Published: July 04, 2008 01:13 pm            

7-5 Business briefs

Municipal League names Stager as executive director

The Oklahoma Municipal League has named Carolyn Stager as executive director. The appointment was made at a July 2 meeting of the organization’s board of directors and came after an extensive executive search process. Stager has served OML for more than 20 years as chief lobbyist, chief operating officer and most recently as interim executive director.

Stager joined OML in 1987 as assistant director of intergovernmental relations. She was promoted to chief operating officer in 2000. She has a master’s degree with honors in political science/urban affairs from the University of Central Oklahoma.

“Promoting the interests of Oklahoma’s towns and cities has been my mission since I joined OML,” Stager said. “The League is such a positive force in Oklahoma for municipalities and the people who live in them. I’m honored by this appointment, I’m energized to build upon what we’ve already accomplished together and I’m eager to lead Oklahoma municipalities to even greater successes.”



Oklahomans now eligible for emergency unemployment compensation

Jobless workers in Oklahoma who have exhausted their state unemployment benefits now can apply for an extra 13 weeks of emergency unemployment compensation.

This unemployment benefit extension will run through March and follows on the heels of May’s 0.5 percent jump in the national unemployment rate, the rate’s largest one-month increase since 1986.

To be eligible for emergency unemployment compensation, an individual must have exhausted all rights to state unemployment benefits on or after May 1, 2007.

Jobless workers who qualify can receive up to 13 extra weeks of unemployment benefits.

An individual’s weekly emergency unemployment compensation payment will be the same amount that the person received each week in state unemployment benefits on their prior claim.

Beginning Monday, emergency unemployment compensation claims can be filed through the Unemployment Insurance Service Centers by calling 525-1500 in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

UI Service Center hours will be expanded through July 24 to accommodate the filing of these claims.

The extended hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Friday.



Homeowners, renters, businesses get help with disaster preparedness

SBA’s Live Web Chat with Diana McClure, director of Business Protection at the Institute for Business and Home Safety will answer questions from 1-2 p.m. Thursday.

McClure will share her insight on disaster preparedness and emergency readiness for homeowners, renters and business owners.

She will answer questions about how to plan for physical disasters, including how to recover from property damage and economic loss.

McClure’s business continuity approach is based on IBHS’ Open for Business program, a toolkit geared toward small to mid-sized businesses.

The toolkit and an online training series are available for free to help business owners complete their disaster plan at www.DisasterSafety.org. The toolkit also is available in Spanish.

McClure will answer questions for one hour.

Participants can join the live Web chat by going online to www.sba.gov, and clicking “Online Business Chat.”

Web chat participants may post questions before the Thursday chat by visiting http://app1.sba.gov/livemeeting/jul08/index.cfm and posting their questions online.



‘Earnie’s Corner’ encourages youth to save

Allegiance Credit Union announces the newest addition to its Edmond office — Earnie’s Corner. The special area, created for the credit union’s younger members, is designed so that children can have a fun experience depositing money into their accounts.

“With the national savings rate in the negative, we are trying to do all we can to educate children from an early age about the importance of saving money,” Lynette Leonard, president and CEO of Allegiance Credit Union, said. “It is our hope that this new center will make children eager to come in and deposit their money.”

“Earnie’s Corner” was named after the credit union’s mascot “Earnie the Eagle” and features a mural with pictures of Earnie. When a child walks up to the area, they are able to pick up a phone to speak with a teller, while visually seeing them in the monitor, and then send their money up in a tube that goes through the ceiling and into the back teller area. When the teller sends the child back his or her receipt, they also will be given a special prize for their deposit.

To kick off the opening of Earnie’s Corner, Allegiance will have a grand opening celebration from 4-6 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Edmond office at 1925 S. Kelly.

There will be refreshments, prizes, and games for the whole family. New account representatives will also be available to open youth accounts, and of course Earnie the Eagle will be on hand to welcome the public.

For more information on Earnie’s Corner or to open a saving account, call Laurie Stratton at 789-7900, ext. 2289.



The Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce will have a workshop titled “Survivor: Conquering the Current Economy” from 9-11 a.m. July 10 at the chamber. RSVP at info@edmondchamber.com or call 341-2808.

        

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