PACP September 2025 E-Newsletter | | The mission of PACP is to enhance the quality and relevance of chamber management in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. | | 2025 PACP Conference Registration Open | | |
The PACP Board of Directors is pleased to invite you to join us for our
2025 PACP Chamber Professionals & Leadership Conference to be held:
Monday - Wednesday, November 17 - 19, 2025
Seven Springs Mountain Resort
Champion, PA
The 2025 event is being hosted by the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce.
We've got a great conference lined up for you with the following sessions:
Governance and Working with Boards - Bob Harris, CAE
Strategic Plans that Work - Bob Harris, CAE
Breakout Sessions - Impact of AI, Board Engagement, Non-Dues Revenue, and Branding & Marketing
"Ask Us Anything" Breakfast
Trends & Influences: How External Forces Shape Chambers - Amy Shields, ACCE
CLICK HERE for more information and to register.
| | PACP - 2026 Conference Date & Location | | |
We are excited to announce the date & location for our 2026 conference…please be sure to save this on your calendar for next year:
2026 PACP Chamber Professionals & Leadership Conference
for all chamber staff members
Monday – Wednesday, October 26 – 28, 2026
Penn Harris Hotel
Camp Hill, PA
Hosted by the West Shore Chamber of Commerce
We will set the registration fee for the event once we finalize the catering needs for the conference.
| | PACP - September 2025 Webinar | | |
We have a new webinar with Convergent Nonprofit Solutions scheduled for the following:
Thursday, September 18 - 10:00am
Maximizing Chamber Value: Non-Dues Revenue & Sustainable Growth
Annette Medlin, Convergent Nonprofit Solutions
Discover innovative strategies to grow your Chamber’s impact and financial resilience. In this webinar session, we’ll explore proven approaches to generating non-dues revenue and questions you should be asking your staff and volunteer leadership. Learn how to diversify your income streams, reduce dependency on dues, and build long-term sustainability for your Chamber and its members.
To register for this meeting, please CLICK HERE. Once you complete the short registration form, the system will share the Zoom meeting link, and you can add it to your calendar. The meeting will be recorded and shared with the membership in case you aren’t able to join us on that day.
| | PACP - All Things Chamber Webinar Series | | |
PACP is pleased to partner with Teri Smiley and Starfish Partnerships for an All Things Chamber Webinar Series. This is perfect for new staff members or a refresher for current staff. The All Things Chamber bundle provides pre-recorded material, averaging a hour per module, plus downloadable notes pages of the PowerPoints and additional PDF documents.
The fee for the program is $195 per chamber. CLICK HERE to register. Participating chambers will also be invited to a private Facebook group for Q&A and connecting with fellow chamber members across the country.
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The Keystone Initiative
The Keystone Initiative is the PA Chamber’s effort to collaborate with the businesses and organizations leading Pennsylvania’s future to create an action plan for the Commonwealth to become the most competitive state in the nation for business. The Keystone Initiative outlines recommendations that policymakers need to take to ensure that Pennsylvania is a preferred location where business leaders choose to invest, innovate, and create prosperity. Click here to read more.
| | PACP Vendor Member Updates | | |
A Huge Thank You…
Due in no small part to our wonderful PACP partners, this summer’s Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week (PFEW) program was a rousing success. A total of 1,890 high school students statewide discovered the wonders of modern business and developed job-ready skills that prepare them to become our next business and community leaders. We are profoundly grateful to PACP and our chamber partners for their assistance with fundraising, outreach, student and volunteer recruitment and so much more. Thank you for believing in our mission and supporting our young people. Looking forward to seeing you all in Somerset!
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How Destination North Myrtle Beach is leveling up its advocacy to deliver even more for local businesses.
We’ve recently expanded our work with Destination North Myrtle Beach, moving from legislative session support into a year-round partnership. Even with a strong advocacy program already in place, they’re using our framework to keep their efforts member-driven and focused on what matters most to local businesses. It’s a great example of how chambers—whether building from scratch or refining established programs—can grow their impact and the value they deliver to members. Want to explore what this could look like for your chamber's advocacy program? Click here to schedule a quick 10 minute chat with us.
