Greetings Everyone:

 

This is an email to test the new BNI email distribution list, and to congratulate our BNI Chapter in reaching Core status.  All the hard work for visitor's day has paid off, along with all the months preceding in our effort to launch this!

 

We have come a long way from the first days at the Marquez Mexican Restaurant and then the Biltmore Cafe, attempting to get our chapter off the ground.

 

Linda Nerstad was the original member who kick started this idea having a BNI Chapter here in Incline Village.  I have Linda to thank since she was the who shared the idea with me early on, and a group of about 4 of us met with Willie Kerschner at Marquez Mexican Restaurant at 7:00 AM  (Early start time for Willie Kerschner, who drove from Virgina City each week to help us in our struggle to kick start the chapter), for a couple of months.

 

Our chapter membership is made up from some of the finest people in North Tahoe area and a pleasure getting to know, thanks to their commitment.  A special thank you is in order to those Pre-Core members below who stuck with it:

 

1) Dennis & Linda Nerstad - Kicking off the idea of a local BNI Chapter, and getting so many out to attend.

2) Shawn Noe - for spearheading visitor's day, and providing sound advice as a PRE-CORE member.

3) Sally Small - for getting us such a great place to hold our visitor's day meeting, her encouraging comments to the leadership group (keeping us going) and her work on membership committee.

4) Virva Porcelli - who has done such an awesome job educating us about building our businesses and how to pass referrals.

5) Bill Ferrall - Providing great wisdom to the membership committee, and keeping us entertained with his great sense of humor, making this fun.

6) Shannon Pisano - Our newest BNI member who did a great job on Visitor's Day Signs, and who has also stepped into the Secretary/Treasurer's position.

 

Most important I would like to congratulate the following new applicants who saw the value of BNI, and have submitted applications (some already accepted):

 

1) Melissa Wolken - American Family Insurance

2) Gwen Gilliam Hicks - Virtual Trust Real Estate Investment

3) Janna Allen - Empire Contractors

4) Dave Koch - Alpine Custom Interiors

5) Davis Clark - A. & C.C. Technologies

6) Ken Viel - Residential Rentals

7) Lucy Canton - C & W Cleaning Services

 

We have a great group of people, with lots of diversity.  Please remember we need to continue to invite other businesses in order to grow the membership.  The more people in the chapter, the better the opportunity to receive business.  Please feel free to invite visitors to each meeting (Except June 14, 2007 which is our chapter's MSP Training for our membership, instructed by Andrea Boyd).  We are looking into changing our meeting venue to a larger meeting space, to accommodate growth.

 

I also wish to extend a special thank you to Willie Kerschner, and Andrea Boyd for sticking with us and for all the encouragement.

 

Finally, below are two interest links dedicated to our chapter:

 

http://www.sierratech.org/bni.htm  Incline Tahoe BNI Chapter webpage.  It was suggested to list the membership contact information on our website, and I will be adding this at a later date.

 

bni_inclinevillage@yahoogroups.com Is our Yahoo Groups site for our chapter.  If you join the group, then all of the reminders (on the calendar) and messages will be sent to your email.  Also a great place to read the history of our chapter.  If you are not clear on how to use YAHOO groups, I will be demonstrating how to register and post to the group at a later meeting.

 

Have a great weekend, and see everyone next week!

Robert E. Rappaport

SierraTech LLC

Incline Village, NV

(775) 831-1232

 

Electronic Design Consultants & Internet Services

www.sierratech.org (Customer Support Website)