Candidate Information Session This Morning at 10:00
Blair Business Mirror to Be Published Tomorrow
Breakfast Club Theme Marries Business and Baseball
Chambers Collaborate for Regional Leadership Session
Leadership Youth Session Targets Future Employment
Do You Have a Success Story About Local Buying?
"Backbone Bash" is April 20th at Buccinese Club
"Issues" Program on Non-Profits Airs Throughout April
Customer Service is Focus of WE-LEaD Workshop
Highmark/Chamber Golf Classic to Include "Ball-Drop"
Register Your Cell Phone for "Alert Blair County" Today
Congratulations...
Blue Card Discounts 

Candidate Information Session This Morning at 10:00
The Blair County Chamber will hold a Candidate Information Session today, April 9th, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Jaffa Shrine.  Dr. John McGinnis, candidate for the State House of Representatives in the 79th Congressional District will participate in a question-and-answer session moderated by former Blair County Commissioner Donna Gority, a member of The Chamber’s Legislative Action Committee which is hosting the event.  The committee had originally planned a debate between McGinnis and incumbent Rick Geist, strictly on issues related to business.  When Geist declined an invitation to participate, the event was modified to allow McGinnis to respond to the questions that Chamber Members had submitted to be used in the debate.  The Candidate Information Session will also be taped by the Altoona Public Access Studio for airing at times indicated by The Chamber that would allow those voters unable to attend the Session an opportunity to hear McGinnis’ views.  Corporate sponsor of the Session is Broadway Sharpening and Gority Cabinetry.  The Session will not be broadcast live nor will questions be taken from the audience.  The public is invited to attend.  For more information, contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151.

Blair Business Mirror to Be Published Tomorrow
Galactic Ice of Altoona will be the cover story of April’s Blair Business Mirror when the publication hits the streets tomorrow as a supplement to the Altoona Mirror.  Among the other features will be a story on The Chamber’s partnership with Penn State Altoona on an event highlighting the university’s engineering department, one promoting The Chamber’s upcoming trip to Italy and one that includes testimonials on the success of the ChamberChoice electric energy program.  A copy of the Blair Business Mirror will be mailed to all Chamber-member businesses and organizations.

Breakfast Club Theme Marries Business and Baseball
Last week’s opening of the 2012 baseball season for the Altoona Curve – the team’s 14th season in Blair County – once again emphasizes the importance that the business community plays in the ongoing success of minor baseball here.  Thursday’s Chamber Breakfast Club beginning at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park, will feature a tag-team speaking combination to present “Business and Baseball: An Unbeatable Double-Play Combination.”  Rob Egan, General Manager of the Altoona Curve and Morgan O’Brien, CEO of Peoples Natural Gas, will talk about the power of partnership and why Altoona, as one of the Eastern League’s smallest markets, has been the envy of so many larger franchises that have craved similar support.  Corporate sponsor for April’s Breakfast Club is Altoona Mirror.  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.

Chambers Collaborate for Regional Leadership Session
A tradition that began several years ago will continue on Wednesday as the Leadership classes from Blair, Bedford, Cambria and Somerset counties will convene for a regional session that will begin at 8:15 a.m. and conclude at 2:45.  The location of this year’s session will be Seven Springs Mountain Resort.  The Somerset County Chamber of Commerce will serve as host.  “This event has been an effective way to create an opportunity for some big-picture thinking for our leadership class,” remarked Judy Juda, the Blair County Chamber’s Vice-President of Programming & Membership Education.  “The interaction with the other classes, in itself, is valuable and often changes the perspective of the participants.”  For more information about Leadership Blair County, contact Juda at 943-8151, or visit the Chamber website. 

Leadership Youth Session Targets Future Employment
The next session of The Chamber’s Leadership Blair County Youth program will target issues such as planning for future employment and community responsibility.  The session will be held this Wednesday beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the Greater Altoona Career & Technology Center.  Presenters will include Lacey Garrison of Advantage Resource Group, Karen Perkins of Penelec, Jim Kilmartin of Joshua House and John Apa of Sheetz, Inc.  For more information on LBC Youth, contact Judy Juda or visit The Chamber website.

Do You Have a Success Story About Local Buying?
A considerable part of The Chamber’s “Buy Here. Live Here.” promotional strategy will be to highlight those businesses that make a concerted effort to purchase local products and services.  If your business fits that category or you know of a business that does, contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151.

