Sign Up Now for the 2012 AndroscogginLeadership Development Institute

The 20th annual androscoggin leadership developmentinstitute, sponsored by central Maine Medical center,begins on wednesday, september 5 and end with graduationon december 13 at The chamber Breakfast. The chamberbegan the institute in 1992 and it has since graduated 340local business and community members!

What is ALDI?The highly acclaimed institute is a ten-week programdesigned to improve leadership abilities. Participants focuson increasing confidence in their personal leadershipstrengths, improving their understanding of the community,and recognizing how to get involved. The topics coveredinclude Personality Types: understanding individual differ-ences, Team Building: situational leadership, EffectiveCommunications: active listening, Clear Self Expression:presentation skills, Effective Meeting Management,Conflict Resolution: problem-solving, and Personal Vision:action planning. There are also four community issue explo-ration sessions.

Why should you apply?The institute gives participants the opportunity to developskills that they need to become successful leaders. Theseleadership skills will foster professional growth, businessgrowth, and promote a strong and flourishing community.

Just ask the graduates!“ALDI was so much more than I expected! As a person bornand raised in Lewiston, I was amazed to learn as much as Idid about our L/A Community. Through the months I attend-ed ALDI and participated in community discussions, I cameto realize how fortunate I am to be living in such a dynamicand changing environment. The weekly classes offered me,as a business owner, opportunity to learn valuable skills.The networking with other ALDI members and opportunityto hear from community leaders opened my eyes to so manypossibilities for L/A!  ALDI, under the leadership of theChamber and Steve Pecukonis is a valuable resource, whichI would recommend unconditionally!”-Stephanie Gelinas, Sandcastle Preschool, 2007 graduate“The ALDI program gave me the opportunity to take a goodlook at my community. Our group of 18 individuals learnedabout current local issues. We also learned about ourselvesthrough classroom activities and how we could each interactwith others in a more effective manner. I thoroughly enjoyedthe time spent in this program and the people I met in theprocess.”-Jennifer Willey, Canteen Service Company,

2003 graduate“ALDI is probably the most valuable “course” I’ve evertaken. As a small business owner who is involved in mycommunity, the ten weeks of my time invested in classes fine

tuned my “soft” skills—in other words, improved andenhanced the quality of my communication AND defined mypassions in terms of my community and how I’d like to assistin its progress. My experience with ALDI clearly demon-strates the truth in the statements, “leadership is not a topic,it’s a lifestyle” and “the quality of your life is equal to thequality of your communication.” Participating in the ALDIprogram was a wise decision indeed!”

-Jan Barrett, Ware Street Inn, 2005 graduate“As the instructor of this program, Steve Pecukonis remind-ed us that you can spend, waste or invest your time. ALDIwas time well invested. This course is fun and packed withgreat stuff to use in everyday life. I would highly recommendALDI to anyone.”-Jim Marston, Uncle Andy’s Digest, 2005 graduate“I feel fortunate that my employer provided me the opportu-nity to participate in the 2011 ALDI program. By participat-ing I was able to build on the leadership skills I already had,tap into new techniques, network and develop a betterunderstanding of local issues… all within one program! Iwould encourage other employers to urge their employees totake advantage of ALDI, because it not only is a benefit forthem, but for the overall community.”-Terri Cook, Mechanics Savings Bank, 2010 graduate

Who facilitates the program?The institute is run by steve Pecukonis, whohas designed and run leadership programs allacross the state for more than two decades.he founded his own human resource devel-opment, training and consulting firm in

1985, where he trains and consults with organizations inbusiness and industry, government, education, healthcareand social services. steve frequently speaks at conferences,seminars, and organizations all through the northeast. whengiven a scale of 1-5, 95% of participants in steve’s trainingsessions rate him a 5 (excellent) or a 4 (very good). stevebrings incredible experience to aldi, which creates first-class learning opportunities for participants.

Who should apply?• a business person who wants to develop leadership

skills to benefit their workplace or community. • a volunteer or board member of a community

organization who would like to be able to better assist the organization’s development.

• a community member who wants to get involved and make a difference.

