Managing IP Selects Mandy Wilson Decker to 2023 “Top 250 Women in IP” List for Ninth Time

Decker is the Only Attorney Honored from Kentucky

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 25, 2023)Managing Intellectual Property (Managing IP) magazine recently selected  Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorney Mandy Wilson Decker to the 2023 edition of Managing IP’s “Top 250 Women in IP.” This is the ninth time Decker has been honored on this list, and she is the only attorney honored from Kentucky.

The “Top 250 Women in IP” list recognizes the leading women IP lawyers at the international level. Nominees are selected from the global research conducted for Managing IP’s 2023 “IP Stars” list, which included extensive client and peer interviews. The highest-ranking women attorneys from that list make up the “Top 250 Women in IP.”

Decker is a Member (Partner) of Stites & Harbison based in Louisville and Lexington. She is a Registered Patent Attorney. Her practice focuses on intellectual property protection strategy, including counseling clients on infringement, validity and patentability, transfer of intellectual property, patent drafting and patent prosecution. Contributing to her practice is a scientific background in chemistry and experience with academic and commercial research in the areas of biochemistry, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sciences. Decker is regularly called upon to speak across the country on issues relating to patent prosecution, protecting intellectual property, intellectual property strategies in a global marketplace and life sciences technologies.

Outside of the firm, Decker is active in a variety of professional and community organizations. She is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the Association of University Technology Managers. Decker is Chair of Kentucky Intellectual Property Alliance’s Board of Advisors. She is Chair-Elect of the Kentucky Bar Association Intellectual Property Section. Additionally, she is a member of Legal Aid Society’s Justice for All Campaign Committee and an active volunteer at Saint Agnes in Louisville, Ky.

About Stites & Harbison

Stites & Harbison, PLLC is a nationally recognized, full-service law firm. With 11 offices across six states — Kentucky, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia — the firm represents clients across the United States and internationally. Tracing its origins to 1832, Stites & Harbison is known as a preeminent firm managing sophisticated transactions, challenging litigation and complex regulatory matters on a daily basis. For more information, visit www.stites.com.

Southern Indiana to Host Tour Operators from Across the U.S. at 2024 Conference

Travel Alliance Partners Meet in SoIN for TAP Dance Travel Conference June 9-11, 2024

Southern Indiana (July 19, 2023) – Travel Alliance Partners (TAP) has announced Southern Indiana as the host destination for its 2024 TAP Dance Travel Conference taking place June 9-11, 2024. Held annually since 2001, TAP Dance brings together premier North American Tour Operators offering tour products from around the world.

“TAP is thrilled to be bringing our unique travel conference, TAP Dance, to SoIN in 2024,” said Lisa Doerner, TAP Executive Director. “This site was selected because of the demonstrated collaboration by the regional partners. Todd Read, Trade & Consumer Sales Manager for SoIN Tourism, engaged area hospitality partners to build a conference that reflects the high-quality transportation, accommodations, entertainment, food and attractions that TAP Dance attendees expect. We look forward to showing off this beautiful region to travel industry professionals.”

During the conference, preferred professional travel providers, including SoIN Tourism’s Todd Read, will have the opportunity to meet with tour operators to showcase their destinations and products.

“The daytime appointments are a great starting point and introduction, but it’s the moments in between when you really get to know the operators, get to know what they are looking for and build relationships,” Read said. “Hosting this conference will put Southern Indiana, its restaurants, attractions and other businesses in front of the country’s top tour providers, making a case for inclusion in tour products and planting a seed for future visits.”

TAP Dance 2024 will take place at the Sheraton Louisville Riverside Hotel in Jeffersonville, Ind. TAP 2023 attendees booked approximately 500 room nights in host city Rochester, NY. In addition to an uptick in overnight stays, TAP 2024 attendees will shop, dine and explore Southern Indiana during their stay.

“Studies we’ve commissioned in the past show that people who visit SoIN have a more favorable impression of our destination than those who haven’t been here before,” said SoIN Tourism Executive Director Jim Epperson. “Conference attendees will get to see, firsthand, what makes Southern Indiana a great standalone trip, as well as a great part of a lengthier, multi-destination vacation.”

The 2024 TAP Dance Travel Conference location was shared with industry professionals at the 2023 conference in June. During the conference, TAP officials also named Todd Read the winner of the annual “Spirit of TAP” award.

