useum 30 - venango chamber...lularoe sells women's dresses, maxi skirts, pencil skirts, a-line...

1

ldquoBuilding a Future for Venango Area Businessrdquo

Recognizing Venango County young professionals and their

commitment to our community (Learn more in the FLEX FYI)

MARCH 31 bull 630 - 830 PM bull VENANGO MUSEUM

Vo

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Venango Area Chamber of Commerce (814) 676-8521 wwwvenangochamberorg

Venango Area Chamber of Commerce Group

Venango Area Chamber of Commerce

VenangoChamber VenangoChamber

venangochamber

The Venango Area Chamber of Commerce builds serves and promotes regional business

Ever After Wedding Planners Robert L Hines 377 Miller Road Franklin PA 16323 Phone (814) 432-5628 eMail robertleehinesyahoocom Published Category Wedding ampEvent Planner

Novacare Rehabilitation Ellen Stover 3338 State Rt 257 Seneca PA 16346 Phone 677-0738 Fax 814-677-5834 eMail estovernovacarecom wwwnovacarecom Published Category Physical Therapy

LuLaRoe with Kirstin McCalmont Kirsten McCalmont 1010 W 2nd Street Oil City PA 16301 Phone (814) 566-0750 eMail klmccalmont723gmailcom facebookcomLularoewithKirstinLeigh Published Category Independent Sales

Thirty One Gifts with Connie Shull Connie Shull 197 Stanley Road Oil City PA 16301 Phone (814) 676-5759 eMail clshullzoominternetnet wwwcsgiftscom Published Category Independent Sales Abby Flockerzi - Supporting Member

Welcome New Members

Ever After can assist you in planning your wedding or other event form beginning to end No event is too large or too small We access to hundreds of vendors and can help you chose those that best meet your needs We also have our own bartender officiate vocalist and artistic designer that we can call on as needed Physical Therapy Outpatient clinic treating individuals of all ages Specialties include Orthopedic rehab Pre and Post Operative rehab Concussion and Vestibular treatment Sports Medicine Functional Capacity and Disability Evaluations Manual Therapy and Neurological conditions such as headaches and stroke rehabilitation LuLaRoe sells womens dresses maxi skirts pencil skirts a-line skirts sheath dresses and they are all simply comfortable

Fashionable functional products make life easier ndash they also help independent business owners across the country support their families and reach their dreams

3




Meet Your 2017 Board of Directors

The Venango Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors met on Thursday February 16 for our annual Board Retreat

An ldquooff-gridrdquo location is picked each year for the retreat to allow the board to get together and focus on getting acquainted with one another and discussing plans for the Chamber for the year This year the group met at the Venango County Fair Grounds

The morning started with a leadership activity followed by a discussion of the everyday operations of the Chamber and a review of the results of a member survey conducted by the Chamber

The Chamberrsquos 5-year strategic plan for years 2017 through 2021 was then looked over and discussed and board members had the opportunity to choose committees to join for the upcoming year

Six new board members have joined the Chamber this year including Doug Eberle of Agway Cathy Kentzel of The Barnard House Bed and Breakfast Hope Lineman of Clarion University Venango College Jim Marshall of Kingrsquos Landscaping Alan McBride of Joy Global and Carol Williams of Williams Insurance amp Travel

ldquoOur 2017 Board of Directors is made up of members from many different professionals and regions in our countyrdquo said Executive Director Susan Williams ldquoIrsquom excited to see these individuals work together and help the Chamber our members and the community continue to growrdquo

Please see the back of the newsletter for a full list of board members

Chamber to Print New Venango County Maps

The Venango Area Chamber of Commerce is currently planning the production of a new Venango County map

The Chamber prints this map every few years and it covers the entire county with individual sections for Emlenton Franklin Oil City Reno Rocky Grove Rouseville and Sugarcreek It includes local roads railroads recreational trails state forests and game lands and points of interests

About 10000 of the previous maps were given to visitors and community members at the Venango Chamber and other locations throughout the county including the Oil Region Alliance Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce Cranberry Mall OCampT Railroad and various businesses

Interested in showcasing your business or organization in the map Advertisements opportunities are available Proceeds from the map will go towards Be Here an initiative of the Venango Chamber created to promote opportunities in Venango County and help the area thrive

If would like to place an ad for your business or organization in the map please contact Ashley at acowlesvenangochamberorg or (814) 676-8521 for more information Also you can learn more about the Be Here initiative at beherevenangoorg