How much does it cost?The fee is $575, which covers all material and meals.Participants can be sponsored by their employer, a commu-nity organization or they can apply individually. limitedscholarship assistance is also available.

How can you apply?applications are available at The chamber office and atten-dance is limited to the first 20 applications received. callThe chamber at 783-2249 for an application or visit Thechamber website.

2 0 1 2 THE CHAMBER N E W S

INSIDE:

President’s Comments

Calendar of Events

Adopt-A-Spot

Chamber Awards

Community Band

YPLAA

What’s Up

Not Your Normal

Formal

Member in Focus

Young Entrepreneur’s

Academy

J U L Y

The Business servicecenTer aT KeyBanK Plaza P.O. BOx 59lewisTOn, Me 04243-0059Ph: (207) 783-2249Fax: (207) 783-4481weBsiTe: www.andrOscOggincOunTy.cOMe-Mail:inFO@andrOscOggincOunTy.cOM

P A G E 1 N E W S L E T T E R OF THE ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

PRESIDENT’S COMMENTSBy: Chip Morrison

The Summer Festival Seasonsummer is when we celebrate androscoggin county’smost exciting time. The festival season, which bringsthousands of visitors to our area, begins with the

independence day celebration, Liberty Festival, and culminates with theBalloon Festival in august. in between, are two months of almost non-stop activities for a great summer of family fun in androscoggin county.

Liberty Festival, July 4. in addition to the state’s premier fireworksshow, festival planners are thrilled to announce a jam-packed entertain-ment line-up, sprawling across both lewiston and auburn. The lewistonFestival stage will feature skosh, chad Porter Trio, Firewater creek,Terry & the Telstars and a selection of karaoke finalists from Fusion atthe ramada inn. in auburn showcase stage, featuring a Beer gardencatered by irish Twins Pub will include performances by spice weasel,Matt & the Barnburners, random Order, Kaining amy, the lukeMulholland Band, the Brookside independence allstars and cold Bluesteel. The spectacular fireworks display will be the highlight of theevening, scheduled for 9:30pm. This year the auburn communityconcert Band will put on a special concert in Festival Plaza in auburn at7:00 PM.

Moxie Festival, July 13-15. This year is the 30th annual Moxie Festival!This year the theme is “we’re in Moxieland”. The “spirit of the wolf”Powwow will again join the Moxie Festivities this year. saturday beginswith the 5K road race followed by the Moxie Festival parade at 9am.Other activities include:  fireman’s muster, children’s games, the “Moxiechuggin’ challenge,”  the recipe contest, a host of great entertainment,concluding with the saturday night Moxie concert in the park. sundaythere will be a chief worumbo androscoggin river race and the duckrace on veterans Bridge. visit www.moxiefestival.com for update infor-mation.

2012 Bates Dance Festival, July-August, brings together an internation-al community of choreographers, performers, educators, and students tostudy, perform, and create new work. The Bates dance Festival includesprofessional training programs and several performances. For more infor-mation visit www.bates.edu/dancefest.

Great Falls 20th Annual Balloon Festival, August 17-19, is held at theriverfront parks on both sides of the river. Ballooning activities includeearly morning and evening launches, moonglows, and fee-based balloonrides. This year’s entertainment features the cream of the crop of localand regional bands. we wanted to show off the quality homegrown talentthat is so abundant in our area. The Balloon Festival is the premier festi-val in the state of Maine. For in depth information go to www.greatfalls-balloonfestival.org.

These and many other activities and attractions are included in theVisitor/Relocation Guide that is available at The chamber office.

Young Entrepreneur’s Academy The chamber is proud to announce that in the fall of 2012 it will facili-tate “The young entrepreneurs academy (yea)” in the androscogginarea. The founding sponsor of yea is Mechanic’s savings Bank. Theacademy is a one year program for high school youth who have dreamsof starting a business. students of the academy will experience a handson crash course in owning a business and by the end of the class, eachwill have created their own fully formed legal enterprise. This 33 weekexperience will include meeting with local business leaders, generatingbusiness ideas, designing and presenting business plans to investors,obtaining dBas, filing taxes, implementing businesses, and more.

