MEETING NOTES

Steve Weldy introduced our program speaker, SCORE Michiana Mentor, Bruce Lighty.  Bruce is a graduate of IU and started his career as a public and corporate accounting professional, eventually serving in the capacity of Chief Oerating Officer for twenty years.  Bruce now uses his career experience and heart for giving back to this community by serving as a SCORE mentor and board member and treasurer for the Michiana SCORE chapter.  When SCORE began over 50 years ago, the acronym stood for Service Corps of Retired Executives.  Across the country, there are 320 SCORE chapters.  SCORE is a volunteer resource partner of the Small Business Administration, focusing on mentoring, counseling, and guiding those with a dream of owning a business.  They don’t write business plans or apply for loans – they help their clients do those things.  As Bruce noted, they teach them to fish, not catch fish for them. 

Housed in the building at the corner of Jefferson and Eddy, their office and meeting space is provided by National College.  The mentor service is free.  They rely on people in the community to refer friends, acquaintances, and family to them for help.  Rotarians can help by recommending business owners and dreamers to SCORE for their services. 

Bruce introduced SCORE Chairman of the Board, Ed Lockman, who presented some encouraging facts about SCORE.  Of the roughly 1,000 people they met with last year, over 50 new businesses were started, 70-80% of which will stay in this community.  A key to this growth in start-ups is working with clients to get local bank funding, then continuing to work with the new business owners to stay on track with their business plans.  Thus far, no bank has refused to lend money requested by a SCORE-counseled new business owner. 

A coming highlight will be a three-day bookkeeping course for which 10 laptop computers and 10 Quickbook licenses were donated by a local bank.

Ed and Bruce love that they help people change lives.  They see people move from a dream to becoming empowered, standing tall and being self-confident business owners.  They invite Rotarians to get involved. For more information, call 574-310-8097.