Business Excellence Dinner is Tonight at Jaffa Shrine
Deadline Approaching for “Italy’s Great Cities”
Blair Business Mirror to be Published Tomorrow
Chamber to Cut Two Ribbons Wednesday
“Business After Hours” Hosting Available for November
STEM Conference Still Taking Last Minute Sign-Ups
Executive Committee Meets on Friday at Chamber Office
Next Chamber Breakfast Club to Focus on Dairy Farming
Jethro's Restaurant to Host GRYP Networking Event
GRYP Offers Recreational Event at Iron Masters Country Club
Leadership Blair County Assembling 2013 Class
“Buy Here. Live Here.” Website Promotes Local Success Stories
"Buy Here. Live Here." Pledge Card Winner
Chamber Seeking Fall Intern
Register Your Cell Phone for “Alert Blair County” Today
Congratulations . . .
Blue Card Discounts 

Business Excellence Dinner is Tonight at Jaffa Shrine
The Blair County Chamber’s 2012 Business Excellence Dinner will be held tonight at the Jaffa Shrine. The event honors Fred Imler, Sr. of Imler’s Poultry with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Excellence. A reception will be held beginning at 5:30 p.m. with dinner following at 6:45. The keynote speaker for the event will be Imperial Sir Raoul Frevel of Baltimore, Maryland, a member of the Board of Trustees at Shriners Hospital for Children and a former Imperial Potentate of Shriners International. Dean McKnight, a retired banker with M&T Bank, will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Providing testimonial comments on the life and career of Fred Imler, Sr. will be G. William Ward, Chairman of Ward Transport and Logistics Corporation and a former Business Excellence honoree; Allan Hancock, President of the Hancock Group who also serves as President of the Central PA Community Foundation; and Richard Bice, Chairman of the Homewood at Martinsburg Board of Directors. Registrations for the event are closed and no walk-ins will be permitted.

Deadline Approaching for "Italy's Great Cities"
If you are hoping to travel with The Chamber on its next exciting trip, it’s time to make your intentions known. From October 7-14, it’s “Italy’s Great Cities,” an opportunity to experience the fabulous scenery and hospitality of that great country. The trip includes visits to Rome, Pisa, Florence, Verona, Venice and Ferrara. Call Classic Travel at 696-3558 today so that you don’t miss-out!

Blair Business Mirror to be Published Tomorrow
The Blair Business Mirror, The Chamber’s monthly print newsletter, will be published tomorrow as a supplement to the Altoona Mirror.  This issue features a cover story on the local dairy industry, in particular those businesses that sell ice cream as a primary product line. Inside features include a Q&A with a retiring real estate legend, an overview of an upcoming Municipal Forum on the effects of blight and an introduction of The Chamber’s newest intern. Don’t forget to pick-up a copy of tomorrow’s Altoona Mirror.

Chamber to Cut Two Ribbons Wednesday
The Chamber and its dedicated group of Ambassadors will have a busy day on Wednesday as two member-businesses will host ribbon-cuttings. At 11:00 a.m., NHS Autism School at 1012 Eighth Avenue in Altoona will officially baptize its new playground. And at 4:30 p.m., Senior Care Altoona will celebrate its grand opening at 1311 12th Avenue in Altoona. Chamber members are invited to attend either ribbon cutting.

"Business After Hours" Hosting Available for November
A scheduling conflict has created an opportunity for a Chamber-member business or organization to host the “Business After Hours” on November 15th. The next available date to host an After Hours isn’t until 2014. “This is a rare opportunity,” explained Stacy Hoover, The Chamber’s Vice-President of Events & Technology. “November has generally been a good month to host because people are anxious to start the holiday season.”  Anyone interested in being considered should call Stacy at 943-8151.

STEM Conference will Feature High Quality Speakers
The Central PA STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) Conference will be held this Thursday, June 14th at Milton Area High School. The conference is strongly endorsed by The Chamber’s BASICS Committee which is working with local colleges to increase STEM awareness. Among the keynote speakers at the conference are Ioannis Miaoulis, President and Director of the Museum of Science in Boston and Frederick Hess, a well-known educator, political scientist and author. For more information on the conference, go to www.regonline.com/stemconference. 

Executive Committee Meets on Friday at Chamber Office
The Executive Committee of The Chamber’s Board of Directors will meet on Friday at 8:00 a.m. at The Chamber Office. Since the Chamber Board doesn’t meet in June or July, the Executive Committee meets to approve new members and the organization’s financials as well as dealing with whatever issues need attention.  Any Chamber member who would like to address the Executive Committee should contact Joe Hurd by no later than June 13th at 943-8151.

Next Chamber Breakfast Club to Focus on Dairy Farming
One of the region’s most prominent dairy farmers will share his insight with members of the Blair County Chamber on June 21st. Phil Kulp of Kulp Family Dairy, LLC will be the guest speaker at the next Chamber Breakfast Club. Kulp will talk about the impact that the dairy industry has on the Blair County economy and the many challenges that local dairy farmers have in maintaining that economic status in the community. The Breakfast Club will begin at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The cost to attend is $16 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. A buffet breakfast is included. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

Jehtro's Restaurant to Host GRYP Networking Event
The monthly networking event of The Chamber’s Growth & Relationships of Young Professionals (GRYP) will be held next Thursday, June 21st from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the beautiful patio at Jethro’s Restaurant, located at 417 Parkview Drive in Altoona. There is no cost to attend for GRYP members. Non-members can attend for just $5.00. To register, contact The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

GRYP Offers Recreational Event at Iron Masters Country Club
If you are a young professional in the area, you don’t want to miss this unique event! The Chamber’s Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals (GRYP) will host Glow-in-the-Dark Golf this Friday, June 15th starting at 8:00 p.m. at Iron Masters Country Club in Roaring Spring. Both GRYP-members and non-members can attend for only $20 per person. Price includes 2 glow balls, glow necklace, flashlight, cart and a drink ticket. Pre-registration is highly encouraged. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

Leadership Blair County Assembling 2013 Class
The 2013 Class of The Chamber’s Leadership Blair County program – the 19th class overall – will be assembled in early July following candidate interviews. Will you be one of those candidates? Apply today so that you can join other servant leaders in helping to make Blair County a better place to live and work. The deadline to apply is June 30th. Contact Judy Juda for an application at 943-8151. 

"Buy Here. Live Here." Website Promotes Local Success Stories
The official web-location of The Chamber’s “Buy Here. Live Here.” program can be accessed at buyherelivehere.com. It features articles on local businesses that are making an effort to buy local products and services, special promotions and discounts, opportunities to win prizes for taking the BHLH Pledge to direct at least 10% more of your spending to local businesses and much, much more. Visit the site often. You’ll save dollars and learn which businesses are helping your community to grow. You can also reach the site by going through The Chamber Website.  

"Buy Here. Live Here." Pledge Card Winner
Congratulations Sharon L. Ciccarella. You are this month's winner of a Dinner on us at Marzoni's. Thank you for signing the pledge to "Buy Here. Live Here." Each month a random name will be selected from those who signed the pledge to receive a prize. Be sure to sign the pledge if you have not done so already to get your name in the drawings!

Chamber Seeking 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. 

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 Booker Moore, President/CEO of L.R. Webber Associates who was voted Member of the Year at the United Benefit Advisors Convention in Chicago.

Blue Card Discounts
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.