Chamber office closed Thursday, Friday
New officers appointed to Chamber Board
Board approves ethics policy for Members
Chamber Foundation Board welcomes new members
Coalition gets name change
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
Reserved your Home & Garden Show booth yet? 
Congratulations . . .

Chamber office closed Thursday, Friday
In observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday, the Blair County Chamber Office will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 25 and Friday, Nov. 26.  The office will re-open on Monday, Nov. 29 at 8:30 a.m.  

New officers appointed to Chamber Board  
The Chamber’s Board of Directors has approved a slate of officers for 2011. Ron Muffie of The Hite Company will serve as Board Chair.  Chair-Elect will be Doug Mingle of Roaring Spring Department Store.  Treasurer will be Gary Drenning of Blair Companies. Vice-Chair of the Promotion/Events Division will be Barry D’Andrea of Saleme Insurance Services; Vice-Chair of the Education Division is Jessica Lattanza of Blair Medical Associates and Vice-Chair of the Communications/Advocacy Division is Jack Collins of Link Computer Corporation. Bob Bilger of M&T Bank will serve as Immediate Past Chair. 

Board approves ethics policy for Members
For a business organization like The Chamber, nothing is more important than its standards. The ethical aspect of those standards, while evident throughout the community, has never been committed to a paper description until now. The Chamber’s Board of Directors last week approved an “Ethics Policy/Code of Conduct for Chamber Members” which had been created by a board subcommittee. “The policy talks about what Member-businesses should aspire to and why it’s important to keep things like honesty and integrity out in front of people as often as possible,” explained Chamber Board Chair Bob Bilger. “It’s not our intention to dictate. It’s more of a need to have something tangible that identifies our priorities for how we treat one another and what we stand for.” The Chamber had created an Ethics Policy for Board Members five years ago. To view the new policy, click here.  

Chamber Foundation Board welcomes new members  Susan Barber of Reliance Bank, Tim Nagle of First National Bank and Jay Nartatez of McLanahan Corporation were approved by the Chamber Board of Directors to seats on the Blair County Chamber Foundation Board, effective Jan. 1, 2011. The three replace Denny Doll of Reliance Bank, Joe Keller of Keller Engineers and Dee Martin Spallone of the Altoona Area School District whose terms on the Foundation Board have expired.  

Coalition gets name change 
The Chamber’s Coalition on Environmental Sustainability has a new name that Coalition members hope will eliminate some of the confusion concerning the group’s mission. “The ‘environmental’ part of the name has created the impression that we only deal with environmental issues,” related Coalition Chair Katrina Pope. “It’s diminished our ability to attract a wider array of participants.” At the Coalition’s recommendation, the Chamber Board of Directors officially approved a change to the Coalition on Sustainability. Chamber Members interested in being part of the Coalition should contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151.    

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 already have 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 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Dec. 9 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 air 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 on the U.S. Department of Commerce website.   

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.  

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 go to the website to download an application.  

Congratulations . . .

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