Networking

Jan. 28

Aurora University: "Talent Management and Acquisition in a Down Economy," a free workshop, will be presented by Aurora University's Human Resources Institute at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28, in the University Banquet Hall, 1410 Marseillaise Place in Aurora.

Chris Lasse, vice president of talent acquisition for Aurora's Old Second Bank, will discuss the opportunity and challenge organizations face in recruiting and retaining talent for their organizations in today's troubled economy.

The public is invited. Networking and refreshments are at 7:30 a.m.

Future HR Institute programs scheduled are:

• Feb. 25-"Trends Impacting Diversity in the Workplace," by Lisa Dussault, president, Multicultural Interfaces.

• March 25-"Technology to Help HR be More Effective," by David Dulany, assistant professor of business, Aurora University.

• April 29-"Tough Times Call for A Tough Leader," by Andy Kindler, Corporate Strategies & Solutions Inc.

• May 27-"Labor Relations Trends," by William Herrera, senior director, HR, Sysco Foods, Houston, Texas.

• June 24-"Legal trends affecting HR," speaker to be announced

• Aug. 26-"Training The Trainer 101," by Sharon Merrill, training and development specialist, DuPage Health Center.

• Sept. 30-"Immigration Issues," by Andrew Sagartz, attorney, Calmec Global Law Group.

• Oct. 28-"HR's Role as Change Risk Assessors," Vince Pellettiere, assistant professor, Aurora University.

HR Institute co-sponsors are the university's Dunham School of Business and Human Resource Management Systems, LLC, of Naperville. Call (630) 844-4894 for information.

Jan. 31

QCAACC: The Quad County African-American Chamber of Commerce presents its 2009 Jazz Brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at The Hotel Arista at CityGate Centre, 2139 City Gate Lane, Naperville.

Experience a Southern Brunch while listening to live jazz at the Hotel Arista. The chamber will be honoring Raullo Eanes owner of JetFastener Corp. as the Business Person of the Year.

Tickets are $55.00 per person. To get more information or to purchase tickets, contact Judy Dawson at (630) 859-9776 or via email judydawson@qcaachamber.com. Sponsorship opportunities are available.

Feb. 5

MCC Shah Center: McHenry County College Shah Center is offering two separate series of courses to educate employees and/or managers, including an Association for Operations Management (APICS) course series and a DDI Supervisory Leadership Series, both beginning Thursday, Feb. 5.

• The first class in the APICS series is "The Basics of Supply Chain Management," which will meet from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 5-19. "The Basics of Supply Chain Management" covers industry fundamentals and provides a comprehensive review of successful manufacturing strategies to prepare participants for the Basics of Supply Chain Management Exam. Participants will examine the basic concepts and language as well as the relationships among master planning, inventory management, forecasting, "just-in-time" manufacturing, material requirements planning, capacity management, distribution, production activity control, total quality management, and purchasing.

Industry newcomers and those seeking to advance into management roles will benefit from this course. APICS is the global leader and premier source of the body of knowledge in operations management, including production, inventory, supply chain, materials management, purchasing, and logistics.

Additional APICS series courses include Master Planning of Resources, Detailed Scheduling and Planning, Execution and Control of Operations and Strategic Management of Resources, all to be held at Shah Center throughout the year. Each course fee is $715, which includes all of the materials. When registering for "The Basics of Supply Chain Management" course, use course ID: NTE S23 001.

• The DDI Supervisory Leadership Series will meet from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Thursdays from Feb. 5 through March 26. The purpose of the DDI leadership classes are for people to accelerate their development of important interpersonal skills through eight course modules, including: Essentials of Leadership, Getting Started as a New Leader, Resolving Conflict, Delegating for Results, Setting Performance Expectations, Reviewing Performance Progress, Coaching for Success, and Achieving Your Leadership Potential. Each individual module is $155 and the eight-course series fee is discounted by 15 percent at $1,054, which includes all of the materials. Use Supervisory Leadership Series Course ID: NTL S22 001 when registering.

To register or for details, contact the Shah Center at (815) 455-8593 or at shahcenter@mchenry.edu.

By Feb. 10

WIN luncheon: Join business owners from over a dozen groups for a luncheon seminar, "Secrets for Thriving in Tough Times." Get key tips for getting noticed, marketing a professional service, avoiding sales mistakes, and much more from Scott Metcalfe of Empire Consulting. Stay after the program and join them for a bonus targeted networking session, "321 Contact!"

This program is co-sponsored by multiple area chambers of commerce and business groups, and is presented by the Illinois Small Business Development Centers at Waubonsee and Elgin Community Colleges. The program is part of the Women's Intergroup Networking Luncheon series, which brings together women in business from throughout the Fox Valley and surrounding areas. The program is open to men and women.

The luncheon program will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at Lincoln Inn Banquets, 1345 S. Batavia Ave. (Route 31), Batavia. The optional 321 Contact! session will run from 1 to 2 p.m.

The fee is $30, or $25 for members of co-sponsoring organizations and chambers of commerce. Reservations are required and must be made by Feb. 10. Contact Libbey Zanker at (630) 906-4143 or ezanker@waubonsee.edu for reservations or information.

Feb. 18

Cary Area Chamber: A Fox River Grove Business Roundtable with keynote speaker Cindy Cramer, acting village president, will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at the Fox River Grove Village Hall, 305 Illinois St. The cost is $10 and includes a box lunch. Cramer will discuss the village development process, the village's banner sponsorship program, new business and more. For information, visit www.carygrovechamber.com or call the chamber at (847) 639-2800. The Cary Business Roundtable is held by the Cary Area Chamber of Commerce each year to connect local business professionals and the public with village leaders for firsthand updates on the state of the community and local business. After the update the floor will be open to questions.

Feb. 27, March 31, April 30, May 31

Dreyer Medical Clinic's Occupational Health Services Department invites all local businesses to attend their free seminar series titled, "Workers' Compensation in Today's Economy." Four separate sessions will be offered, covering various topics with presentations by industry professionals.

"Workers' Compensation in Today's Economy: A Seminar Series" will be held at Dreyer Medical Clinic's West Downer Place classroom, located at 1877 West Downer Place, Aurora.

The four sessions will take place from 8 to 10 a.m. on the following dates and will cover these topics:

Session 1: The Illinois Workers' Compensation Act, Friday, Feb. 27.

Session 2: Proactive Claims Management, Tuesday, March 31.

Session 3: Safety and Loss Control, Thursday, April 30.

Session 4: Fraud and Surveillance, Thursday, May 31.

For each session, registration and coffee will begin at 7:30 a.m.

"Workers' Compensation in Today's Economy: A Seminar Series" is offered to area businesses who are interested in learning about current Illinois Workers' Compensation law, how they can lower workers' compensation costs in today's economy, and how they can battle fraud.

Seating is limited; so to reserve your place or request information, contact Stephanie Bulger at Stephanie.Bulger@Dreyermed.com, (630) 906-5439, or Christine Normando at Christine.Normando@Dreyermed.com, (630) 906-5438.