Blair Business Mirror to feature media contributions
Leadership Blair County Youth class to graduate Wednesday 
Negola to speak at Thursday's Breakfast Club 
BASICS to present awards for essays, attendance 
GRYP networking event is Thursday at Zach's 
Safety Program to focus on OSHA compliance 
Deadline to apply for Leadership Blair County is June 30 
Made your Business Excellence Dinner reservations yet? 
"Issues" program on long-term care continues this week 
Few spots remain for next week's Chamber Golf Classic  
Next Lunch 'n' Learn to deal with data breaches
Chamber's trip to Ireland continuing to attract interest 
LBC selling chances on "Immaculate Reception" photo
LBC class identifies project, fundraising strategy
Chamber Members invited to attend energy program
Information packets available on Chamber's energy program
Nominated anyone for the Hall of Fame yet? 
Congratulations . . .

Blair Business Mirror to feature media contributions 
How has the Blair County Chamber been effectively able to market itself to members of the organization and to the community in general? Tomorrow’s Blair Business Mirror, published as a tabloid insert to the Altoona Mirror, will focus on the various media outlets that have assisted The Chamber in getting the word out on programs, events, business recognition, advocacy efforts and much, much more. The Business Mirror also features articles on how Chamber Members have creatively marketed themselves, including an article on two local insurance agents who have taken marketing to a new level. Be sure to pick-up a copy of tomorrow’s Altoona Mirror. If you forget, a copy will be sent to all Chamber Member businesses at the end of the week. The Blair Business Mirror is a cooperative effort of The Chamber and the advertising department of the Altoona Mirror.

Leadership Blair County Youth class to graduate Wednesday  
The seventh class of The Chamber’s Leadership Blair County Youth program will graduate Wednesday during ceremonies being held at Penn State Altoona. Members of the 2010 class are: Hunter Carlheim, Kyrstin Dittenhafer-Swartz, Danielle Parowski and Shalen Perehinec from Altoona Area High School; Katherine Crocker, Jared Keller, Sarah Shanoudy, Benjamin Unpingco and May Zaki from Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School; Tessia Bracken, Connor Greenland and Brittaney Northern from Central High School; Taylor Clark, Scott Cohen, Nathan De Prospo, Emily King and Connor Martin from Hollidaysburg Area High School; Steven Franco; Jessica Hoffman and Nicholas Patton from Tyrone Area High School; and Spencer Brown, Allison Edwards, and Joshua Kizina from Williamsburg Community School. 

Negola to speak at Thursday's Breakfast Club 

If you’re a business person who believes that gang influence is something that takes place only in big cities, you are in for an unnerving surprise.  Blair County not only has a growing number of gangs, it also has documented evidence that those gangs will create severe obstacles to future business development. Want to learn more? Then make sure that you attend The Chamber’s next Breakfast Club, scheduled for this Thursday, May 13 at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park . Dr. Todd Negola, Vice-President of the Pennsylvania Gang Investigators Association and one of the country’s foremost experts on gang activity, will be the speaker.  Dr. Negola’s presentation, “Your Business and Blair County ’s Gangs,” will run until 9:30 a.m., but I can assure you that the additional time will be well spent. The cost to attend the Breakfast Club is $16 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.  Corporate sponsor for the May Breakfast Club is YTI Career Institute.   

BASICS to present awards for essays, attendance 
At the May 13 Chamber Breakfast Club, students from Blair County schools will be presented awards from the BASICS Committee in two categories. The BASICS Essay Contest resulted in the following eighth-grade students writing the best essay on some topic or topics that they learned about at the BASICS Career Fair: Caitlyn Edgell – Hollidaysburg Area Junior High School, Tasia Smego Spring Cove Middle School and Mallory Harold – Bellwood Antis Junior High. Attendance Counts award winners having the best attendance of any seniors at their schools are: Jacob Dunning – Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School, Mark Banks – Central High School, Cody Ebersole – Claysburg-Kimmel High School, Brandon Koelle – Hollidaysburg Area High School, Tyler Grazier – Tyrone Area High School, Jordan Hileman – Williamsburg Community High School, Tracy Pielmeier – Bellwood-Antis High School, Alex Lafferty – Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center and Janine Schmitt – Altoona Area High School. BASICS is an acronym for Businesses And Schools Investing in Cooperative Solutions.  

