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FEBRUARY 2016

GREATER CHAMBERSBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

2015

ANNUAL REPORT

WWW.CHAMBERSBURG.ORG

100 LINCOLN WAY EAST, CHAMBERSBURG, PA 17201

Chambersburg among top 1% of chambers in nation

In 2015, the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce was awarded a 5-Star Accreditation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the highest honor bestowed to local chambers of commerce. The Chamber received this rating following a rigorous accreditation process in recognition of its sound policies, effective organizational procedures and positive impact on the community. This prestigious accreditation distinguishes the Chambersburg Chamber as one of 95 chambers in the nation with this top rating; there are more than 7,000 chambers total. Local chambers are rated Accredited, 3-Stars, 4-Stars or 5-Stars, with the final determination made by the Accrediting Board, a committee of U.S. Chamber board members and chamber executives from across the country. Every five years, the Chambersburg Chamber completes the extensive, voluntary accreditation process reviewing areas of governance, government affairs, technology and more. While this was our fifth accreditation, it was the first time we were awarded the highest level of achievement, which is something our staff, board and volunteers have been collectively focused on for many years.

Chamber welcomes new leadership In August 2015, long-time Chamber President David G. Sciamanna stepped down and Noel Purdy assumed the leadership position. Purdy has been with the Chamber since January 2008, beginning as executive director of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation until 2011 when she became vice president of the Chamber. In this role, her responsibilities included managing the Foundation, Downtown Chambersburg Inc. and the Community Development Corp. of Franklin County. Sciamanna was honored for his 32 years of service to the Chamber and the community at large during a reception in August. At the event, the board of directors revealed the naming of the office complex adjoined to the Chambersburg Heritage Center as the “David G. Sciamanna Building,” a five-year project of which Sciamanna was instrumental in completing. Sciamanna will continue working with the Chamber through mid-2017 as vice president managing affiliates: Chambersburg Area Development Corp., Cumberland Valley Regional Development Corp. and the Franklin County Industrial Development Authority, which focus on economic development in the area.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8

2015 Chamber board and staff Membership, networking programs grow Online communications thrive Businesses, leaders honored in 2015 Advocacy for business interests 11/30 Network launches Buy local programs 2015 Civil War Seminars Chamber celebrates Small Business Week Affiliates provide direct impact 2015 CADC and CVRDC board Change on horizon for business park CADC reports growth, opportunities 2015 DCI board Two-year planning process completed Artist cooperative launches downtown Building downtown’s brand 2015 Foundation board Community Education Coalition forms Technology grants awarded to teachers LFC celebrates 30 years 2015 event highlights

A MEMORABLE 2015... In February, the Chamber launched the 11/30 Network young professionals group. Read more on page 3. In April, the Chamber honored nine members for their outstanding accomplishments. Read more on page 3. In June, the Chamber was awarded a 5-Star Accreditation by the U.S. Chamber. Read more on page 1. In August, the Chamber welcomed new leadership and honored the previous leader. Read more on page 1. In September, LFC Community celebrated the beginning of its 30th class. Read more on page 7. In November, DCI helped start an artist cooperative in downtown Chambersburg. Read more on page 6. And much more! View pictures on page 8.

2015 ANNUAL REPORT

CHAMBER 2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Eric Foreman, BB&T - Chair Suzanne Miller-Trinh, Zullinger-Davis-Trinh Law Firm - Past Chair Troy Garman, RE/MAX Realty Agency Chair-elect Noel Purdy - Chamber President Lance Kegerreis, Dennis E. Black Engineering, Inc. - CADC Vice President Michelle Paulnock, ACNB Bank Foundation President Jim Zimmerman, Valley Quarries Inc. Treasurer Sherri H. Stahl, Summit Health - Secretary Derrick Donnell, PA CareerLink Blake Truman, VerStandig Broadcasting Terry Guberman, Comfort Keepers Brian Speer, Wilson College Rod Hocker, Johnnie’s Restaurant & Hotel Service Carlos Perez, Chambersburg Wireless Melanie Furlong, SpiriTrust Lutheran Home Care & Hospice Alice Hawbaker, LCSi Lehman Construction Services, Inc. Luke Martin, Smith Elliott Kearns & Co., LLC Kim Crider, Kim Crider/Take Shape for Life Mark Story, Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County Chris Patterson, Manitowoc Cranes Jeff Truhan, The Shook Home Mark Durniak, Fuddruckers Brad Evans, Bartlett Tree Expert Company

