Bob Willis is in his twelfth year as a partner with the law firm of Petronzio Schneier in Lyndhurst. He also has been the area director for BNI-Business Network Int’l. in Northeast Ohio for the past five years. In his five years with BNI, he has helped grow the number of chapters from three to 25.

It is in his role as area BNI director that Bob will address the June 14 membership meeting of Lake Communicators. We all have networks, but do we take full advantage of them to grow our businesses? To help you answer that question, Bob will discuss “Getting the Highest Return on Your Relationships,” explaining how to use our existing networks to their fullest advantage.

He also will discuss how to focus on referral sources, rather than end users, to maximize the limited time we all have to promote our businesses.

Since it is so easy to get caught up in “selling,” important distinctions will be drawn between this function and actual networking. Ultimately, Bob will show you how to get the highest return on your relationships.

BNI is the world’s largest word-of-mouth referral organization with more than 4,100 chapters worldwide. BNI is a business networking organization that offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts, and most importantly, referrals.

In addition to his law degree and MBA, he is a
certified networker through BNI’s sister company, the Certified Networker Program (CNP).

Bob grew up in Bainbridge and resides in Aurora with his wife and two daughters.  

It’s time to start rounding up your entries for the 2006 Apex Awards, Oct. 18. We are looking to make this year’s awards ceremony a night to remember with great friends and creative work.

If you have created a unique communication piece/program between Aug. 1, 2005, and Sept. 1, 2006, for a Lake County organization, or you live or work in Lake County, your work can qualify for entry.

You will receive the official 2006 call for entries in the mail this summer. The earlybird deadline for entries is Aug. 23; final deadline, Sept. 18. So start looking at your work with an eye toward showing us what you’ve got.

Remember to please help us grow the Apex Awards awareness by recommending names of people and organizations that should be added to our invitation list.

Also, if your company is interested in being a sponsor or you know someone who is, please contact Jerie Green at jgreen@lakenetwork.net or (440) 975-9580 to submit names, addresses and e-mail addresses.   

Every other year she serves as a kitchen coordinator for the Wolfgang Puck Five-Star Sensation, the biannual fund raiser for University Hospital Ireland Cancer Center, which raised $1.3 million in 2005.

She recently completed the certificate program in
sales and marketing at the Weatherhead School of
Management, Case Western Reserve University.
Barb is now head of marketing and development for
Mentor Public Library. She also is the regional spokesperson for Honeysuckle White Turkey, a division of Cargill Meat Solutions. So, if someone shows up at a meeting wearing a turkey suit, you’ll know who it is.

She also was director of development for Breckenridge Village, Heather Hill and Rose-Mary Center.

Prior to becoming director of special giving, Holly spent seven years in the department of institutional advancement there. She is a six-year member of the Crossroads board of trustees.

She collects antique copies of “The Night Before Christmas” books and related items, egg cups, Ginny dolls, Boyd’s bears and holly pins. She plays the piano, does cross-stitch embroidery and enjoys reading.  

Advertising experience, for example, might include research, copy writing, media etc. A list of mentors would then be prepared by category, with contact information included. This list would be available on our Web site.

Members who need help in a particular communication area would contact the appropriate listed mentor for assistance. The type of counsel would be up to the two parties, with discussions informal and considered confidential.

Do you have valuable experience and knowledge in certain communication areas? If so, please consider sharing it with others in our organization. Members were invited to join the Lake Communicators’ Mentoring Program at the last meeting.

If you have any questions, call committee member “Dee” Logan, an accredited mentor of the Public Relations Society of America, at (440) 357-4471 or return the form distributed at the May meeting. 

The eight-page brochure is truly an in-house publication. Member Judy Cerne arranged for the brochure to be designed by McKinney Advertising & PR in Cleveland where she is president and CEO. Member Jim Jones at Jones Printing Service in Willoughby printed the brochure, which easily fits into a business-size envelope for mailing.

Pick up a handful at the next meeting and pass them out to your marketing and PR friends.

Monthly Meetings
Membership meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month at the Comfort Inn & Conference Center, 7701 Reynolds Road, just south of Rt. 2. Lunch meetings are held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. and include networking and a half hour program. Breakfast meetings are held from 7:45 to 9 a.m. Guests are always welcome.

Advance reservations are required by replying to Shirley Wolfe's e-mail at wolfeshirley@yahoo.com or by calling Diana Lewis at (440) 255-8932 by the Friday prior to the meeting. You may send a substitute; no-shows will be billed. Members $10, guests $15.