Chamber announces 2011 Leadership Blair County class
Overmoyer added to Economic Outlook agenda
Job Expo expected to attract unemployed, underemployed
Chamber Members asked to submit questions to senator
Responses "Impressive" to Chamber Marketing Survey
Brittany Dillier approved as chair of GRYP
Business After Hours is Thursday at The Winds
Home & Garden Show offering discount for early registrants
Central PA Expo attracting many Blair County exhibitors
Chamber Members get discounts on Holiday Lights on the Lake
Let The Chamber help you with regulatory compliance
Congratulations. . . 

Chamber announces 2011 Leadership Blair County class 
The 17th class of The Chamber’s Leadership Blair County adult program will be a full class of 24 participants, according to Chamber Vice-President of Programming & Membership Education Judy Juda.  “Our 2010 class was one of our smallest, at 17,” she reported. “The number of applicants for the 2011 class was one of the largest in several years. I think that speaks not only to the popularity of the program but also to a more stabilizing economy.” The 2011 class members and their affiliations are: Matthew Bozella of Sheetz, Inc.; Joseph Brandt of Altoona First savings Bank; James Carrieri of NPC; Kimberly Clemens of The Hite Company; Dorcey Cuzzolina of United Way of Blair County; Monica Dietrick of Blair County Historical Society; Brittany Dillier of Blair Orthopedics; Cindy Estep of YTI Career Institute; James Gerraughty of Saint Francis University – CERMUSA Program; Jason Gervinski of Leonard S. Fiore, Inc.; Thomas Getz of Albemarle Corporation; Lori Glunt of M&T Bank; Shawna Hoover of Operation Our Town; Catherine Igou of Reliance Bank; Brian Irwin of Irwin Financial; Steve Mamat of Morefield Communications; Todd McKee of U.S. Foodservice; Charles Meyers of P. Joseph Lehman, Inc; Thomas Orr of Young, Oakes, Brown & Co.; Michael Pennington of Penn State Altoona; Ben Piper of Keller Engineers; Ryan Sheetz of Sheetz,Inc.; Mark Sinisi of the PA Office of Attorney General; and Brian Uhlinger of Wells Fargo Advisors.

Overmoyer added to Economic Outlook agenda  
Rich Overmoyer, a Principal at GSP Consulting in Pittsburgh, will be a featured speaker at the 2010 Blair County Economic Outlook & Job Expo, set for Sept. 20 at the Blair County Convention Center.  Overmoyer, an “economic architect,” will provide the perspective of a site selector in his presentation as he looks at what makes Blair County an attractive relocation possibility for business as well as what turns businesses away. His presentation will follow one highlighting the county’s significant economic data as compiled by David Passmore and Rose Baker from Penn State University. The agenda for the Economic Outlook also includes a short video production in which several local elected officials provide insight on the county’s future prospects and a keynote address by Congressman Bill Shuster. The Outlook portion of the event concludes at 10 a.m.  The price to attend, which includes a buffet breakfast, is $25 per person. Registration and breakfast begin at 7:30 a.m. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. The 2010 Blair County Economic Outlook & Job Expo is a collaborative effort of the Allegheny Mountains Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Altoona-Blair County Development Corporation and the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.

Job Expo expected to attract unemployed, underemployed 
The Job Expo portion of the 2010 Blair County Economic Outlook & Job Expo is designed to help not only the county’s unemployed but its underemployed as well. “We recognize that we have a large population of people who are doing jobs for which they are over-qualified,” acknowledged Chamber President Joe Hurd. “The exhibitors that we are anticipating will no doubt offer positions more in line with educational background and experience. That’s why we’ve set the expo hours as we have.” Those hours on Sept. 20 are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. at the Blair County Convention Center. There is no cost to attendees and exhibitors pay a cost of just $125 which also includes a ticket to the Economic Outlook. To reserve an exhibitor space, contact The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.  

Chamber Members asked to submit questions to senator 
The next Chamber Breakfast Club, to be held Sept. 9, will feature a question-and-answer session with state Sen. John Eichelberger. The questions that the senator will be asked will be ones submitted by members of the Blair County Chamber. If you have a question for the Senator, please submit it to Joe Hurd by no later than Aug. 27. To register for the Breakfast Club, which begins at 7:45 a.m. at The Casino at Lakemont Park, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online. Mount Aloysius College is the corporate sponsor for the event.   

