Madison Chamber Annual Dinner
Greene,
MainSource Bank
honored with service awards
New
Madison Mayor Welch
unveils city’s new marketing logo
By
Don Ward
Editor
(February 2012) – When Bob Greene came to Madison
from Indianapolis five years ago, he planned on staying only two weeks
to help his son sell his home. But instead he fell in love with the
town and soon made it his passion to help clean up a dilapidated area
along the riverfront to help make way for the fledgling Heritage Trail
project.
As a result of Greene’s enthusiasm and dedication, and the work
of dozens of volunteers and financial contributors – mostly solicited
by Greene – the Heritage Trail is now complete, offering residents
and visitors a unique paved walking and bicycling path that connects
the hilltop at the Madison State Hospital to the riverfront. Greene
also was assisted in cleanup efforts by women prisoners from the Madison
Correctional Facility.
“I accept this award on behalf of all of those volunteers, who
are too many to mention,” Greene said. “There were literally
hundreds of volunteers with whom I had the privilege of working alongside
these past five years.”
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Photo
by Don Ward Bob
Greene of the Heritage Trail |
Greene listed many supporters that included Meredith Gregg,
Peter Ellis, Rodney Kelly, and Tony and Lisa Hammock. He also thanked
the city and county highway departments and the original Heritage Trail
committee members, which included Tom Pritchard, Karen Bump, Fernando
Rubio, Jim Olson, Rich Ries and Kathy Rohfling.
Heritage Trail has the potential, Greene said while taking the opportunity
to promote the project, to become “the premier trail in the Midwest.”
But Greene isn’t finished. He now is fundraising again in hopes
of purchasing even more land near the Ohio River to establish Heritage
Park, which like the trail, would be managed under what is now called
the Heritage Trail Conservancy. For his efforts, Greene was presented
with the prestigious Jeff Garrett Community Service Award by the Madison
Area Chamber of Commerce.
That award, along with the Business Citizenship Award, which was given
to MainSource Bank, were presented Jan. 25 at the chamber’s Annual
Dinner, held at Hanover College’s Brown Campus Center. The event
attracted 250 people at $40 per ticket and generated another $1,000
for the chamber via a silent auction.
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Photo by Don Ward Dwayne
Cole accepts the Business |
MainSource Bank, with five locations in Jefferson County,
was honored for its many contributions to various organizations and
specifically the city police department’s canine unit. The bank
also provided rent-free space for two years in its downtown Madison
branch for displaced workers from the Jefferson County Courthouse in
the aftermath of the May 20, 2009, fire. Bank employees also helped
set up the technology and furniture for courthouse staffers in making
them feel welcome.
The chamber also recognized Martha Ray of The Office Shop as its “Chamber
Ambassador of the Year.”
Dwayne Cole, Market President at MainSource Bank, took over as board
president from outgoing president Tony Ratcliff of the Ohio Theatre.
Ratcliff called his term “a difficult year with a lot of transition.”
Cole, meanwhile, said it would be his “passion to make the chamber
relevant again in Jefferson County.” He outlined five initiatives
for the chamber in 2012 that included providing business resources,
members services, advocacy for public policy, leadership and enhancing
quality of life. Each initiative is being addressed by various committee
chairs. He also noted that the chamber would be revamping its website
and merging it with Economic Development Partners, which now shares
the chamber office and administrative staff.
The city’s Branding Leadership Team, meanwhile, took the opportunity
to unveil its new logo, which went up the very same day around town
on newly erected directional signs. Over the next few weeks, this logo
will be installed around the city, according to tourism officials. New
signage and banners will be going up on the hilltop and downtown. There
are even logo sweatshirts and umbrellas for sale in the Lanier-Madison
Visitor Center gift store at 601 W. First St.
The logo was later made available to the attendees on CDs as they left
the chamber dinner.
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Photo
by Don Ward The
Office Shop’s Martha Ray is |
“I like it; it’s colorful and fun and I think
it will be well received by the community,” said Linda Lytle, executive
director of VisitMadison Inc.
Jenny Eggenspiller, who chaired the Branding Leadership Team, said she
was very impressed with RLR Associates and how well they listened to
the committee and its wishes. “I think this new logo will serve
us well into the future,” she said.
The Branding Leadership Team is a group of 14 business owners and civic
leaders who have been meeting for two years on developing a brand and
marketing materials to support it, along with the helped of three consulting
firms hired to assist in the project.
The logo unveiling was the culmination of a process that began in 2008
when Seattle-based tourism consultant Roger Brooks was first hired for
$50,000 to develop a brand campaign. The project was launched with a
$20,000 grant awarded through the Madison Main Street Program. Matching
funds were provided by the city of Madison, Economic Development Partners,
the chamber, the Jefferson County Board of Tourism and the Community
Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County.
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New
Madison |
Brooks’ year-long study of Madison resulted in a
68-page document and a “brand” for Madison promoting “America’s
Traditional Lifestyles.” Brooks wanted another $25,000 to develop
the marketing campaign to support the brand.
The Branding Leadership Team, instead, chose to go in a different direction
and hired two Indianapolis firms – RLR Associates and Hirons Inc.–
to complete the process. The logo was developed by RLR Associates for
$30,500. A new PR and advertising campaign strategy has been developed
by Hirons at a cost of $24,600.
In all, the campaign to develop a brand and the accompanying marketing
plan has cost the city $105,100. Another $205,000 in Milton-Madison
Bridge Mitigation funds has been allocated to Madison to spend on advertising
in the coming months to help offset the negative economic impact of
the bridge project. Tourism officials wanted to complete the Branding
process before the re-opening celebration of the new bridge, now scheduled
to take place sometime in early 2013. City officials say they want to
plan a large celebration around the bridge re-opening, similar to the
weeklong Madison Bicentennial, which took place in June 2009.
CDs containing digital files of the logo, as well as the standards by
which it should be displayed, are available for free at the chamber
office, the Lanier-Madison Visitors Center, City Hall, Thomas Family
Winery and Village Lights Bookstore. Local business owners are urged
to use the logo to help promote Madison.