The Spirit of TAP Award was established in 2012 after the loss of one of TAP’s tour operators, Ann Thomas of Western Discovery. Each year TAP recognizes a preferred professional travel provider who truly has the vision and embodies the true spirit of collaboration that is TAP. This honor is given to someone who has participated in TAP on multiple levels, recognizes the value of collaboration and represents TAP as an ambassador to other industry professionals.

If you are interested in interviewing someone about the 2024 TAP Dance Travel Conference or if you would like more details, please contact Communications Manager Anna Rosales-Crone at Anna@GoSoIN.com or 812-282-6692.

SoIN Tourism is the official destination marketing organization for Clark and Floyd counties in Southern Indiana, just north of Louisville, Ky. Offering authentic experiences in the Kentuckiana region, SoIN includes historic downtowns in Jeffersonville and New Albany, Clarksville’s retail corridor, as well as the communities of Charlestown, Floyds Knobs, Henryville, Memphis, New Washington, Sellersburg and Starlight. Visitors who would like more information can visit the destination’s website, GoSoIN.com.

 

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Town of Clarksville Selects New Economic Development Director

Tammi Gibson comes to Clarksville from Washington County, Indiana.

CLARKSVILLE, IN (July 26, 2023) – Clarksville administrators have selected a new Economic Development Director to continue building on the success and momentum currently underway in the growing southern Indiana community.  Clarksville Town Manager Kevin Baity announced that Tammi Gibson will be joining the Town staff beginning August 7th.

“Clarksville is exploding with new development, so it is no surprise that we had a great amount of interest in the position,” said Kevin Baity, Clarksville Town Manager.  “We are very happy Tammi will be joining our team and hit the ground running with her vast business experience and knowledge of Southern Indiana.”

Gibson comes to Clarksville after spending the last two years as Executive Director of the Washington County Economic Growth Partnership in Salem, Indiana.  Her background includes a wealth of experience in sales territory management, real estate, marketing, website management, and more.  Gibson holds a degree in Communications Management from Robert Morris University.

“I am flattered that the Town of Clarksville selected me as the new Economic Development Director, said Gibson.  “Our region has such a strong pool of worthy candidates, and I am thrilled to be chosen to lead Clarksville into the future.”

Gibson joins the Town of Clarksville at an exciting time with tremendous growth currently underway in South Clarksville, a new 3C Master Plan for the future of the Lewis and Clark Parkway corridor, and increased opportunities for redevelopment of vacant retail.

“Clarksville has such a great mix of history and new development,” said Gibson.  “It is apparent that everyone associated with the town is passionate for future growth, while maintaining the history and charming aspects. I am excited to work with such a proactive and motivated team.”

Gibson resides in Salem with her husband Mark and her daughter Maggie.  Her son Jimmy is currently a student at the University of Louisville.

 

 

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Phoenix Theatres Entertainment to Operate New Albany 16 Theatre, New Albany, IN

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., July 19, 2023 — Phoenix Theatres Entertainment, LLC will be the new operator of the New Albany 16 Theatre in New Albany, IN. The former Regal Cinema will close early next week and will be closed for only a few days as the operational changes take place. The theatre’s re-opening will be on Thursday, August 3rd with such films as “Barbie,” “Oppenheimer,” “Mission Impossible,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” “Haunted Mansion,” and “Meg 2: The Trench.” Admission prices will be at or below the previous levels.

Most features of the theatre will remain the same with all the previous managers and employees staying with the theatre. Concession offerings will include a selection of candy, Orville Redenbacher popcorn, sodas, nachos, hot dogs, pretzels, and Icee products. The future may bring freshly cooked small-plate food items and possibly alcoholic offerings. Concession pricing will be comparable with previous levels.

Advanced reserved seating will be available for all auditoriums. With online reservations at phoenixtheatres.com, individuals, couples, families, or groups will be able to ensure great pre-assigned, reserved seating for any movie at any time. Advanced ticketing is highly recommended for this theatre. Phoenix Theatres will offer a loyalty program to reward regular customers with free movies and food items based on their purchases. Free membership will be available at the box office or concession stand.

The theatre is completely accessible for people with disabilities, and special equipment is available to assist moviegoers who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision.

“Phoenix Theatres is proud to keep the New Albany 16 Theatre open for its past patrons who have been loyal customers for several decades. Too many theatres have closed in the past few years and left towns without a movie theatre for their community,” said Phil Zacheretti, President & CEO of Phoenix Theatres Entertainment. “We will re-open on Thursday, August 3rd and continue to serve the greater New Albany area for years to come.”