4


10th Annual Community Shred Event Sponsored by Galaxy Federal Credit Union And Access Information Protected

Entire Week of April 17th 2017

We invite you to dispose of your old statements check registers invoices and more Please no magazines or newspapersmdashpersonal and confidential documents only Shredding is complimentary

Documents may be placed in available bins located in the credit union lobby during the entire week Access will pick up and shred all documents at the end of the week

Limited to consumers and non-profit organizations only

Galaxy Federal Credit Union is located at 1313 Liberty Street in Franklin Please call (814) 432-1207 with questions

Documents cannot be dropped off early You must take your empty boxes or bins with you

Oil City Farmersrsquo Market Meeting Planned

A pre-season planning meeting for the Oil City Farmersrsquo Market will be held on Tuesday March 14 930 ndash 1130 am in the basement meeting room of the Oil City Library Juliette Enfield of Penn State Cooperative Extension Ag Entrepreneurship will be on hand to discuss trends in market operations and related topics of interest

Interested vendors selling homegrown or homemade fruits amp vegetables plants amp flowers meat eggs cheese dairy baked goods honey and beeswax products soaps handcrafted items amp similar products are invited to contact the Oil City Main Street Office at (814) 677-3152 ext 101 or kbaileyoilregionorg for vendor information or to RSVP for the meeting

Collection Event for Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Cranberry Mall March 25th 9AM to 1PM

This event requires that all attendees Pre-Register There is a minimal cost associated with proper disposal of these materials ndash so please see the pricing schedule for more details on that This event is open to ALL county residents and the County intends on holding these events quarterly going forward to make this service more convenient for everyone who needs to utilize it To register please call 1866-815-0016

5


YWCA Antique Show Planned

The 41st Annual YWCA Antiques Sale amp Show will be held on Saturday March 4th 2017 from 9 am ndash 4pm at the YWCA 109 Central Avenue Oil City PA

Many dealers will be present with a large variety of antiques and collectables for sale Advance tickets are $2 and can be purchased at the YWCA during business hours or $3 at the door Lunch will be available from 11 ndash 1 pm featuring homemade vegetable beef soup cold and hot sandwiches salads and desserts For additional information call 676-6528

Taste of Talent Registration Packets Available

The Franklin Fine Arts Council will sponsor the 8th Annual Taste of Talent Vocal Competition this summer at Bandstand Park in Downtown Franklin The competition is open to individual soloists ages 16 amp up

Audition packets may be submitted through the beginning of May Competitions will be held on Wednesdays June 28 July 5 12 19 amp 26 at 7 PM Semi ndash Finals will take place on Saturday August 5 at 7 PM and the finals will be held Sunday August 6 at 4 PM immediately following Taste of Franklin The winner of the competition will receive $1000 sponsored by Lamb amp Webster Prize monies totaling $200 ($100 cash and $100 in Franklin Retail Gift Certificate) will be awarded to the 3 semi-finalists The Taste of Talent competition has been a huge success with audiences of 800 to 1400 Competitors are quite popular and in demand in performing venues

The Taste of Talent Application packet is available at wwwfranklinpagov FestivalEvents Tab ndash Taste of Talent or call 814437-1619 ext 123 or email rbeithfranklinpagov

Belles Lettres Club Spring Bazaar

7th Annual Spring Bazaar Featuring multiple vendors

Sat April 22 2017 10AM - 4 PM

405 West First Street Oil City

Free Admission

6


Scales Law Offices LLC Caring for a loved one shouldnt have to cost a lifetime of savings

Scales Law Offices LLC concentrates on the legal needs of the elderly and disabled through estate and long-term care planning special needs trusts Veteran benefits and estate administration and serves clients in the Venango Crawford Warren Forest and Erie County areas

Attorneys Schelly Ham Los and Kemp Scales focus on protecting assets from the soaring costs of nursing care and accelerating Medicaid eligibility even in a crisis situation Kemp entered the field of elder law seventeen years ago At that time he was working with a local attorney and clients were asking to have their homes transferred to their childrens names to prevent the nursing homes from taking the home

After researching the Medicaid laws Kemp realized there was a need for assistance with Medicaid eligibility and asset protection in the community Kemp is one of about 39 Certified Elder Law Attorneys in the state of PA Schelly a native of Franklin is a former in-house counsel with Salvage Direct and joined the firm in 2016

ldquoThe clients are my favorite part of my law practicerdquo Schelly said ldquoThere is a social work aspect to what we do that is quite gratifyingrdquo