2015 CHAMBER STAFF Noel Purdy - President David G. Sciamanna - Vice President Amy Fisher - Communications Director Doug Harmon - Membership Director Maryliz Toohig - Financial Director Robin Harmon - Executive Director, Chamber Foundation Angie Schaeffer - Executive Assistant/ Office Manager Lark Plessinger - Marketing Assistant Scott Fish - Events Coordinator Stacy Guyer - Accounting Assistant Sue Black - Heritage Center Coordinator/ Customer Service Specialist

Membership, networking programs grow As the largest business advocacy organization in Franklin County, everything we do at the Chamber is with our members in mind. With the support of the Ambassador and Membership Committees, the Chamber achieved a 91 percent retention rate of our existing membership; our best in the last 10 years. We also attracted 115 new members in 2015, finishing out the year with a total membership of 938 businesses. We continue inching closer to our 1,000 member longterm goal. Members tell us one of the top reasons they join the Chamber is for networking opportunities. We continue to build on the benefits Ribbon cutting for The Doh-Nuh T Co. in downtown Chambersburg and programs offered to ensure our members are being served and getting the most from their membership. In 2015, the Chamber and its affiliate organizations held more than 220 events, including 15 after-hour mixers, 40 ribbon cuttings and 13 lunch and learns. New events included professional development seminars to celebrate National Small Business Week in early May as well as over 25 events for young professionals hosted by the newly-formed 11/30 Network.

Chamber’s online communications thrive The Chamber continues to improve our communications platform to add greater value to our members. This year, the Chamber launched a new, modern website featuring a responsive design. We have seen a significant increase in users and pageviews since the Chamber’s new website launched with a total of 232,594 pageviews in 2015. This is 55,000 more than in 2014. Thanks to the responsive design, there were also nearly double the mobile users than in 2014. The increase in website traffic can also be attributed to the addition of the blog and use of social media. The Chamber is active on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Growth in followers on social media sites in 2015 were substantial, bringing the Chamber’s Facebook likes to more than 2,600 and Twitter followers to over 1,000. In less than a year, our communications team created four new websites, all of which featured either a responsive or mobile-friendly design. In addition to chambersburg.org, the sites 1130network.com, downtownchambersburgpa.com and civilwarseminars.org were launched in 2015. CHAMBER MISSION, VISION AND VALUES Mission: We exist to help our members prosper and to enhance the quality of life in the Chambersburg area. Vision: The Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce will be the premier business organization in our region to promote the business community, economic development and education in innovative ways - contributing to the community’s quality of life and having a positive impact on the lives of those we serve. Values: The Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce serves as the welcoming front door of the community. The Chamber is committed to being a positive, helpful and visionary community leader and resource - treating everyone with respect, providing excellent service and acting with fairness and integrity. Chamber staff, volunteers and partners are proactive advocates for our members and are passionate about communicating and achieving these goals.

2 GREATER CHAMBERSBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

It’s All About Community! CHAMBER

Businesses, leaders honored in 2015 Each year the Chamber awards businesses, community members and leaders with a variety of awards and 2015 was no exception. At the Annual Awards Breakfast in the spring, the Chamber honored nine of its members and a Heritage Center ambassador for their community engagement and accomplishments. One of the recognitions included inducting Chris Snavely of Snavely’s Garden Corner into the Chamber Hall of Fame. Snavely’s Garden Corner has been a Chamber member for 44 years, and Snavely has been actively involved with the Chamber for over 25 years. He joined the board in 1989 serving for eight years including two years as board chair. He has also held leadership positions in various committees and for the Chamber’s affiliates. Chamber HALL OF FAME

ATHENA Leadership Award

AGRIBUSINESS of the Year

ENVIRONMENTAL Sustainability Award

INNOVATOR of the Year

Chris Snavely

Maria Banks

Trickling Springs

Gleaning Project of South Central PA

Roy-Pitz Brewing Co.

