Dairy Farming at the Heart of Thursday's Breakfast Club
Eight Businesses Approved for Chamber Membership
"Green Drinks" Slated for Tomorrow at Fat Daddy's
Municipal Forum Will Examine Consequences of Blight
Non-Profits to Hear Social Media Presentation
GRYP Networking Event Set for Patio at Jethro's
Deadline Approaching to Apply for Leadership Blair County Class
Have You Received Your "Buy Here. Live Here." Newsletter?
Chamber Seeking Fall Intern
Blue Card Discounts 

Dairy Farming at the Heart of Thursday's Breakfast Club
One of the region’s most prominent dairy farmers will share his insight with members of the Blair County Chamber this Thursday, June 21st. Phil Kulp of Kulp Family Dairy, LLC will be the guest speaker at the 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.

Eight Businesses Approved for Chamber Membership
At its June 15th meeting, the Executive Committee of The Chamber’s Board of Directors approved the following businesses for membership: American Red Cross, Dixon Electric, Inc., Hair Care Specialists Beauty Salon, Jilco, Inc., Maurices, Medcomsoft, Nova 6 and Southern Alleghenies Elite Orthopedics.  We congratulate these new members and will officially recognize them at the August “Breakfast Club.”

"Green Drinks" Slated for Tomorrow at Fat Daddy's
Confused about issues of sustainability and would like to talk to someone knowledgeable in a non-threatening environment? Then stop over at Fat Daddy’s BBQ Shak at 200 Pleasant Valley Blvd. tomorrow night for “Green Drinks.” Initiated locally by The Chamber’s Coalition on Environmental Sustainability, Green Drinks is an international effort with more than 700 locations worldwide.  Nearly half of those are within the United States. “It’s a great forum for people in the area to either share information or just learn from others,” explained Katrina Pope, Education Enforcement Coordinator for Blair County’s Inter-Municipal Relations Committee and Chair of the Coalition. “I know that in all the Green Drinks that I’ve attended, I made some valuable contacts. That’s really what this is all about. We officially begin at 6:30 and go until people want to leave. There is no cost to attend; everyone pays for what they eat and drink.”

Municipal Forum Will Examine Consequences of Blight
Blair County’s municipalities are experiencing more-and-more structural deterioration and don’t have a full appreciation of how best to handle them. For that reason, the Blair County Chamber’s Legislative Action Committee is directing its second Municipal Forum to the issue of blight. The Forum, which follows one held in April on Unfunded Mandates, is scheduled for this Thursday, June 21st beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development. The event will run no longer than 8:30. Guest speaker for the Forum will be Attorney Christopher C. Houston, recently appointed as Chief Counsel to the PA Department of Community and Economic Development. The Municipal Forum is for elected officials or for employees of municipalities. The event is closed to the general public.

Non-Profits to Hear Social Media Presentation
Non-profit organizations rely more and more on their abilities to get their message to patrons or customers. As social media becomes a more prominent way to accomplish that objective, it’s important that all aspects of social media are identified and their benefits understood. On Friday, members of The Chamber’s Community Benefits Coalition of Non-Profits and their employees are invited to attend a Best Practices Forum from 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. at the Devorris Center. The program will focus on “Social Media for Non-Profits.” Guest presenter/facilitator will be George Sackandy, CEO and founder of Intelmarx who will help attendees to explore new communication opportunities, understand what can and cannot be controlled, discuss the technical challenges, share sample strategies and tactics and contribute ideas for integrating social media into overall communications. This will be a terrific program for those well-versed in social media and those without a clue. This program is for Coalition members and their employees only. There is no charge to attend. Any non-profit Chamber Member interested in joining the Coalition should contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151.

GRYP Networking Event Set for Patio at Jethro's
The monthly networking event of The Chamber’s Growth & Relationships of Young Professionals (GRYP) will be held this Thursday 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.

Deadline Approaching to Apply for Leadership Blair County 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. 

Have You Received Your "Buy Here. Live Here." Newsletter?
First the Buy Here. Live Here. website and now the Buy Here. Live Here. online newsletter. If you haven’t received the newsletter it means that you haven’t yet signed a pledge card saying that you will attempt to buy at least 10% more of your products and services from local providers. By signing a pledge, you will be entered into monthly prize drawings. You can access a pledge card either by visiting The Chamber Office or by visiting the website at http://www.buyherelivehere.com/. 
 
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. 

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.    

Woody's II	Present your Blue Card to receive $1 off any large hoagie. Offer is good for up to 4 hoagies per order.
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.
Blair Mill Outlet	Blue Card must be present at time of purchase. 10% off Regular Price in Stock Merchandise Only. Can not be combined with any other offer.