GRYP networking event is Thursday at Zach's 
The Chamber’s next Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals (GRYP) networking event will be held this Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Zach’s Sports & Spirits in Altoona. The event will feature free appetizers, a cash bar and great networking opportunities. There is no cost to GRYP members to attend and a $5 charge for non-members. For reservations, contact Mike McMullen at 943-8151 or register online.  

Safety program to focus on OSHA compliance 

Andrew Blattenberger of Urban & Blattenberger, P.C. will present, “Will OSHA Knock on Your Door?” at the next Chamber Safety Program, set for May 21 from 7:45 to 9 a.m. at The Hampton Inn.  The program will include an overview of key OSHA regulations, the focus of the Obama Administration on workplace safety and what employers need to watch for in the coming months. The cost to attend the program is $15 for Chamber Members and $20 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.  

Deadline to apply for Leadership Blair County is June 30
The 17th class of The Chamber’s Leadership Blair County Adult program will begin its yearlong journey into servant leadership in September. Applying to be part of that class is taking place now with the application process ending June 30. “We always have a high amount of interest at this time of the year and we still restrict our classes to 24 people,” explained Judy Juda, The Chamber’s Vice-President of Programming & Membership Education. “It’s important that interested people apply as soon as possible so that we can set up interviews.”  People may apply online or can secure an application by calling The Chamber at 943-8151.

Made your Business Excellence Dinner reservations yet?

Even though June 14 is still more than a month away, it’s not too early to make your reservations for The Chamber’s Annual Business Excellence Dinner to be held at The Casino at Lakemont Park. This year the event pays tribute to a longtime leader in the business community – Mike McLanahan of McLanahan Corporation. Keynote speaker for the dinner is Michael McGrann, Executive Director of the S. Dale High Center for Family Business at Elizabethtown College. Testimonial comments will be provided by Dick Scholton of S&T Bank, Tim Sissler of Reliance Bank and Dr. C. Scott McLanahan, a pediatric neurosurgeon from North Carolina who is the brother of the honoree. The event begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:45 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling The Chamber at 943-8151 or reserving online. Dinner sponsorships or ads in the commemorative program book can be secured by calling Mike McMullen at The Chamber.  

"Issues" program on long-term care continues this week
“Healthcare and Blair County’s Future,” The Chamber’s trilogy on the impact of new legislation impacting the local healthcare industry will continue to feature its second show at 11 a.m. this morning and will continue to offer it Monday’s at 11:00 a.m. and Tuesday’s at 9:00 p.m. on the Altoona Public Access Channel. The program focuses on long-term care and home health. Panelists for the program are: Chris Dear of Valley View Home, Kathy Johnson of the Lutheran Home at Hollidaysburg, Debbie Larkin of Presbyterian Village of Hollidaysburg, Ward Prostejovsky of The Village at Morrisons Cove and Theresa Zurilla of Home Instead Senior Care.  Sponsors are: Affinity Health Services, Altoona Center for Nursing Care, Altoona Regional Health System, Golden LivingCenter-Hillview, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Homewood Retirement Community, The Winds at Mattern Orchard and Young, Oakes, Brown & Company.

Few spots remain for next week's Chamber Golf Classic
Next Monday will likely be a beautiful day with temperatures in the low 70’s and not a cloud in the sky. Will you be spending that opportunity for fresh air and great networking sitting in your office? The Annual Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Chamber Golf Classic is set for next Monday, May 17 at Iron Masters Country Club in Ore Hill. Only a few spots for golfers – good and bad – remain. Don’t delay! Contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151 to register.