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Chamber friends — I’d love your input!
After 30+ years at the Walton Chamber, as I move toward half-time in 2026 and grow Starfish Partnerships, I want to be sure the trainings and resources I create truly support YOU. If you haven’t already, please take this quick survey by September 12th for a chance to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a 1-Hour Coaching/Consulting Session. Winners will be drawn the week of September 15th!
Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PWC8TNY
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! If you need help with a membership blitz, board retreat, or staff retreat, I’d love to discuss it with you! You can book a discovery call here: https://tidycal.com/teri1/discovery-call.
Teri Smiley, Owner, Starfish Partnerships
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The YGM team is thrilled to be visiting Pottsville this month as the Schuylkill Chamber launches their very first Total Resource Campaign! Bob, Samantha, and the whole Chamber crew have been working hard behind the scenes, and we can’t wait to see all that energy turn into big wins for the Chamber and the community as their campaign is opened to their Chamber membership.
UNLOOP by YGM is the smarter way to plan, sell, and track your sponsorships — no spreadsheets, no chaos. From real-time sales tracking to online contracts and sponsor FOMO when they see who else is buying, UNLOOP by YGM helps you sell smarter, not harder all while increasing your revenue.“UNLOOP by YGM's sponsorship website is a game-changer. The interface is incredibly intuitive—easy for chamber staff to update and even easier for sponsors to navigate and make purchases. It streamlines the entire process. This is the kind of tool that gives your chamber a competitive edge!”
— Tiffany Fulmer Ott
👉 Sponsor Sales Demo: [Watch Now]
👉 Admin Demo: [Watch Now]
Click here to sign-up for UNLOOP by YGM.
| | Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County | |
The 2025 Centre County Business Awards will take place October 23 at the beautiful Nittany Lion Inn. The awards, presented by Stuckey Automotive, will be the business event of the year!
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The Chamber is thrilled to announce our partnership with Lincoln Financial to deliver a new Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry retirement plan. Contact Abby to learn more.
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The Chamber is pleased to announce the hiring of Kyra McKinnon as our newest Marketing & Events Coordinator. A full press release can be found here.
| | Greater Wyalusing Chamber | |
PACP is pleased to welcome Casmirra Ruhf, Executive Director, with the Greater Wyalusing Chamber as our newest member!
| | Northside North Shore Chamber | |
The Chamber is accepting resumes for the position of Communications & Programs Coordinator. Please see the PACP Careers page for more information.
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Institute for Organization Management, the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce that Samantha Chivinski, IOM, executive vice president, of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce, has graduated from the program and has received the recognition of IOM. Click here for the full press release.
| | A twelve-member crew from the USS Somerset (LPD-25) will visit Somerset County from September 7-13. The USS Somerset was launched in 2014 and memorializes the 40 passengers and crew of Flight 93. The ship is unique to the Navy, in that it displays street signs, artifacts and other items relevant to Somerset County and the Flight 93 Memorial, including a Flight 93 Museum onboard the ship. The legendary words “Let’s Roll” from Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer is displayed proudly on the flight deck of the ship. Each year, crew members visit the county to meet residents, while getting an up-close look at the wonderful quality of life that is Somerset County. The crew visits schools, businesses, attractions and other destinations and then takes part in the memorial services at Flight 93. Chamber Executive Director, Ron Aldom, has become the “unofficial concierge” for the crew and helps set up their agenda while here. One special event is the crew will plant the last 40 flags of the 2977 flags that represent every life lost on 9-11, located by the PA Turnpike entrance. Lastly the Chamber is hosting a special Meet & Greet with the crew at Ponfeigh Distillery on Wednesday, September 10th and everyone is invited to attend. Ticket info is available at the Chamber. | | |
The Chamber proud to announce the appointment of Francene Pisano as the Chamber’s new President. A seasoned business leader and entrepreneur, she will began her new role at the end of August.
| | Other Updates of Interest | | |
The U.S. Chamber Foundation's Institute for Organization Management has announced their 2026 program dates. CLICK HERE to see the sites and dates for 2026.
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