Weekly Newsletter
SAVE THE DATES
  • Scholarship Fund Pancake Breakfast - Saturday, April 11th
  • Career & Community Connections Fair - May 1st
  • Auction Gala - Saturday, May 30th
  • Sponsorship Opportunities available HERE
  • Fall Festival & Chili Cook-Off - Saturday, October 3rd
  • Sponsorship & Exhibitor information coming soon

Please email Elyse with any questions and to reserve your sponsorship level.
Chamber Member News & Events
Volunteers Needed
A Message from
Arrowhead Recreation Club

Need volunteers, for outside operations, inside concessions and ski shop, open on Friday night, Saturday, Saturday Night and Sunday. In addition we really need help during the upcoming school vacation periods, it’s just four hours a day, noon-4PM each day on Feb 20-21 (Thursday and Friday and Mon-Fri, Feb 24th – Feb 28th, and on our normal weekend schedule.
Winter Workshop Series
If you’re looking to start your own business, write a marketing plan or become more adept at search engine optimization and content marketing, SCORE Upper Valley invites you to join its free Winter Workshop Series which occur on Thursday mornings from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon starting February 6 through February 27.
 
Sponsored by Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, SCORE’s workshops are designed for both start-up and in-business entrepreneurs. In addition to learning new content and practices, the workshops also offer an opportunity to interact with other local small business owners, or prospective business owners.
 
“Some of the most prominent successful businesses in the area have sought SCORE’s counsel and workshops over the decades and we’re proud of that,” said Rich Reece, president of SCORE’s Upper Valley Chapter. “Our workshop presenters bring years of experience to the job. They’re knowledgeable in the workshop subject and bring a down-to-earth approach based on their experience in counseling small businesses.”
 
For more information about the workshops or to reserve a spot , visit Upper Valley Score  www.uppervalley.score.org  or call (603) 448-3491.
 
MORE ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS:
 
Thursday, February 27, 2020 ,  Search Engine Optimization
You’ve heard of businesses making it big online, and others not making it at all? The difference is getting noticed. Whether you’re a start-up or an existing business looking to get better results with your marketing budget, this workshop provides the basic building blocks of search engine optimization (SEO) for your website and blog content.   If you depend on your website and blog content to help produce inquiries that lead to sales then this is an essential workshop. SEO encompasses the practices and metrics of trying to increase your web site's ranking with search engines. We examine how users are changing the way searches are performed (voice search for example) and how the major search engines crawl and then index website and blog content. When someone is searching for something specific and a search engine delivers that exact match it is a win-win for businesses and customers.
Vital Communities Seeks New Leader
Tom Roberts Departing
Vital Communities Executive Director Tom Roberts has decided to leave his position after five years of service, effective June 30, 2020.

“We are sorry to see Tom go. We will miss his leadership,” said Vital Communities board chair Ron Shaiko, senior fellow and associate director of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences at Dartmouth College. “He will leave Vital Communities in great shape, and we are grateful that he will stay until the end of June to help with the transition to the new executive director.”

During Roberts’s tenure, the organization grew in status and stature, from an annual budget of $800,000 to $1.3 million, while achieving financial stability. Vital Communities recently completed a successful fundraising campaign, raising more than $112,000 for a Fund for the Future to support new initiatives. As it celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, Vital Communities refreshed its branding.

Its core programs continue to flourish—Energy, Food & Farm, Transportation, Local First, Valley Quest, Leadership Upper Valley, Discussion Lists, Corporate Council and Municipal Leaders Group. Several new programs have come on board in the last five years, notably Workforce Housing, Climate Adaptation, and a merger of the Sustainable Energy Resource Group (SERG) with the Energy program. Vital Communities is midway through its five-year strategic plan, one key element of which is reaching out to the “Route 11 Corridor” in the southern third of its 69 town area to engage more fully there.

The Board of Directors yesterday created a search committee that will begin work immediately to find Roberts’s successor. Hypertherm Vice President of People, Community and Environment Jenny Levy will chair the committee. “Tom leaves a strong legacy and big shoes to fill. We are ready to find the next leader to take the baton,” Levy noted. “We ask our many partners, volunteers and donors in the community to identify and encourage strong candidates to apply.”

After 30 years of public service, Roberts plans to take six months to a year off before taking on new work. “We have accomplished a lot here together over the last five years. It has been a privilege to work with our dedicated staff and board, together with this incredible Upper Valley community. Vital Communities is strong and will continue to flourish. During my time off, I plan to travel, spend time outdoors, hiking, reading and writing, volunteering and working on hobbies and projects at home and at my community at Cobb Hill Co-Housing. The beauty of taking a break will be seeing what unfolds.”

Vital Communities cultivates the civic, environmental and economic vitality of the Upper Valley. We bring people together, bridging boundaries and engaging our whole community to create positive change. Learn more at  vitalcommunities.org .
Did you know that West Central Behavioral Health
puts out a regular newsletter?
Click the image above to read the current January issue.
News from Sullivan County Government
Sullivan County NH government has released a Request for Qualifications/Proposal for Construction Management Services Sullivan County Sober Housing with proposals due no later than Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at 2:00pm. This request for proposal, as well as any updates/addendums, may be viewed on the County's Website Here. Questions regarding the request for proposal may be directed to the Sullivan County Manager, Derek Ferland via email or (603) 863-2560.

Sullivan County Government has released an Invitation to Bid for Vending Machine Services, with proposals due no later than Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at 2:00pm. This request for proposal, as well as any updates/addendums, may be viewed on the County's Website Here. Questions regarding this invitation to bid may be directed to Sullivan County Director of Community Development, Nichole Cassidy via email or (603) 542-9511 ext. 292.
Claremont Opera House Shows
Places we LOVE in
Sullivan County
Choose your favorite outdoor place, building, restaurant, business or historical site. Any place where others can visit is perfect to share. Use your smart phone to snap a photo, then visit bit.ly/LoveSullivan to upload and describe what makes it special to you!
Community News & Events
Perfect Product Pitch - Mastering the Art of Persuasion
February 28th 10am-1pm
Grappone Conference Center, Concord
Do you have a product that is ready to go to market?
Learn how to pitch your product at our 3-hour workshop.
Keynote Speaker : Dara Trujillo / SLC Group Holdings

Attendees who successfully complete this training will have the opportunity to receive expert mentorship from SCORE and SLC Group Holdings and return on April 17, 2020 to pitch their product in front of a panel of angel investors and buyers (Walmart, Sam's, Costco, Target, William Sonoma, CVS and Petco etc.) More Information and Registration Available Here.
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