February 16, 2007
CANYS Board of Directors 2007
Votes have been tallied and Chairman appointments have been made. The following chamber executives will serve as Directors for 2007:
Nancy
Ploeger, Manhattan Chamber, Chairwoman
Todd Shimkus, Adirondack Regional Chamber, Chair-Elect
Rob Robinson, The Otsego County Chamber, Secretary/Treasurer
Peter Aust, The Chamber of Southern Saratoga County,
Immediate Past Chair
Nancy
Conley, Orchard Park Chamber
John D’Ambrosio, Orange County Chamber
Bill Egan, Queens Chamber
Catherine Glover, Greater Binghamton Chamber
Marsha Gordon, Business Council of Westchester
Wally Hart, Fulton County Chamber
Darlene Kerr, Greater Syracuse Chamber
Cynthia Oswald, Livingston County Chamber
Matthew Stubley, Mohawk Valley Chamber
Congratulations to these new Board members. CANYS appreciates your service!
Small Business Day is Tuesday, March 27
Leaders of emerging industry, followers of their own innovative thinking and the supporters working to help small businesses succeed across New York State are coming to Small Business Day in Albany, March 27, 2007.
The agenda includes a presentation of the Senate’s small business tax package by Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. Participants will also get an update on the growth of small business in New York State by Robert Ward, Director of Research at the Public Policy Institute, and author of New York State Government: What It Does, How It Works.
The program
features an opportunity for small business leaders to connect with leaders
from the new administration, including the newly appointed Regional Chairs
of the Empire State Development Corporation, Daniel Gundersen (invited)
and Patrick Foye (invited).
Small Business Day is an event like no other, bringing together hundreds
of business people, chamber of commerce leaders, and governmental officials
for a day of action and intent focused on business growth in New York
State.
It’s a celebration of the small business leaders who have met the
challenges of growing and succeeding in their entrepreneurial efforts.
It’s a reflection of the innovation and dedication found around
conference tables from Niagara Falls to Nassau. It’s a journey to
the Capitol in Albany to be part of the lawmaking process. It’s
an opportunity to pick up a new idea, learn more about a legislative effort,
or find a new contact to add to your network. Small Business Day is all
these things and more to the hundreds of business people who attend ...
and keep coming back year after year.
Co-sponsored by The Business Council and its affiliate, the Chamber Alliance
of New York State, Small Business Day is expanding on its success for
2007. Please note the agenda details and registration information mailed
directly to your chamber, or available HERE.
January Conference wrap-up
Thanks to the 2007 Conference Planning Committee for a wildly successful conference: Peter Aust, Bill Egan, Wally Hart, Nancy Ploeger, and Todd Shimkus. 41 different chambers were represented at the two-day event that featured nationally-renowned speakers, dynamic networking and educational tracks for executives and staff alike.
The perennial favorite 45 Ideas in 45 Minutes session produced a long list of new and creative practices from chambers around the state. Have a look at the “white board” of ideas from the event HERE.
Special thanks to our conference sponsors: Altria Corporate Services, The Business Council of New York State, The Ewart Group, CBG Training and Development, Journal Communications, PepsiCo, Sir Speedy Printing, and the Manhattan Chamber. Verizon is the CANYS 2007 Gold Sponsor.
Excellence in Leadership Award
Congratulations to Garry Douglas of the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce for winning the 2007 CANYS Excellence in Leadership Award.
The CANYS Excellence in Leadership Award is presented each year in recognition of outstanding professional development and contributions in the promotion of the chamber profession.
Garry, who was nominated for his award by his peers in CANYS, has been with the chamber for 13 years. He was instrumental in the passage of Sole Proprietor Health Insurance Legislation, ensuring the legislation was signed and enacted by former Governor George Pataki. Garry also founded CANYS' annual New York Day in Washington, and continues to serve as a co-chair for the annual event.
New York Main Street grants available
Grant applications are now being accepted by New York Main Street, a state agency created to provide funding for Main Street and downtown revitalization projects.
The deadline for submitting Unified Funding 2007 applications through the on-line process for New York Main Street is March 26th, 2007 by 5:00pm.
New York Main Street's Web site says: eligible activities include providing funds to building owners for façade renovation grants, to preserve or restore original architectural elements or provide a consistent streetscape; for building renovation grants, to fund necessary interior and exterior rehabilitation that will create or maintain jobs or businesses; for downtown anchor grants, which will provide gap financing for more extensive rehabilitation of important Main Street buildings to create business or cultural anchors; and for streetscape enhancement grants, which will only be provided in combination with one of the other activities, to fund tree planting, street furniture, kiosks, public informational signage, and other ancillary enhancements.
NYMS is a state-wide initiative. Eligible areas include any traditional main street, downtown retail district, or neighborhood business district that is part of an eligible area for the purposes of the Community Development Block Grant program, Housing Trust Fund program, or other similar community development, economic development, or urban renewal program.
For more information, or to apply, visit www.nymainstreet.org/grants/grantapp.php.
NYSERDA funding opportunity
We thought you would like to be aware of this NYSERDA proposal in case any of your members are in this space: NYSERDA seeks proposals to support product development of innovative renewable and other environmentally preferred Distributed Generation (DG) power systems and/or related components; demonstration of electric energy storage technologies; and to conduct environmental impact assessment studies and mitigation techniques for renewable energy. This solicitation, Program Opportunity Notice (PON) 1118, will focus on advancing renewable and other environmentally preferred technologies and developing products that offer minimal incremental emissions including, but not limited to, distributed generation technologies, interconnection standards and testing, electrical storage technologies, end user power reliability and power quality enhancement.
Please find the one page program summary HERE. For additional NYSERDA funding opportunities, please visit www.nyserda.org/funding/funding.asp?i=2.
Tell us about it
Got a question you’d like to ask other CANYS members? Job opening in your chamber? Great idea you’d like to share? Send it to cathy.jimenez@bcnys.org.
CANYS 2007 GOLD SPONSOR:
