Annual Report

Annual Report
2011
Lead • Advocate • Network • Promote
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce
Annual Banquet
The Chamber hosted a
“Survivor” themed
Annual Banquet and
Awards Ceremony.
Attendees dressed in
tropical attire and competed to answer Chamber trivia questions.
Aaron Ludwig, owner
of Jack Brown’s Beer &
Burger Joint and Billy
Jack’s Wing & Draft
Shack was Entrepreneur
of the Year; Business
Person of the Year was
Dave Miller, owner of
Dave’s Taverna; and the
Farm Family Stewardship Award went
to the Witmer Family of Grazeland Dairy.
2011
M2M Reception
Regional Job Fair
Hosted in partnership with the
Daily News-Record and the
Church of the Nazarene, the job
fair drew more than 1000 job
seekers and over 40 employers.
February 2
March 17
Hosted by the Chamber at
Dave’s Downtown Taverna
to show appreciation to all
participating businesses in
the Member 2 Member
discount program. To date,
more than 80 businesses
participate by offering
discounts.
March 23
April 18
CLP Graduation
27 participants became
the 30th graduating
class of the Community
Leadership Program.
With more than 800
total graduates, the
program has been a
stepping stone for many
of today’s business and
community leaders.
May 4
May 12
May 28
Military Support Fair
Annual Economic
Forecast
Ann Macheras, Regional
Research Vice President
of the Federal Reserve
Bank of Richmond, was
one of three presenters
to address the economic
outlook for 2011. Billy
Vaughn, Rockingham
County Director of
Community Development, and Brian Shull,
Harrisonburg’s
Economic Development
Director, also delivered
presentations.
An initative by the Military
Affairs Committee, the
support fair featured more
than 45 organizations from
federal, state and local
programs that provide
support and services to
active and retired military
personnel and their
families.
ValleyFest
Beer & Wine
Festival
Post-Session Legislative Breakfast
The legislative breakfast is held both pre- and
post- session each year. Virginia
Legislators are invited to attend and share their
views on current issues and the effects of their
actions on the local area.
The 11th Annual
ValleyFest at
Massanutten Resort
drew record crowds
of over 4000
attendees. Fine Wines
Microbrews and
music by Carbon
Leaf, The Hackens
Boys and Mike Davis,
combined to make
ValleyFest THE event
to kick off Summer.
Chamber
Quick Facts
3
8
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The Presidential
Address
Just prior to the start
of the new school year,
the Chamber brought
together the four local
college and university
presidents to discuss the
current state of, and upcoming plans for, their
institution of higher
learning. Combined,
these four educational
centers enrolled close to
28,000 students in the
2011-2012 school year
who are supported by
nearly 4000 full- and
part-time faculty and
staff.
August 15
High School Business
Symposium
Vision2020 Leadership
Board Meeting
Vision2020 is a
community-wide initiative to
envision the community in the
year 2020 and work towards its
realization. A Leadership Board
of individuals from varied
backgrounds including
business, transportation,
agriculture, education, health
care and the non-profit sector
was selected and convened to
lead the community in this
endeavor.
August 25
September 15
This day-long event, designed
to expose local high school
juniors and seniors to the work
opportunities in the area, gives
students the chance to hear the
inspiring life stories of local
business and community
leaders. Students also
participate in an interactive
interview skills session. This
year’s symposium was attended
by 7 local area high schools
from Harrisonburg, Rockingham and surrounding areas.
September 23
October 5
Pre-Session
Legislative Breakfast
The Pre-Session
Legislative Breakfast had
five participating area
delegates and senators and
was very well attended.
Education, transportation
and the state budget were
hot topics at the event.
October 27
December 13
LHR 2011-2012
Formerly known as Community Leadership
Program (CLP), Leadership Harrisonburg
Rockingham kicked off the 2011-2012 class
with a group of 22 participants. The name
change reflects the ever-evoloving nature of the
program and a shift toward more
emphasis on the leadership component.
