WE-LEaD Spring Workshop is Tomorrow in Altoona
"Green Drinks" Moves to Fat Daddy's
Dates, Times Set for Candidate Information Session Broadcast
Road Safety Program to Address Sleep Apnea
"Backbone Bash" is Friday at the Buccinese Club
Chamber Board Authorizes Use of Drug Testing Survey
Meeting Time Changed For Chamber Board Meeting
Nomination Process Begins for Business Hall of Fame
Foundation Board to Meet on Wednesday
GRYP Program to Address Public Speaking Skills
Distribution of The Chamber Membership Directory Underway
Address for Next "Business After Hours" Corrected
Chamber Seeking Fall Intern
"Issues" Program on Non-Profits Airs Throughout April
Chamber, Penn State Altoona Partnering on "Gown Meets Town"
Volunteers Needed for Highmark/Chamber Golf Classic
Register Your Cell Phone for "Alert Blair County" Today
AMBUCS Blood Screening Set for May 5th
Blue Card Discounts 

WE-LEaD Spring Workshop is Tomorrow in Altoona
Customer Service will be the topic of the annual Spring Workshop of The Chamber’s WE-LEaD program.  The workshop will be held tomorrow, 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.  Rodgers will present “Attitudes for Service.”  Businesses and individuals may sign-up for the workshop 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. Blair Medical Associates is the sponsor of the Workshop. WE-LEaD is an acronym for Women Encouraging: Leadership, Education and Development.

"Green Drinks" Moves to Fat Daddy's
Fat Daddy’s BBQ Shak & Six Pack, 200 Pleasant Valley Blvd. in Altoona, will be the site of the monthly “Green Drinks” program for April, May and June.  Green Drinks is a networking program of The Chamber’s Coalition on Sustainability that begins at 6:30 p.m. and lasts until the last participant goes home or until Fat Daddy’s closes.  Any Chamber Member that has an interest in discussing issues of sustainability with a group of people possessing a wealth of knowledge on that topic should be sure not to miss Green Drinks.  There is no cost to attend and no need to pre-register.  Just show-up!

Dates, Times Set for Candidate Information Session Broadcast
The Chamber’s Candidate Information Session, held last Monday at the Jaffa Shrine, was videotaped by the Altoona Public Access Station and will be aired five times prior to the April 24th Primary Election.  This will allow anyone who was unable to attend the session to learn more about the business views of Dr. John McGinnis, candidate for State Representative in the 79th Legislative District.  Dr. McGinnis was the only candidate to participate in the event which had been originally scheduled as a debate between McGinnis and incumbent Rick Geist.  Representative Geist declined an invitation from The Chamber to take part.  The Candidate Information Session will be aired on Channel 14 (Atlantic Broadband) on April 13th at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; April 18th at 8:00 p.m.; April 21st at 8:00 p.m. and April 23rd at 6:00 p.m. 

Road Safety Program to Address Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea has become a huge issue for Americans and perhaps no aspect of business is more impacted than companies with employees who operate motor vehicles.  To learn about ways that employers can keep from putting drivers at risk and stay compliant with new regulations, The Chamber’s Safety Committee is presenting an informational program this Friday, April 20th from 7:45 to 9:30 a.m. at the Hampton Inn.  Entitled “Road Safety and Sleep Apnea,” the program is presented by Dr. Timothy Lucas and Sherri Stayer of Altoona Lung Specialists.  The cost to attend is just $15 for Chamber Members and $25 for non-members.  Altoona Lung Specialists is the corporate sponsor.  To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

"Backbone Bash" is Friday at the Buccinese Club
The Backbone Bash, a networking and socializing event for small business owners and their employees will be held this 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.

Chamber Board Authorizes Use of Drug Testing Survey
A local strategy group that includes the Blair County Chamber is issuing a survey on drug testing in the workplace that will hopefully help to determine the frequency and effectiveness of the testing process and will assess how many businesses are currently utilizing some form of testing mechanism. The group, known as “The Healthy Blair County Coalition” has partnered with Penn State Altoona in creating the survey.  The Chamber Board of Directors has given a thumbs-up to inviting Chamber Members to complete the survey which is being done through Survey Monkey.  To participate, please click here.  “Our involvement is extremely important because all of our businesses are faced with how to gain a clearer picture of our workforce,” explained Chamber Board Chair Ron Muffie of The Hite Company. “If there are drug issues, we need to be aware of what those issues are and how to correct them. At this point, from a countywide perspective, there’s just too much we don’t know that would be valuable in the prevention and treatment realms.” 

Meeting Tme Changed for Chamber Board Meeting
The Board of Directors of the Blair County Chamber will meet this Thursday, April 19th.  The meeting will be held at noon at the Devorris Center instead of the usual 7:30 a.m. starting time.  Any Chamber Member wishing to address the Board should contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151 by the end of the business day on Tuesday.