About Phoenix Theatres Entertainment

Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, Phoenix Theatres Entertainment is the world’s largest movie theatre management company. They focus on great customer service and the highest quality film presentation. They currently manage or own 117 screens at 11 locations in ten states. They are privately owned and were founded in 2001.

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Economic Update | On Final Approach for a Soft Landing?

submitted by

Uric Dufrene, Ph.D., Interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Sanders Chair in Business, Indiana University Southeast

The big data point over the past two weeks was the print on CPI (Consumer Price Index). The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the annual change in the CPI declined to 3.0% in June, down from the prior month of 4%.  The 3.0% was less than expected and equity markets finished higher on the day. The core rate, which is CPI less food and energy, also declined, from 5.3% in May to 4.8% in June. The “stickiness” of inflation, sometimes described by officials and economists, refers to this core rate. The core for June came in under the consensus estimate and declined ½% from May to June.  The month-over-month change was .2%, compared to .4% in the prior month. Even though the core rate had been declining since September 2022 when it peaked at 6.7%, this was the largest monthly drop since. The reason why this was a significant report is that the narrative for two additional interest rate changes this year changed almost instantaneously. Yields on 2-year and 10-year Treasuries dropped as soon as the report was released.  The CME Fed Watch Tool is pricing another hike in July, but the probabilities favor this to be the last hike.  Prior to the CPI release, two additional hikes were on the table. While two hikes are still possible for the rest of the year, that scenario is now unlikely. 

More evidence of disinflation came the next day with the release of the PPI (Producer Price Index).   The year-over-year change in the PPI was 2.4% in June, down from 2.6% in May.    Taking the monthly change of .1% in June and stretching this out over a year would produce a year-over-year change of 1.2%.      

The economy is not yet in a recession, and one is not likely in 2023. National manufacturing, however, continues to be in a slump.  The last employment report saw manufacturing gain only 7,000 jobs, higher than the previous decline of 3,000.  The ISM manufacturing measure declined to 46, from the previous month of 46.9;  under 50 shows a contraction in manufacturing, and above 50 shows expansion.  The number has been under 50 since October 2022.   Both new orders and the backlog of orders have been trending down all year.  Even though the overall index has been declining for almost a year now, it is not quite yet at a level that coincides with a recession. The lower 40s range is closer to recessionary territory. While national manufacturing is seeing a slowdown, we are not seeing the same in the Louisville Metro region.    Preliminary payroll data show that manufacturing payrolls are growing at a rate that exceeds overall payroll growth. One possible reason is the pent-up demand that we are seeing in automobile sales and the impact on area manufacturers. 

The national slowdown in manufacturing was anticipated due to the surge in goods spending experienced during the pandemic and the months following.  As the economy reopened and spending transitioned from goods to services, goods spending had to normalize. The services economy continues to grow, however.  The last ISM services index came in at 53.9, compared to 50.3 the prior month, and higher than the consensus estimate of 51. As inflation continues to moderate, consumer optimism will increase, providing further support to the service economy.  The latest Michigan consumer sentiment survey saw a big jump in optimism, with the index coming in at 72.6 compared to 64.4 in the prior month. To be sure, consumers are still in the doldrums when we compare current levels of sentiment to historical levels.  But the optimism is on the upswing.   The Conference Board consumer confidence measure is more favorable and has been trending upward since July 2022.

We’ve heard a lot about soft and hard landings over the past year. With indicators over the past couple of weeks, the narrative is going to move in the direction of a soft landing. We will see no recession for the remainder of 2023.  If we continue to see moderating prices, and I think that is the case, there will be no additional hikes past July. Disinflation will support consumer moods and  spending, and a tight labor market will serve as a buffer from a slower economy, which is still expected.  A soft landing may in fact be the best-case scenario of 2023 and into 2024.    

Nonprofit Spotlight | Operation Parent

 

 

Operation Parent
209 S. First Ave.
LaGrange, KY  40031
502-265-9045
www.operationparent.org

Contact Person:
Tara Oliver, Director of Fund Development

Describe your agency and your impact on the community.

Operation Parent exists to prevent adolescent and teen addiction, suicide, violence, and more by providing parents of school-aged children ages K-12 with comprehensive, self-published prevention education. The parent handbooks address 25 of today’s toughest parenting challenges, including anxiety, bullying, social media, vaping, marijuana, and more.

The parent handbooks are easy to access, up-to-date, visually appealing, and provide practical tips and advice. Operation Parent gives parents the tools and resources to help them at each stage of child development. The resources are designed to bridge the gap between the world parents grew up in and the world their kids are growing up in today. The visually appealing content helps parents “keep up” to “speak up” and have meaningful conversations with their children.

