In this December Issue...
- Messages from Our Leadership
- Upcoming Events
- Member to Member Discounts -- FOR YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING!
- Health Insurance Open Enrollment
- Save the Date -- Annual Luncheon
- EBL Leadership Program -- Bonefish Grill Scholarship
- New Members
- Independent Health's Ask the Expert
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The end of the year brings about a time of reflection. Colleen reflects on the last 35+ years that she has spent leading the Amherst Chamber of Commerce and developing it in to the responsive, engaged organization it is today in her December message.
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Message from the President
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Strategic planning is instrumental for an organization's success. The Amherst Chamber is focusing on its strategic plan so that we start 2018 strong. A.J. discusses some of the changes for 2018, not just within the Chamber but outside of it as well, and how we are preparing.
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Our new strategic plan was revealed earlier this year, and the hard work of executing it has begun. Our Chairman of the Board, Earl, shares some of the progress that has been made so far this year with respect to two of the plan's five objectives:
- Providing Products and Services that Address the Needs of Our Members and Investors
- Ensuring Organisational Sustainability
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New Member Orientation
Learn everything you need to know about the Amherst Chamber of Commerce to maximize your membership investment. A must attend for New Members and a refresher for existing members.
New Member Orientation will take place Friday,
December 8th
at
8:00am
at the Chamber offices. If you would like to attend call the Chamber at 632-6905.
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Lunch Mob
Join us for one of our newest initiatives -- LUNCH MOB on
Tuesday, December 12
from
12:00pm - 1:00pm.
Here is your opportunity to meet new people and expand your network while enjoying a dutch treat lunch at
Lime House Restaurant
, located at 424 Evans Street in Williamsville. Let us know if you'll be joining us,
register here.
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Business After Hours
Bonefish Grill in the Boulevard Mall is the location for our Holiday Business After Hours. Don't miss this event, featuring a complimentary cocktail, appetizers and networking. Should you decide to stay for dinner, a portion of your bill will be donated to Headway of Western New York, Inc.
Join us
Tuesday, December 19
from
5pm-7pm
at the
Bonefish Grill
at 1247 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst.
Click here to register
.
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Member Education Series - Using LinkedIn to Benefit Your Business
Discover how to leverage LinkedIn for your business and your career from an expert in social media, John Jiloty of The Martin Group. John's experience includes relationships with small businesses and young startups as well as top national and international companies.
Whether you are new to all of social media or an experienced user, you will come away with action steps to help you and your business prosper. Join John on
Thursday, January 4
from
8:15am - 9:30am
at the Homewood Suites located at 1138 Millersport Highway.
Click here to register
.
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Business After Hours with the Clarence Chamber
We'll be kicking off 2018's Business After Hours by joining together with our neighbors at the Clarence Chamber of Commerce for a combined networking event.
Come make new connections,
Tuesday, January 16
from
5pm-7pm
at the new Deep South Taco at 6727 Transit Road, Williamsville.
Click here to register.
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Member to Member Discounts
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As you're doing your holiday shopping don't forget our
Member to Member Discounts & Benefits
!
Support your fellow Amherst Chamber of Commerce members and get a special discount on holiday gift items.
After working up an appetite shopping, be sure to stop and enjoy the delicious food from a member restaurant and take advantage of their holiday deals as well!
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Health Insurance Open Enrollment Almost Over!
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The deadline for Open Enrollment is Friday, December 8th!!
The Amherst Chamber of Commerce operates a Health Insurance Agency within our organization, with three licensed professionals on staff who devote a great deal of time and energy in making sure they are well informed about the benefits available to our members. We are here to service our clients every business day of the year. Health Insurance is one of the tools we provide that allows our members to focus on their core competencies and grow their profitability.
We offer plans from the local carriers at all price points, and will work with you to identify the plan that meets your needs. We offer health insurance for individuals, sole proprietors and small groups. We can write insurance from different carriers within a single business. We can service your employees individually and take that onerous task off your plate.
Contact one of our licensed professionals today by calling the Chamber at 632-6905.
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Save the Date -- Annual Luncheon
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EBL Leadership Program 2018 - Bonefish Grill Scholarship
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EBL and Bonefish Grill have partnered to offer a $500 scholarship, covering the costs for one individual to participate in the 2018 EBL Leadership Program!
The Leadership Program will run from January - August 2018, and focus on the key personal development skills young professionals need to grow into strong leaders within the business community.
The program consists of eight, two-hour classes. The classes take place the first Friday of each month from 8am-10am at Dopkins & Co., LLP in Williamsville. Applications are now being accepted.
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Katie JungJohann
Maria Berardi
Nancy Krtek
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Thanda Win
Thomas Miller
Demakos Consulting
Elizabeth Demakos
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Ask the Expert -- with Richard Argentieri, Vice President of Sales at Independent Health
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Q. Any suggestions on how to lower health care costs when enrolled in a deductible plan?
At Independent Health, we’re always looking for ways to help our members get the most out of their health care dollar. If you are in a deductible plan and need a diagnostic test or service, like an X-ray or MRI, where you go could help you save money.
We encourage you to talk to your doctor about freestanding facilities. Independent Health offers a number of these facilities in our network that provide the same services as a hospital, but typically for a lower cost.
Other services that may cost less at a freestanding facility include:
- Colonoscopy
- CT Scan
- Echo Stress Test
- Endoscopy
- Mammogram
- Nuclear Stress Test
- Sonogram
If you would like to compare the costs of these services, click
here.
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University at Buffalo News
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UB Receives Prestigious IBM Award for 'Green Internet' Collaboration
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Who hasn’t cursed their smartphone battery? Or downloaded something that took too much time or data?
Thought so.
To alleviate these annoyances — and build a more energy-efficient and less costly internet — IBM awarded University at Buffalo computer scientists Tevfik Kosar and Murat Demirbas $75,000 to develop a software-based solution that reduces the energy consumption of existing computing hardware.
The research project, called “GreenDataFlow,” could ultimately benefit consumers as well as large information technology companies which provide cloud-hosted, web-based and internet of things services.
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Thank You to Our Investors
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Amherst Chamber of Commerce | (P) 716.632.6905 | (F) 716.632.0548 | www.amherst.org
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