NONPROFIT of the Year

PROPERTY Improvement Award

PROPERTY Improvement Award

VOLUNTEER of the Year

Heritage Center AMBASSADOR

Cumberland Valley Breast Care Alliance

Jim & Brenda Hill 401 Lincoln Way E.

BUSINESS PERSON of the Year

The Chamber also named Tom Beddard, owner/founder of Lady Moon Farms, as the Business Person of the Year at its Annual Business Breakfast in December. Lady Moon Farms is the largest grower of organic vegetables on the East Coast. Beddard’s business began in 1988 on five acres of tillable land, and has grown to include 2,000 acres with farms in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Florida. Together, these farms provide year-round, full-time employment and supply food for national grocers such as Whole Foods.

Tom Beddard

Joe Cooper 42 S. Main St.

Kim Crider

Catherine Kinton

The Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation, an affiliate of the Chamber, recognized leaders in the community as well. Amy Seiders was named Leadership Franklin County Alumni of the Year and Cheri Kearney was named its Volunteer of the Year.

11/30 Network launches, gains over 100 members

Members deliver care packages to firefighters during the 11/30 Network’s First Responders Appreciation Day

An initiative of the Chamber, the 11/30 Network was formed by a diverse group of young professionals concerned with the lack of opportunities for young adults in Franklin County. After planning for months to lay groundwork for the group’s purpose and structure, the 11/30 Network officially kickedoff in February 2015 with an event attended by more than 170 people. The young professionals group continued building steam by hosting two or more events each month to encourage personal and professional growth for the under 40 crowd who live and/or work in Franklin County. Membership began in July with a 12-month membership cycle costing just $30 per person to join. In only four months, membership surpassed the 100 mark. The 11/30 Network ended the year at 110 members. The mission of the 11/30 Network is to connect young professionals in Franklin County through social, civic and professional development opportunities. The group is managed under the leadership of an 11-person Steering Committee comprised of young professionals who live and work throughout the county. For more information, visit www.1130network.com.

Advocacy for business interests remains priority Buy local programs Some of the most important initiatives the Chamber addresses are big picture issues which can take years to produce results. The Chamber continues to speak out in support of the widening of Interstate 81, a major northsouth corridor that supports our regional economy. The Chamber also opposed a minimum wage increase, which would have adversely effected small businesses.

The Chamber Card has had great success in 2015 by giving Chamber members repeat business with deals and specials. About 40,000 Chamber Cards were distributed throughout the community from 2014-2015. David Sciamanna speaking at Shuster’s PA Roadshow about widening I-81

The Chamber spoke out in opposition to the Reverse Tax Appeal initiated by the Chambersburg Area School District, which we believe would have cost jobs and negatively impacted the Chambersburg area as a great place to conduct business. The Chamber’s involvement resulted in a fair resolution for both stakeholders.

To add even more value for businesses participating in the Chamber Card deals, we promoted the Buy Local BINGO game for the second year. This game encouraged residents to shop at small, local businesses during the holidays for a chance to win prizes.

GREATER CHAMBERSBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 3

2015 ANNUAL REPORT

CHAMBER

Civil War Seminars

Chamber celebrates Small Business Week

Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours, a division of the Chamber and held in partnership with Ted Alexander, offered four seminars in 2015 that brought more tourists and tourism dollars to the area. More than 300 history enthusiasts attended the seminars to listen to well-known historians discuss a variety of Civil War events.

The Chamber coordinated a variety of events during National Small Business Week from May 4-8, 2015 to recognize the critical contributions of our local entrepreneurs and business owners to the area community.