Next Lunch 'n' Learn to deal with data breaches
The Chamber's May Lunch 'n' Learn program promises to be a most critical one for all businesses that store data. Entitled, “You’ve Had a Data Breach! The Law Requires that You Respond. Are You Ready?” the program will be held on Thursday, May 27 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Park Hills Country Club. The agenda will address what constitutes a data breach, the frequency and costs associated with data breaches, the regulatory landscape, organizational exposure, how to close the gaps and much, much more. The presenters are Tom Kristofco, President of Business Continuity Concepts in Hollidaysburg and Larissa Crum, Executive Vice-President of Immersion, Ltd. in State College. The cost to attend the Lunch 'n' Learn is $22 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

Chamber trip to Ireland continuing to attract interest
Ever have the opportunity to spend a night in a medieval castle?  That’s just one of the many great amenities to The Chamber’s first-ever tour of Ireland. The Chamber, in cooperation with Classic Travel and Collette Vacations, has put together a nine-day excursion to the Emerald Isle that will be unsurpassed in fun and excitement. And each day, more and more people are getting the traveling bug. If you’ve always wanted to visit Ireland but didn’t think you could afford it, contact Donna Wilt at 696-3558.

LBC selling chances on "Immaculate Reception" photo

In order to raise funds to support its adult scholarship program, Leadership Blair County is raffling-off an autographed Franco Harris “Immaculate Reception” photo. The beautifully framed photo is 16x20 and includes a certificate of authenticity. Chances are being sold at $5 each or three for $10 and the drawing will take place at the LBC Adult Graduation on June 10. Contact Judy Juda at The Chamber to purchase a chance. 

LBC class identifies project, fundraising strategy

The LBC 2010 class project is the fundraising and construction of Phase II of the Booker T. Washington Park. The overall goal of the park project is to create a focal point within the community that all members of the family can enjoy. Phase I was the construction of the basketball court on 19th Street and 13th Avenue in Altoona.  The class project phase will be opposite the basketball court and concentrates on activities for adults and young adults. The “mind and body” park will include outdoor exercise stations, walking paths, gaming tables and a picnic area. The property as it stands now is an abandoned lot, including a blighted building, collapsed retaining wall and dumping area. Future phases of the overall park will add an event gazebo and children’s playgrounds. The park is the site of the annual Booker T. Washington Three-on-Three Basketball Tournament. The fundraiser is “A Night at the Races” which will be held on Saturday, June 5 at the Bavarian Hall. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., dinner is at 6 p.m. and races begin at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $25 and include admittance and the buffet dinner. You also have the opportunity to purchase and name a horse prior to the event. Minimum cost is $10 per horse. There also will be silent auction items and a cash bar. Tickets can be purchased at The Chamber or from any class member. Checks should be made payable to Central Blair Recreation and Park Commission.   

Chamber Members invited to attend energy program
Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission, in cooperation with The Hite Company, Penelec and Knisely & Sons, is coordinating two Act 29 seminars – one in Altoona and one in Johnstown – and members of the Blair County Chamber are invited to attend at no charge. Act 29 is legislation meant to help Pennsylvania’s electric consumers ease the financial effects of rate deregulation. For more information about the seminars and how to register click here.   

Information packets available on Chamber's energy program
If you’re a member of the Blair County Chamber and a current Penelec customer, you’re eligible to be part of a new Chamber program that is guaranteed to save you money beginning in January when the rate caps come off on electricity. The program is part of ChamberChoice and is brokered by OnDemand Energy. It is already functioning in several areas of the Commonwealth where the rate caps already have been removed and the savings have been considerable. The Chamber already has held three informational sessions on how the program works and what members need to do to participate. If you have been unable to attend those meetings, you can still secure an informational packet that includes a registration form by visiting the Chamber Office, located in the Devorris Center for Business Development.    

Nominated anyone for the Hall of Fame yet?
The nomination process is under way for the 2010 Blair County Business Hall of Fame. Do you know of a business in Blair County that absolutely should be in the Hall of Fame or should receive an award for such things as safety, technology or community service. How about your own business? Visit The Chamber’s website today to download a nomination form. It’s our one chance each year to show what a great business community we have!   

Congratulations . . .
. . . to Bill Campbell of Hoss’s Steak and Sea House who received the 11th Blair County Philanthropy Award from the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation on May 6. 

For more information, visit the website

To subscribe or unsubscribe, email