LIVE UNITED!

Amanda from our Marketing Dept. lives UNITED and stylish! Be sure to show your support at the Whatcom County United Way Awards Banquet on March 14^th!  More information here.

 

Congratulations to all the nominees:

 

Gold Standard Award

Partner Agency that went above and beyond during the campaign

American Red Cross Mt. Baker Chapter

Opportunity Council

Whatcom Counseling & Psychiatric Clinic

 

Chairman's Award

Extraordinary year-round partnership with United Way

Ferndale School Disrict

Whatcom Educational Credit Union

UPS-SCS

 

Campaign Champion

Volunteer(s) who put in tremendous amount of effort and advocacy in the Campaign

Pat Polluck & Ria Bordian- BP Cherry Point

Ray Perry- Heath- Techna

Sara Wilson- CFD

 

Joseph & Anne McClain Award

Outstanding success in this year's campaign

Heath Techna

Mills Electric

PowerTek Electric

 

Company Achievement Award

Steady and multiyear long excellent and overall Corporate support

Bellingham Cold Storage

Matrix

Samson Rope

 

Spirit of United Way

Campaign that embodies the "spirit" of United Way- Going above and beyond,

Sargento

Timken

Whatcom County Government

Thank you to everyone who helped make 2012 another successful year!

FREE NETWORKING WORKSHOP

Patti Rowlson, owner of PR Consulting Services joins The Unity Group’s Monthly Brew workshop series line-up on April 10th to share some of her favorite tips for ensuring networking success.

Face-to-face networking can be an important marketing tool by providing opportunities to develop mutually beneficial relationships and turn casual “connections” into valuable advocates...yet it’s reported that 80% of professionals are just not comfortable with networking!

It is free to attend this and any of the other Monthly Brew workshops which will also feature Telling Your Business Story on March 12, Protecting Your Business from Cyber Threats on May 14, and Time Management on June 13.

These workshops are held on the second week of every month from 8am until 9am at 110 Unity Street, Bellingham. 

For more information on upcoming workshop topics and instructions on how to register, please visit http://www.theunitygroup.com/monthlybrew.html.

UNITY GROUP HOSTS FREE BUSINESS WORKSHOPS

Since October 2011, The Unity Group has offered free monthly workshops to local businesses entitled Monthly Brew.  Guest speakers are invited into Unity’s training center to educate business leaders on a variety of topics to help with sustainability, efficiency, productivity and profitability.

Topics include marketing, bookkeeping, HR, tax planning, and Social Media.  All topics are taught in a comfortable, non-sales atmosphere.  Monthly Brew workshops are held on the second Tuesday of every month from 8am until 9am at 110 Unity Street, Bellingham.  There is no cost to attend but registration is required.

The next workshop is titled HR 101 for Small Businesses and will be taught by Patricia Dye of HR Consulting NW, LLC.  Patricia has over 20 years of experience in human resources in multiple industries.

For more information on upcoming workshop topics and instructions on how to register, please visit http://www.theunitygroup.com/monthlybrew.html.

UNITY GROUP DONATES $5,000 TO BELLINGHAM FOOD BANK

The Unity Group is pleased to announce in lieu of corporate gifts they have chosen to make a $5,000 donation to the Bellingham Food Bank’s – Food Bank Fresh program.  Unity was a founding sponsor of this program last year and with its success is happy to continue supporting the program.  Their founding contribution resulted in the production of 8,000 pounds of food to the food bank throughout 2012.   “We are hopeful this contribution will provide over 10,000 visitors per month to the food bank with fresh, locally grown, organic produce throughout 2013,” says Barry Hanson, President of The Unity Group. 

For more information about the Food Bank Fresh program, please visit the Bellingham Food Bank’s web site at www.bellinghamfoodbank.org. 

UNITY GROUP TO SPEAK AT NW FOOD PROCESSOR’S EXPO

Andy Billingsley, Employee Benefits Specialist at The Unity Group Insurance and Employee Benefits will be a guest speaker at the 99^th Annual NW Food Processors Expo and Conference to be held in Portland, Oregon, January 14^th-16^th, 2013.  Andy, partnered with Kristine Bingman Esq. of Vigilant, will speak on the latest components of the Health Care Reform debate, the Affordable Care Act, IRS rules, and creative cost control strategies.  Human Resource Professionals who attend their session will earn 1.5 HRCI credits.  This session is among 40 educational opportunities available during the conference.

The expo will host over 400 exhibitor booths and will attract over 3000 industry professionals from around the world.  Limited free tickets are available to individuals from the food processing industry who would like to attend this event.  Please contact Amanda Brock at amandab@theunitygroup.com for more details.

For more information about the NW Food Processors Expo and Conference, please visit the organization’s website at http://www.nwfpa.org/expo2013.

FREE FLOOD INSURANCE WORKSHOPS FOR LENDERS AND REALTORS

The Unity Group Insurance will be hosting two free workshops on Flood Insurance Essentials on October 22^nd (4-5pm) and October 23^rd (8-9am).  Both sessions will be held at 110 Unity Street in Bellingham.  The workshops will be taught by a Certified Floodplain Manager who is flying in from Arizona specifically for these courses. 

Talking points include: The Definition of Flood, Flood Zone Determination, Mandatory Purchase Agreements, and Coverage Requirements.  Attendees are encouraged to submit questions prior to the event as the presenter would like to address as many inquires as possible in the allotted time. 

“We feel it’s necessary to provide as much education as possible to local lenders and realtors on the National Flood Insurance Program," said Amelia Mendenhall, Personal Insurance Agent. "By providing information to other local professionals to better educate buyers in Whatcom County, smarter purchases will be made and everyone is at less financial risk the event of a flood. Increased flood insurance coverage in flood-prone areas can reduce tax dollars spent on future flood-related disasters. This information really helps everyone in the community."

UNITY GROUP OFFERING SALES TRAINING

Kari Glennon, Partner and Sales Leader at The Unity Group, will be conducting sales training in addition to the organization’s currently provided services.  Samples of topics include: Personal Branding, Improving Value Propositions, Advanced Questions Asking Skills and Overcoming Objections.  This service is available to clients and non-clients on a project basis and can be customized for each organization.

Kari earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Puget Sound and has 17 years of experience in Sales and Marketing. She finds staying connected to the pulse of the market key to providing quality counsel to organizations whom she provides training and consultation.

“I am passionate about education and believe by offering enrichment opportunities, we are ultimately helping with the sustainability of our business community” said Amanda Brock, Marketing & Events Coordinator for The Unity Group. “With Kari’s background and expertise, it only seemed natural to offer sales training which can be a fundamental part to any business’ successful growth.”