Search Results for: mixer

Chamber Event Updates


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We are disappointed to share that we will not hold the Annual Chamber Steak Fry or the Foxburg Mixer, two of our favorite Fall get-togethers. Foxburg businesses continue to be open and allow for outdoor dining and quick getaway staycations. 

Chamber membership directories have arrived and will hit your mailbox in the next week. Use these as your referral guide for doing business with fellow Chamber members. Information changes often and we occasionally miss an update.

Please let us know if you have changes to your listing, so we can update your online listing immediately and show you how you can access your own listing, if interested.

Chamber Welcomes Board Members


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David Snedden and Greg Plowman were approved as the newest members of the Venango Chamber board of directors at the February board meeting.

David is Branch Manager of the Seneca branch of Hagan Business Machines and previously served on the Chamber board from 2011-2017, holding positions of vice chairman and chairman. Several of the initiatives David helped to bring forth are still in use at the Chamber.

Greg is with Scierka’s Tavern in Oil City, which he owns and operates with his wife Andree. Greg and his family are great supporters of the Be Here program and have hosted FLEX events and a Chamber mixer at the tavern. Greg believes the Chamber is an integral part of our County and looks forward to helping further the Chamber’s mission.

Welcome David and Greg!

Rocking the Region with High Above 80


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High Above 80, now heading into their 4th year, is looking forward to spring, or what they call “anniversary season.” With some major stars recent departures from the music world, they are working in some mini-tributes.

The band is rock-centered, covering artists from the 1960’s through today’s chart-topping acts.  “We have a very diverse song list—not getting stuck in any one niche,” says Frenchy. “High Above 80 has a wide range of material to pull from, for all age groups in the audience.”

As a Chamber-member band, High Above 80 (and their spin-off acoustic duo – “Champagne Rain” featuring Frenchy & Sunny) are looking for businesses who want something special. Corporate parties, grand opening events, mixers, or other places they can help get attention for your business—think of High Above 80.  “We’re not a jukebox – we put on a show!”

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s February 2020 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.

2019: A Year in Review


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Written by Susan Williams, Chamber President/CEO

In 2017, the Chamber’s Board of Directors crafted five year strategic plan, with three overarching objectives:

  • Create stronger business to business connections within the Venango Region
  • Develop the next generation of business leaders for the Venango Region
  • Be the business information connector for the Venango Region

Each year, we review these objectives, along with our commitment to ensure the sustainability of the Venango Chamber, considering what has been accomplished to date and where our resources will be best focused in the future.

Your stories and news continued to be the focus of the VenangoWorks! newsletter, with recurring features on education, leadership and advocacy. With the assistance of the Chamber’s summer interns, social media posts were more engaging with members and the community.

Monthly Tech Talks held at the Chamber were in response to members’ requests to convene technology natives, to discuss best practices and share favorite tools and tactics. Chamber staff welcomed regulars and new attendees on the third Friday of each month at 8 a.m.  Take-a-ways were shared in the following newsletter.

While mixers and the Chamber’s Golf Outing were modestly attended, a perfect August day drew 100 members and guests to the Annual Steak Fry at the Oil City Boat Club. Oil Heritage and Cranberry Festivals were blessed with perfect weather and great member and volunteer support, continuing a tradition of community pride.

The Annual Awards Banquet and FLEX Presents celebrations set the stage for recognizing business, non-profit, and individual accomplishments. 

The Chamber’s Education Committee added several teachers and administrators this year, to better identify the challenges and opportunities to connect local business to our schools.  By gaining a better understanding of school mandates and goals around career exploration and planning. We can now be better partners in responding to those activities that prepare a workforce for local employment.

FLEX members (now over 120) met several times each month, for social and volunteer activities, and held four professional speaker events this year.

The Be Here Initiative, with Program Manager Ashley Sheffer, was more visible than ever in 2019.  Community members met for Community Conversations, more than 50 attendees learned about visioning and giving great customer service at a ZingTrain workshop, and billboards displayed across the County demonstrated why now is the best time to Be Here. Ashley met with students and teachers at local schools, helping them better understand the attributes of our area.  Students from Rocky Grove volunteered as ambassadors, delivering maps and brochures to local businesses and visitor stops.

The Advocacy Committee hosted candidate forums in the Spring and Fall, with those running for Venango County Commissioner.

Leadership Venango graduated its first class of 13 in May and the new class of 12 began their year with a one-and-a-half-day retreat, before beginning monthly leadership classes.  The inaugural class completed projects that not only helped them gain a better understanding of the relationship between education and workforce, but created tools to advance these relationships.

Chamber President Susan Williams, Executive Assistant Tessa Byham, and Program Manager Ashley Sheffer attended the annual Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals (PACP) conference in October, where they continue to learn how your chamber can be most impactful in our mission to build, serve and promote regional business.

As change comes faster, your staff seeks to be on the cutting edge of nurturing a thriving business environment in Venango County.

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s December 2019 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.

Young Professionals in the Community


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We very much appreciate the help of young professionals through FLEX committees and events, including the Bike ‘n Brew and Ice Cream Social during Oil Heritage Festival. We also love seeing our members out in the community involved with other organizations!

We often hear “we need more young people involved,” which can be frustrating, because we see young professionals out and about all the time. Some organizations where FLEX members volunteer and serve as board members include the Oil City Arts Council, Barrow-Civic Theatre, Venango County Humane Society, Oil City Main Street Program, United Way of Venango County, and the Oil City and Franklin Rotary Clubs.

As longtime volunteers begin to retire and move out of their positions, there are many opportunities for young people to fill their shoes and take leadership roles. While it can be hard work and sometimes intimidating, it just takes a willingness to step up and help organizations continue to run and serve our community.

Community involvement is a learning process and new volunteers aren’t expected to know everything immediately. It takes time to learn how meetings are run, events are planned, and volunteers work together, but don’t let that keep you from playing a part.

Are you a young professional looking to get more involved in the community? Or are you a seasoned professional interested in having more young people participate in your organization? Join us at the FLEX Mixer on August 22, where all professionals are invited to network with FLEX members (see more information). If you’d like to get more involved with FLEX, don’t hesitate to reach out to any of our officers and committee chairs.

Thanks again to all the young professionals who volunteered at our recent events! See more photos on the back of the newsletter.

This article was published in the Future Leaders & Entrepreneurs Exchange’s (FLEX) August 2019 edition of the FLEX Your Ideas (FYI) Newsletter.