Chamber hails Fayette ‘superheroes” in business
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
Bill Jackson (center) is formally named the 2016 Fayette Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year. Presenting Jackson with his award and state legislative citations are Nate Regotti (left) representing state Rep. Pam Snyder; and state Sen. Pat Stefano, Fayette Chamber of Commerce president, during the chamber’s annual recognition dinner.
John F. Brothers | Herald-Standard
The Fayette Chamber of Commerce named (from left) Ray Hall, chamber volunteer; Bob Garrett, long-time chamber board member; Tiffany Guittap, incoming chairman of the Fayette Young Professionals Network; and Devan White, current chairman of the Fayette Young Professionals Network as “Everyday Business Superheroes” during the chamber’s annual recognition dinner.
Fayette Chamber of Commerce’s 91st annual dinner meeting brought a lot of “superheroes” under one roof in North Union Township.
“Tonight is about superheroes in our community,” said the chamber’s president, state Sen. Pat Stefano, R-Bullskin Township, as he opened that meeting last week at the Park Inn at Radisson.
“There are superheroes around me every single day,” chamber Executive Director Muriel J. Nuttall told the more than 200 people gathered there. “We just refer to them as chamber members.”
She hailed 68 new members who joined in the past year, joining more than 600 already part the Uniontown-based chamber.
“This is how businesses communicate,” Stefano said, referring to such events in the past year as 15 business-after-hours functions, 11 ribbon cuttings and such chamber entities as a new Small Business Resource Council. “This is how businesses connect.”
They also summed up other efforts of the past year including a focus on workforce development.
“We are not unique in our area,” Stefano said, noting that other parts of Pennsylvania also are “growing to the point where we do not have enough people” to fill available jobs.
Goals he has at the midway point of a two-year term are similar to those he has at the midway point of a four-year term as senator.
“There’s a whole lot yet to do,” Stefano said. “We need to make Pennsylvania a business-friendly state.”
Nuttall said 2016 “has been a tremendous year and a tumultuous one,” on multiple levels including “new-found partnerships” with agencies in other counties.
One is the Fayette Business Education Partnership she co-chairs, whose functions include the annual Williams Fluid Power Challenge, bringing together schools from Fayette, Greene, Westmoreland and Armstrong counties. This year’s challenge takes place Thursday at Penn State-Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
Existing members in attendance included the chamber’s Citizen of the Year, farmer and Fayette County Fair President William K. Jackson.
“Wow, I didn’t expect all that,” Jackson said after receiving a standing ovation. He was introduced by Penn State-Fayette chancellor Dr. Charles Patrick, who tried to sum up Jackson’s life and career.
That included other occasions when Jackson was thrust into the spotlight, including 1996 when he received the Clyde Robinson Award by the Pennsylvania Dairy Herd Improvement Association, or 1998 when he was designated as a Master Farmer by American Agriculturist Magazine, or 2013 when he was named an Outstanding Fellow by Penn State-Fayette’s advisory board.
Jackson serves on that board as well as Fay-Penn Economic Development Council’s board and in his role for 21 years as board president for the fair held each summer on grounds in Dunbar Township.
“It is truly a team effort,” Jackson said, as he honored “hundreds of volunteers” who help out, including all members of the Fayette County Fair board.
“I feel very blessed in all aspects of my life,” Jackson said as he introduced his mother Betty, his wife Jan and other members of his family, including his three daughters and his brother-in-law Kerry Harvey.
Harvey is Jackson’s partner in Jackson Farms, the 800-acre-plus complex that produces milk and ice cream for the family’s convenience store, other stores, restaurants and hotels in four counties, and Schneider’s Dairy in Pittsburgh.
Stefano presented Jackson with a citation from the state Senate, while Nate Regotti, chief of staff to state Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Jefferson Township, presented a proclamation in Jackson’s honor from the state House.
Other “superheroes” singled out for special attention included:
n Devan White, whom Nuttall cited for her passion, loyalty and perseverance as outgoing chairperson of the Fayette Young Professionals Network.
n Tiffany Guittap, whom Nuttall cited for “bravery in the face of adversity,” compassion and professionalism as she succeeds White at FYPN.
n Chamber Treasurer Robert W. Garrett for what Nuttall described as “longevity of purpose (and) willingness to give of his time.”
n Ray Hull, one of the “husbands called in to help out” wives on the chamber staff, in this case chamber Financial Manager Deborah Hull.
White hailed the progress the five-year-old FYPN has made in the past year since joining the chamber. She said in the past year “we had over 100 members, corporate and individual,” in an organization aimed at those ages 21-45.
FYPN voted Monday for new officers, with Guittap replacing White, Brandon Katzeff being retained as a co-chair and Tan Calabrese replacing Kendall Sisler.
Katzeff reported on the network’s activities in that year, including seven networking mixers and two events to raise money for a scholarship fund for Fayette County students, with $1,500 coming at a “summer wine thing” and $15,400 being raised in an inaugural pro-am golfing event at Uniontown Country Club.
In a continuing role as a fund-raiser for the Fayette County Food Bank, chamber board member Chris Kennedy said 725 pounds of nonperishables and $1,700 was collected at an Oct. 1 event that utilizes the parking lot at Adrian’s Market in Hopwood and involves a semi-annual giveaway of freezers donated by Mundel’s Appliances in Uniontown.
Kennedy said 2,000 pounds of turkey will be given away for needy families. He also reported that a raffle at the dinner raised $545 for the food bank.