Donna Gority to Speak at Thursday's Breakfast Club
Blair County Commissioner Donna Gority will be the guest speaker at the next Chamber Breakfast Club to be held this Thursday beginning at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The Commissioner, who is retiring in January, will reflect on her career in public service and her many associations within the business community. Corporate sponsor of the breakfast is the Altoona Mirror. The cost to attend the Breakfast Club is $16.00 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

Chamber to Cut Ribbon at Altoona Public Library
While the Altoona Area Public Library is not new, its e-book program is and The Chamber will cut a ribbon officially launching that program on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Library. Come out and join our Ambassadors as we recognize this state-of-the-art addition to an already great library system.

C&G Savings Bank to Host "Business After Hours"
The next Chamber “Business After Hours” will be held this Thursday from 5:00 to7:00 p.m. at C&G Savings Bank located at 1201 12th Street in Altoona. To register, contact The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

Chamber Opens Schedule for 2012 "Business Before Hours"
The Chamber created “Business Before Hours” in 2011 and it proved to be a popular way for businesses to promote themselves in a morning drive-time format, catching people as they were heading to work.  “We weren’t sure how popular the concept would be,” admitted Chamber President Joe Hurd.  “It turned out to be a really good opportunity, particularly for businesses that don’t ordinarily get a lot of foot traffic, to welcome those people curious about what the business does.”  There is no charge to host an event and no charge for Chamber Members to attend it. If your business would like to host a “Business Before Hours,” contact Hurd at 943-8151.

Nominations Being Accepted for Annual Meeting Awards
On Friday, January 27th, The Chamber will hold its 2012 Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation beginning at 7:30 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The event will include the swearing-in of The Chamber Board of Directors as well as the Board of the Blair County Chamber Foundation. Awards to be presented that morning are the Athena Award, the George Award, the Joseph P. Rosenhamer Chamber Spirit Award, the GRYP Impact Award, the Servant Leader Award and the Small Business Person of the Year Award.  The Agricultural Community Excellence (ACE) Award, presented last October, will be re-presented at the Annual Meeting.  To nominate someone for one of these awards, simply go to The Chamber website and access the nomination form for that award.  The cost to attend the Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation is $20 for Chamber Members and non-members.  To make reservations, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

"Partners in Small Business" Committee Seeking Members
Small businesses make up 84% of the Chamber’s membership.  For that reason alone, it makes sense for The Chamber to have a committee dedicated solely to finding better ways to serve the organization’s small business members. For more than a year, the “Partners in Small Business” Committee has been on a hiatus.  Beginning in January, that hiatus is over. The Chamber is now recruiting volunteers to serve on the Partners in Small Business Committee. The committee will meet on a monthly basis.  Interested Chamber members should contact Joe Hurd or Jessica Meck at 943-8151.

Chamber to Partner With Dale Carnegie on "Skills For Success"
The Chamber and Dale Carnegie Training will once again partner on a program that will begin on January 26th and run for the following eight weeks. “Skills For Success” will provide attendees an extensive background on things like effective networking, relationship building, stress management and leadership development – just to name a few. Sessions will be held at the Comfort Inn Hotel in Duncansville. For more information or to register, contact Jeff Davis at (814) 931-1963.

Bahamas, Italy Next Two Chamber Destinations
The popularity of The Chamber’s trip to China has led to numerous requests from Chamber Members for the organization to do future trips. Beginning in March, those requests will be honored. The Chamber will work with two of its travel agency members – Heritage Travel and Classic Travel – to provide fun and relaxation at prime destinations. From March 18-25, travelers can cruise from Baltimore to the Bahamas on Carnival Cruise Lines, visiting Port Canaveral, Nassau and Freeport. For details contact Heritage Travel Agency at (814) 946-1600. From October 7-14, it’s “Italy’s Great Cities” with Classic Travel. The trip includes visits to Rome, Pisa, Florence, Verona, Venice and Ferrara. Call Classic Travel at 696-3558. Informational meetings about both trips will be held in either mid-December or early January.

Operation SOS Expresses Thanks to Chamber Members
The ongoing success of Operation Support Our Soldiers (SOS) has been the result of the generosity and sacrifice of many area businesses and individuals, a large portion of which are members of the Blair County Chamber.  “Chamber Members have responded to our plea for assistance every year we’ve done this,” remarked Project Coordinator Gary Clare of Smith Furniture.  “We’re grateful for that help.”  Operation SOS will send between 300 and 350 boxes to three units from Blair County this holiday season.