Chamber Announces Schedule for Holidays
The Blair County Chamber will close its office at noon on Friday, December 23rd and will remain closed until Wednesday, December 28th in observance of Christmas.  The office will close at noon on Friday, December 30th and will then re-open on Tuesday, January 3rd in observance of the New Year’s holiday.  For information on The Chamber or to register for programs and events while the office is closed, visit The Chamber Website.

No Business Bulletin for December 26th
The Chamber will not publish a Business Bulletin on Monday, December 26th. The next issue will be published on Monday, January 2nd.

"Green Drinks" is Tomorrow at Jack & Georges
Do you care about ways to help preserve the environment but can’t seem to find people with that same passion?  Have we got an event for you!  “Green Drinks,” sponsored locally by The Chamber’s Coalition on Sustainability, meets each month to create an informal, non-threatening forum for discussion about anything “green.”  The next Green Drinks will be held tomorrow, December 20th, from 6:30 p.m. until you feel like leaving at Jack & Georges, 2400 Fourth Avenue in Altoona.  There’s no need to register – just show-up.

Nomination Deadline Approaches for Annual Meeting Awards
On Friday, January 27th, The Chamber will hold its 2012 Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation beginning at 7:30 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The event will include the swearing-in of The Chamber Board of Directors as well as the Board of the Blair County Chamber Foundation. Awards to be presented that morning are the Athena Award, the George Award, the Joseph P. Rosenhammer Chamber Spirit Award, the GRYP Impact Award, the Donna D. Gority Servant Leadership Award and the Small Business Person of the Year Award. The Agricultural Community Excellence (ACE) Award, presented last October, will be re-presented at the Annual Meeting. To nominate someone for one of these awards, simply go to The Chamber website and access the nomination form for that award. The cost to attend the Annual Meeting & Awards Presentation is $20 for Chamber Members and non-members. To make reservations, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

Chamber Board Approves Five New Members
At last week’s Chamber Board of Directors meeting, the Board approved the following new members: Blair Township, Blue Lantern Bed & Breakfast, Donna Gority (retired), RT Contracting, Inc. and The Wireless Center.  Please take a moment to contact any of these new members and personally welcome them to the organization.  The Chamber ends the year with 978 members.  Of that number, 88 were added during 2011, a 20% increase over 2010.

Kilmartin, Steward Added to Chamber Foundation Board
The Blair County Chamber Foundation has added Jim Kilmartin of Joshua House and Patricia Steward to its Board of Directors.  The new directors replace Brian Brumbaugh of Preferred Healthcare System and Craig Campbell of Hoss’s Steak & Sea House whose terms on the Foundation Board expire next week.  Michelle Zitsch of CCIS of Blair County / Child Care Connection was retained by the Board for an additional year to complete her role as Foundation Board President.

Three Selected as 2012 Board Chair Appointments
Among The Chamber’s twenty-one Board Members are three “Board Chair” appointments that are for one-year in duration.  Ron Muffie of The Hite Company, who serves as Board Chair, officially announced his selections at last Thursday’s Board of Directors meeting.  The three are: Lee Anne Ehredt of Green Home Goods, Victor Gioiosa of ARC Federal Credit Union and Terri Harpster of Bellwood-Antis School District.

SIFE Project on Energy Audits Approved
The Chamber’s Board of Directors, on a recommendation from its Coalition on Sustainability, has approved a project that will allow the Coalition to assist the Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) from Penn State Altoona to recruit businesses willing to undergo energy audits as a means of improving efficiency, saving money and protecting the environment.  “This project is one that serves a variety of purposes,” explained Chamber Board Member Randy Green of McCartney’s who is also a Coalition member.  “It’s the type of effort that The Chamber should be making on behalf of its members and we applaud the SIFE students for recognizing a need and moving forward with it.”  The Coalition will determine a strategy at its January meeting to address the specifics of the project

"Blue Card" Recruitment, Reauthorization Continues
The Chamber’s “Blue Card” program has successfully helped Chamber businesses to access new customers and Chamber Members to save money on the purchase of products and services.  The Chamber is in the process of reauthorizing current Blue Card offers that expire at the end of December as well as recruiting new offers.  If your business would like to make a Blue Card offer, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or email Stacy Hoover. 

Chamber Has Openings for 2012 "Business Before Hours"
The Chamber created “Business Before Hours” in 2011 and it proved to be a popular way for businesses to promote themselves in a morning drive-time format, catching people as they were heading to work.  “We weren’t sure how popular the concept would be,” admitted Chamber President Joe Hurd.  “It turned out to be a really good opportunity, particularly for businesses that don’t ordinarily get a lot of foot traffic, to welcome those people curious about what the business does.”  There is no charge to host an event and no charge for Chamber Members to attend it.  If your business would like to host a “Business Before Hours,” contact Hurd at 943-8151.

Golf Committee Seeking Additional Members
The Chamber’s very successful Golf Classic, played each May, is the product of an active Golf Committee.  That committee is seeking additional members to help with the planning and execution of the 2012 event.  If you are interested in serving on the Golf Committee, contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151.

Chamber Partnering With Dale Carnegie on "Skills for Success"
The Chamber and Dale Carnegie Training will once again partner on a program that will begin on January 26th and run for the following eight weeks.  “Skills for Success” will provide attendees an extensive background on things like effective networking, relationship building, stress management and leadership development – just to name a few.  Sessions will be held at the Comfort Inn Hotel in Duncansville.  For more information or to register, contact Jeff Davis at (814) 931-1963. or email him at jeff_davis@dalecarnegie.com.