Golf Outing
Held at Heritage Oaks
Golf Course, the
tournament had 34
participating teams who
networked and had fun
despite a very rainy day.
Lunch by the Downtown Dining Alliance
and dinner by Chuck
Ahrend and local
restaurants was a
highlight of the day.
Connections2011
The Premier business to business networking
event of the year, Connections is an opportunity for Chamber Members to network
with one another and make the connections
they need for business success. This year’s
event featured guest speaker, economist Chris
Chmura and had an audience of more than
180 for her presentation alone!
33 Ribbon Cuttings. 16 Business After Hours. 12 Business Smarts Breakfast Seminars.
15 Trainings & Seminars. 11 Committees & Councils. 27 Board Members.
810 Members. 85 Participating M2M Businesses. 22 Leadership HR Participants(2011-12).
2011 Event Sponsors
Annual Banquet
ValleyFest
Janice S. “Bonnie” Moyers
Golf Outing
Maxine Z. Magri, CPA
Connections2011
Military Support Fair
High School Business Symposium
Business This Week E-Blast
Thanks to all our 2011 Event and Publication Sponsors.
Without your support, our success would not be possible.
2011 Business Smarts Breakfast Series
January
February
March
April
May
June July August September October November December Developing an Employee Wellness Program
Jeff Hersh, VMRC Wellness Center
Financing your Business
Kevin Flint, SunTrust
Greg Godsey, Union First Market Bank
Josh Hale, Farmers & Merchants Bank
Branding & Logos
Steve Boling, Sayre Promotional Products
Health Care Reform Act
Tim Jost, Willet Family Professor of Law,
Washington and Lee University
Designing Print Pieces
Rick Bukoskey, McClung Companies
Mailing Print Pieces
Peter Walpole, U.S. Postal Service
Finding the Right Employees
Matt Fravel, Adecco
Sherri Bender, Pulse HR Solutions
Andrew Ansoorian, Shen. Co. Public Schools
Hiring, Training & Termination
Sherri Bender, Pulse HR Solutions
Dave Silcox, VEC
Letitia Bates, The Rockingham Group
Leadership & Management
John Neff
Social Media Marketing
Lindsey Laughlin, Gravity Group
Content is King
Barbara Finnegan, LarsonHess Writing Services
Social Media Strategies & Measurements
Deb VanHorn, The Rockingham Group
2011 Business After Hours Hosts
Janaury - Non-Profit Tradeshow/Roundtable at WVPT
February - RMH
March - SoLace
April - Golden Rule Homes
Big Brothers Big Sisters
May - Hampton Inn
June - Tradeshow Direct
July - Candlewood Suites
August - Boys & Girls Club
September - Hampton Inn University
JMU Stadium Celebration
October - HoneyBaked Ham
November - Gift & Thrift
December - Wells Fargo
East Rockingham Business Council
Pete Bonavita, Co-Chair - Four Star Realty
Rob Wimer, Co-Chair - Farmers and Merchants Investment Services
2011 Business Councils
Greater Ashby Business Council
Curtis Arey, Co-Chair - Farmers & Merchants Bank
Brad Driver, Co-Chair - BackStage Video
Minority Business Council
Gil Fernandez, Chair - State Farm
2011 Committees
Hospitality Committee:
Jenifer Jackson, Chair – Comfort Inn
Todd Alexander – Massanutten Adventures
Whitney Altizer – Courtyard by Marriott
Brenda Black – Harrisonburg Tourism and Visitor Services
Tanya Bly – Hampton Inn University
Eddie Bumbaugh – Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance
Loni Case - Candlewood Suites
Dennis Cupp
Don Depoy
Allison Dugan – Shenandoah Caverns
Sarah Elson Staniunus – Massanutten Resort
Jennifer Estep – Hampton Inn South
Janice Fitzgerald - By the Side of the Road B&B
Tim Fitzgerald – Residence Inn
Mike Gooden – Lakeview Golf Course
Sarah Herbst – Courtyard by Marriott
Tom Jackson –
Phil Modisett – Candlewood Suites
Cari Orebaugh – Rockingham County Tourism
Paul Patel - Econo Lodge
Ray Patel – Ramada Inn