In addition to the handbooks, parents are encouraged to register for the free monthly webinars designed to allow parents to dig deeper into a particular issue, that mirrors the topics in the handbook and connect with a community of parents for support.

Agency Mission Statement or Description: To love and support parents by providing real-world information, connection, and hope.

Year established: 2006

Counties/regions serviced: Nationwide presence. Corporate office in LaGrange, KY.

Focus areas: Prevention Education

Impact in community: Helping parents navigate their parenting journey in a challenging and changing environment. We help prevent alcohol and drug abuse by educating and empowering parents with tools and resources to converse with their children about tough topics that can become precursors to addiction, suicide, and abuse.

Volunteer Opportunities: Work on special event projects, particularly the annual golf tournament and ball drop.

How 1si members can help your organization: By helping us market our business by sharing our mission. Introductions to Southern Indiana school administration to help open doors for us to educate them about our resources.

Additional information: We offer free webinars from experts in their respective fields on topics such as bullying, social media, body image, drug and alcohol abuse and more. These can be found by visiting our website at: https://www.operationparent.org/parent-webinars

Develop New Albany Hosts Annual Meeting at The Grand

New Albany, Ind. (July 11, 2023) – Develop New Albany, a Main Street Organization celebrated its Annual Meeting on Thursday June 22, 2023 at The Grand in Historic Downtown New Albany. The program included a welcome from Mayor Jeff Gahan, presentation of the annual Pillar Awards, Volunteer Appreciation and induction of the Board of Directors Officers.

Pillar Award winners include: Board and You Bistro brand for Pillar Horizon; Legacy Pizza and Bakery for Pillar Horizon; Mickey’s Bookstore and Coffee Shop for Pillar Horizon; The Grand for Pillar Foundation; Schmitt Furniture and Ronaldo Jewelry for Pillar Renaissance and Michelle Wells for Pillar Achievement.

“Congratulations to all of the Pillar Award winners for 2023. Their investment of time, talent and treasure into our community is appreciated and a large part of what makes our community unique”. Heather Trueblood, Program Coordinator for Develop New Albany.

Lifetime Membership designation was awarded to Debbie Farmer and Larry Ricke for their many years of service to our organization and community.

The Board of Directors Officer Slate for the remainder of 2023 is as follows: Teresa Baxter, President; Britni Knable, Vice President; Cameron Borne, Treasurer; Evan Harder, Secretary, and Derrick Wilson, Past President.

“As President of Develop New Albany, for the last year, I continue to watch exciting changes in our city. I see new businesses, new city improvements, and a sense of excitement about our town which is contagious. Over the last year, I can easily say that my favorite part of this job was not attending board meetings and committee meetings, but it was the stories that each of you tell about your businesses. I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many new entrepreneurs and I love the passion they have for their business. Part of our job is to spread that enthusiasm and show people what an exciting place this is to work, shop, and play.” Derrick Wilson, DNA Outgoing Board President.

Invitees enjoyed a catered lunch by the Grand and heard about some of Develop New Albany’s achievements in the past year as well as some insight into the future goals of the organization.

If you are interested in getting involved with Develop New Albany as a volunteer, please reach out to developnainfo@gmail.com or complete a form at https://forms.gle/ZdvSuLQB2jGMd8t76

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Develop New Albany is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit, Main Street Organization, founded in 1990 with a mission to serve our local businesses, facilitate community partnerships, and promote historic Downtown, Midtown and Uptown as vibrant destinations.

Media Contact:

Heather Trueblood (812) 941-0018

info@developnewalbany.org

Weather Forces Salvation Army to Cancel Shredding Event

Erring on the side of caution and safety, the shredding event slated for this Thursday at the Salvation Army of Southern Indiana in New Albany must be cancelled because of predicted rains and storms throughout the day.

 Youth in the summer camp had worked hard to organize and publicize the event, according to Shelby Rayls, program director, yet their safety, as well as that of A Plus Paper Shredding employees operating the massive shredding machine and people coming to have their items pulverized, drove the decision.

Proceeds from free-will donations were to support the Salvation Army’s youth programming. That benefit will still exist once a new date can be determined and publicized. The new date will be next summer since the teens’ activities already have been scheduled for the remainder of this year’s camp. Their involvement in the planning and management of the event is part of the camp’s youth leadership development focus.

Rayls appreciates the public’s understanding of this difficult decision and urges people to help spread the word about the cancellation.