The 2015 seminars included: • “Ed Bearss Symposium: Leadership & Combat” - Attended by 40 people from 13 states and Canada. • “Weekend with Lance Herdegen & the Iron Brigade” - Attended by 49 people from 11 states. • “End of the War: Richmond, Petersburg & Appomattox” - Attended by 110 people from 22 states, Canada and Australia. • “Lincoln” - Attended by 91 people from 16 states and Canada. In addition to the seminars, the program raised $5,000 for Civil War battlefield preservation including a $1,500 donation to preserve land at Antietam Battlefield and $1,000 to the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg. The Franklin County Visitors Bureau helped the seminars be successful by providing sponsorship support. From their investment, the seminars educated participants on our region’s history while delivering tourism dollars to our area. CHAMBER WEBSITES For more information about the Chamber or its affiliates, visit the following websites: Chamber - www.chambersburg.org 11/30 Network - www.1130network.com Chambersburg Civil War Seminars & Tours www.civilwarseminars.org Downtown Chambersburg Inc. www.downtownchambersburgpa.com

Our Chamber membership (L-R) Kenny Hauk of Hauk Designs, Penny Shaul of Here’s Looking is comprised of mostly small at You, and Jesse Rotz and Ryan Richards of Roy-Pitz Brewing Co. businesses, and more than 60 at Entreprenuer Night during National Small Business Week 2015 percent of our members have 10 or fewer employees. Nationwide, more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year. Small businesses have a huge impact on our economy, which is why the Chamber was excited to offer a variety of events and seminars to celebrate National Small Business Week 2015. Events included seminars for business owners, an Entrepreneur Night where attendees heard from a panel of local entrepreneurs about their experiences, the Cinco de Mayo networking mixer and more. The Chamber plans to continue promoting National Small Business Week each year to provide opportunities for local business owners to network and grow professionally.

Affiliates provide direct impact on community The Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce could not accomplish the work it does without its affiliates. The Chamber and each affiliate organization work together to address the needs of the community and improve the quality of life in the Chambersburg area. Our affiliates include two industrial development corporations, a downtown development corporation and a foundation. Many people don’t realize the role the Chamber plays in economic development through its affiliates. Downtown Chambersburg Inc. spearheads development in our downtown, helping to retain existing businesses and attracting new ones. The organization recently completed a Master Plan Update for downtown. The other two economic development affiliates are Chambersburg Area Development Corp. and Cumberland Valley Regional Development Corp. Both focus on job creation and retention through industrial development. The Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation is an important affiliate that focuses on workforce development, education and citizenship. Its three countywide leadership programs help to develop business and community leaders. Find out more details about Chamber affiliates and the great things they’ve done in 2015 on the following pages.

4 GREATER CHAMBERSBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

It’s All About Community! ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Change on the horizon for United Business Park In June 2015, David G. Sciamanna, executive director of Chambersburg Area Development Corp. (CADC) and Cumberland Valley Regional Development Corp. (CVRDC), announced that nearly two-thirds of the land at United Business Park is under contract. Matrix Development Group, a real estate investment and development firm based in Cranbury, N.J., signed a 200 acre agreement with CVRDC, a wholly owned subsidiary of CADC, for land at the United Business Park. The business park includes 363 acres of land ready for commercial and industrial development located off of Interstate 81 at Exit 24. Matrix’s contract is UNDER currently under due diligence with CONTRACT the hopes to settle by spring 2016. “We’re delighted that we finally have a promising deal under contract,” said Sciamanna. Since the project began in 2002, the park has consumed a significant amount of time and money. The economic recession provided unique challenges for the development and sale of the business park. With the recovery well underway, promising progress has been made in recent years. Now, with Matrix under contract, CADC board members are hopeful. “While we have had several interested parties over the years which were mainly publicly held real estate investment trusts,” said Lance Kegerreis, vice president of CADC, “we believe that Matrix Development Group is the perfect partner at the United Business Park since they are privately held and don’t have the same constraints as a public company, which is mainly not being able to speculatively purchase land.”