The firm not only deals with families in crises but also individuals or couples who want to plan ahead and educate themselves on long term care planning or estate planning

ldquoEven if youve done little or no pre-planning for asset protection prior to facing residency in a senior community or nursing home it isnt too late to protect part of your assets from being spent downrdquo she said

Scales Law Offices LLC is client-focused and educates people based on the unique situation The same technique or result does not benefit everyone

Whether you are personally looking for help with estate administration estate and disability planning or asset protection or yoursquore looking for information regarding asset protection and estate planning to provide a group or businesses you represent we encourage you to get in touch with Scales Law Offices LLC

About Scales Law Offices LLC

Scales Law Offices LLC helps

clients get the full benefit of the

law as it applies to long-term care

planning asset protection and

achieving greater independence

FAST FACTS

Welcomes the opportunity to do

speaking engagements with

local groups or businesses

Has offices in both Titusville

and Erie

Scales is one of only 39 certified

elder law attorneys in

Pennsylvania

FOR MORE INFORMATION P (814) 827-2788 E SchellyScalesLawOfficescom

W wwwscaleslawofficescom facebookcomkempsaleselderlaw

Schelly Ham Los Kemp Scales

7


Under new ownership as of last summer Scierkarsquos Tavern continues to serve our area with great beer and food

The tavern was opened in 1937 by Andrew and Barbara Scierka who immigrated to America from Poland in the early 1900rsquos They entered America through Ellis Island in New York City and eventually both made their way to Oil City It was there that they met married and had seven children together who all worked at the tavern throughout the years

Andree Plowman granddaughter of original owners Andrew and Barbara Scierka and her husband Greg took over the business in 2016 after Andrees aunt passed away Their daughter Hannah is also a big part of the business

Open at 4 pm Tuesday through Friday and 6 pm on Saturday (during spring hours) Scierkarsquos Tavern has a full service bar specializing in craft beers with 40 plus varieties in stock The business also has a rotating menu throughout the week as well as fish polish and chicken dinners on Fridays

Both Greg and Andree are from the area and enjoy living and working locally especially because of the proximity they have to family and the ability to commute to work on their bicycles in the nice weather

They have enjoyed taking over the family bar and trying out different ideas for the business to see what works ldquoSome ideas are keepers and others fall on their facerdquo they said ldquoPart of the fun is not being boxed in If something doesnt work you learn from it and move on to a new ideardquo

Greg and Andree are excited to continue growing Scierkarsquos Tavern and they encourage you to stop in check things out and pass the word along to others

About Scierkarsquos Taven Scierkarsquos Tavern is a locally owned and operated small business serving 40+ craft beers and food FAST FACTS

Will celebrate its 80th birthday

this year

Currently has the third and fourth

generation of the Scierkarsquos family

working

Has 40+ varieties of craft beers in

stock

FOR MORE INFORMATION 100 Elk St Oil City PA 16301 facebookcomScierkasTavern

Scierkarsquos Tavern New ownership same great experience

8


Congratulations to the

2016 Outstanding Citizen

9


Lisa Groner Named as Volunteer of the Year Each year the staff of the Chamber selects a volunteer that has assisted in them throughout the year(s) The award is a surprise announced at the Annual Dinner with the assistance of the festival queens from the prior year This years Volunteer of the Year was Lisa Groner While Lisa has been a long time volunteer including her service as a past board member this year marked her 15th year as the Chairperson of Cranberry Festival Lisa assists the Chamber staff with many aspects of the festival but specifically coordinates all aspects of the annual KingQueen competition

10


The Steel Valley Authority is a multi-municipal government authority addressing layoff aversion throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania For over 30 years SVA has been helping workers their families small manufacturers and communities survive global economic change SEWN is a program of the Steel Valley Authority sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor amp Industry SEWNrsquos mission is to save Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs by offering layoff aversion or business retention services that are geared to stabilize restructure turn-around or attract buyers for at-risk small and medium size companies SEWN achieves its mission by providing specialized turnaround advisory services to their clients that are confidential and in most cases are free Since its inception in 1993 SEWN has worked with over 1100 manufacturing firms and helped save or avert the loss of over 21000 family-sustaining jobs in concert with the PA Department of Labor and Industryrsquos Rapid Response Program The stabilizing effect of communities business owners workers and the Commonwealth is immeasurable Some of the core services SEWN provides include