4 w liberty Festival, auburn & lewiston4 w independence day observed, chamber closed9 Th Chamber Breakfast, 7:15 am, lost valley13-15 Moxie Festival, downtown lisbon Falls 17 T Brown Bag Seminar on leadership with Buffy dumont18 w Know Your Chamber, 11:30am, The chamber26 Th Business After Hours, clover health care, 5-7pm31 T Seminar on lean Management, 8:30-11:30 am at The chamber

2 T Brown Bag Seminar, “Know your Property” with dan dumont, noon at The chamber

11 Th Chamber Breakfast, 7:15 am, lost valley16 Th Business After Hours, Balloon Festival, 5-7pm. 17  F Chamber Board of Directors17-19 great Falls Balloon Festival, downtown lewiston-auburn21 T Seminar, “high impact Marketing” with John viehman of

downeast Magazine, 8-10 am at The chamber29 w Scholarship Scramble at Turner highlands country club

3 M labor day, chamber closed5   w androscoggin leadership development institute begins13 Th Chamber Breakfast, 7:15 am, Martindale20 Th Business After Hours, 5-7pm, evergreen subaru21 F Chamber Board of Directors, 7:30am

P A G E 2 N E W S L E T T E R OF THE ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

JULY

ART BOULAY, MBA, CMC207.373.9301ABoulay@StrategicTalentManagement.com

To take yourself or your organization to the next level:www.AchieveTheSummit.com

during the course, students will be inspired to think entrepreneurially andtake risks, as well as learn real world knowledge of how business works.

in addition to the founding sponsor, The chamber is looking for othermembers who want to support the growth of entrepreneurship in our areaby sponsoring this innovative and unique program. interested partiesshould call the chamber and speak with chip at 783-2249. To learn morevisit yea! online at yeausa.org.

Remember to register for Chamberevents online at our websitewww.androscoggincounty.com!

ADOPT-A-SPOTS IN FULL BLOOMBeautiful spots are being cultivated all around androscoggin countythanks to the generosity and hard work of local organizations. 2012“spotters” include: allergy & asthma associates of central Maine, androscoggin homecare & hospice, auburn housing authority, auburn lewiston rotaryBreakfast club, austin associates Pa, cPa’s, Barker Mills arms,Bichrest Brothers, careercenter, carrier’s lawn care and landscapedesign, central Maine Federal credit union, city of lewiston,community credit union, Franco american war veterans, Kut em uplawn Kare, labonte’s landscaping, native Maine’ah co llc, Pathway’sinc, Pine cone chapter Oes (eastern star), refurb supplies, safe voices,schooner retirement community, sun Journal, The Baha’i community,Turner Publishing, valley view Farm, wahlcoMetroflex inc, and wal-Mart distribution center.

CHAMBER AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPSThis season 16 graduating seniors received scholarships from Thechamber. Four adults, working at chamber members received scholar-ships as well.

2012 Chamber scholars are: Edward Little High School: christopher cloutier (games & simulationart), niyati desai (electrical engineering), Jaclyn Masters (nursing),Jocelyn Murphy (Psychology) Lewiston High School: Kristen diBello (Biology), Mackenzi Masselli(Biology), Tomas smith (chemistry), Krista Thomas (radiology)Leavitt High School: Megan Plourde (Business), Tyler walton(Business)Lisbon High School: Kimberly Morse (Pre-Med Biology), angel strout(Physical Therapy assistant)Oak Hill High School: christopher Jones (computer science)Poland High School: catherine haley (exercise science)St Dominic Regional High School: sarah divello (Pharmacy), amandaTurcotte (Optometry)

2012 Adult Scholarship Recipients: James Bradley, usM lewiston auburn collegeJamie demers, sexual assault crisis centerJacqueline Kenniston, auburn school departmentsherry Monteith, lewiston high school

COMMUNITY BAND CONCERTS BEGINJoin Milt simon and the auburn community concert Band at FestivalPlaza on Main street in auburn each week for free summer concerts.now in its 31st season, the band plays a different program of music everywednesday evening from 7:00-8:15pm. if inclement weather is forecast-ed, the concert will be held indoors at the hilton garden inn auburnriverwatch at great Falls Plaza. check out the pre-concert entertainmentat Festival Plaza, from 5:30-6:30 p.m., weather permitting. Performersinclude the Bates dance Festival young dancers workshop on July 11;chicks with sticks on July 18; the ruth Burke Trio on July 25; theshannon selig Trio on august 1; the 195th army Band Brass Quintet onaugust 8; and guitarist/vocalist nick racioppi on august 15. For more information, call the auburn rec dept. at 333-6601, ext. 2108.Or visit www.auburncommunityband.com.

