Breakfast Club to address climate change's impact on business
Does saving money on electricity interest you?
GRYP Holiday event is Thursday
Retail television program airs today
Television program on lodging properties debuts Wednesday
Chamber to offer Quickbooks® seminar in January
Chamber, Dale Carnegie to partner on "Skills for Success"
Membership Directory ad sales continuing
Congratulations . . .

Breakfast Club to address climate change's impact on business
The Chamber's next Breakfast Club, scheduled for Dec. 9 beginning at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park, will address a topic that should interest not just the local business community but also the community in general. Dr. Raymond Najjar, associate professor of Oceanography with the Departments of Meteorology and Geosciences at Penn State University, will present "Blair County, Alabama: Life in Central Pennsylvania With Greenhouse Warming."  Dr. Najjar will present evidence for recent global climate change in Pennsylvania and the potentially profound evidence for how that will affect business.  Come and hear this informational presentation. The cost to attend is $16 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. Corporate sponsor for the December Breakfast Club is Green Home Goods. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.  

Does saving money on electricity interest you?  
The Chamber's Energy Program, operated through OnDemand Energy and ChamberChoice, has negotiated significant rates on electricity and many Blair County Chamber Members have already signed-on to receive those savings. Is it too late for other members to sign-on?  Fortunately not. If you are interested and would like to learn more, The Chamber is holding two presentations with OnDemand Energy this Thursday, Dec. 9 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Devorris Center.  The meetings will last no more than one hour. There is no cost to attend.  Call The Chamber at 943-8151 to register or just show up.

GRYP Holiday event is Thursday
The annual GRYP Holiday Networking Event is this Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Cosmopolitan Room of the Ramada Altoona Conference Center. The event is quickly becoming GRYP's largest event of the year. Last year nearly 100 young professionals attended the Holiday party. The event features tons of great food provided by the Ramada, dozens of door prizes, collection of the Salavation Army's Treasures for Children gifts, the ever-popular GRYP bottle exchange and much more. Music is scheduled to begin around 9 p.m. for those who would like to stay afterward. The event is free for GRYP Members and only $5 for non-members. To register call The Chamber or register online.  

Retail television program airs today 
"Retail and the Blair County Economy," a Chamber program in the "Blair County: It's Our Business" series will air today at 9 p.m. on Altoona Public Access Channel 14. The program will run on Mondays at 9 p.m. and on Wednesday's at 11 a.m. throughout the months of December and January. Panelists for the retail program are: Don Beerbower of Beerbower Jewelers, Tom Irwin, Jr. of Fiore True Value, Matthew Miller of Best Buy, Dave Robbins of Martin's Food Store and Bill Thompson, Jr. of Thompson Pharmacy. Carolyn Donaldson of WTAJ Your News Leader served as moderator. Sponsors for the retail program are: Ace Fix-It Hardware, Altoona Wal-Mart, East Freedom Wal-Mart and Sprint.   

Television program on lodging properties debuts Wednesday
Another of The Chamber's television programs in the "Blair County: It's Our Business" series features the challenges and opportunities of Blair County's hotels, motels and lodging properties. "Staying Overnight in Blair County" will air every Wednesday at noon and 9 p.m. throughout December and January. Panelists for this program are: Dolly Kozlovac of Super 8 Motel, Rachael Lenhart of Ramada Altoona Conference Center, Sue St. Martin of Holiday Inn Express, Angelica Schaefer of Courtyard by Marriott and Kurt Stull of Comfort Suites Altoona.  Carolyn Donaldson of WTAJ Your News Leader served as moderator.  Sponsors of the program on hotels, motels and lodging properties are: A1 Altoona Taxi, Blair County Notary, Holiday Inn Express, Sprint, Super 8 Motel and Yellow Cab & Transfer.     

Chamber to offer Quickbooks® seminar in January
The Chamber and CPA Associates will offer a seminar on Quickbooks® to be held on Jan. 11, 2011 at The Casino at Lakemont Park . The program will be offered in two phases. Phase One will include a buffet breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m. and a presentation enitled "Manage Your Business Better in 2011 Using All the Capabilities of Quickbooks®."  Phase One will conclude at 9 a.m. From 9:15 to 11:30 a.m., Phase Two will feature a two-hour, in-depth overview of Quickbooks® that will cover topics like keeping track of accounts receivable and accounts payable by customer or vendor, how to pay employees correctly and assure accurate withholdings, how to generate the best reports for your needs and how to track deductible business expenses for easier tax preparation. The cost to attend just Phase One is $20 for Chamber Members and $30 for non-members. The cost to attend just Phase Two is $25 for Chamber Members and $35 for non-members. The cost to attend both is $40 for Chamber Members and $60 for non-members. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.  

Chamber, Dale Carnegie to partner on "Skills for Success"
The Chamber and Dale Carnegie Training are once again partnering on an educational program to assist in personal development. "Skills for Success" is an eight-week course that will be held at the Comfort Inn in Duncansville beginning on Jan. 25 and continuing each Tuesday from 6 to 9:30 p.m. The sessions include: Building a Foundation for Success, Putting Stress in Perspective, Inspiring Others and Demonstrating Leadership. To register, contact Jeff Davis at 931-1963. 

Membership Directory ad sales continuing
Advertising sales are under way for the 2011 Blair County Chamber Membership Directory, County Profile & Buyers Guide, to be published early next year. The book has been a popular way for businesses to market themselves through a publication that reaches not only the Chamber Membership but the Blair County community as well. If you are interested in discussing or purchasing an ad, contact Frank Carney at 943-8151.   

Congratulations . . .

. . . to Gleason Insurance which was named one of the Best Practices Agencies in the United States by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America and Reagan Consulting principals. 

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