A monthly newsletter from the
Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce April 2017 Chautauqua County Chamber Award Thomas L. Barresi Memorial Scholarship The Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation (NCCF) congratulates Maitland Langworthy on receiving the Thomas L. Barresi Memorial Scholarship. Maitland is the daughter of Judy and Todd Langworthy of Fredonia. A 2016 graduate of Fredonia High School, Maitland currently attends Niagara University and is majoring in Early Childhood / Childhood Education. Maitland knew by age eight that she wanted to become a teacher. “I hope to foster what I learned as a student and bring it to my own classroom in the future,” says Langworthy. “I would like to be a teacher who helps students reach their potential.”
Calendar of Chamber and Chamber Member Events
4/4 - 4:30-6pm, Discover E2CCB, LoGuidice Educational Center, 9520 Fredonia-Stockton Road, Fredonia 4/4-11 - Microsoft Excel II, JCC Continuing Ed, Jamestown Campus 4/5 - 7pm, Entrepreneurial Seminar at Fredonia Technology Incubator with independent film producer Franco Sama 4/7 - 8pm, Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, Shaolin Warriors: Masters of Kung Fu 4/8 - 1pm, 1891 Fredonia Opera House presents a new National Theatre production of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, live via satellite from London 4/8 - 2pm, free community Easter Egg Hunt, Chautauqua Nursing & Rehab Center, 10836 Temple Rd. Dunkirk
Barresi Memorial Scholarship Winner Maitland Langworthy receives her award from Dunkirk Community Chamber Coordinator Dave Kleparek
Maitland served as Youth Director for the Grape Belt United States Bowling Congress Youth Association and has continued her love for bowling by serving as President of the Niagara University Bowling Club. She also serves on the Campus Programming Board, is a member of the Niagara University Future Teachers Association and belongs to the American Sign Language Club. The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce established the Thomas L. Barresi Memorial Scholarship Fund at the NCCF in August of 2009. The scholarship’s intention was to show appreciation for Tom Barresi’s twenty-five years of employment with the chamber and lifetime of service to our community. Founded in 2000, the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is the community’s leading advocate and champion for local businesses. The Chamber’s mission is to create a business environment in the region where members can thrive. The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is a regional leader that is data-driven, flexible and strong, providing services and support that makes the organization essential to their members. To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must be pursuing a career in education or business. Contact your local school guidance department for an application and is due back to the guidance office by April 15, 2017.
4/20 - Hanover Community Chamber Member Appreciation Luncheon 4/24 - 7:30pm, The 1891 Fredonia Opera House presents A Conversation with Judith Ivey 4/25 - 1pm, The 1891 Fredonia Opera House presents, Live at the Met in high definition, Idomeneo 4/28 - Chamber State Legislative Breakfast, Lakewood Rod & Gun Club 5/1 - Smart Social Media for Small Business: Business Over Bagels at JCC North County Training Center For a year-round list of festivals and events, check the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau Calendar
For a complete list of courses through JCC Continuing Ed in Jamestown and Dunkirk, check the online course catalog
Sixbey to Manage Insurance Benefits Program The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier have hired Kevin Sixbey to manage the insurance benefits program of the organizations. “Kevin is a great addition to our team in that he brings extensive insurance experience and strong connections to the community, all of which will help serve our members needs,” stated Todd Tranum, President/CEO of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier. “The Chamber and Manufacturers Association has grown its insurance offerings extensively over the past few years and in doing so is well positioned to meet the diverse needs of our members,” said Sixbey. “I look forward to serving our members and helping them identify insurance offerings that best fit the needs of their businesses and their employees.” The Chamber of Commerce and Manufacturers Association offers health insurance plans to fit the needs of all businesses and individuals. Whether a member is a large company, a small company, a sole proprietorship or is an individual employed locally, we can find a plan to suit their needs and budget. Included in the offerings are the Bright Choices private insurance exchange which offers Fortune 500 type benefits, including a variety of plans from Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Independent Health and Univera along with ancillary benefits such as dental and vision coverage. In addition, we can help businesses, sole proprietors and individuals access the New York State of Health public exchange which also offers a wide variety of insurance options to the consumer. Sixbey has worked in the insurance industry for ten years. He attended Baldwin Wallace University and Syracuse University. He is an active member of the Chautauqua Lake Rowing Association, Rotary Club of Jamestown, and First Lutheran Church of Jamestown. Sixbey previously served on the board of directors of the Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club and was an appointed commissioner of the City of Jamestown Parks, Recreation & Conservation Commission. For more information pertaining to the insurance program of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce and the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier call 716-484-1101 or 716-366-6200.