Nomination Process Begins for Business Hall of Fame
If you know of a business that deserves acclaim for having done something significant in the business community during the past year – even if that business is yours – it’s time to nominate that business for the Blair County Business Hall of Fame or for one of the General Business Awards of Distinction. The nomination process is underway and all nominated businesses must complete an application form and return it to The Chamber by noon on June 11th.  So don’t delay!  Nomination forms can be secured by calling The Chamber Office at 943-8151 or you can obtain a form online. Besides the Hall of Fame and its Heritage component, the business categories to be honored are: Safety Excellence, Sustainability, Technology, Community Service, Young Emerging Business and Excellence in Small Business.

Foundation Board to Meet on Wednesday
The Board of Directors of the Blair County Chamber Foundation will meet on Wednesday beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the Devorris Center.  For more information on the Foundation, contact Cindy Cessna at 943-8151.

GRYP Program to Address Public Speaking
The Chamber’s Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals (GRYP) will hold a Lunch ‘n’ Learn program on April 24th from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Park Hills Country Club.  The program is entitled, “Perfecting Your Professional Public Speaking & Presentation Skills.”  The speaker will be Steve Madden, Professor of English and Public Speaking at South Hills School of Business & Technology.  The cost to attend is $22 for Chamber Members, $30 for non-members and $17-per-person if three or more attend from the same Chamber business.  Lunch is included.  To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. South Hills is the sponsor of the Lunch ‘n’ Learn.

Distribution of The Chamber Membership Directory Underway
The Chamber’s 2012 Membership Directory & County Profile is on its way to Chamber Members.  The 118-page publication is the ideal resource for anyone in the business community and also provides an in-depth portrayal of the many facets of life in Blair County.  If your business or organization doesn’t receive its directory by April 20th, call The Chamber at 943-8151.

Address for Next "Business After Hours" Corrected
Altoona Lung Specialists will host the next Chamber “Business After Hours” on April 26th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.  In last Tuesday’s edition of the Blair Business Mirror, the address was erroneously reported. Altoona Lung Specialists is located at 800 Chestnut Avenue in Altoona.  To register for Business After Hours call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

Chamber Seeks Fall Intern
The Blair County Chamber of Commerce is seeking an intern for the Fall Semester.  The intern should be majoring in Business Management, Marketing or Communications.  The internship can be either for credit or personal enrichment.  Interested students should contact Linda Stotler at 943-8151.

"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.

Chamber, Penn State Altoona Partnering on "Gown Meets Town"
The Division of Business & Engineering at Penn State Altoona is one of the university’s many shining stars.  It is also one that in the grand scheme of things can become overlooked or under-appreciated.  To raise awareness of the many innovative efforts being undertaken by students and faculty within the engineering program, Penn State and the Blair County Chamber of Commerce are teaming-up on a “Gown Meets Town” event, set for April 27th from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Penn State Altoona Devorris Downtown Center.  The name “Gown Meets Town” symbolizes the importance of bringing the college and our community together.  There is no cost to attend Gown Meets Town.  Individuals can register by calling Sue Stevens at 940-3401 or emailing her.

Volunteers Needed for Highmark/Chamber Golf Classic
The Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield/Chamber 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.  “As usual, we are anticipating a great event,” remarked Stacy Hoover, The Chamber’s Vice-President of Events & Technology.  “To be really effective though, it’s important that we are able to recruit some volunteers who can assist in handling the many important details associated with making things run smoothly.  I’d encourage anyone willing to help out to call me (943-8151) or email me (shoover@blairchamber.com).  We will do our best to make sure that your time is well-spent.”  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.

AMBUCS Blood Screening Set for May 5th
The local chapter of AMBUCS will hold a Blood Screening Program on May 5th from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the First Energy (Penelec) Auditorium on Plank Road in Altoona.  The program is designed, in cooperation with Altoona Regional Health System, to include tests which assist in the early detection of the leading health risks in our region including coronary heart disease, glucose intolerance and diabetes, kidney and liver disease and anemia. To register for any of the screenings, call 889-4222.

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.  

Blair Mill Outlet	Present your Blue card for 10% off the entire stock, excluding clearance items. (Blue Card must be presented at the time of purchase.)
Culligan of Altoona	Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive $100 off a Water Conditioning System or Drinking System.
Damin Printing Company, LLC	Present your Chamber Blue Card to receive a 15% discount on wedding invitations
Drs. Centar & Imler	Present your Blue Card to receive 20 percent off of spectacle lenses and frames OR receive 20 percent off of an exam and contact lens fitting. (Discounts cannot be combined with any other insurance programs, coupons or courtesies.)
Edward Jones Investments	Present your Blue Card to receive a FREE Business Retirement Plan Assessment from Edward Jones Investments, Altoona.

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