Bob Privott – Privott Advertising
Steve Ray – JMU
Heather Ream – Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport
Diane Roll – Mama’s Caboose
David Samson – Holiday Inn Express
Lettie Stickley – Town of Grottoes
Phillip Updike – RE/MAX
Franita Williams – Courtyard by Marriott
Membership Committee:
Jill McLaughlin, Chair – Classic Kitchen & Bath
Jeremy Baxter – Shenandoah Valley Press
Rodney Eagle – Eagle Carpet
Rachel Moyers – Found Design+Interactive
Roy Norville – Strategic HR Solutions
Gail Proctor – Union First Market Bank
John Riner – LD&B Insurance
Jeanne Russell – Home Instead Senior Care
Scott Simons – Valley Honda
Sheena Sours – Daniel’s Promotional Products
Laura Wolfe – KlineMay Realty
Military Affairs Committee:
Jim Shaeffer, Chair – JMU
Carol Brunton – Camp Still Meadows
Kelly Chamberlain – National College
Patricia Craft – Friendship Industries
Kay Kibler
Stacey Lam – Harrisonburg Veteran’s Primary Care Clinic
Dick Morin
Philip J. Pandolfi – DMD, PLLC
Christina Rose – Jerry’s Automotive Center
Kevin Shifflett – Kingston Enterprises
Wesley Shirley – US Army
David Silcox – VEC
William Southers – US Army
Public Policy Committee:
Chris Weaver, Chair – Lantz Construction
Hobey Bauhan - Virginia Poultry Federation
Eddie Bumbaugh – Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance
Jeff Holsinger – Frazier Quarry
Scot Lilly – Farm Credit of the Virginias
Neal Menefee – Rockingham Group
Roy Norville – Strategic HR Solutions
Kenneth Patterson – Patterson Consulting, LLC
Eric Paulson – Virginia State Dairymen’s Association
Steve Ray – JMU
Chris Runion – Eddie Edwards Signs
John Scott – Congressman Goodlatte’s Office
Judith Trumbo – RMH Healthcare
Steve Turner – Daily News-Record
Cathy Welsh – Lenhart Obenshain Law Firm
Leadership HR:
Kim Betts, Co-Chair – Camp Horizons
Melissa Fortner, Co-Chair – VMRC
Beth Bland – United Way
Chuck Boles – Chuck and Buddy College
Randy Carr – Good Printers
Ann Marie Freeman – Rockingham County
Keith Gnagey – Harrisonburg-Rockingham Free Clinic
Sarah Prusak – Farmers and Merchants Bank
Kate Renalds – Ground Effects
Holly Ruff – Diveley Lind & Associates
Scott Sellers – Chick-fil-A
Grayson Sless – RMH Healthcare
Jeremy Spillman – United Bank
Melinda Swisher – RMH Wellness Center
Ambassadors Committee:
Laura Wolfe, Chair– KlineMay Realty
Rosa Bare – VMRC
Chuck Boles – Chuck and Buddy College
Ivette Churney - WMRA and WEMC Public Radio
Linnette Coaker – May Supply
Kim Davis – Summit Mortgage
Lindsey Douglas – Big Brothers Big Sisters
Gil Fernandez – State Farm
Phyllis Friesen – Design Concrete Builders
Linda Hartley – First Citizens Bank
Don Landes – SVOE
Jennifer Matthaei – You’ve Got it Made
Christy Miller – American General
Michael Nelson – Comcast Spotlight
John Riner – LD&B Insurance
Mary Snow – May Supply
Fonda Sundeen – McClung Companies
Michele Wodey – LD&B Insurance
Finance Committee:
Stacy Shiflet, Chair - Blauch Brothers
Steve Turner - Daily News-Record
Josh Hale - Farmers & Merchants Bank
Angie Gochenour - Cold Stone Creamery
Dear Chamber Members,
2011 Board of Directors:
Chair - Josh Hale, Farmers & Merchants Bank
In 2011 the Board of Directors and staff worked hard to accomplish
the Chamber’s goals and mission, focusing our efforts to Lead, AdPast Chair -Tom Mendez BB&T Insurance Services
vocate, Network & Promote. These four cornerstones are the value
Chair-Elect -Steve Turner Daily News-Record
to your membership and were defined by our members. We strive
to make the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce the
Chuck Ahrend, Agricultural Interests
best resource for you and your business. In this annual report you
will see the accomplishments and success we had in 2011.
