and cultural hotspot.
Board extends President Whitlock's contract
The Eastern Kentucky University Board of Regents extended President Doug Whitlock's contract by two years, following a favorable evaluation conducted by the Board.
Whitlock, a two-time graduate of the university and EKU's eleventh leader, is completing his second year as the university's president. His contract now runs through July 31, 2013.
The Board also approved a $218 million operating budget for the 2009-10 academic year, a 2.4 percent increase over the previous year. An additional $70 million in restricted funds (government grants and contracts) brings the total budget to $288 million.
The University's budget incorporates a 4 percent tuition rate increase for undergraduate and graduate students, approved by the Board at its last meeting. Tuition and fees account for 51 percent of the current unrestricted fund revenues and 60 percent of total public funds. At the same time, the 2009-10 budget includes institutional financial aid increases of more than $1.5 million, or 6.8 percent.
The budget does not include a salary increase for faculty and staff.
The University's 2009-10 budget reflects the state appropriation decreases that occurred during the current fiscal year. In addition, a provision in anticipation of further reductions in state appropriations during 2009-10 is included. Since January 2008, three state appropriation reductions have totaled more than $6 million.
Room renovations at downtown hotel feature local art
The 367 guest rooms of the Lexington Downtown Hotel, the former Radisson that is soon to become a Hilton, are undergoing renovation and redecoration.
According to a press release, "Most of the hotel's guest accommodations will be updated with a sophisticated new look that will include designer-selected linens and window treatments, furniture and furnishings, wall coverings and carpeting and enhanced bathrooms. Continuing the Kentucky theme into the guest rooms, white headboards have been chosen that are reminiscent of picket fences found throughout the commonwealth. Calming greens and blues will be used throughout the rooms to provide each guest with a relaxing, serene environment. Large flat panel LCD televisions will be installed to blend legacy charm with progressive accents."
Local artists have been selected to display their works in the hotel lobby. The works will include a 30-foot-high sculpture of running horses to be created by Lexington sculptor Seth Tuska and installed above a fountain designed by Tamara Cassidy of Stephen Hillenmeyer Landscape Services. The new water feature will contain elements of Lexington's famous Triangle Park fountains. Both works are expected to be installed late summer.
In March, a large, 20-panel photograph of two yearling fillies titled The Glory of Kentucky, taken by world-renowned equine photographer Doug Prather on Gainesway Farm, was installed in the hotel's atrium. Four photographs, each spanning 17 feet wide by 22 feet tall, will be rotated in the space to coincide with the changing of the seasons.
The hotel remains open as it undergoes the $13 million makeover.
Children's charity attracts corporate giving
As newscasts and headlines continue to churn out stories about the dire economy and its negative impact on businesses, a familiar local charity is preparing for one of America's most enduring and profitable celebrity golf tournaments with a full contingent of corporate sponsors, celebrities and participants. On June 26 and 27, the Children's Charity Classic will be held for its 29th year after a week-long festival of entertainment and fundraising activities leading up to the golf tournament at Greenbriar Golf and Country Club and Andover Country Club.
Events are to include the "Landrum & Shouse 'Copter Drop" on Saturday (sponsored by the namesake law firm). A helicopter containing Jason Bailey (92.9) and 250 numbered golf balls will hover 50 yards above a golf hole at Greenbrier. Bailey will drop the 250 balls, and if one goes in the hole, the winner will receive $10,000. If none go in, the closest to the hole still wins $7,500. Tickets are $100 each but only 250 are sold, boosting the odds.
Proceeds from the events benefit Children's Charity of the Bluegrass (CCB), which disburses funds to dozens of children's charities in Central Kentucky each year. Founded in 1981, CCB was originally formed to help provide needed funds for the Child Development Center of the Bluegrass, an agency that offers a full range of services for children from birth to five years of age who have disabilities. Although its mission has since expanded to include other charities, CCB has no executive director and operates with a volunteer board, allowing a larger portion of their fundraising dollars to go to deserving agencies.
Major sponsors of this year's event include Valvoline, Toyota, WKYT and Central Bank. In 2002, Central Baptist Hospital, which had hosted its own charity golf tournament for several years, came on board as a major sponsor of the Children's Charity Fund of the Bluegrass.
A recent study by The Conference Board, a global independent membership organization that studies business trends, noted that issues related to the economic downturn dominate the concerns of corporate giving officers in major companies nationwide. The report, The 2009 Corporate Philanthropy Agenda: How the Economic Downturn is Affecting Corporate Giving, was based on a February 2009 survey of 158 companies on planned changes in corporate giving programs. In terms of 2009 programs, event sponsorship will see the biggest decrease, with resources falling for 55 percent of survey respondents.
"How their companies are faring overall financially is very much on the minds of leading U.S. companies when allotting their corporate philanthropy monies," said Carolyn Cavicchio, senior research associate, Global Corporate Citizenship, The Conference Board. "There is a definite shift toward more critical business issues and an increased emphasis on measuring giving outcomes."
In Lexington, businesses are making similar difficult corporate giving decisions. S&S Tire President Brooks Swentzel said his company plans to participate in the Children's Charity Classic with only one team instead of the two that participated last year. While corporate giving remains important, after evaluating the company's charitable contributions in 2007 and 2008, S&S cut back from previous years and decided to focus its efforts and support only two events in 2009.
The Children's Charity Classic is one of them. "Being a retail store, the community gives so much to us, we want to give back whenever we can," Swentzel noted. "The Children's Charity Classic is a great cause, and the money stays in our own backyard in Kentucky to help deserving agencies." - Robyn Miller