Welcome the 2016 Board of Directors

Dear Tuscarora Area Chamber of Commerce Members,

It is with great sadness that I announce the retirement of one of our long-serving board members, Gloria Pine. Gloria has served on the board for 9 years, and has been an integral part of the chamber and our community. Her knowledge, advice, and support will be greatly missed. The good news is that we were able to twist her arm enough, that she has graciously agreed to continue to serve on our events committee. Please join me in thanking Gloria for her dedication.

Due to Gloria's vacancy, and three other vacancies, the board has accepted the nominations of four new members:

Alfred Bendell IV (Thompson Oil Company)
Sharon Krantz (BB&T Bank)
David Leidy (Leidy's Custom Woodworking)
Rita McMullen (PDM Insurance Agency)

We thank these individuals for their willingness to serve, as well as the rest of the board for their service: John Flannery - Chairman (Flannery's Tavern), Annalisa Ambrisco - Treasurer (First Community Bank of Mercersburg), Barb Danowski - Secretary (Fast Ink), Debbie Rutherford (Mercersburg Academy), Dr. Elizabeth George (Summit Health), Chris Shelley (Tuscarora School District), Travis Hall (Alliance Elevator), and Katrina Gayman (Whitetail Resort).

I cannot wait for 2016, and am excited that I have the opportunity to work for our members. Thank you for your continued committment to the chamber and the Tuscarora region. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any needs you may have, or for questions and ideas. Enjoy the holidays, and have a Happy New Year!

Respectfully,

Chris Ardinger
TACC Executive Director

Seeking Participants - Mock Interviews
In partnership with the Tuscarora School District, we have hosted "mock interviews" for the past few years. Business and community leaders spend a few minutes per student conducting mock interviews with juniors from James Buchanan High School. This is a great opportunity for our local leaders to have meaningful impact on our future workforce, and to share insights with soon-to-be graduates. We hope that you will take part in this initiative.

Date: Friday, January 8th (Snow Date: January 11th)
Where: JBHS Library
Time: 8am-12pm

*Click HERE to register*

91st Annual Chamber Breakfast
Our 91st Annual Breakfast was a success. Thanks to Mike Ross, President of the Franklin County Area Development Corporation (FCADC) for being our featured speaker. As always, his economic update is greatly appreciated. Thanks to our members and guests who attended. We look forward to next year's event.

"Official: Projects to create 350 jobs planned in Franklin County" - The Herald Mail

Thanks to our event sponsor:

Parade of Wreaths
Over 30 members and organizations participated in our annual "parade of wreaths". Participants put a lot of time and effort into decorating these wreaths, and downtown Mercersburg looks very festive for the season. Check out the chamber Facebook page to vote for your favorite design.

Mercersburg Tree Lighting
We had over 100 community members attend our annual tree lighting on the square of Mercersburg. Thanks to the many volunteers, and local businesses and organizations that helped make this opportunity possible. The tree is absolutely beautiful.

Budget Update - Day 174 Without a State Budget

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) â€“ Lawmakers are considering their options amid the wreckage of a deal between Gov. Tom Wolf and top lawmakers to end Pennsylvaniaâ€™s nearly six-month budget stalemate.

Legislative leaders returned to the Capitolâ€™s dark corridors Sunday, a day after the GOP-controlled House of Representatives killed public pension legislation that was Senate Republicansâ€™ top priority.

House Republican leaders are planning a vote on a short-term emergency spending bill Tuesday, although Wolf and Senate Republican majority leaders oppose it.

The Houseâ€™s huge Republican majority is opposing practically every element of a multifaceted budget deal their leaders helped negotiate last month. That includes a tax and spending package the Democratic governor wanted and legislation to restructure public pension benefits.

Wolfâ€™s office says it has corralled enough House support to pass the tax legislation, but House Republican leaders are refusing to run it.

-Marc Levy, The Associated Press

Summit Health's new Employer Relations division is organizing a HR Wellness Round Table discussion in February. A survey has been created to collect wellness data from local employers. By participating in the survey, you will automatically receive a copy of the results and an invitation to our round table discussion.

The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes and will ask questions regarding your company's wellness program, participation rates, wellness incentives, high health insurance claims, employee assistance programs, and absenteeism. There are also two questions at the end on a suitable time and topic of interest for the round table.

SURVEY LINK ----> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YSVFNB8

Thank you for your time and participation. Feel free to share the survey with any other local employers interested in this topic.