Chamber State Legislative Breakfast April 28 Each year the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce provides opportunities for its members to have a direct conversation with elected officials from each level of government. This year, the State Legislative Breakfast will be held April 28 at the Lakewood Rod & Gun Club. Senator Cathy Young and Assemblyman Andrew Goodell will provide their insights about legislation in Albany and be available for questioning from the audience.
This event is sponsored by Affinity One Federal Credit Union, Chautauqua Institution, Cummins Inc., DFT Communications, Fredonia College Foundation, Jamestown Community College, Jamestown Mattress Company, Nestle Purina PetCare, OBSERVER, The PostJournal, Serta Mattress Company, Star Media Group, UPMC Chautauqua WCA, and WJTN/WWSE/WKSN/WHUG/WQFX. The cost to attend is $18 per person for Chamber members and $21 for non-members. Advanced registration is requested. You can register online at www.chautauquachamber.org/events or call our offices at 366-6200 or 484-1101.
Smart Social Media for Small Business – May 1 The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce and JCC Continuing Education will present our next Business Over Bagels workforce development training on Monday, May 1. Smart Social Media for Small Business is the topic, and the session will run from 8:30-10:00am at the JCC North Training Center, Bennett Road, Dunkirk. We hear a lot about the value of social media marketing to a small business but for many business owners, social media marketing is confusing, time-consuming and difficult if not impossible to track. Some dive in, try to do too much and quickly become overwhelmed. Or perhaps they do too little, too sporadically, and become discouraged by the poor results. In this workshop, you will learn tools and techniques to become organized, focused and successful with social media strategies. By the end of the session you will have a full month of social media posts all planned out and a new confidence in your ability to create effective content that connects you with your customers online. The presenter for this important topic is Kate Moody, Business Advisor and Project Manager for Social Media Marketing at the Small Business Development Center in Jamestown where she works with manufacturers helping them develop and implement strategic social media marketing plans. Working with the Continuing Education Center at JCC, Kate coordinated the launch of three new digital marketing certificate programs (Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing and Email Marketing) and this January launched the new Small Business Academy webpage, which delivers the Social Media Marketing Certificate curriculum online. She holds a Master’s Degree in Community Services Administration from Alfred University and a BA from Pitt-Bradford in Human Relations & Communications. The cost of this program will be just $20 per person for Chamber member businesses or $25 for non-members. To register call JCC’s North County Center at (716) 363-6500 or pre-register online at www.sunyjcc.edu/ce.
Fredonia Chamber Honors Local Business People The Fredonia Chamber of Commerce recognized five businesses and individuals recently during its Annual Awards Banquet, held at Shorewood Country Club. The Retailer of the Year Award was presented to Pucci’s Carpet One, Furniture & Bedding. The Community Service Award was given to Daniel Reininga of Lake Shore Savings Bank. Business Person of the Year was Devin Jones of Fred’s. Dr. Cynthia Wickwire Lundquist was given the Service to Humanity Award. Larry Fiorella of HBKS Wealth Advisors was honored with the Spirit of Fredonia Award.
Chamber has Tickets Available for LECOM Health Challenge If you’re looking for the perfect gift this spring for the golfer in your family, or if you’re thinking summer yourself, the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is proudly helping to support the PGA Web.com LECOM Health Challenge at Peek’n Peak. We have tickets available for this spectacular event, to be held in July. The cost is just $10 for a day pass and proceeds help to support initiatives of the Chamber of Commerce and its Community Chambers including community events, workforce development, business training programs, and more. For more information, call us at 4841101 or 366-6200.
2017 Business Builder Source Book Available By now, all members of the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce should have received their copy of the 2017 Business Builder Source Book. If you are a Chamber member and need additional copies, please let us know and will gladly make arrangements for that. The Business Builder Source Book is the premier listing of businesses in Chautauqua County and creates prime opportunities for business to business connections among our members. We encourage you to read the information available about the county Chamber and our six Community Chambers, and to sign up for our emails to stay in
touch with all of the opportunities for businesses to make themselves better known through their Chamber membership. For more information, or to become a member of the Chamber and be listed in next year’s directory, call the Chamber at 366-6200 or 484-1101.
