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Check Out What’s Going On With Our Chamber Councils
Keep an eye out for awesome Chamber Events This January
The Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce wants to keep you updated each month with everything that their volunteer councils have planned this year, including featured upcoming events, community programs, and business community features!
Their Councils include the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, Women’s Council, Young Professionals Council, Nonprofit Council, Government Affairs Council, and Ambassadors Council!
That’s A Wrap!
2022 Chamber Council Impact
Before they welcome the new year and begin announcing upcoming programming for their Councils, the Chamber wanted to share the impact of their Council activities in 2022!
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council has regionalized to collaborate with our regional chambers and hosted a summit in April 2022 with over 100 attendees to help educate businesses on DEI topics. The group also launched a diversity champion certification to acknowledge individuals pursuing education within diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Most recently, through funding provided by the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Council launched the Connect Inclusive Program, along with partners the Wilkes University SBDC and The Institute. The program was created to address systemic and historical barriers to entrepreneurship and business growth that individuals from minority communities experience, by providing accessible and inclusive resources specifically tailored to their needs, providing them with all stages of education and technical resources to start-up or continue to grow their business, including a mentorship program and the area’s first supply chain diversity program.
The Women’s Council partnered with Leadership Northeast and Dr. Christine Kiesinger of CEK Communication to hold the first class of Amplify Leadership. This is a premier women’s leadership certificate program offering cutting-edge leadership development, high-level networking opportunities, and a dynamic series of speakers who will address the unique needs of women in the workforce. In 2022, the program welcomed its inaugural class of 30 local women leaders, who completed the program and graduated in December. Stay tuned for the 2023 class applications to come out later this year!
The Young Professionals Council had a record year of community programming. Here are some of the highlights:
- This Council became regional this year and grew in partnership with our regional chamber partners. We hosted a total of six regional events, from networking sessions to awards ceremonies.
- The Council organized its first-ever “Let It Fly for the Y” Cornhole Tournament benefiting Camp Kresge with the Greater Wyoming Valley YMCA. The event had nearly 40 teams compete and approx. 100 people participate in the event. By combining event proceeds with funds raised earlier in the year from a trivia event, the Council was able to donate a total of $2,420.66.
- Nearly 300 attendees gathered at PNC Field to celebrate the 7th Annual Young Professionals Awards as presented by Coal Creative, and in partnership with our regional chambers. The event honored eighteen young professionals and organizations from across the Greater Wyoming Valley! The Council also debuted its Inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion of the Year Award won by Erica Acosta.
- Through the YP Giving circle, they raised $25,000 which unlocked not one but two significant matches from AllOne Charities and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation quadrupling our funds raised to $100,000! We then awarded $50,000 to Fork Over Love to fuel their efforts to drive change forward by delivering over 3,500 dinners through direct delivery and fund the development of an app to ensure future sustainability.
The Nonprofit Council engaged over nearly 100 nonprofit leaders in our community in monthly meetings, with alternating discussion topics and speakers sessions that touched on hot topics and solutions for challenges seen by the nonprofit community. In 2023, expect this Council to expand some of its programming and collaboration with other nonprofit education and service providers.
The Government Affairs Council passed its second Legislative Agenda at the start of the year and the Government Affairs Council had its biggest year of advocating in recent times. The agenda has also allowed the group to work closely with the other chambers in our area, strengthening our combined regional position and benefiting all of our members collectively. In October 2022, the group held the first Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD), an exciting event that gives attendees an opportunity to learn about advocacy on the local and state level, which had over 100 legislators, students, and business leaders in attendance.
The Ambassadors Council nearly doubled in group size in 2022 with some wonderful new members and supported Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber members by attending over 30 ribbon-cutting celebrations over the course of the year.
Learn More!
To get more information on how to get involved with any of these Chamber Councils, visit the Chamber website at wyomingvalleychamber.org and go to the “Get Involved” tab on the menu bar for more information on each individual group and to sign-up to participate.