Upcoming performances:July 4 - “An Evening of Patriotic Music”July 11 - “Let’s Dance!”July 18 - “Forgotten But Unforgettable”July 25 - “The Music of Famous Musicians”August 1 - “It’s Showtime!” August 8 - “Songs of Sensational Groups”August 15 - “Take Two!”August 22 - “Greatest Hits”

YPLAA WELCOMES NEW CHAIRMichael Malloy of skelton, Taintor & abbott took overas yPlaa chair on July 1st!The young Professionals of the lewiston auburn area(yPlaa) works to strengthen a vibrant young profes-sional community by promoting career, social, and com-munity development.

To sign up for membership (it’s free!) and to view our upcoming calendarof events, visit www.yplaa.com.

P A G E 3 N E W S L E T T E R OF THE ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

some of the scholarship winners and sponsors at the June 14th chamber Breakfast.

gammon landscape ribbon cutting.

P A G E 4 N E W S L E T T E R OF THE ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Norm Dickinson of TQF.US Computer Servicesrecently completed a certificate program atrackspace.com’s cloud university. as a

rackspace cloud partner, TQF.us is uniquelypositioned to help growing companies of any size migrate

their exchange servers, critical iT infrastructure or developmentenvironment to the cloud.

The 2013 Lewiston Auburn Film Festival will be held april 5-7. Formore information visit www.lafilmfestival.org.

Community Credit Union was recognized at the Maine credit unionleague annual convention with three 1st place awards: louise herringPhilosophy in action Member service award and the desjardins youthand adult Financial education awards.  The first place awards will nowbe submitted to the national association competition.  

Clyde Bergemann auburn has expanded its engineering, project manage-ment and sales departments. new hires include: Project Manager NatSalfas, applications engineer Scott Owings, designer/drafter ShaunaLittle, and design engineer Justin Dodd.

St. Mary’s has been honored with a 2012 “Partner for change, withdistinction” award from Practice greenhealth, the national membershiporganization for health care facilities committed to environmentallyresponsible operations.

The People’s United community Foundation announced today that forthe second quarter of 2012 it awarded $697,500 in grants to nonprofitorganizations throughout the communities it serves in connecticut,Massachusetts, vermont, new york, new hampshire and Maine.

Baxter’s celsius summer ale was just named one of the “8 new Just-right summer Beers” by esquire Magazine. here’s the link;http://www.esquire.com/the-side/food-and-drink/best-summer-beers-2012#slide-2.

Advocates for Children welcomes the following new members to itsFinance committee: Jason Chadbourne of TD Bank, Andrew Lunn ofCommunity Credit Union, Shawn Wright of LPL Financial, and J.Otis Vance from the CMMC College of Nursing & Health Professions.Steve Lamontagne, certified public accountant at Ouellette andAssociates, has joined as treasurer.

hilton garden inn® recently recognized the 138-room Hilton GardenInn Auburn team for achieving a customer loyalty score of 84.1% inapril, ranking the auburn hotel number nine in the brand of 542 hotels.Alan Roberts, vice President, Brand Performance support & sales,hilton worldwide, congratulated general Manager, Scott McKenney, andhis team for this accomplishment.

Ron Major, formerly of Major Automotive, has joined the team ofQuality Care Auto in lisbon. ron has gained a reputation in thelewiston/auburn area for his ability to repair highly technical automotiveelectrical systems and vehicle computer problems.

Advocates for Children announces Pam Allen as their new executivedirector.

The Bates summer lakeside concert series begins in July, for moreinformation visit www.bates.edu/conference/summer-lakeside-concert-series/.

Efficiency Maine has launched a Multi-Family weatherization Project toconduct comprehensive energy retrofits in small to medium-sized multi-family buildings with five or more units.

