Executive Roundtable to hear BASICS Presentation
Chamber Board to approve 2011 Officers
Bishop Guilfoyle to host Business After Hours
Third Legislative Breakfast to continue discussion
Injury prevention topic of Thursday's safety presentation
Chamber, PEL to examine impact of midterm elections
Chamber energy program to hold December meetings
Television program offers great sponsorship opportunities
Businesses invited to take part in trade mission
December Breakfast Club to address climate change
Membership Directory ads now on sale
Call for entries taking place for Canstruction®
Reserved your Home & Garden Show booth yet?
Congratulations . . .

Executive Roundtable to hear BASICS Presentation  How well are local schools preparing young people for the workforce and what can local businesses do to assist in the training and education process? That two-part question will serve as the basis for Wednesday’s meeting of The Chamber’s Executive Roundtable which begins at 7:30 a.m. at The Blairmont Club. Rodney Green, Superintendent of the Spring Cove School District and Alex Seltzer of Manpower, who co-chair The Chamber’s BASICS Committee, will moderate the discussion. BASICS is an acronym for Businesses And Schools Investing in Cooperative Solutions. 

Chamber Board to approve 2011 Officers  
When The Chamber Board of Directors convenes for its monthly meeting on Thursday, it will be asked to approve a slate of officers for 2011. The slate will include board chair, chair-elect, treasurer, vice-chair of promotions/events, vice-chair of education, vice-chair of communications/advocacy and immediate past chair. The Board will also examine the results of a self-evaluation conducted by its Board Development Subcommittee. For further information or to attend the Board meeting, contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151. 

Bishop Guilfoyle to host Business After Hours
Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School will host this Thursday's Chamber Business After Hours from 5 to 7 p.m. The event will feature tours of the school, great food and adult beverages. The cost to attend is $5 for Chamber Members  in advance, $6 at the door. Non-members can attend for $10 in advance and $12 at the door. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.   

Third Legislative Breakfast to continue discussion 
After two highly successful breakfast meetings with municipal officials, The Chamber’s Legislative Action Committee will host its third meeting this Friday beginning at 8 a.m. at the Devorris Center . The municipalities involved in Friday’s meeting will be Antis Township , Blair Township , Greenfield Township , North Woodbury Township , Newry Borough, Martinsburg Borough and Tyrone Borough. The Legislative Breakfast meetings are underwritten through the generosity of Penelec, Altoona-Blair County Development Corporation, M&T Bank, Reliance Bank, Sheetz, Inc. and WPS Your Copier Company. The final meeting will be held Dec. 17.  

Injury prevention topic of Thursday's safety presentation
The Chamber Safety Committee’s next monthly program will focus on ways that businesses of all sizes can prevent workplace injuries.  “Injury Prevention: What You Need to Know” will be presented this Thursday, Nov. 18 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Marzoni’s in Duncansville. Presenters will be Dr. Eddie Luke of HealthFirst and Alisha Jones of Phoenix Rehabilitation and Health Services, Inc.  Cost to attend is $22 for Chamber Members, $30 for non-members and $17 each for member businesses with three or more attendees. Lunch is included. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.   

Chamber, PEL to examine impact of midterm elections 
The Chamber and the Pennsylvania Economy League’s Central Penn Committee will present an Issues Forum this Friday, Nov. 19 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Jaffa Shrine in Altoona .  James Lee, President of Susquehanna Polling and Research, will present, “The Election of 2010:  What Changes Can We Expect?”  Susquehanna Polling and Research has been quoted in numerous publications and media programs including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and the New York Times. The cost to attend is $22 per person and includes a buffet lunch. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. 

Chamber energy program to hold December meetings
The Chamber’s Energy Program, operated through OnDemand Energy and ChamberChoice, has negotiated significant rates on electricity and many Blair County Chamber members have already signed-on to receive those savings. Is it too late for other Members to sign-on?  Fortunately not. If you are interested and would like to learn more, The Chamber is holding two presentations with OnDemand Energy on Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Devorris Center . The meetings will last no more than one hour. There is no cost to attend. Call The Chamber at 943-8151 to register or just show-up.

Television program offers great sponsorship opportunities
Looking for an inexpensive way to get your business’s name out there for all to see? Then The Chamber has a great opportunity for you.  The Chamber’s television program, “ Blair County : It’s Our Business,” will be airing two shows on the Altoona Public Access Channel during December and January. One show will be on Blair County retail, the other on Blair County ’s hotels, motels and lodging properties.  Sponsors of the shows get mentioned several times, get pre-show publicity and are listed in all news releases about the shows. The cost? Just $100 per show and $150 for both shows. A great deal at an unbelievable price. Any interested Chamber Member businesses should contact Mike McMullen at 943-8151.  

Businesses invited to take part in trade mission
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced that he will lead a high-tech trade mission to New Delhi , Mumbai and Banglore from Feb. 6-11. The mission will help U.S. companies enter the Indian market or build on existing operations, advancing the goal of President Obama’s National Export Initiative to double U.S. imports during the next five years. Secretary Locke invites business leaders to apply to participate in this trade mission by Nov. 30, 2010 at www.trade.gov/IndiaMission2011. 

December Breakfast Club to address climate change
The Chamber’s next Breakfast Club, scheduled for Dec. 9 beginning at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park , will address a topic that should interest not just the local business community but also the community in general. Dr. Raymond Najjar, associate professor of Oceanography with the Departments of Meteorology and Geosciences at Penn State University , will present “ Blair County , Alabama : Life in Central Pennsylvania With Greenhouse Warming.” Dr. Najjar will present evidence for recent global climate change in Pennsylvania and the potentially profound evidence for how that will affect business.  Come and hear this informational presentation. 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.     

Membership Directory ads now on sale
Advertising sales are under way for the 2011 Blair County Chamber Membership Directory, County Profile & Buyers Guide, to be published early next year. The book has been a popular way for businesses to market themselves through a publication that reaches not only the Chamber membership but the Blair County community as well. If you are interested in discussing or purchasing an ad, contact Frank Carney at 943-8151.  

Call for entries taking place for Canstruction®
Back by popular demand at the 2011 Blair County Home & Garden Show will be Canstruction®, an opportunity for local businesses to build structures and displays made entirely of canned goods that will then be donated to local food banks. The Canstruction® displays will be featured at the March 4-6 show presented for the 41st year by The Chamber and the Blair/Bedford Builders Association. The Call for Entries is now taking place and businesses and organizations interested in taking part in Canstruction® should attend an informational meeting to be held on Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Devorris Center. There is no cost or obligation to attend the meeting. For further information contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151.   

Reserved your Home & Garden Show booth yet?

If you plan to display your business in the 2011 Blair County Home & Garden Show, it’s not too early to get a prime booth location before all spots are taken. The show isn’t until March but reservations are well ahead of last year. Don’t miss out! Contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151 or visit the Show website to download an application.

Congratulations . . .

. . . to Nason Hospital Home Health Agency which has been named one of the top 500 home health agencies in the country according to the 2010 HomeCare Elite.  Agencies are ranked by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, quality improvement and financial performance.

. . . to First Church of the Brethren in Roaring Spring which recently celebrated its 100 anniversary. 

For more information, visit the website

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