Chamber Award Recipients Announced
Retail, Restaurant Programs to Debut Today
Nomination Forms Available for Business Excellence Award
Need More Blue Cards?
Next Breakfast Club Will Focus on “Operation Our Town”
Chamber to Cut Ribbon in Duncansville on Thursday
Dale Carnegie’s “Skills For Success” Changes Starting Date
GRYP to Hold Networking Event at Buccinese Club
“Role Models” Program Set for Convention Center
Less Than a Month to Go Until the Home & Garden Show
Recruitment Process Continues for “Hiring Our Heroes”
L.R. Webber Health Care Reform Seminar is Wednesday
Congratulations . . .
Blue Card Discounts
Chamber Award Recipients Announced
The Chamber held its 2013 Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation last Friday at The Casino at Lakemont Park. As part of that event, a number of awards were presented for outstanding accomplishments during 2012. Award recipients were: ATHENA Award – Amy Seltzer of Seltzer Financial Strategies; Joseph P. Rosenhamer Chamber Spirit Award – Jim Oswalt (retired educator); George Award – Charles Brenneman (retired); GRYP Impact Award – Timothy (T.J.) Knob, Jr.; Donna D. Gority Servant Leader Award – Altoona Mayor William Schirf; Small Business Person of the Year – Dave Helsel of CTR Supply.
Retail, Restaurant Programs to Debut Today
The first of The Chamber’s “Blair County: It’s Our Business” television programs for 2013 will debut today on Public Access Channel 14. The half-hour programs are moderated by Carolyn Donaldson of WTAJ-TV. The first program is entitled: “Blair County Retail: Driving Our Local Economy.” It will run every Monday during February at 6:00 p.m. and every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Panelists are Jack Eberhardt of the Pleasant Valley Shopping Center; Lou Kanzleiter of Preit (Logan Valley Mall); Todd Lewis of Shoe Fly Stores; and Travis Muccitelli of Park Audio Plus. The second program is: “Our Dining Destinations: Blair County Restaurants.” That program also runs on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout February but at 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 a.m. Panelists are George Batrus of Tom & Joe’s; Husam Obeid of Phoenicia Mediterranean Restaurant; Teresa Patterson of LaScalia’s Restaurant; and Karen Wyland of Mamie’s Café and Bakery. Corporate sponsors for both shows are: Altoona Mirror, Blair Companies, Shirley’s Cookie Company and WPS.
Nomination Forms Available for Business Excellence Award
Nominations are being accepted for the Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Excellence. The award, the highest given to an individual by The Chamber, will be presented at the Business Excellence Dinner, set for June 10th. The 2013 award recipient will be the twelfth since Ernie Wissinger received the first in 2002. Other winners have been G. William Ward (2003), Stephen Sheetz (2004), Donald Devorris (2005), Willard Campbell (2006), John Wolf (2007), Lee Hite (2008), Donald Detwiler (2009), Michael McLanahan (2010), Barry Smith (2011) and Fred Imler (2012). Nomination forms can be secured by calling The Chamber Office at 943-8151 or by clicking here.
Need More Blue Cards?
If your business or organization has hired more employees and you need additional Chamber Blue Cards, call The Chamber Office at 943-8151.
Next Breakfast Club Will Focus on “Operation Our Town”
In what has become a tradition, The Chamber’s February “Breakfast Club,” scheduled for February 14th at The Casino at Lakemont Park, will focus attention on the Operation Our Town program. “Operation Our Town continues to be a tremendous source of pride in our community,” believes Chamber Board Chair Doug Mingle of Roaring Spring Department Store. “It makes perfect sense for The Chamber to commit one of its Breakfast Club programs to raise additional awareness to the great work that Operation Our Town is doing.” A featured speaker at the event will be OOT board member Philip Devorris who will speak about the recent affiliation between Operation Our Town and The Chamber’s Subcommittee on Early Childhood Education. That subcommittee now doubles as the Early Childhood Roundtable for Operation Our Town. The Breakfast Club begins at 7:45 a.m. The cost to attend is $16 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. Corporate sponsor of the February Breakfast Club is First National Bank.
Chamber to Cut Ribbon in Duncansville on Thursday
The Chamber will hold a ribbon cutting on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. at Point of Fitness, LLC. Point of Fitness is located at 370 Pound Lane in Duncansville. All Chamber Members are invited to attend.
Dale Carnegie’s “Skills For Success” Changes Starting Date
The Blair County Chamber is once again partnering with Dale Carnegie Training on its highly-popular “Skills For Success” program. The eight-week course was scheduled to begin last Thursday but that date has been changed until February 28th from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. at the Comfort Inn in Duncansville. The course is designed to help attendees build greater self-confidence, strengthen people skills, communicate more effectively, develop leadership skills, reduce stress and improve attitude. For more information contact The Chamber at (814) 943-8151.