CADC 2015 BOARD Edwin Martin, David H. Martin Excavating President Lance Kegerreis, Dennis E. Black Engineering - Vice President Jack Sharpe, Sharpe & Sharpe Secretary / Solicitor Charles Frame, Boyer & Ritter - Treasurer / Assistant Secretary Jim Hill, R.A. Hill, Inc. - Immediate Past President Jacob H. Kaufman, Smith Elliot Kearns & Co. - Assistant Treasurer Eric Foreman, BB&T - Chamber Chair William E. Snell, Jr., F&M Trust Co. Fred Stenger, Johnnie’s Restaurant & Hotel Service Mike Hurt, T.B. Wood’s Inc. Kelly Adams, Chambersburg Waste Paper Michael Kalathas, The Orchards Jimmy Wade, McCleary Oil Company Chuck Sioberg, Martin & Martin, Inc. Joe Zmitrovich, BB&T Lane Thrush, RE/MAX Dwayne Johnson, St. Thomas Development, Inc. John Massimilla, Summit Health Michael Jackson, eLynxx Corporation William Everly, Jr., LB Water

In addition, Sheetz is under contract for land at United Business Park. Sheetz is proceeding through its permitting phase with settlement scheduled for the first quarter of 2016.

CADC reports growth, future opportunities CADC continues to see growth and development at business parks owned by the corporation, which employ a total of 3,108 people. According to David G. Sciamanna, creating jobs is the greatest impact CADC has been able to make on the community. With the promise of a strong future for CADC business parks, the organization began seeking ways to build on its successes from the past 55 years. In 2015, a planning committee met regularly to assess how CADC can best support and encourage future economic activity and address community needs while remaining a fiscally strong organization. From this effort came the development of CADC’s key priorities which include: strengthen CADC balance sheet, building projects (vertical), workforce development, maintain/ increase administrative support to the Chambersburg Chamber, provide match for infrastructure upgrades for downtown, downtown commercial loan/grant program(s) and downtown homeownership. CADC hopes to adopt its new strategic plan by spring 2016. Perhaps the biggest priority adjustment is CADC will no longer be a developer of new, large industrial parks. “While that mission has served CADC and the community well, community needs have changed and CADC must change with it,” said Lance Kegerreis. The corporation will continue to market the available land in the United Business Park until all parcels have been sold, but will not pursue additional land acquisition and development.

CVRDC 2015 BOARD Mickey Nye, H&H Chev / Olds / Pontiac / Cadillac - President Edwin Martin, David H. Martin Excavating Vice President Charles Frame, Boyer & Ritter - Treasurer / Assistant Secretary Jacob H. Kaufman, Smith Elliot Kearns & Co. - Secretary / Assistant Treasurer Charles G. Schlichter, Jr., Schlichter Financial Services Jeff Reeder, D.M. Evans Distributing William E. Snell, Jr., F&M Trust Co. Harold L. Brake, Brake Concrete, Inc. John Helman, Brechbill & Helman Construction Co., Inc. Jim Hill, R.A. Hill, Inc. Chuck Sioberg, Martin & Martin, Inc.

GREATER CHAMBERSBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 5

2015 ANNUAL REPORT

DOWNTOWN CHAMBERSBURG 2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mike Kugler, BB&T - Chair Jessica Walter, Orrstown Bank - Vice-Chair Ann Wagner, Ludwig Jewelers, Inc. Immediate Past Chair Noel Purdy - DCI President Michael Metz, F&M Trust - Treasurer Cheryl Young, Shippensburg Small Business Development Center Secretary Sam Thrush, Franklin County Government Angela Quigley, Smith Elliott Kearns & Co. William McLaughlin, Borough of Chambersburg Louisa Cowles, Borough of Chambersburg Deb Miller, Warehouse on Third Street Joseph Cooper, Old Liberty Land & Development, Co. Eric Murr, Kegerreis Outdoor Advertising Cody Carbaugh, M&T Bank Mitch Wison, Ulta, Inc. Jack Jones, Elm Street Manager Guy Shaul, Borough of Chambersburg Mike Carty, Downtown Business Council

Two-year planning process completed In late 2015, upon completion of a two-year planning process, Downtown Chambersburg Inc. (DCI) presented a Downtown Master Plan. This plan provides a framework for DCI and its partners to leverage the existing cultural, historical, retail and natural assets located in downtown Chambersburg to attract more private investment to the area while improving the overall quality of life offerings in the greater Chambersburg area. DCI contracted with Pennsylvania Downtown Center and Derck & Edson to utilize a vision-based strategy that garnered input from a variety of stakeholders during the planning process and was rooted by the Main Street economic development model. Beyond obtaining qualitative data, a local and regional market analysis was also completed. Throughout the process, visual renderings were created that demonstrated how concepts could transform the space. The ultimate goal of this plan is to show prospective investors that Chambersburg is a great place to do business and to live. The Downtown Master Plan does not stand alone and is one part of an overall economic development strategy that makes Chambersburg, Pa. a place that people want to be.