The Library Café is pleased to announce the opening of an additionaldining room – doubling the seating capacity of the café!  This styled spacethat seats 19 may also be available to you for a private meeting.  need aplace for a breakfast meeting?  we got it!

Patti Gagne successfully attended the Job Fair at Central MaineCommunity College.  after collecting 23 applications/resumes, and con-ducting phone interviews with 11 prospective employees, and in-personinterviews with 4 people, Patti hired Tammy Bernier as the newest mem-ber of The Patti Gagne Agency.  Ms. Bernier is studying to obtain herProperty and casualty license. 

Claude E. Mailhot graduated in June from Kaplan University with aBachelor’s degree in accounting, and is seeking an accounting position.he can be reached at 786-3380 or claudem@megalink.net.

The Sleepy Time Motel announces that it has received a Tripadvisorcertificate of excellence award, which honors hospitality excellence andis given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding trav-eler reviews on Trip advisor, the world’s largest travel site.

St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion recently earned the prestigious2012 Innovation Award from leadingage.

Sandcastle Clinical & Educational Services is pleased to announce theexpansion of their agency with the launch of l/a hearing center. 

Dr. Patricia Gosselin is currently accepting patients of all ages at theirstate of the art audiology suite in lewiston.  FMi, please call 782-2150.

Benefit Quilt raffle: a beautiful 4’7 x 5’ rosette quilt is being raffled tobenefit The Center for Wisdom’s Women. stop by the women’s centerany weekday morning to see the quilt and purchase chances.  FMiwww.wisdomswomen.org and click “support us/events.”

The Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club presented $10,500 in scholarshipsand awards to local students and community organizations in May.

WHAT’S UP…?

Dick GleasonPresident & General Manager

Tel: (207) 784-5868 Cell: (207) 754-3777E-Mail: DickGleason@Gmail.comOffice: 555 Center Street, Auburn, ME 04210G

GLEASONMEDIASERVICES

www.GleasonMedia.com

Radio StationsWOXO 92.7 & 100.7 • WEZR 1240 • WTME 780 & 1450

Internet ServicesEmail Marketing • Web Site Development

at Community Credit Union in auburn Laurie Pelletier was promotedto Branch Manager and Janice Lare was promoted from card servicescoordinator to Branch Operations supervisor.

St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion, in lewiston, Maine recently earned theprestigious 2012 Innovation Award from leadingage. leadingage is anational association representing 5,500 nonprofit aging-services organiza-tions.

Healthy Androscoggin has joined with Central Maine Medical Center,WMCA and St. Mary’s in a new initiative, “Breastfeeding in Business”.This partnership will promote the adoption of breastfeeding in businessesas a cultural norm, outlining the benefits to business’s customers as wellas employees. contact Shanna Rogers at 795-5927 for more informationon how supporting breastfeeding mothers can benefit your business, aswell as be cost effective!

Laurianne Anctil, B.A, Social & Behavioral Science, July 20 -soulmates workshop, 6-8p.m. everything you wanted to know aboutsoulmates. $100 cash, cash donation, or equivalent in barter. Bring a jour-nal. august 1 – Break the chain of Pain workshop, 6-8pm, chamberconference room, 415 lisbon st., lewiston, Me., 04240 call 782-2309to register.

LocalEdge is currently working its 2012 sales canvass for the lewiston& auburn areas! reputation Management, social Media Management,websites, e-Mail Marketing & more. There is something for every bud-get! localedge – internet Marketing services Built for your Business.

assistant secretary of commerce for import administration PaulPiquado and Kim Glas, assistant deputy assistant secretary for theOffice of Textiles and apparel at the u.s. department of commercerecently visited Auburn Manufacturing’s Mechanic Falls headquartersto meet with management and tour the manufacturing facility.

Spiller’s now offers high quality large format color laser printing for allyour Point-of-Purchase & Point-of-sale needs – displays, posters, signs,banners & more. customers will benefit from having fade resistantimages with no need for lamination or accu-shield coating. spiller’s alsooffers full-color printing of letterhead, envelopes, flyers and businesscards at very competitive prices.

