Chamber Announces Schedule for Thanksgiving Holiday
Board of Directors Approves 2013 Budget Without Dues Increase
New Officers Elected to Chamber Board for 2013
Eight New Chamber Members Gain Board Approval
More Than 200 Registered for Tonight’s Small Games of Chance Seminar
WE-LEaD “Lunch ‘n’ Learn” on Time Management is Tomorrow
Chamber Members Encouraged to Identify Legislative Priorities
Fox Added to Chamber Foundation Board
Inexpensive Opportunities Available to Sponsor Television Programs
Planning to Go With The Chamber to China? Sign Up Now!
“Buy Here. Live Here.” Planning Session Set for December 12th
Congratulations . . .
Blue Card Discounts
Chamber Announces Schedule for Thanksgiving Holiday
The office of the Blair County Chamber will be closed on Thursday and Friday of this week so that Chamber staff can enjoy Thanksgiving with family and friends and also spend more time shopping at local businesses to assist Blair County retailers. The office will re-open on Monday at 8:30 a.m. For information on The Chamber or to register for an event or program while the office is closed, visit The Chamber Website.
Board of Directors Approves 2013 Budget Without Dues Increase
The Blair County Chamber Board of Directors approved a 2013 budget last Thursday that challenges the organization to continue to develop sources of “non-dues revenue” so that Chamber Members aren’t asked to absorb a dues increase. “The business community has many financial challenges that make it difficult to stay ahead of the game,” explained Board Chair Ron Muffie. “Our Board felt that it was particularly important that we didn’t add to that burden.” This is the fifth consecutive year that The Chamber hasn’t raised dues. “Some years we’ve been able to increase our revenues through successful programming and other years we’ve made expense reductions,” admitted Chamber President Joe Hurd. “We believe that we’re a wise investment for any business or organization and we never want to price ourselves out of existence.”
New Officers Elected to Chamber Board for 2013
The Chamber Board of Directors approved a slate of officers on November 15th that will lead the organization for 2013. Doug Mingle of Roaring Spring Department Store was chosen as Board Chair; Jessica Lattanza of Blair Medical Associates is Chair-Elect; Gary Drenning of Blair Companies continues as Treasurer; Ron Muffie of The Hite Company is Immediate Past Chair; and Carol Gensimore of Value Drug Company, Dan Slep of the Altoona Mirror and Bill T. Ward of Ward Transport and Logistics are Vice-Presidents, each overseeing a division of Chamber committees.
Eight New Chamber Members Gain Board Approval
At last Thursday’s meeting of the Chamber Board of Directors, the following new members were approved: Adler’s Landscape Nursery of Altoona, B2B CFO Partners of Huntingdon, Bell Mansion Tea House of Bellwood, Gilden Barton Funeral Home of Altoona, J&D Enterprise of Duncansville, Legends Golf Shop at Iron Masters of Roaring Spring, Peterson Accounting Group of Duncansville and Point of Fitness, LLC of Duncansville.
More Than 200 Registered for Tonight’s Small Games of Chance Seminar
The Blair County Chamber is partnering with State Senator John Eichelberger on a seminar which will focus on the rules and regulations surrounding Small Games of Chance in Pennsylvania. The seminar will be held tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Saint Rose of Lima School Hall, 5519 Sixth Avenue in Altoona. More than 200 persons have registered to attend the program. Registration ended last Friday.
WE-LEaD “Lunch ‘n’ Learn” on Time Management is Tomorrow
Wayne Blue, Executive Director for Workforce Development and Continuing Education for Allegany College of Maryland’s Pennsylvania Campuses, will be the keynote speaker at the next “Lunch ‘n’ Learn” program being held by The Chamber’s WE-LEaD Committee tomorrow, November 20th from noon to 1:30 p.m. at The Blairmont Club in Hollidaysburg. Blue’s presentation, entitled “Eat that Frog” will help attendees to get organized, stop procrastinating and accomplish more in less time. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is corporate sponsor of the Lunch 'n' Learn. The cost to attend is $22 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members and includes lunch and materials. To register, contact The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. (WE-LEaD is an acronym for Women Encouraging: Leadership, Education and Development).
Chamber Members Encouraged to Identify Legislative Priorities
The Legislative Action Committee of the Blair County Chamber is putting together its list of legislative priorities for 2013 and it’s asking Chamber Members to weigh-in. “It’s important to our committee that we learn as much as we can about what’s most important to the Chamber Membership,” acknowledged Matt Stuckey, who chairs the committee. “We also encourage anyone with more than a passing interest in legislative matters to join our committee. We have plenty of work to do.” A list of legislative issues is published on the Chamber Website. Members are asked to access the list and identify their top five issues. They can then either fax the list to The Chamber at (814) 943-5239 or email it to Joe Hurd. To access the list, click here.