New artist cooperative launches in downtown Building downtown’s brand Downtown Chambersburg Inc.’s (DCI) ongoing efforts include improving downtown’s brand. In addition to forming a branding committee, which will continue work through 2016, DCI expanded its social media outreach and launched a new website in 2015. In just one year, the Downtown Chambersburg Facebook page nearly doubled in likes to over 5,000. Social media has proven to be successful at disseminating information to consumers, increasing engagement of downtown content and driving traffic to the website. DCI’s newly designed website provides information about downtown including parking, events, residential properties and more for residents, visitors, business owners and investors. The website launched in December with a mobile-friendly design. Visit the site at www.downtownchambersburgpa.com.

The Foundry, an artist cooperative, secured a location in downtown Chambersburg at 100 South Main St. in fall 2015. Pulling from the deep well of artistic talent in the Cumberland Valley area, The Foundry is both a retail store with exhibit space and a hub for the local artist community. Downtown Chambersburg Inc. (DCI) has been working with a stakeholder group to create the co-op for nearly two years. “Cultivating and supporting the arts is a common economic development strategy to revitalize downtowns,” said Noel Purdy, president of DCI. “The Foundry does just that by channeling artistic energy and creativity into our downtown community.” DCI is providing administrative and program support to The Foundry and signed a lease for their retail space. “Our plan is to help incubate The Foundry with the goal of it becoming a stand-alone entity,” Purdy explains. The Foundry’s goals are two-pronged – focusing on both artist and community. The co-op aims to provide local and regional artists with opportunities to network, create, exhibit and sell their work, as well as resources and an outlet to grow their talent and build their business acumen. The Foundry also bridges the gap between artist and community to educate, create excitement and raise awareness within the Chambersburg area through the retail shop, exhibits and community events. The Foundry held pop-up shops in late 2015 to spread awareness of the group and encourage holiday shopping, with an official kick-off held during IceFest 2016 after the completion of major renovations. The Foundry’s retail store is now open with regular hours. For details, visit www.facebook.com/FoundryArtistDowntown.

6 GREATER CHAMBERSBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

It’s All About Community! CHAMBER FOUNDATION

Community Education Coalition forms In 2011, the Chamber along with other stakeholders in the community came together to begin assessing the needs of Franklin County. There were two reports developed, 2012 Community Health Needs Assessment and the Prosperity Report. The main needs found were early childhood education, mental health, wellbeing, access to healthcare, nutrition and employability. The Community Education Coalition of Franklin County was formed in February 2015 as a result of these reports to bring the community together to address specific priorities. The Community Education Coalition operates under the Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation and consists of three subcommittees: Wellbeing, Employability and Early Childhood Education. The group has been researching existing programs and learning where gaps exist in the community. The Wellbeing sub-committee is currently researching root causes of attendance problems in the workplace and in schools. The Employability sub-committee is looking for ways to partner with the school system to enhance the career education offerings in the schools and in the community. The Early Childhood sub-committee held the 2nd Annual Early Childhood Investment Summit in November bringing speakers from Mission Readiness to talk about the impact and importance of quality early childhood education on military readiness. Work continues in all three areas by a dedicated coalition.

