Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce President Peter Aust with New York State EDC Commissioner Ken Adams at ARCC Annual Meeting and Luncheon.
By Eva Weaver
The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce held their annual meeting and their inaugural Business Forecast 2012 Luncheon in March. The festive and encouraging event was sponsored by chamber members Tribune Media Services and Glens Falls Hospital.
The room was abuzz with members asking each other “Are you in?”. Approximately 200 members were in attendance, donning buttons bearing the phrase “I’m In”. The buttons were designed to instill pride and a sense of belonging within the community of chamber members. Members who proudly pinned the buttons to their blouses and suit jackets were entered to win an iPad2, donated by Stored Technology Solutions. The randomly selected winner was Mary Longley from Mannix Marketing.
The chamber’s Ambassador of the Year honor for 2011 went to Pam Green from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. This is Pam’s third year in a row to receive this honor. Chamber President and CEO Peter Aust encouraged members to wear their “I’m In” buttons throughout the year. Wearing their buttons shows their pride and shares the message throughout the community that the chamber and its members value the business community. They are focused on improving the quality of life in the community. The message that the chamber hopes will resonate over and over again is “I’m in, I’m in the community, I’m in the chamber of commerce”.
Keynote speaker of the event was Kenneth Adams, Empire State Development (ESD) President & CEO and Commissioner of the New York State Department of Economic Development. Mr. Adams works to promote economic practices that attract business and create jobs throughout New York State. He also works with Lieutenant Governor Robert J. Duffy to implement the Regional Economic Development Councils across the state.
Mr. Adams enlightened chamber members with his very promising economic forecast for New York State. Mr. Adams has worked closely with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on a new statewide initiative “Open for Business”. They are also working on the Regional Economic Development Councils, which offer funding opportunities for local projects, such as the Innovate NY Seed Capital Fund.
Mr. Adams reminded the audience that, “A growing chamber is symbolic to a growing economy.”
Jason Conwall, Senior Press Officer of Empire State Development elaborated on Mr. Adams message saying “The Washington, Warren and Northern Saratoga counties have unique opportunities, and we can address those unique opportunities with tourism, bringing manufacturing back to the area, and expanding on the natural resources in the area.”
The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC), serving Washington, Warren, and Northern Saratoga Counties, was founded in 1914. The mission of this 1000 member strong organization is to help local companies grow, thrive, succeed and expand economic opportunity throughout the region. The ARCC strives to be the voice of business in the region and provide exceptional value to its members.
To contact Kenneth Adams, please call 212-803-3700 or send an email to president@esd.ny.gov. Please be sure to include your mailing address as responses may be sent by U.S. mail. You can also check out their website at www.esd.ny.gov.
To contact the Adirondack Chamber of Commerce, call 518-798-1761 or visit their website at www.adirondackchamber.org.