Chamber StafF Denise Ackley
Abigail Hoobler
President
Manager of Communications
Lisa Gill
Molly Mulligan
Controller
Manager of Events
Maleaha Helfrich
Director of Member Services & Development
Rhonda Spencer
Administrative Assistant
Information Center of Corning Andrew Schultz
Information Center Manager
Monique Brimmer Marie Laird Shirley Toole
Information Specialists
Board of Directors Rod Noel, Chair
Clinical Associates of the Southern Tier Jerry Sleve, Past-Chair
Corning Natural Gas
Jill Staats, Treasurer
Community Bank, N.A. Bill Cameron
Corning City School District Joseph Carey
The Site Cyber Bar & Grill/Access Computing
Coleen Fabrizi
Corning's Gaffer District Zachary Knapp
Five Star Bank Elizabeth Lambert
Elmira College
Shirley Magana
Guthrie Corning Hospital Greg McFetridge Karen Oxenreider
M&T Bank
Hemant Patel
Visions Hotels, LLC
Michael Reese
Express Employment Professionals Kristina Schneider
Radisson Hotel Corning Chris Sharkey
Corning Incorporated Cathy Weil
Coldwell Banker Horizons Realty
Jean Wise-Wicks
Painted Post Area Board of Trade
Corning Area Chamber of Commerce 1 West Market Street, Suite 202, Corning, NY 14830 Tel: 607.936.4686 Fax: 607.936.4685 Email: Info@CorningNY.com www.CorningNY.com
2012 Chairman’s Annual Report 2012 Accomplishments Chemung Canal Trust Company and ARC of Steuben continued their underwriting support of the educational program series to provide relevant information to our businesses with topics such as social media tips, emotional intelligence, confidence building and marketing must-do’s. Advocacy efforts continued to increase on behalf of our Members through the Government Affairs Advisory Council. With the sponsorship contributed by Three Rivers Development Corporation (aka Breakfast Briefings), we were able to provide our Members with important resources, accessibility and information about impacting policies and legislation on both the federal and state levels. Realizing the increasing concern of health care/insurance to our businesses, the Government Affairs Council recommended periodic roundtables in 2013 to help businesses “get ready for reform” and the impact of the Affordable Care Act. The Chamber introduced the all new Get it Guide … a directory of our Chamber Members. The debut of this new publication was made possible through our partnership with The Leader and a sponsorship with Curcio Printing. Also featuring an online version, the Chamber continued efforts to share the value of patronizing Chamber Member businesses with the community. And last, but certainly NOT least … the Chamber launched the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA), in partnership with the Corning-Painted Post Area School District. This groundbreaking program was overwhelmingly received by the community and our businesses … made possible through the generous sponsorship support of Five Star Bank, Community Bank, N.A., Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning & the Finger Lakes, Corning Credit Union, Mengel Metzger Barr & Co, Watkins Glen International, Wegmans, Chemung Canal Trust Company and Elmira Savings Bank. With 14 CEO hopefuls, YEA was off to a great start of fostering the entrepreneurial spirit in our community. In preparation for the strategic plan update and review, the Chamber staffing model was evaluated for effectiveness and a Communications Manager was added in response to the Chamber’s identification of a need for more consistent, coordinated and sophisticated communication/messaging tools. As many Chambers of Commerce face declining retention of their Members in this challenging economy, this Chamber proudly recorded a 2012 year-end rate of 94.84%! This number indicates a continued strong effort to listen to members and provide relevant programs based on their needs. “One of the integral keys to the Chamber’s continued growth over the past 5 1/2 years, in addition to our dedicated staff, is the willingness to evaluate, accept and take risks. We could not and will not accept status quo for we recognize all too well that success comes through being flexible and prepared to make necessary changes. The following quote by Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is a perfect reflection of this new strategy.” “The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” Denise k. Ackley
President
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2013 Goals & Initiatives As recommended by the Government Affairs Advisory Council, the Chamber has and will continue to host periodic health care/insurance roundtables for our Members. These informational sessions are held with the support of Excellus Blue Cross/Blue Shield to prepare Members for the impact of the impending health care mandates and exchanges The Leadership Steuben Program will honor the tireless work and dedication of Facilitator, Michael McDonald with a special award at the 2013 Commencement and a renaming of the Leadership Steuben Scholarship Program to the ‘Michael McDonald Leadership Scholarship Fund.’ The 2013 Get it Guide will debut a new digital version in addition to the printed publication. This online guide will see increased search and likability opportunities for Members. The Young Entrepreneurs Academy continues as our class of first year program students prepare to graduate and launch their new business ventures. Recruiting for the 2013-2014 class has begun and plans are currently being developed to enhance and potentially expand this business-meets-education initiative. … and stay tuned as the Chamber prepares to launch a new technology and platform to connect our Members with the community … and beyond! “Throughout last six and a half years, I have had the extreme pleasure of meeting and forming relationships with all of you, our Members. Throughout this time, you have taught me so much … about the “real world”, about business, and about what makes a successful Member. My advice to you? Get involved. Play an active role in your success as a Chamber Member. Make your membership work for you. We can provide the tools…” Maleaha R. Helfrich
Director of Member Services and Development
Mission The Corning Area Chamber of Commerce is a catalyst to serve and advance business and community interests of the region. We are the leading resource that connects member businesses, through providing resources, education, and access.
Vision The Corning Area Chamber of Commerce will be the premier business resource connection. We will be the essential focal point and provide solutions to lead professional development and business growth in support of a vibrant community.
“The Chamber is a small business, just like many of our member businesses. We face many of the same challenges our members face. I work with the team to develop our annual budget so we are able to meet our annual operating objectives. Throughout the year I monitor our actual results and develop monthly forecasts that assist the team and the Board of Directors make informed decisions on building and improving member programs.” Lisa t. Gill
Chief Financial Officer
“The Information Center is a welcoming and accessible location that provides visitors with information and services exceeding expectations. Providing thousands of member referrals to visitors from 36 states and 22 countries in the year 2012, the friendly and knowledgeable Information Center staff is a valuable resource that is dedicated to promoting Chamber Members.” Andrew Schultz
Information Center Manager
Beliefs … Businesses have a powerful voice when united … Members deserve a return on their investment, with value-added benefits … Relationships, responsiveness, accountability, and integrity are the foundation of our organization – both internal and external … Being a community partner and proactive leader is essential to our sustainability “For me, Chamber events are about Members meeting their fellow Members and developing new business, personal, and community connections.”
“As the newest member of the team, I have developed an immense respect for what the Chamber does to support its members. Having only been here a short time, I have already been treated with a lifetime of generosity from both Chamber staff and our members. As we move forward with our Chamber communications, I look forward to developing a comprehensive marketing plan which will further enhance the opportunities for our Chamber members, including an elevation of the status of the Chamber’s social media efforts.”
Molly m. Mulligan
Abigail c. hoobler
Manager of Events
communications manager