2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Michelle Paulnock, ACNB Bank - President Michael Doncheski, Penn State Mont Alto Vice President Jessica Kiers, Volvo Construction Equipment - Secretary Todd Bard, Smith Elliot Kearns & Co. Treasurer Brenda Hefner - Menno Haven Retirement Communities - Immediate Past Chair Eric Foreman, BB&T - Chamber Chair Angela Austin, Summit Health Leslie Baker, JLG Industries Ashley Barkdoll, Manitowoc Colby Fry, CVR Uniforms Cheri Kearney, United Way of Franklin County Laureen Lutz, 1st Ed Credit Union Brad Ocker, Chambersburg Area School District

Technology grants awarded to local teachers

LFC celebrates 30 years

In 2015, the Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation awarded grants totaling $17,200 to teachers in Franklin County for using technology in an innovative way in their classrooms. Grant recipients included:

Leadership Franklin County (LFC) celebrated the beginning of its 30th Community program in September 2015. The 2015-2016 class is comprised of 24 emerging and seasoned professionals with diverse backgrounds.

• Rick Burkett and Erin Martin from (L-R): John Root, Mathern Mellott, Erin Martin, Rick Burkett James Buchanan High School and Krystal Johnson (not pictured: Betsy Riep) received a $4,000 grant for Digital Books Trailers Project, allowing high school students to visit elementary schools and use a green screen and special effects to direct, stage, film and edit third grade students into storybook illustrations. • Krystal Johnson and Betsy Riep from Shippensburg Area Middle School received a grant totaling $5,614.08 for Learning About Robotics Using Lego Mindstorms. Eighth grade students at the middle school will use Lego Mindstorms EV3 robots to develop problem solving and teamwork skills as they build, program and modify robots. • Mathern Mellott from Fannett-Metal High School received a grant totaling $5,079.92 for Alternative Energies. Half of the graduating body as well as some eighth grade students will work with various types of energy generating devices to observe the production of energy, the various sources of energy and the impacts of each source. • John Root from Greencastle-Antrim Elementary School received a $2,506 grant for Making Kids Appy. Fifth grade students will be given tools and instruction to create educational apps for other students in the school. They will be tasked with researching an area of instruction in grades k-5 that could benefit from an iPad app and design the app using either iPad App Hopscotch or, for more complicated apps, XCode. The Foundation has awarded more than $377,000 in grants since 1999. The grant applications received in 2015 totaled nearly $70,000 in requests. The Foundation was able to award $17,200 thanks to contributions to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program from M&T Bank, Orrstown Bank, BB&T and Waste Management.

Since 1986, LFC Community has graduated more than 600 area residents from this program, which was developed to produce well-informed, motivated leaders who are willing and capable of working together for the betterment of Franklin County. What started as a Chambersburg-only program is now countywide consisting of three separate programs. In addition to the Community program, LFC also includes a Youth and an Advanced program. LFC Youth brings together high school sophomores from throughout Franklin County to create a community of young people who are actively engaged in responsible, ethical and effective leadership. The 2015-2016 class is the Youth program’s seventh year. LFC Advanced provides opportunities for higher-ground leadership development for managers and executives. In 2015, LFC Advanced hosted two, half-day seminars providing educational opportunities.

GREATER CHAMBERSBURG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 7

2015 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS The Chamber and its affiliates coordinated more than 220 events in 2015. Some events are held every month, such as Mixers and Lunch & Learns, while others are held annually, like the Annual Awards Breakfast and Scoop-a-Palooza. Even more events are planned for special occasions, including ribbon cuttings and milestone anniversaries. Here are pictures of some highlights from 2015: 11/30 NETWORK YOUNG PROFESSIONALS EVENTS

MIXERS

SIP & SAVOR THE ROARING ‘20s

ANNUAL BUSINESS BREAKFAST

RIBBON CUTTINGS

ICEFEST

B2B EXPO SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

DOWNTOWN MURAL PROJECT

EARLY CHILDHOOD INVESTMENT SUMMIT

SCOOP-A-PALOOZA

GOLF TOURNAMENT

Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce 100 Lincoln Way East, Suite A Chambersburg, PA 17201 717-264-7101 [email protected] www.chambersburg.org

OKTOBERFEST

The Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce is a 5-star accredited chamber, rated among the top 1% of chambers in the U.S., and is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the PA Chamber of Commerce.

ANNUAL AWARDS BREAKFAST