2023 was a special year for the Chamber and our greater community. There was much to be grateful for, and a lot of hard work put in. I am proud of my team for continuing to serve our members and business community. And we are grateful for the immense support that our members, our volunteers, our Board, and partners have given us. There is much to celebrate and more work to do, but the ARCC is poised to continue to serve and support our businesses.
Below is a message from our Board Chair, followed by a synopsis of your ARCC 2023 - a year in review:
“In 2023 the ARCC, under President Tricia Rogers’ collaborative & engaging leadership experienced tremendous membership and community support. The ARCC is the voice of business in the communities we serve and continues to lead on important initiatives that our membership drives like workforce development, job placement, elected official connections and governmental advocacy. Every year presents both opportunity and challenges. The ARCC and its teams are well positioned to lead and continue to support as needed. Thank you to all that engage to make the ARCC a powerhouse in our region.” – ARCC Board Chair Marc Yrsha, EVP, Director of Relationship Banking, Glens Falls National Bank & Trust
Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce: 2023 a year in review
Advocacy for Business, Healthcare, Education & Workforce Development:
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Encouraging Governor Hochul to use New York State funds and/or American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) monies to pay off the Federal Loan used to fund the NY Unemployment Trust Fund Loan Balance
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New York State Child Care Support
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Urging New York State to increase the Medicaid rate in the 2023-24 budget
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Participation on committees, task forces, and councils to work towards supporting career and technical education, continuing education and workforce development
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Worked with members, and community partners, on submitting 13 letters of support to promote growth and sustainability in our region
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Hosted annual Lunch with Legislators event, giving businesses the opportunity to hear from Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Senator Dan Stec, Senator Jake Ashby, Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, and Assemblyman Matt Simpson on issues effecting our communities
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Hosted State of the County events for Warren & Washington Counties, inviting businesses to submit questions for county elected officials to answer at two separate events
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Forwarding grant opportunities to our nonprofit members
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Serving as liaison and advocate for many of our members with local, State and Federal officials
Education:
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Hosted a seminar, with Integra HR, on changes to HR compliance and best practices for maintaining compliance
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Through the ARCC Workplace Health & Wellness Council, hosted a mental health wellness seminar on “Burnout in the Workplace”
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Through the Adirondack Nonprofit Business Council, hosted a seminar on board member onboarding and training
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Through the Women’s Business Council, hosted the third annual Succession Summit featuring a panel of business owners discussing the roles of culture, transparency, financial incentives, and empowerment in growing organizations that attract and retain great talent
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Partnered with NBT Bank on an Economic Outlook event featuring a conversation on the recession, and what businesses can expect
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Hosted 10 Chamber 101 sessions for new members, prospective members, and current members to educate on how the ARCC serves its members & community, and the benefits of membership
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Partnered with SBDC to offer a Small Business Development Series
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Partnered with the Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board and the Small Business Administration to offer a “Small Business Hours” day for entrepreneurs and small business owners
Collaboration:
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Board Member - Glens Falls Civic Center Foundation
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Board Member - Adirondack Theatre Festival
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Board Member – LARAC
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Board Member - Tri-County United Way
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Board Member - Argyle Free Library
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Member of Soroptimist International of the Adirondacks
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Crandall Library Board of Trustees
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Member of Lake George Association NextGen Committee
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Member of Saratoga-Warren-Washington County Workforce Development
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Member of Saratoga-Warren-Washington County Workforce Youth Committee
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Member of Warren-Washington Strategic Economic Alliance Group
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Member of Partnership for Community Belonging
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Veterans Business Network (VBN) – a group of Veterans in business, meeting to share resources and support one another. Collectively this group hosts an annual food & necessities drive for Veterans in need, and an annual walk for Veteran suicide awareness and prevention.
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Women’s Business Council (WBC) – a group of women in business who meet monthly for educational opportunities and networking. Collectively this group organizes the annual Succession Summit which features an ongoing discussion on succession planning for businesses.
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Adirondack Nonprofit Business Council (ANBC) – a group of nonprofits who meet to discuss challenges in the nonprofit community and ways to collaborate to help each other. Collectively this group hosts monthly meetings open to all nonprofits, and an annual symposium event on a hot topic for nonprofits.
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Workplace Health & Wellness Council – a group of wellness minded professionals that meet to collect resources on health and wellness, and distribute them through to workplaces. Collectively they host an annual symposium event, and partner with the Glens Falls Collaborative on the annual Glens Falls Fit Fest
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Collaboration with regional Chamber Presidents & Executive Directors
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Partnering with Warren County Tourism, Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce, and local businesses to promote tourism in our region
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Partnered with Confidata to offer a community document shred event
Connections:
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Celebrated 42 members with ribbon cutting ceremonies throughout 2023
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Organized 15 networking events for our members and guests to reacquaint and build solid relationships
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Hosted our annual Business Expo a with record number of exhibitors (88) and positive feedback on the number of connections made at the event
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Celebrated 38 business nominees and 7 winners at our annual Business Awards
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Hosted 49 radio shows featuring interviews with member businesses
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Hosted Annual Dinner & J. Walter Juckett Award ceremony honoring Dr. John Rugge, founder of Hudson Headwaters Health Network
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Continually sharing hundreds of news updates and announcements on behalf of our members
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Posted over 350 job opportunities, on the ARCC website, on behalf of our members
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ARCC Ambassadors – a group of dedicated volunteers who help welcome new members, foster connections, and so much more
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Toured 11 member businesses, and attended dozens of member events
Thank you for a tremendous year of support, collaboration, and opportunities. Here's to an amazing 2024!
With gratitude,
Tricia Rogers
President & CEO
Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce
