CHAMBER NEWS

Leadership Huntington, presented by Marshall Health Network, traveled to the Capitol on Wednesday, January 31, for their State Government session. During the session, the class engaged with local Senators and Delegates and the Honorable Haley Bunn, was recognized by the Senate and the House of Delegates, and met with Governor Justice. The afternoon session featured the WV Chamber of Commerce staff, Senate President Craig Blair, WV Auditor J.B. McCuskey, and Secretary of State’s Chief of Staff Deak Kersey. Maribeth Anderson of Antero Resources and Abby Reale of Marshall Health Network discussed lobbying and the importance of getting involved with state government.

Dive deep into the strategies and success stories of Sandy's Racing & Gaming, the new casino and gaming center that added 250 jobs to the region and Eastern Kentucky. Join us as we explore their approaches to recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees. From cultivating a positive company culture to adapting to industry changes, discover the secrets behind building and maintaining a thriving workforce in the dynamic world of gaming. Gain valuable insights and inspiration for your own business as we discuss the keys to Sandy's Racing and Gaming's workforce management.

Thank you to Reeves Kirtner, Kindred Communications, and presenting sponsor, Moses AutoMall of Huntington.

Tune in on Apple, Amazon, and Spotify!

Looking to step up your tech game while avoiding rising costs? Our purchasing program with Dell Technologies offers exclusive discounts on the top tech items for business and beyond. Through our partnership with Excelerate America, a national GPO, our members get free access to these amazing everyday savings, which make getting the best new tech for your business a breeze. Learn more and register for the free program in the link.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Lazy, technology dependent, complainers, irresponsible – all words used to describe Generation Z. Lindsey (Millennial) and Vincent (Gen Z), Marshall Rec full time employees, together have experience supervising up to 200 part time Gen Z employees. In this presentation, they will go over the intricacies of managing Gen Z employees in the contemporary workplace. While the reputation of this generation is low, Gen Z has unique perspectives, strengths, and expectations as employees that we can all appreciate and learn from. Equip yourself with the tools needed to navigate and thrive in the evolving landscape of managing Gen Z in the workplace!

Lunch & Learn series generously sponsored by Ohio Valley Bank.

MEMBER NEWS

Paula Vega Cakes - Grand re-opening ribbon cutting today at 11 a.m.!

Shine Consulting

Primrose Custom Products

ServiceMaster by A1

Sleep Outfitters

Rotary Club of Huntington

Huntington Bank invites you to the 2024 West Virginia Economic Outlook & Market Overview Breakfast hosted by West Virginia President Chat Prather, with special guest presenter Chief Investment Officer John Augustine, on March 6, at the Mountain Health Arena Conference Center, located at 1 Civic Center Plaza, Huntington, WV.

We will examine the 1st quarter of 2024 and gain insight into what the rest of the year may bring.

Breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m., followed by the presentation: 8 a.m. Please RSVP by March 1.

Cabell Huntington Hospital (CHH), a member of Marshall Health Network, today announced that it is one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for 2024. CHH is the only hospital in West Virginia and its surrounding region to be named a Top 100 Hospital in the U.S.

According to new research released by Healthgrades, this achievement puts CHH in the top 2% of hospitals nationwide for overall clinical performance, along with numerous other accolades from Healthgrades - Specialty Excellence Awards, State Rankings, etc. This is the second consecutive year the hospital has been among America’s 100 Best Hospitals and the sixth consecutive year the hospital has been among America’s 250 Best Hospitals (2019-2024).

Please join us for our 6^th Annual TEDxMarshallU event “Connecting Threads” at the Joan C. Edwards Playhouse at Marshall University on February 27 from 7 to 9 PM. Tickets are currently available at www.tedxmarshallu.com for $20 for general admission and $5 for students (no kids under 8 admitted). Ticket sales will close Friday February 23. We hope you will join us this year at our new venue for 8 more wonderful talks that present ideas worth sharing. Alongside four Marshall University students, our speakers will also include local celebrities Adam Booth and Dr. Sydnee McElroy who are both amazing storytellers. We’re also excited to announce that Kathleen McAullife’s talk from last year’s TEDxMarshallU event was selected and promoted as an official TED talk in January 2024. You can watch her TED talk titled “Do gut microbes control your personality?” at https://go.ted.com/kathleenmcauliffe. 

If you would like a promotional poster to put up in your business or have any questions about TEDxMarshallU or the event, please contact Organizer Brian Kinghorn at kinghorn@marshall.edu

Death by Chocolate is the yearly event hosted by Lily's Place to support the work we do in the community. This year it is February 9 from 7 - 9 p.m. at the Guyan Golf & Country Club. A fun evening with delicious chocolate desserts, a chocolate fountain, cake and more! The evening includes live musical entertainment by Traci Stanley, a silent auction and a mocktail bar.

Another way to support Lily's Place outside of the event are our Death by Chocolate boxes! These are top-notch treats made by Cheryl Maynard, including a breakable heart filled with M&Ms, truffles, fudge and other Valentine's goodies! These are great to order for yourself, your someone special, or someone you'd like to surprise! These can be picked up or delivered locally.

Get your office OUT of the office! Our meeting spaces will give you a break from your normal surroundings, while a private, guided tour or other activity will provide a unique experience. Overnight stays, company picnics, and ticket packages are available as well. Start planning your outing at Heritage Farm today!

Contact Rebekah Franks or R.L. Ely at 304-522-1244.

Marshall Recreation Center is celebrating 15 years today!

Everyone is welcome to enjoy free access to The Rec throughout the entire day, February 5, 2024!

Join us at 4 p.m. for a reception with refreshments, a word from our director, Michele Muth, and giveaways! Bring your business cards for a chance to win a one-year membership! 

Follow Marshall Rec on Instagram to stay up to date.

Love is in the air, and we're ready to celebrate the reason for the season with you! It’s your last chance to make your reservation and join us for Developmental Therapy Center's 23rd Annual Valentine Celebration on Saturday, February 10, at 7 p.m. for a thrilling evening of dinner, dancing, guest games, and an open bar. 

You do not want to miss the chance to witness your favorite local stars transform into rock legends and pop icons in our Local Celebrity Lip-Sync Battle, watch our community’s heroes compete in a dance-off in our Battle of the Heroes, or bid in our silent auction.

All proceeds from the event will support Developmental Therapy Center's mission to provide access to special instruction services and occupational, physical, and speech-language therapy for children and adults in our community regardless of age, income, or geographic location.



Tickets are limited, so grab yours now! This will be the most exciting Valentine's event in town!

Community Trust Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTBI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Sandlin to its Board of Directors on January 23, 2024. Mr. Sandlin will serve on the Audit & Asset Quality Committee and the Risk and Compliance Committee.

The Huntington Museum of Art will welcome ceramics artist Maria Dondero as a Walter Gropius Master Artist in February. Dondero will speak about her work in a free public presentation at HMA on Thursday, February 8, 2024, at 7 p.m. A reception follows the discussion.

An exhibit of work by Dondero is on view at HMA through March 31, 2024, but will be on a break from Feb. 12 through March 1. Dondero will conduct a workshop at HMA titled “Let’s Make Friendly Pots” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, February 9, through Sunday, February 11, 2024. For workshop fee information or to register for the workshop, call (304) 529-2701 or visit hmoa.org.

For over 20 years, Toyota West Virginia has been honoring the state’s Teacher of the Year in a big way. 

During a ceremony earlier this month, this year’s big winner, Sharon Cole, was awarded a new Toyota RAV4 to drive for the next year. 



Cole is a second-grade teacher in Wayne County. Her enthusiasm for teaching and learning is reflected in the life-sized “Magic Treehouse Reading Center” in her classroom, which provides a unique learning environment for her students and instills a love of reading in them. 

Following their electrifying performances at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park for the NHL Winter Classics on January 1st and Climate Pledge Arena New Years Eve, the legendary rock band HEART announced their highly-anticipated return to the road for the first time after a five-year hiatus. Presented by AEG Presents, the Royal Flush Tour 2024 will see the band embark on a North American and European tour. HEART is set to kick off their tour with Special Guest Cheap Trick on Saturday, April 20th at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC, and will visit several cities including Charleston on August 23 at the Charleston Coliseum. 

COMMUNITY NEWS

The City of Huntington Fire Department will offer its first Citizens Fire Academy this spring in an effort to educate city residents about fire safety and prevention.​

The dates for each class and topics covered are as follows:

April 3: Hands-on CPR and First Aid Training

April 10: Smoke Alarms, CO Alarms and Exit Plans

April 17: Hands-on Fire Extinguisher Training

April 24: Kitchen/Cooking/Seasonal Safety

May 1: Hands-on Fire Extinguisher Training

All classes are free and will be conducted from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Mayor Joseph L. Williams Jr. Fire Station, located at the corner of 9th Avenue and 20th Street. Only Huntington residents are eligible to apply. Residents can sign up for as many classes as they want, but each class is limited to 25 attendees and will be filled in the order that applications are received. 

To submit an application online, visit hfdwv.com. Application deadline is March 18, and participants will be notified by March 20 of the classes in which they have been enrolled.

Local State Farm Insurance agencies and Assured Partners have donated funds for giveaways to provide to attendees of each class. The Citizens Fire Academy is made possible by a Fire Prevention and Safety grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program.

For more information, contact the City of Huntington Fire Prevention Bureau at 304-696-5960 or by email at firemarshal@huntingtonwv.gov.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

The Monday Morning Memo is Generously Sponsored by

Thank You to Our Trustee Members

Thank You to Our Investor Members

Please note that the deadline for submissions for "In the News" in the Monday Morning Memo is at 

4 p.m. each Wednesday for inclusion the following week. Submitted items will only appear one time in the memo unless discussed and agreed upon with Chamber staff.

Email all submissions to Rebecca Kasey, Director of Marketing, at rebecca@huntingtonchamber.org.

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