Healthcare series to begin this week with focus on hospitals 
Pirates president to speak at next Chamber Breakfast Club 
Chamber Members can see Tom Peters for FREE! 
Brainstorming session set for Wednesday at The Park 
Don't forget to reserve your spot for the WE-LEaD Workshop 
Legislative Action Committee initiating discussion on cooperation
Task Force to explore possibility of diverting Route 22 
Second informational meeting set for Chamber's trip to Ireland 
Curve FanFest scheduled for April 7 
Leadership Blair County to hold informational open house
April Lunch 'n' Learn to focus on customer service
Next GRYP networking event at The Altoona Hotel
LBC selling chances on "Immaculate Reception" photo
Golf Classic on track to sell-out by end of April
Chamber's energy program guaranteed to save members money
Has your business information changed? 
Congratulations . . .

Healthcare series to begin this week with focus on hospitals 
Healthcare is Blair County ’s second-leading industry so it's not surprising that the federal government's emphasis on altering the healthcare climate would have a huge impact on the local business community. What would that impact likely be? To gain some valuable insight, The Chamber will conduct a three-part series of programs on the Altoona Public Access Channel entitled: "Healthcare and Blair County' s Future." The first program, which will be taped Tuesday, will look at the challenges to the county’s five hospitals and how acute care facilities are preparing to respond to those challenges. The panel discussion format will be moderated by Carolyn Donaldson of WTAJ. Panelists will be: Jerry Murray of Altoona Regional Health System, Garrett Hoover of Nason Hospital, Stephen Gildea of Tyrone Hospital, Scott Filler of HealthSouth and Tony Bennett of James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center. The second show of the trilogy will deal with long-term care and the third show with healthcare related topics such as health insurance and healthcare practitioners. Sponsorships are available to interested businesses to offset the cost of producing the series. Those sponsorships, which include several marketing and promotional opportunities, are just $200 per show or $500 for the entire series.  Contact Mike McMullen at 943-8151.

Pirates president to speak at next Chamber Breakfast Club
What are the prospects for the 2010 Pittsburgh Pirates? That will be one of the burning questions that Frank Coonelly, President of the Pirates, will address on April 8 as guest speaker at The Chamber's Breakfast Club. Coonelly and General Manager Neal Huntingdon have worked diligently to transition the Pirates into winners on and off the field and his insights into how to build a ballclub are critical components for building a successful business as well. Due to a tight schedule, Coonelly's presentation will take place at the beginning of the Breakfast Club rather than at the end. To register for the Breakfast Club, which begins at 7:45 a.m., call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. The cost to attend is $16 for Chamber Members and $25 for non-members. Corporate host for the April Breakfast Club is Saint Francis University.

Chamber Members can see Tom Peters for FREE!
Internationally acclaimed author Tom Peters, whose management classic In Search of Excellence is considered a standard for successful business practice, will speak at Saint Francis University on April 6 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the DeGol Arena. Tickets are $25 each. Thanks to the generosity of the university, The Chamber has a limited number of tickets to the lecture that they will give, free-of-charge to members who call or visit the Chamber Office. The limit is two tickets-per-member. Don’t delay. Call The Chamber at 943-8151.

Brainstorming session set for Wednesday at The Park
The Park at Morrisons Cove, with the marketing assistance of The Chamber, has scheduled a Business Breakfast Meeting on March 31 from 8 to 10 a.m. to brainstorm how the facility can better serve the needs of the county. The theme of the breakfast is "The Power of Community Networking" and Dr. Chuck Kormanski of Kormanski Consulting will facilitate an information gathering session. All Blair and Bedford county businesses are invited to attend. There is no cost and breakfast will be provided, courtesy of Doug Mingle of Roaring Spring Department Store and John Bolger of Bolger Funeral Home. To register, call The Park at 793-2176.  

Don't forget to reserve your spot for the WE-LEaD Workshop
The highly-successful WE-LEaD Spring Workshop, which has attracted a number of nationally recognized speakers during its four years in existence, has hit another homerun in 2010. On April 20, Harry Paul, the funny, dynamic author of FISH! will address what is expected to be a large crowd at the Penn State Devorris Downtown Center . The event begins with registration from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and concludes with lunch at 12:30 p.m. During the 7:30 to 8:30 time slot, breakfast will be available as well as the opportunity to visit display booths that feature a variety of products and services. Paul's presentation begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. and continues until lunchtime. The cost to attend the WE-LEaD Workshop is $60 for Chamber Members and $70 for non-members. Register online. Exhibit space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Judy Juda for exhibitor information at 943-8151 or to reserve your space at the workshop.  For the third consecutive year, Blair Medical Associates is corporate sponsor of the Workshop.  

Legislative Action Committee initiating discussion on cooperation
As priorities go, it's at the top of the top. It also may be the most challenging. Municipal cooperation will once again be front and center on Thursday as The Chamber's Legislative Action Committee begins exploring ways to encourage municipal officials to share their concerns about the difficulties of getting people to work more closely together. Dr. Frank Meloy, a member of the Logan Township Board of Supervisors, will attend the committee meeting to share his insight on municipal cooperation efforts of the past and what may and may not work in the future. "We're delighted to have Frank speak to our committee," admitted Committee Chair Clark Stapelfeld of New Pig Corporation. "He brings a great deal of knowledge and experience on the issue."  For more information on the Legislative Action Committee, contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151.