"Backbone Bash" is April 20th at Buccinese Club
The Backbone Bash, a networking and socializing event for small business owners and their employees will be held on Friday, April 20th from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Buccinese Club, located at 614 Eighth Avenue in Altoona.  The event features great food and beverages, excellent door prizes, karaoke and even competitive bocce.  And the cost is just $10-per-person thanks to a number of businesses that have stepped-up as sponsors.  The Backbone Bash got its name from the fact that small businesses are the backbone of the local economy.  The event is hosted by The Chamber’s Partners in Small Business and is limited to Chamber members only.  To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

"Issues" Program on Non-Profits Airs Throughout April
Non-Profit organizations made a considerable impact on the Blair County economy.  That impact was a key part of the discussion at The Chamber “Issues” program which will air on Altoona Public Access Channel 14.  The program will run every Monday at 9:00 p.m. and every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. during the month of April.  The title of the program is, “Blair County’s Non-Profits: Rising to the Challenge.”  Panelists are: Terri Grove of CONTACT Altoona, Jim Kilmartin of Joshua House Community Center, Judy Rosser of Blair County Drug and Alcohol Program, Inc., Tim Salony of Blair County Library System and Chrissey Wagner of The Altoona Symphony Orchestra.  Carolyn Donaldson of WTAJ Your News Leader is the moderator.  Sponsors of this “Issues” program are: Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries, Blair Senior Services, Family Services, Inc., Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley, Skills of Central PA and The Arc of Blair County.

Customer Service is Focus of WE-LEaD Workshop
Customer Service will be the topic of the annual Spring Workshop of The Chamber’s WE-LEaD program.  The workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 17th from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Penn State Altoona Devorris Downtown Center.  The presenter will be John Rodgers, Jr., an experienced executive coach who has been a Dale Carnegie trainer for more than 25-years.  Businesses and individuals may sign-up for the workshop online or by calling The Chamber at 943-8151.  The cost to attend is $60 for Chamber Members and $70 for non-members.  The price includes a light breakfast, lunch and training materials.  Exhibitors from women-focused businesses will also be featured as part of the event.  WE-LEaD is an acronym for Women Encouraging: Leadership, Education and Development.

Highmark/Chamber Golf Classic to Include "Ball-Drop"
Participants in the 2012 Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Chamber Golf Classic have an opportunity to win some great prizes on top of having a great day of networking out of the office.  This year, however, even those people unable to take part in the Classic can still be prize-winners.  The Chamber’s Golf Committee has contracted with Pine Bottom Aviation, a Chamber Member, to conduct a “ball drop” immediately following the round of golf and before the golfers head to the reception.  The concept is simple.  People purchase numbered golf balls at $5.00 each.  All purchased balls are then loaded into a helicopter and dropped from approximately 70 feet onto a makeshift green with a pin.  The golf ball landing closest to the pin wins the person holding that number $250.  Next closest wins $100.  Next wins $50.  Balls can be purchased beginning April 9^th at the Chamber Office or from any member of the Golf Committee.  The Golf Classic is being held on May 14th at Iron Masters Country Club in Ore Hill.  Registration and lunch begin at 11:00 a.m. and golfing starts with a shotgun start at noon.  For the fifth consecutive year, lunch is a pig roast provided by Holland Brothers.  There are snacks and plenty of beverages on the course.  To register as a team or individual for the Classic, call The Chamber at 943-8151.

Register Your Cell Phone for "Alert Blair County" Today
The Chamber has partnered with the Blair County Local Emergency Planning Committee to alert Blair County residents and their families of important local level emergencies.  In all probability, your residential and business telephones are already on the contact list.  But your cellular telephones and smart phones are not.  To register them, log on to www.blairco.org and click on the “ALERT BLAIR COUNTY” icon.  Persons without Internet access can contact EMA Administrative Assistant Cris Stacey at 940-5901 for assistance.

Congratulations...
. . . to Allan Hancock, Craig Kilmer and Robert Beck of The Hancock Group who were recently recognized as qualifying and life members of the Million Dollar Roundtable.

Blue Card Discount offers
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 Stacy Hoover at The Chamber at 943-8151.

Advanced Chiropractice	Present your Blue Card for first day services including a consultation, examination and x-rays (if necessary) for a $10 donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation! Valued at over $150. Come and see if chiropractic can help you!
Advanced Regional Center for Foot and Ankle Care	Present your blue card to receive $15.00 off any in-stock Crocs OR Present your Blue Card to receive $25.00 off in-stock sandalistas OR Present your Blue Card to receive Formula 3 Nail Fungus Treatment for $30.00
Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries	Present your Chamber Blue card to receive 10% off first month of in-home services provided by ALSM at Home. Offer limited to new ALSM at Home participants.
Altoona Community Theatre	Present your Blue Card and receive $4.00 off individual tickets for ACT Mainstage Productions at the Mishler Theatre.
ARC Federal Credit Union	Present your Blue Card and your first book of checks are FREE when you open a new checking account at ARC Federal Credit Union.

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