Financial Restructuring Operational Restructuring and Cost Management Ownership Transition High Performance Workplace Strategies New Market Opportunities

Deb Lutz a native of Venango County and a board member of the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce was hired in December of 2016 to head the Erie County Strategic Early Warning Network (SEWN) Regional Office one of five such offices located throughout the State Ms Lutz will oversee Steel Valleyrsquos ongoing efforts to retain jobs and manufacturing in Erie and surrounding counties

About Steel Valley Authority amp SEWN SEWN is a program of the Steel Valley Authority sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor amp Industry providing specialized turnaround advisory services to their clients FAST FACTS

SEWN has worked with over 1100 manufacturing firms

SEWN has helped save or avert the loss of over 21000 family-sustaining jobs

Pennsylvania has five SEWN offices throughout the state

FOR MORE INFORMATION P (814) 673-5654

E sewneriesteelvalleyorg

W wwwsteelvalleyorg

The Steel Valley Authority amp The Strategic Early Warning Network (SEWN) Saving Pennsylvania Jobs One Company at a Time

11


Have You Heard of the PA COSTARS Program

What IS the PA COSTARS Program COSTARS is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvaniarsquos cooperative purchasing program administered by the Department of General Services (DGS) Bureau of Procurement The COSTARS program provides registered local public procurement units as well as state-affiliated entities (together referred to as ldquoMembersrdquo) and suppliers a tool to find and do business with each other through the use of a contract established by DGS

What does that mean Simply put COSTARS is a vehicle for vendors to do business on the local government level The COSTARS program consists of multiple contracts each for a different variety of products that approved vendors amp suppliers can sell their productsservices through Registered ldquolocal public procurement unitsrdquo--municipalities townships school districts fire stations and the like--can purchase from these contracts

The goal of the program is to provide a contract vehicle with competitive pricing while providing increased opportunities for eligible suppliers and buyers

What kinds of productsservices fall under the COSTARS contracts Some of the current industries COSTARS is soliciting bids from include janitorial supplies foods graphic and printing services toiletries pest control services municipal work vehicles energy consulting services and furniture and window treatments just to name a few

How do buyers and sellers become eligible to participate in COSTARS DGS requires eligible LPPUs and state-affiliated entities to register as COSTARS members and only those organizations registered with DGS may purchase from COSTARS contracts The participating buying organizations are collectively referred to as ldquoMembersrdquo

Businesses interested in selling via the COSTARS program as ldquoSuppliersrdquo are required to register in the PA Supplier Portal to receive a six-digit vendor number as a prerequisite to bidding on COSTARS-exclusive contracts Following supplier registration and to become a COSTARS supplier businesses must respond to bidding opportunities published on the departments COSTARS or PA eMarketplace webpages A Supplier that successfully responds to a contract solicitation may be awarded a contract Once on a contract it is up to Suppliers to connect with Members to promote their COSTARS Supplier status and market their productsservices as such

Where do I start DGS has a COSTARS website at wwwcostarsstatepaus The site links to additional information and web portals for organizations and businesses interested in becoming Members and Suppliers

The PTAC can help The Northwest Commissionrsquos Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) is a free resource to businesses in our area that seek to do work in the government market this includes providing guidance and assistance with the COSTARS program Visit their website at wwwnorthwestpaorggovernment-contracting or contact Melissa Becker Government Contracting Specialist at melissabnorthwestpaorg 814-677-4800 ext 124

SAVE THE DATE On May 11 the Northwest Commission PTAC in partnership with State Representative R Lee James and the Franklin and Venango Area Chambers of Commerce will be presenting a free workshop covering aspects of the COSTARS program for Suppliers The seminar entitled ldquoHow to Become a COSTARS Supplierrdquo will be held from 10a to noon at the Franklin Industrial and Commercial Development AuthorityEmerging Technology Center located at 191 Howard Street Franklin

For details and registration on this event visit httpnwpaptacecenterdirectcomevents

12


Is Your Business Hiring

You can share your job openings on the Be Here website for community members to see Wersquoll link your business name to the job postings page on your website or to your email address to help connect you with the employees you are looking for

The process is easy Just visit wwwbeherevenangoorghiring and fill out the quick form We just ask you to please inform us when those positions are no longer open The Be Here initiative was created to promote great opportunities and help the Venango Area continue to thrive We hear ldquothere are no jobs hererdquo all the time and we know thatrsquos not true Wersquove held focus groups with local HR professionals and discussed issues employers have and how Be Here can help Our ldquoWork Hererdquo page on the Be Here website is just one way we hope to help the right employees connect to employers in our area Visit the page at wwwbeherevenangoorgaboutwork-here