Fox Added to Chamber Foundation Board
Matt Fox, Marketing Manager at Altoona-Blair County Development Corporation, has been named to the Board of Directors of the Blair County Chamber Foundation. Fox replaces Paul Kirby who recently passed away. The Foundation Board next meets on Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. at the Devorris Center.
Inexpensive Opportunities Available to Sponsor Television Programs
The Chamber is featuring a number of informative programs during the next three months that will also give members an opportunity to get the name of their business or organization in front of the viewing public in an inexpensive way. On November 28th, two half-hour “Blair County: It’s Our Business” programs will tape for airing on the Altoona Public Access Channel in December. One program will be on local manufacturing; the other on local insurance. The panel discussion format will be moderated by WTAJ’s Carolyn Donaldson. On December 17th, two more BCIOB programs – one on local retail and the other on local restaurants will tape for airing in January. The cost for a business to sponsor a “Blair County: It’s Our Business” program is just $100. A business or organization can sponsor all four BCIOB programs for just $300. To sponsor, contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151 or email him.
Planning to Go With The Chamber to China? Sign Up Now!
Anyone still undecided on whether to go on The Chamber’s next trip to China needs to make up their mind soon. A non-refundable $200 deposit which guarantees that a person will be part of the trip is due in the Chamber Office by no later than November 30th and the full payment for the trip is due by December 14th. The dates of the China Trip are April 12-20, 2013. For more information on the trip, contact The Chamber at 943-8151.
“Buy Here. Live Here.” Planning Session Set for December 12th
The Chamber’s Buy Here. Live Here. program has made great strides since its kickoff in March. What the program is able to accomplish in the future will be the focus of a strategic planning effort to be undertaken on Wednesday, December 12th from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development. Facilitated by David Duncan of Blair Medical Associates, the process requires feedback from interested Chamber Members. If you are a member of The Chamber and are willing to share your thoughts on local purchasing, contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151.
Congratulations . . .
. . . to Mount Aloysius College which is featured on CollegesofDistinction.com, a website dedicated to honoring schools nationwide for excellence in student-focused higher education.
. . . to Lytle’s Transfer & Storage of Tipton which was one of 51 agents honored by Atlas Van Lines as a 2012 winner of the Milton M. Hill Quality Award. The winning agents demonstrated a commitment to superior warehouse and hauling operations as well as excellence in twelve established quality criteria.
. . . to the Altoona Walmart which received the 2012 Pennsylvania Association of Rehabilitation Facilities Award for its excellent record of hiring and supporting people with disabilities.
Blue Card Discounts
Here are a few of the discounts you can receive with your Chamber Blue Card. Click here to see the full list of Blue Card Discounts. To have an offer listed contact Stacy Hoover at The Chamber at 943-8151.
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Corl-Grove Services, Inc.
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Blue Card holders and their businesses qualify for 10% off standard fees when certifying 5 or more employees per session. CPR and First Aid Certifications are issued through the American Heart Association and are valid for 2 years.
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Damin Printing Company, LLC
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Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive a 15% discount on wedding invitations.
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Dongell Chiropractic
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Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive 15% off first time examinations.
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Dr.'s Centar & Imler
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Present your Blue Card to receive 20% off of spectacle lenses and frames OR receive 20% off of an exam and contact lens fitting. (Discounts cannot be combined with any other insurance programs, coupons or courtesies.)
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Edward Jones Investments
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Present your Blue Card to receive a FREE Business Retirement Plan Assessment from Edward Jones Investments, Altoona & Edward Jones, Hollidaysburg.
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For more information, visit the website
To subscribe or unsubscribe please email us.
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November 19, 2012
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Upcoming Events
Register online
WE-LEaD Lunch 'n' Learn
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Noon - 1:30 p.m.
The Blairmont Club
Register Here
GRYP Networking
Friday, November 30, 2012
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Blair County Arts Foundation
Register Here
Business After Hours
Thursday, December 6, 2012
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Oak Spring Winery
2401 East Pleasant Valley Blvd., Altoona
Register Here
Breakfast Club
Thursday, December 13, 2012
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
GRYP Holiday Party
Thursday, December 13, 2012
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Ramada Altoona Conference Center
Register Here
Upcoming
Committee Meetings
Week of 11/19/12
BASICS Steering Committee
Monday, November 19, 8:00 a.m.
Greater Altoona Career & Tech Center
Safety Committee
Tuesday, November 20, 9:00 a.m.
The Chamber
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