Below is Beaver County Chamber President Helen Kissick’s August Message.
(Beaver County, Pa.) The Chamber’s Board met in August to set the course for the organization for the next 3 to 5 years. As an outcome of that session, we are pleased to offer the evolved mission of the Chamber:
To lead and advocate for economic growth and community vitality, through collaboration, networking and education, in order to foster the best, most diverse and inclusive environment for our members.
Stay tuned to a further evolution of the Chamber’s vision statement. For now, we landed on: To positively impact Beaver County to be the chosen place to live and work. We say ‘for now’ in that we plan to work with other entities such as Beaver County’s Corporation for Economic Development, Beaver County Tourism, The Beaver County Regional Council of Governments, the Beaver County Commissioners Office and others to jointly develop a common vision (or brand) statement for the county. Speaking with voice will more readily facilitate our county to become ALL that it can be.
Shifting gears, you’ve likely heard about the large infrastructure bills that are being moved through various government bodies at the federal level. But what does that really mean for Pennsylvania? The infographic summarizes it well:
Our Chamber, and in particular the Government Affairs Committee has been steadfast in its commitment to advocate for the infrastructure needs of this county, with traditional emphasis on, for example, locks & dams, roadways and bridges. More recently our advocacy efforts have put a spotlight on the need for a more expansive and reliable internet connectivity in all parts of our county. (Re)location decisions for businesses commonly now include as a key decision factor the level of internet connectivity, and we must invest in broadband / 5 G in order to attract and retain business. We are grateful for all of the support legislative delegates are providing this region at the local, state and national levels.
An August 18th, our Chamber teamed up with the Beaver County Regional Council of Governments in hosting a Legislative Welcome picnic at Monaca’s Antoline Park. Many thanks to PA House of Representatives Rob Matzie, Aaron Bernstine, Josh Kail and Jim Marshall as well as Beaver County Commission Jack Manning for an engaging discussion. The roughly 60 Chamber members and guests in attendance took full advantage of this great networking opportunity. Here are a few photos from the event:
Lastly, we’re excited to announce that the 4th cohort of our Beaver County Leadership program will start in September. With a diverse group of 20 participants, we anticipate being able to connect deeply with multiple communities and projects around the county, teaming up once again with Paramount Pursuits and its Main Streets programs. We received tremendous sponsorship support also for program, for which we are very thankful. Look for a feature article on this key program in next month’s issue of our digital newsletter, helping us celebrate much of the good that is our very own Beaver County!