13


CDC Earn Reaccreditation amp Buys Dubois Business College Building

Child Development Centersrsquo Oil City and Hasson Heights centers have earned reaccreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

After a two-day inspection of the two centers including intensive reviews of six infant toddler preschool and elementary school-age classrooms NAEYC extended their accreditation for five years through the end of 2021

To achieve accreditation the centers had to show that they meet all 10 of NAEYCrsquos early childhood program standards intended to maximize the quality of the care and education a facility provides The criteria are based on ldquobest practicesrdquo that shows to be effective in advancing growth and learning

The two centers met 100 of NAEYCrsquos requirements in seven of 10 standards including staff-child relationships center-family relationships assessment of the childrenrsquos progress promotion of good health teacher qualifications relationships with local organizations that support growth and learning and leadership-management

The high marks received from the NAEYC ldquovalidate that both facilities are providing high-quality child care and early childhood education and that families can trust them to do a great job nurturing and teaching their childrenrdquo said CDC Chief Executive Officer Rina Irwin

In addition to Oil City and Hasson Heights CDCrsquos Franklin and Cranberry locations have NAEYC accreditation All five

centers also have Star 4 ratings from Pennsylvaniarsquos Keystone STARS educational quality improvement initiativemdashthe highest grade the center can achieve

In other exciting news CDC has purchased the former DuBois Business College building in Oil City and will soon open the facility that has space for six Head Start and Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program (HSSAP) classrooms

CDC bought the facility which it is naming Grant Street Child Development Center to make room for as many as 120 Head

Start and HSSAP students for which it has openings Enrollment of these three- fourndash and five-year-old children will be funded with CDCrsquos five-year $19 million federal Head Start grant and its one-year state HSSAP grant

14


Have you met Dan Flaherty executive director of the Oil Region Library Association Dan grew up in Venango County went to college at Clarion University and started working at the Oil City Library in 2011

He enjoys living in this area because of all the outdoor offerings in which he loves taking walks in the woods with his dog visiting Hasson Park to play disc golf canoeing the waterways hiking at Oil Creek State Park riding his bike on the trails and playing backyard games

You can read the rest of Danrsquos story on our Be Here testimonials page as well as multiple other stories of people who live and work in the Venango Area

We want to share YOUR story too Just visit the website at wwwbeherevenangoorgtestimonials and click the ldquoshare your storyrdquo button at the bottom of the page

Oil City Faccedilade Grants Still Available Time Is Running Out Informational Workshop on March 16

Does your downtown Oil City building need some TLC The Oil City Main Street Faccedilade Improvement Grant can provide up to $5000 for storefront improvements to eligible buildings located within the Main Street District The grant requires a 5050 match from the applicant and advance approval on the project and can be used for signs awnings windows doors masonry cleaning exterior painting and lighting professional design and more

An informational workshop will be held on Thursday March 16th 530 pm at the Oil Region Alliance office 217 Elm Street This grant funding expires soon so contact Kathy Bailey in the Main Street Office at (814) 677-3152 ext 101 or email kbaileyoilregionorg to learn more

Ride Through the ldquoValley that Changed the World with Peter Cottontail

April 15 - Peter Cottontail Express Perry Street Station 409 S Perry St Titusville PA 16354 Reservations recommended 814-676-1733 or visit wwwoctrrorgpagecottontail

15


wwwvenangoplaysorg The Chamberrsquos online calendar of events

What We Can Learn From the Oscars Mix Up by Kurtis Bell

I did not watch the Oscars last night but as I sat down to draw my inspiration for my monthly article I was bombarded with headlines about the awards show Theories and accusations abound as our timelines and newsfeed are being plastered with click bait regarding the issue For those of you (like myself) who live under a rock and may not have heard the news yet they announced the wrong winner and that showrsquos producers and staff began making their acceptance speeches before the error was corrected How does this apply to us though Wersquore not Hollywood stars or movie producers

This whole fiasco could have been prevented by reviewing the cards before they were placed in the envelopes Yes maybe a review was completed by a few people but every time it got handed off midway through there is the possibility for errors in the transfer Much like the old game of telephone when you have too many people involved in a task that should be completed by one person you are bound to reach the end with something completely different

Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway have had multiple fingers pointed their way since the incident and I will add to the count Upon opening the envelope and reading the card Beatty realized the possibility for error as it read ldquoEmma Stone La La Landrdquo which was a duplicate of the card for the previous category He paused seemingly to process the situation then Dunaway grew impatient with his antics and announced La La Land as the winner Both of these seasoned professionals had the opportunity to call for clarification as clearly ldquoEmma Stone La La Landrdquo would not be what the card would read for the Best Picture category Instead they bobbled the moment and a snap call was made

Too often in our lives we can feel too rushed to properly review things be too quick to jump to conclusions or even be too proud to ask for help Although moments like this in our lives may not be broadcasted on live TV they still may be moments that can impact our day or even our lives By doing the small things properly we can minimize the chances for mistakes such as these that could cost us a relationship a deal or even our jobs Be diligent in your reviews thoughtful with your words and never be too proud or afraid to ask for help

ldquoOil City Uncorkedrdquo Spring and Fall Wine Walks

Itrsquos almost time to wine The Oil City Main Street Program is planning for the 2017 ldquoOil City Uncorkedrdquo Wine Walkshellip mark your calendars for Friday April 28th (south side business district) and Friday September 22 (north side business district) Both events will be held 430 ndash 830 pm and will feature an evening of wine sampling in various businesses within the corresponding district

Sponsors are needed to help offset event costshellip contact Kathy Bailey at (814) 677-3152 ext 101 or kbaileyoilregionorg if yoursquod like to be a sponsor Tickets for the spring event will be on sale soon for more details and event updates follow the Oil City Main Street Program on facebook or visit wwwoilcitymainstreetorg

16


PRSRT STD US POSTAGE

PAID PERMIT 280

Greg Merkel Pres Frank Hajduk VP Jeannie Henry Sec Matt Caldwell Treas Doug Eberle Rebecca Beach Dr Kate Eckert Shari Hamilton Jake Hickman Cathy Kentzel Hope Lineman Deb Lutz Jim Marshall Alan McBride Ashley McCauley Trenton Moulin David Snedden Carol Williams

STAFF Susan Williams Dottie Tawney Ashley Cowles Janie Cassady

41 MAIN STREET PO BOX 376 OIL CITY PA 16301

Address Service Requested

MARCH 16 Executive Committee - Board of Directors Meeting 8AM 16 Mixer - Mary Kay and LulaRoe at the Venango Chamber 5 - 7 PM 31 FLEX Presents at the Venango Museum 630 - 8 30 PM APRIL 20 Board of Directors Meeting 8AM 11 Mixer - Northwest Savings Bank Cranberry 530 - 730 PM

Chamber Events Calendar

COMMUNITY CALENDAR OF EVENTS AVAILABLE AT WWWVENANGOCHAMBERORGCALENDAR

Mcfate amp Merkel Law Office

SCORE

Rossbacher Insurance Agency

Caldwell Printing Services

Agway

Clarion County Community Bank

Eckert Chiropractic

Friends of Drake Well Museum

Hickman Lumber

The Barnard House

Clarion University Venango College

Steel Valley Authority

Kingrsquos Landscaping

Joy Global

Farmers National Bank

Bridge Builders Community Foun

Hagan Business Machines

Williams Travel

Executive Director

Executive Assistant

Program Manager

Intern Penn State Behrend

Board of Directors

ldquoThe Future of Venango Area Businessrdquo

Vo

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14 Young Professionals Nominated for FLEX Presents Award

FLEX is excited to celebrate the amazing young professionals in our area at the FLEX

Presents Young Professionals of the Year at the end of March A total of 14 young

professionals have been nominated for showing commitment to the community

through civic engagement

The event is on March 31 from 630 - 830 pm at the Venango Museum in Oil City and will include hors

drsquooeuvres drinks and a brief program in which the Young Professional of the Year award will be given Please

visit venangochamberorgflex-presents for more information and to RSVP You may also RSVP by contacting the

Chamber at (814) 676-8521 or acowlesvenangochamberorg

FLEX Presents Nominees

The following young professionals have been nominated for the FLEX Presents Young Professional of the Year

award The winner will be announced at the event on Friday March 31 FLEX will hold a raffle at the event and a

percentage of the proceeds will go to the Young Professional of the Years chosen charity which can be found with

their full bio

Please visit venangochamberorg201702flex-presents-2017-nominees for the full bios