Task force to explore possibility of diverting Route 22 At the request of a group of representatives from Huntingdon County Industries, Inc. that included State representative Mike Fleck, The Chamber's Transportation Committee agreed to commit five people from the committee to be part of a task force that would seek funding and support to look at diverting a portion of Route 22 onto Route 453. The task force also would include five people from Huntingdon County and five from Mifflin County. "Although we are relatively new to the specifics of this issue, it's obvious that Blair County will be affected by whatever happens relative to these highways," offered Eric Wolf of AMTRAN. "It makes sense for us to have representation."  

Second informational meeting set for Chamber trip to Ireland
Ever had an urge to kiss the Blarney Stone? Now you can do that just after touring the Waterford Crystal facility and before traveling along the Ring of Kerry, one of the most beautiful coastal routes in the world. Those are just a few of the many attractions that will be part of The Chamber's first-ever Trip to Ireland, set for Oct. 2-11. An informational meeting will be held at 6 p.m. April 4 in the boardroom of The Devorris Center. To attend the informational meeting or for more information on the Ireland trip, contact Donna Wilt at 696-3558.  

Curve FanFest scheduled for April 7
The annual Altoona Curve Booster Club FanFest will be held on Wednesday, April 7 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park. The event will include a buffet and the opportunity to meet and get autographs and photos from Curve team personnel. Tickets are on sale at the Curve Office at Blair County Ballpark. For more information, contact John Prosperi or John Austin.

Leadership Blair County to hold informational open house
Interested in being considered for a spot in the next Leadership Blair County Adult Class? Then you may want to attend an informational open house set for April 13 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Devorris Center for Business Development. "It's a great way to have the opportunity to talk to people who have been through the program," disclosed Judy Juda who staffs the LBC program for The Chamber. "There's no obligation to commit to anything." To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

 April Lunch 'n' Learn to focus on customer service 
As part of The Chamber's effort to reach out to all parts of Blair County, the organization has announced that it will hold its April 15 Lunch 'n' Learn program at The Park at Morrisons Cove in Martinsburg. That program, entitled, "How to Create a Service Culture Within Your Organization," will be presented by Tami Smith, District 5 Manager of Hoss's Steak & Sea House. It will provide attendees with ways to take their company's customer service to a higher level. The cost to attend is $22 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

Next GRYP netowrking event at The Altoona Hotel 
The next networking event of The Chamber's Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals (GRYP) will be held on Thursday, April 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Altoona Hotel. The last GRYP event, held March 17 at Outback Steakhouse, attracted nearly 60 young professionals. If you missed that one, make sure to put this one on your calendar! There's no cost to attend if you're a GRYP member and only $5 if you're not. Great food, beverages and a whole lot of valuable networking. You can register by calling The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

LBC selling chances on "Immaculate Reception" photo 
In order to raise funds to support its adult scholarship program, Leadership Blair County is raffling-off an autographed Franco Harris "Immaculate Reception" photo. The beautifully framed photo is 16x20 and includes a certificate of authenticity. Chances are being sold at $5 each or three for $10 and the drawing will take place at the LBC Adult Graduation in June. Contact Judy Juda at The Chamber to purchase a chance.

Golf Classic on track to sell-out by end of April 
The Annual Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Chamber Golf Classic is still a couple months away yet that hasn't deterred golfers from signing-up early. "Maybe it's because the weather's was so bad this winter but there already seems to be a lot of interest," reported Stacy Hoover of The Chamber. "We'd like to sell out this event by the end of April. The Classic will be held Monday, May 17 at Iron Masters Country Club. Event sponsorships and tee-and-green signs are available by contacting Stacy Hoover at 943-8151.

Chamber's energy program guaranteed to save members money
If you're a member of the Blair County Chamber and a current Penelec customer, you're eligible to be part of a new Chamber program that is guaranteed to save you money beginning in January when the rate caps come off on electricity. The program is part of ChamberChoice and is brokered by OnDemand Energy. It is already functioning in several areas of the Commonwealth where the rate caps already have been removed and the savings have been considerable. The Chamber already has held three informational sessions on how the program works and what members need to do to participate. If you have been unable to attend those meetings, you can still secure an informational packet that includes a registration form by visiting the Chamber Office, located in the Devorris Center for Business Development. 

Has your business information changed?
If you've received your 2010 Chamber Membership Directory and found that your information in the Buyers' Guide is incorrect, call Cindy Cessna at The Chamber as soon as possible. We will change the information in our database so that anyone who looks for your business on our Web site will have it accurately. And next year's directory should have that accurate information as well. Contact Cindy at 943-8151. 

Congratulations . . .

. . . to Damin Printing Company of Ebensburg, a member of the Blair County Chamber, which recently received a Carlson Craft Excellence Award for 2009. Each year, Carlson Craft, the nation's leading wholesale printing company, presents this award for outstanding performance and exceptional sales achievements.

. . . to Juniata College which was recently named to the 2009 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement.

. . . to Sophia Medairy, a student at Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School, who was honored last month as Miss Teen Pennsylvania.  Sophia is a graduate of The Chamber’s Leadership Blair County Youth program.

. . . to the members of The Chamber who were recently honored by the Allegheny Mountains Convention & Visitors Bureau at the annual awards dinner.  The honorees are: Barry Kumpf of Lakemont Park – Ambassador Award, Bill McKillop of Giant Eagle – Mentor Award, Joy Weidel of the Logan Valley Mall – President’s Award, Joe Keller of Keller Engineers – Signature Business Booster Award and Astride McLanahan of McLanahan Corporation – Altoid Award. 

For more information, visit www.blairchamber.com

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