Kerrie Robbins has joined the Varney Agency as the office manager,she can be reached at 784-4566 x1201.

St. Peter’s Cemetery is pleased to announce the installation of a newcolumbarium in its spacious chapel/mausoleum. This is a free-standingunit for the entombment of cremated human remains. The columbariumhas 8 single and 12 companion, glass-front niches. The single niches arepriced at $2,000 and the companions are $3,800. This includes perpetualcare. half of the selling price is placed in a special fund set aside for thecontinued care and maintenance of the mausoleum. st. Peter’s cemeteryis located at 217 switzerland road in lewiston. For more informationplease call Gerard Raymond at 782-8721.

hiring a military reservist or national guard member makes good busi-ness sense! attributes of guardsmen and reservists include discipline,loyalty, and leadership. Business tax credits are available for hiring anunemployed veteran. contact The Maine committee for EmployerSupport of the Guard and Reserve (esgr) at 430-5891 or MattCollins at 780-3345 for further information.

The Orthopaedic Institute of Central Maine of central Maine Medicalcenter has been named a bronze winner at the 29th annual healthcareadvertising awards. The award, presented by healthcare Marketingreport, is in recognition of the OicM’s Patient information Kit.  

Please help support the American Red Cross United Valley providelocal disaster relief through the 2012 days of disaster campaign.  For$299.47 you can cover the cost of one day’s worth of disaster relief forour community members in androscoggin, Kennebec, Oxford, Franklin,and somerset counties.  For more information, send an e-mail toJennifer.gaylord@redcross.org.

St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center was honored with an “a” hospitalsafety scoresM by The leapfrog group.

Kerry Wood was promoted to President/ceO of Community CreditUnion in May upon the retirement of Donna Steckino. Jen Hogan waspromoted from Marketing/Business development director to executivevice President.

Taylor Brook Animal Hospital has been voted the “Best of the Best” inthe downeast dog news 2012 readers Poll. For more information aboutthe animal hospital, go to: taylorbrookanimalhospital.com.

On July 21st Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice will hold its annualButterfly release celebration, a unique opportunity to remember andhonor loved ones by dedicating a butterfly. For more information contactJim Bouchard at 795-9405 or james.bouchard@ahch.org.

Skelton, Taintor & Abbott attorney Ronald P. Lebel will present at theday-long continuing legal education seminar “advanced Family law,” tobe held on July 30 in Portland, Maine.

P A G E 5 N E W S L E T T E R OF THE ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

HAVE YOU SEEN THE CHAMBER ROADSHOW?

The regional image committee has put together a 20-25minute PowerPoint presentation dramatically showingthe positive attributes of the l/a area. To date, the pre-sentation has been given to forty groups and over 1500

people. Those groups include: major employers, schools,churches and social clubs. To schedule a presentation to

your group, call chip at the chamber at 783-2249.

Fred Hall of Redlon & Johnson with Chip Morrison before his induction into theAuburn Lewiston Sports Hall of Fame on April 29th at Lost Valley. It was the 29thannual induction ceremony put together by the group started by The Chamber in1982.

P A G E 6 N E W S L E T T E R OF THE ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

2011-2012BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kurk Lalemand, ChairNext Level Business Coaching

Mary LaFontaine, Chair ElectCareer Center

Robin Robbins, TreasurerAndroscoggin Bank

Susan Stacey, Past ChairKaplan University

Jason AgrenAgren Appliance

Jan BarrettWare Street Inn Bed & Breakfast

Bob BernierMatheson Valley

Susan BerubeWGME-13

Art BoulayStrategic Talent Management

Nancy CableBates College

JoAnne CampbellMechanics Savings Bank

Michael Cox Central Maine Orthopaedics

Doug DiVelloCentral Maine Healthcare Corp

Adam DunbarWells Fargo Advisors

Jodi EllerProcter & Gamble

Patti GagnePatti Gagne Agency, Allstate Insurance

Stephanie GelinasSandcastle Clinical & EducationalServices

Joyce GibsonUSM at LAC

Clif GreimHarriman and Associates

Kevin HealeySt. Mary’s Health System

Elaine HemenwayPayroll Management Inc

Jennifer HoganCommunity Credit Union

Matt JancovicOxford Networks

Paul LandryFish Bones American Grill

Michael MalloySkelton, Taintor & Abbott PA

Scott McKenneyHilton Garden Inn

Iman PoeraatmadjaNeokraft Signs

Peter SteeleTwin City Times

Peter TraillNason Mechanical Systems Inc.