Rebecca Beach is a Real Estate Lending Director at Clarion County Community Bank in Franklin She

serves on the board of directors at the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce and the Friends of Oil

Creek State Park She is very involved with FLEX in which she has served as secretary and treasurer and has helped with events such as Bike lsquon Brew and the Oil Heritage Festival Ice Cream Social

Rebecca is also a volunteer for United Way and Applefest

Kurtis Bell is co-owner of ServiceMaster by Bell has numerous certifications in restoration and is a

continuing Education Instructor through the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance He serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors at the Clarion County YMCA and is involved with the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce and FLEX writing articles for each newsletter and volunteering

his time He has served as an elder for the Rehobeth Greenville Presbyterian Church and has been a volunteer camp counselor at a church summer camp

FLEX (814) 676-8521 wwwVenangoFLEXorg flexvenangochamberorg

2

Rebekah Eakin is a substitute teacher for Oil City Rocky Grove Cranberry and Titusville School Districts She is vice-president of the Parent Teacher Organization at Sandycreek Elementary where she handles teacher luncheons and donations for the Christmas Wishes event Rebekah organizes a yearly event called ldquoEverybody Wins Toy Salerdquo providing donations to local charities and is also an active volunteer of her church Utica Presbyterian Church and president of the Franklin Junior Knights Wrestling

Angela Harriett is a reading specialist at Oil City Middle School and alumna of Clarion University She organized the Scholastic Summer Reading Contest and started the Pay It Forward Clothes Closet at Oil City Middle School She serves on the Student Assistance Program (SAP) team and the Faculty Fund Committee and is treasurer of the Southside Home and School Angela is also a mentor teacher and program leader for GEMS (Girls Excelling in Math and Science) a tee-ball coach and is on the parent committee with the Oil City YMCA Gymnastics

Nicholas Hess is a board member and volunteer at the Barrow Civic Theatre where he acts and helps with costuming set building and running a costume and prop rental business He volunteers with Community Playhouse and sings and performs locally with a variety of organizations Nicholas writes and performs original music is a director of short plays and volunteers as a sit-in director at the St Stephens School for their annual play He owns two antique shopsmdashone in Oil City and one in Brooklyn NY He travels in and out of the country collecting merchandise for his shops Nicholas also provides estate appraisals and estate clean outs locally and is a new member of the Venango County Historical Society

Ashley Keener works at United Way of Venango County She is certified in many first aid related areas and has also received certification through St Benedicts Education Center in topics such as reading comprehension business technology and business communications Ashley has volunteered with NWPA Region American Red Cross Franklin Little League Association Franklin School District Wrestling Club Community Services Food for Friends and as a CPR volunteer instructor She plans to graduate with her bachelorrsquos in Business Administration from Clarion University in spring of 2018

Alan McBride graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Telecommunications and is the Global Talent Manager at Joy Global Inc He is a board member at both the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Venango County and serves as Events and Fundraising Committee Co-Chair and Vice PresidentSecretary of FLEX Alan plans to graduate in May 2017 with his masterrsquos degree in Business Administration from Gannon University

Zachary Covington is the general manager at the Barrow Civic Theatre He has a bachelorrsquos degree in Music Education and a masterrsquos degree in Choral Conducting Zach has received training in vocal technique music education and choral conducting and has taught vocal and general music to grades pre-school through 12 He is a guest conductor for choral festivals member of multiple professional music organizations certified Miss America Organization judge and was president of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 3 He owns and operates Covington Performing Arts Studio in Clarion and is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Clarion County Festival Choir Zach is the also Assistant Director of the Clarion Community Choir and regularly performs and directs musical theater productions in Northwestern Pennsylvania


3

Casey McVay is Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at Venango Campus where she also serves at volunteer advisor for SEED a mission and community service student club She is in her second term as president of FLEX and also serves on the Board of Directors at the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce and Franklin Civic Operetta Association Casey is the production manager for the Oil Region V-Day event a domestic and sexual violence awareness event and Finance Chair of a local youth cancer fundraising event She also volunteers for the Pennsylvania Association for College Admissions Counseling and will graduate this year with a masterrsquos degree in Mass Media Arts and Journalism and a certificate in Public Relations

Ritchie Rhinehardt is the creator and owner of several small businesses including Croakey Entertainment and Bungalow Property Rentals He performs as Ricci Hardt across the nation and has worked with many well known musicians Ritchie is the founder of the Independent Artist Coalition (IAC) and the Franklin Comic Con was the music director for Liberty Cabaret Greatest Hits at the Barrow Civic Theatre and composed an instrumental piece that was used in the Be Here initiative commercial