Responses "Impressive" to Chamber Marketing Survey 
A survey geared to help The Chamber to better meet the needs of the business community was sent via email to Chamber Member businesses. The survey results will serve as the basis of a marketing plan that will be compiled by The Chamber’s Marketing Committee.  The survey takes less than five minutes to complete. “So far, the response has been very impressive,” remarked Linda Stotler, The Chamber’s Vice-President of Communication & Marketing. “The more input we get from Chamber Members, the more comprehensive the project will be.” Click here to take the survey. If you are in need of login information to access the Members Only section of the website, please contact The Chamber at 943-8151.  

Brittany Dillier approved as chair of GRYP 
Brittany Dillier of Blair Orthopedics has been approved by The Chamber’s Board of Directors to hold the title of chair of Growth and Relationships of Young Professionals (GRYP). Dillier has been an active member of GRYP’s Steering Committee. She succeeds James Parker.

Business After Hours is Thursday at The Winds
The Winds at Mattern Orchard, one of the area’s most desired assisted living facilities, will be the host of Thursday’s Chamber “Business After Hours.”  It promises to be a terrific event, according to The Chamber’s Stacy Hoover. “The Winds hosted a Business After Hours a few years ago and people raved about the food and the hospitality,” Hoover pointed out. “I can guarantee that people who attended the last one will be at this one too.” The cost to attend Business After Hours is $5 for Chamber Members who register in advance and $6 at the door. Non-members can attend for $10 in advance and $12 at the door. To register, call The Chamber at 943-8151 or register online.

Home & Garden Show offering discount for early registrants
The 41st Annual Blair County Home & Garden Show will be held on March 4,5 and 6, 2011, at the Jaffa Shrine. “Even seven months out we’ve had a number of past exhibitors ask when they could sign-up,” disclosed Stacy Hoover, The Chamber’s Vice-President of Events & Technology. “The Home & Garden Show Committee felt that we might as well get the process started.” Hoover believes that the success of the 2010 show is responsible for the increased level of early enthusiasm. “The attendance at the last show was up more than 35 percent from the previous year,” she pointed out. “It’s our intention to build on that.” One immediate advantage for anyone completing an exhibitor application and submitting a deposit by Sept. 14 is a 5 percent discount off the booth price. As far as booth locations, past exhibitors will have until Sept. 30 to retain their previous spots. After that, new exhibitors can select where they’d like to be. To receive an application or for more information, contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151. 

Central PA Expo attracting many Blair County exhibitors
Registrations have been hot and heavy for the 2010 Central PA Regional Business & Industry Expo. The expo will be held from 1:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 4 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College. “We’ve had an outstanding response already from our members and, not surprisingly, many of the registrants are repeats from the first show last year,” explained Chamber President Joe Hurd. “That speaks to what a great show that was. And this one, we believe, will be even better.” Sixteen chambers in the region are collaborating on the Expo. Booths are going fast since last year's event was sold out. Register today by downloading and returning a registration form. For more information, contact Stacy Hoover at 943-8151.

Chamber Members get discounts on Holiday Lights on the Lake
With the temperatures hovering around the century mark, can it really be time to start thinking about Holiday Lights on the Lake ? “We actually have several businesses that renewed their light displays back in February,” admitted Stacy Hoover, The Chamber’s Vice-President of Events & Technology. “They get in the spirit pretty early.” This is the eighth year that The Chamber and Lakemont Park have partnered on Holiday Lights and each year the number of displays and the number of automobiles through the gate has increased. Interested in reserving your spot? Contact Hoover at 943-8151. Remember, Chamber Members get a 5 percent discount on light displays.

Let The Chamber help you with regulatory compliance
The Chamber recognizes that many businesses, particularly small businesses, have a difficult time in things like hiring, regulatory compliance and recordkeeping. For that reason, the organization has purchased several publications that it is willing to lend to interested Chamber Members. The publications are: Principles of Payroll Administration, Pennsylvania Human Resources Manual, Model Policies and Forms for Pennsylvania Employers, An Employer’s Guide to Employee Benefits, Guide to FMLA and ADA , Employment Verification and Employer’s Guide to Wage and Hour. To borrow a publication, contact Joe Hurd at 943-8151.

Congratulations . . .
. . . to McIntyre’s Candies which will be featured on a PCN Tours program in October. The filming for that program took place last Thursday. 

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