Hobey Bauhan, Virginia Poultry Federation
From your feedback we have been working hard to implement more
Greg Campbell
networking opportunities, creating business to business contacts and
Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport
maintaining our involvment in local and state advocacy. 2011 also marked the acceptance
and implementation to the start of our Vision 2020 initiative. This project had countless
Pablo Cuevas, Rockingham County
hours and planning sessions and has now been turned over to you, the community. Our
M2M or “Member to Member” program has been very successful with over 80 businesses
Kai Degner, City of Harrisonburg
participating. This member-only benefit has received great reviews and the cards are now in
David Denman, Cottonwood Commercial
over 8000 hands.
We are proud to be moving with technology and the direction of our members
Rodney Eagle, Eagle Carpet, Inc.
by creating a mobile app to gain access to our events, membership directory and all M2M
discounts. This is very exciting and we are one of the first Chamber’s in Virginia to do so.
Angela Gochenour, Cold Stone Creamery
Providing this information to your fingertips shows the dedication to our members and the
Melissa Fortner, Virginia Mennonite Retirement
vision of the Chamber leadership.
Community
We all look forward to a stable economic environment and the Harrisonburg-Rockingham
Chamber
of Commerce is positioned to help our community succeed. Thank you
Rebecca Haushalter, CrossKeys Vineyards
for the opportunity to serve as Chairman of the board in 2011.
Andria Jackson, Steven Toyota
Sincerely,
Jenifer Jackson, Comfort Inn Harrisonburg
Craig MacKail, Harrisonburg City Public Schools Josh Hale, 2011 Board Chairman
Jill McGlaughlin, Classic Kitchen & Bath
Dick Myers, Dick Myers Chrysler Dodge Jeep
Chamber Members:
Jathan Payne, Medicap Pharmacy
As Chairman Josh Hale has pointed out, this past year, your
Chamber of Commerce continued to look for ways to improve programs and benefits and respond to member needs and requests. We
grew the number of businesses participating in the Member2Member program, added several educational lunch series, increase media
exposure of the Chamber and broadened the range of speakers at
key events. Our recent membership survey showed strong support for our current programs and directions. At the same time,
there were plenty of ideas to make events even better and add more
networking, training and communications options to increase your
Kevin Rose, BotkinRose, PLLC
James Shaeffer, Sr., Ph.D. James Madison University
Stacy Shiflet, Blauch Brothers
Sarah Elson-Staniunas, Massanutten Resort
Judith Trumbo, RMH Healthcare
Chris Weaver, Lantz Construction Co.
Glenda Western, MillerCoors Brewing
Laura Wolfe, Kline May Realty
The 2011 Annual Report is sponsored by:
return-on-investment.
The theme of this year’s Annual Banquet is “A Night at the Speakeasy - a Step Back in Time”,
which is very appropriate given the significance of this year’s 95th anniversary of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce. Like any business, we need to remember and
honor of past and the foundations of the organization, but always keep an eye on what lies
ahead. The Board of Directors and the staff take very seriously the responsibility the membership has given to us, so never hesitate to voice your thoughts and opinions.
This printed Annual Report provides just a glimpse of 2011’s key events. For an expanded
version of the Annual Report, including events, on-going programs, sponsors and the people
who make things happen, go to the Chamber’s website after the Annual Banquet.
On behalf of the staff, we are looking forward to a great and productive 2012.
Frank Tamberrino, President