Jessica Salyer is a business account executive at the Sandy K Hovis State Farm office She is Co-President of the Sandycreek Elementary Parent Teacher Organization where she helps run meetings delegates responsibilities and plays a role in the planning of the Christmas Wishes program Jessica has organized the Womankind Dignity Project collecting feminine product donations for women in need She is an active member of FLEX and volunteers at the Vacationland Campground and with the DUI Memorial

Rachel Stiller received her bachelorrsquos degree in Accounting and Economics from Clarion University and is an Inventory Accountant for Borchers Americas Inc She is an active member of FLEX where she serves as the Membership Committee chair Rachel volunteers at Saint Patrick Parish as a Religious Education Teacher where she teaches 7th graders about their Catholic faith morals and responsibility to be leaders and members of their community

Kyle Vickers earned his bachelorrsquos degree in Education with a minor in Special Education He has a tutor certification and has completed over 750 hours Kyle will be featured on the upcoming season of TLCrsquos Return to Amish show as a GED tutor and has spent time as a tutormentor for Good Hope Lutheran Churchs Stay and Play program a CLEP and PRAXIS Test Center Administrator for Clarion University an instructor for Venango Colleges Kids in College Program and an Instructor for Venango Colleges Paraprofessionals Certificate program He was previously involved in the Big Brothers Big Sister program and volunteered to help renovate playgrounds

Kelsey Viertel earned an associatersquos degree in Nursing from Clarion University and a bachelorrsquos degree in Professional Studies with an emphasis in Public Health from Slippery Rock University She received the Outstanding Nursing Student Award at Clarion and was nominated to represent the university at the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) She works as a registered nurse at UPMC Northwest and volunteers for Hospice in Venango County Kelsey also lends her time and talent at the Barrow Civic Theatre


Check out the Chamberrsquos Calendar of Events wwwvenangochamberorgcalendar

VenangoFLEX

Where yoursquoll find FLEX in March Ski Trip Sat March 4 10 am - Peekrsquon Peak New York Bike lsquon Brew Meeting Thurs March 9 530 - 730 pm Blue Canoe Brewery Titusville Monthly Meeting Wed March 15 12 - 1 pm Venango Area Chamber Oil City Coffee Chat Thur March 23 8 - 9 am Bossa Nova Franklin FLEX Presents Fri March 31 630 - 830 pm Venango Museum Oil City

OUR MISSION

FLEX represents the needs and interests of Young Professionals by positioning ourselves as leaders entrepreneurs and advocates for the sustainability of the Venango Area

through civic engagement leadership development and networking

The full bios of the FLEX Presents nominees can be found at

venangochamberorg201702flex-presents-2017-nominees

FLEX in the Community

February was full of socials meetings and events for FLEX Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Coffee Chat Chamber Annual Dinner Wine Social and monthly and committee meetings

Volunteer Opportunities

There are always opportunities available in the community to volunteer and we want to share those with you Well be posting volunteer opportunities on Facebook (facebookcomVenangoFLEX) periodically to make you aware of ways to get involved in our area

Know of a volunteer opportunity Let us know Facebook message us or email acowlesvenangochamberorg

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Venango Area Chamber of Commerce Group

Venango Area Chamber of Commerce

VenangoChamber VenangoChamber

venangochamber

The Venango Area Chamber of Commerce builds serves and promotes regional business

Ever After Wedding Planners Robert L Hines 377 Miller Road Franklin PA 16323 Phone (814) 432-5628 eMail robertleehinesyahoocom Published Category Wedding ampEvent Planner

Novacare Rehabilitation Ellen Stover 3338 State Rt 257 Seneca PA 16346 Phone 677-0738 Fax 814-677-5834 eMail estovernovacarecom wwwnovacarecom Published Category Physical Therapy

LuLaRoe with Kirstin McCalmont Kirsten McCalmont 1010 W 2nd Street Oil City PA 16301 Phone (814) 566-0750 eMail klmccalmont723gmailcom facebookcomLularoewithKirstinLeigh Published Category Independent Sales

Thirty One Gifts with Connie Shull Connie Shull 197 Stanley Road Oil City PA 16301 Phone (814) 676-5759 eMail clshullzoominternetnet wwwcsgiftscom Published Category Independent Sales Abby Flockerzi - Supporting Member

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