Lean Boot Camp at JCC! The collaboration of JCC’s Center for Continuing Education and University at Buffalo’s The Center for Industrial Effectiveness (UB TCIE) plan to offer a Lean Boot Camp at all JCC locations this spring. In any workplace, every employee can help reduce a company’s overall costs and improve efficiency by decreasing and/or eliminating waste. This 18hour course provides a foundation in Lean practices that are applicable every day, to any role. Appropriate for any type of industry, from manufacturing and private-sector businesses to public service organizations, it prepares participants to contribute to team projects. The course includes: fundamentals of the Lean approach and basic Lean tools, value stream map development, problem-solving tools, standard work practices and mistake proofing. The cost of this classroom training is $649. It will be offered at JCC’s North County Center from April 25-May 9, and at the Jamestown Campus May 17-31. The instructor is Peter Baumgartner, CSSMBB. As UB TCIE’s Operational Excellence Director, Mr. Baumgartner is a resident expert in the Lean Six Sigma methodology and tools who has delivered substantial, validated hard and soft savings across a variety of projects in finance, medical devices, insurance, food services, building materials, publishing, and other service-related industries, as well as manufacturing. He has nearly 10 years of experience with a global company in serving as the lead on a multitude of process improvement project teams that have delivered record performance in yields, cost reduction, quality and safety. With an M.S. in statistics, Mr. Baumgartner has an advanced understanding and application of statistics, and develops the potential in others through helping them understand Six Sigma and Lean methodologies.
Fredonia Technology Incubator Entrepreneurial Workshop: QuickBooks Learn how to manage your finances with Sham Bahgat, Managing Director of Bahgat & Laurito-Bahgat, CPAs. This workshop will be held Wednesday, April 26 from 9am-12 noon at the Fredonia Technology Incubator, Central Avenue, Dunkirk. This workshop will show you how to use the accounting software, QuickBooks, which is useful for any small business owner. This event is free and open to the public. Contact the Fredonia Technology Incubator at (716) 580-6009 for more information.
Opera House Named Spark Award Finalist The 1891 Fredonia Opera House has been named a finalist for a Spark Award in the Cultural Organization of the Year category. The awards are presented annually by the Arts Services Initiative of Western New York to honor outstanding artists and cultural organizations in five counties of western New York. The Spark Award name was inspired by Auguste Rodin’s pronouncement that “the artist must create a spark before he can make a fire; and before art is born, the artist must be ready to be consumed by the fire of his own creation.” Awards are given annually for Lifetime Achievement, Rising Star, Arts Integration, Advocate for the Cultural Sector, Unsung Hero, Arts Supporter, Artist of the Year, Organization of the Year, Legacy Award and Decentralization Grant Program of the Year. The Opera House was nominated for its continued programming development, including the addition in 2016 of the Art & Architecture On Screen series, and for its recent collaborative programming work with the State University of New York at Fredonia and the North Shore Arts Alliance, among others. The Opera House is one of three organizations named a finalist in the Cultural Organization of the Year category; the others are the Kenan Center and the Springville Center for the Arts. The winner will be announced at the awards dinner on Wed., May 10, at the newly renovated Hotel Henry in Buffalo.
an exceptional evening while supporting your local not-for-profit medevac service. Reservations are $65 donation for a single guest and $125 donation for a couple. Reservations required by May 19th. For reservations or more information, call Kelly Fiorella at 716-484-4130 or email Kelly.Fiorella@Starflight.org.
Chautauqua Nursing & Rehab Center Offers Monthly Support Groups The Chautauqua Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, 10836 Temple Road, Dunkirk, will host monthly support groups for those who have family members or are caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s or other dementia related illnesses. These groups will meet the third Wednesday of every month at 11am and are free and open to the public. You do not need to have any affiliation with the Center or have a resident at the Center. Groups will meet in private areas and are designed to help people learn about available resources, caregiving, and coping and to be with others who understand what you’re going through. Each session will last about one hour. To register, please call 1-800-272-3900.
The 1891 Fredonia Opera House is a member-supported not-for-profit organization located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera.org.
Starflight, Starry Night is June 3 Starflight, Starry Night is a fundraiser and awareness event hosted by WCA Services Corporation to benefit Starflight, Inc. This event will be held at The Chautauqua Suites, 215 West Lake Road, Mayville, at 6pm, June 3rd. Guests will be treated to musical entertainment by Jamestown Harmony Express, the Southwestern High School Chamber Orchestra and EJ the DJ, a delicious dinner and hors d’oeuvres, raffles, guest speakers, a helicopter appearance-weather permitting and much more. Cash bar will be available. Please join us for
www.chautauquachamber.org 10785 Bennett Road, Dunkirk, NY 14048 (716) 366-6200 512 Falconer Street, Jamestown, NY 14701 (716) 484-1101