GRYP to Hold Networking Event at Buccinese Club
The Chamber’s Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals (GRYP) will hold a networking event this Thursday, February 7th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Buccinese Club, located at 612 Eighth Avenue in Altoona. The event will include several games and contests designed to enhance the networking experience. There is no cost for GRYP Members to attend. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
“Role Models” Program Set for Convention Center
The Chamber’s second “Role Models” program will be held on February 21st from noon until 1:30 p.m. at the Blair County Convention Center. Role Models is an interactive program in which two business leaders talk about the various aspects of their careers – the highs and the lows – and then answer questions from attendees. “It’s an effective way for people looking for insight on what has worked and what hasn’t to gain that insight from among the county’s most successful business people,” explained Chamber President Joe Hurd. The first program, held last November, featured Don Devorris from Blair Companies and John Wolf from Wolf Furniture. The February program features Bill Campbell from Hoss’s Steak & Sea House and Lee Hite of The Hite Company. The cost to attend is just $25 for Chamber members and $40 for non-members. Lunch is included. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.
Less Than a Month to Go Until the Home & Garden Show
2013 marks the 43rd edition of the Blair County Home & Garden Show. The Blair County Chamber of Commerce and the Blair-Bedford Builders Association host the show every year and feature exhibits on remodeling, decorating, heating/cooling, windows, landscaping, and much, much more. This year’s show will be held March 1-3 at the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona and is projected to be another successful year. “We’ve already had a tremendous response from returning exhibitors and new exhibitors,” said Stacy Hoover, who oversees the show for The Chamber. “Due to the success of the first-time Home Treasures room last year, we are expanding that section to accommodate more specialty vendors for all those must-haves for your home.” The show also features hourly door prizes, free parking, a kids’ scavenger hunt and a kids’ craft corner. Only a few booths still remain for potential exhibitors so call Stacy at 943-8151 to reserve yours. For more show information, visit www.blairhomeshow.com.
Recruitment Process Continues for “Hiring Our Heroes”
The Blair County Chamber of Commerce will partner with the U.S. Chamber on a major event that is expected to have considerable impact on local employers and military job seekers. “Hiring Our Heroes” is a nationwide effort initiated by the U.S. Chamber in March of 2011 to help veterans and military spouses to find meaningful employment. Since that time, 220 hiring fairs have taken place in 48 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia resulting in more than 10,400 hirings. On April 10, 2013, a Hiring Our Heroes fair will be held from 9:00 a.m. until noon at the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona. The event is free for both employers and job seekers. Job seekers are limited to military veterans and their spouses. Employers will not be required to pay for exhibitor space, they must at least verify that they have legitimate jobs to offer. Any employers interested in reserving exhibitor space should go to HOH.greatjob.net. Job seekers can register on that same site. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
L.R. Webber Health Care Reform Seminar is Wednesday
L.R. Webber Associates of Duncansville is conducting a seminar on February 6th from 11:30 to 2:00 p.m. at the Blair County Convention Center and Chamber members are invited to attend free-of-charge. The seminar is entitled, “Health Care Reform: What Does It Mean for Your Business?” Topics will include: Pay or play mandate; Health Insurance Exchanges; the impact of the rules on HR functions and the impact on your business; building a total compensation strategy to avoid the excise tax on health plans; effective dates for specific provisions of the new law and much more. Lunch is included. To register, go to http://healthreform.eventzilla.net/ or email Brad Webber.
Congratulations . . .
. . . to the members of the Blair County Chamber who were designated as PA Business Central’s “Top 100 People” for 2012. The are: Debra Dellaposta of WPS, Ray Eckenrode of the Altoona Mirror, Bob Eyer of Wessel & Company, Stephen Gildea of Tyrone Hospital, Marty Marasco of Altoona-Blair County Development Corporation, Bob Packer of Home Nursing Agency, Bob Pennington of Coldwell Banker Town & Country Real Estate, Beth Powell of New Pig Energy, Amy Seltzer of Seltzer Financial Strategies, Nino Vella of New Pig, Robert Grubic of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic, Inc., Jason Sidney of Fairway Laboratories, Beverly Green of Penelec - A FirstEnergy Company, John Moore of Moore Power Sales, Elmer Laslo of 1st Summit Bank, Edward Sheehan of Concurrent Technologies Corp., and Doug Wolf of Wolf Furniture Company.
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 Jessica Meck at The Chamber at 943-8151.
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Corl-Grove Services
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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
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Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive a 15% discount on wedding invitations
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Dennis P. McGeehan - Workplace Training Solutions
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10% Discount for First Aid & C.P.R. Training for companies training 4 or more of their staff. Training is American Heart Association certified and good for 2 years.
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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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Edward Jones Investments
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Present your Blue Card to receive a FREE Business Retirement Plan Assessment from Edward Jones Investments, J.T. Tidd, Hollidaysburg
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For more information, visit the website
To subscribe or unsubscribe please email us.
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February 4, 2013
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Upcoming Events
Register online
GRYP Networking
Thursday, February 7, 2013
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Buccinese Club
Register Here
Breakfast Club
Thursday, February 14, 2013
7:45 - 9:00 a.m.
The Casino at Lakemont Park
Register Here
Role Models
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Blair County Convention Center
Register Here
Business After Hours
Thursday, February 28, 2013
5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
South Hills School of Business
Register Here
Upcoming
Committee Meetings
Week of 2/4/2013
Chamber Ambassadors
Tuesday, February 5, 8:00 a.m.
Devorris Center
Business Hall of Fame Committee
Wednesday, February 6, 8:00 a.m.
The Chamber
Small Business Partners
Wednesday, February 6, 11:00 a.m.
Devorris Center
Follow The Chamber
on Facebook
Click here
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