Jennifer WilleyCanteen Services

NOT YOUR NORMAL FORMAL BIG SUCCESSnot your normal Formal on May 4th broke all records, with net proceeds over $44,000 for chamber programs.Camden National Bank again stepped up to be the event sponsor and this year, 20 other chamber members steppedup to be table sponsors. They were: agren appliance, androscoggin Bank, center street dental, central MaineMedical center, central Maine Orthopaedics, champoux insurance, community credit union, environmentalProjects, harriman associates, Jan Jacques Keller williams realty, Mechanics Bank (2 tables), Merrill lynch, Platzassociates, Poland spring Bottling company, Procter & gamble (2 tables), roopers, skelton, Taintor & abbott,spillers, Td Bank, and usM at lac.

The pictures below give some indication of the enjoyment members had on that special evening.

Steve Roop & Sharon Lagasse Tom Bosse, Michelle Gosselin, Dick Albert

Brian & Marnie Dubois Matt & Amanda Theberge

Laurie Steele & Dan D'Auteuil, Jr Monica & Jonnie Rose Clark

Jen Willey, Adam & Erin Dunbar Jim & Carrie Whitmore

Photos courtesy of Twin City Times

P A G E 7 N E W S L E T T E R OF THE ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MEMBER IN FOCUS:

L-A’s Community Credit Unionby Toni seger, ProseWorks™ Associates“Banking with a human face” is how ceO Kerry wood characterizes themission of a credit union. Kerry has replaced donna steckino at the helmof the community credit union of lewiston-auburn. Kerry worked withdonna for 11 of her 34 years running the credit union and will alwaysregard her as a friend. credit unions are a form of cooperative banking. credit unions are non-profits, owned by their members and operated by a volunteer Board ofdirectors. Opening a savings account at community credit union of l-awith just $25 makes you a member.credit union earnings are given back tothe members in the form of favorabledividends on savings, competitive rateson loans, lower and fewer fees and bet-ter services. community credit union offers all theproducts and services you would expectfrom a financial institution and becausecredit unions are financial coopera-tives, members are owners who share inthe credit union’s success. l-a’scommunity credit union keeps fourtrained financial counselors on staff justto serve their members. “as the econo-my improves, we want people to bemore capable of benefiting from it,”says Kerry. Kerry gets excited when i ask abouttheir new wedding registry program‘MatriMoney’ which lets weddingguests make cash gifts. The new couple gets a higher rate than other clubaccounts along with a “getting Married” financial guide and, if they’dlike, the services of a financial counselor on how best to consolidate theirfinances. if you’re fond of using a christmas club to save up for holidayspending, you can open a sub account for that purpose, but you can alsocreate a club for any purpose like taking a vacation, buying a car or goingto school. credit unions are very concerned about the financial literacy of youngpeople. if and when this new couple has children: l-a’s communitycredit union offers a program for kids 9 and younger, a youth programfor ages 10 through 12 and programs for teenagers that include Teencredit cards as well as Teen loans and savings. The programs offer sav-ings incentives as well as the chance to win an annual college scholarship.Kerry loves working with young people. she’s raising two children whichmeans instilling financial knowledge is something she’s already commit-ted to and she merges family with career in a whirl of multi-tasking thatincludes texting while doing her morning workout. One of her favoritearea credit union events is the annual Financial Fitness Fair where youngpeople play a financial reality game. Kids get to pick a job and get asalary. Then, they see what it costs to buy a car or a house while payingregular bills. at the end of the day, this lesson in life has taught them a lotabout what they can and can’t afford. “schools love it because they can

see the kids get a lot out of it”, says Kerry. “we want to do more than pro-vide people with financial services. we want to help our members becomemore self sufficient and more financially literate.” if you always liked the idea of a credit union, but felt it wasn’t conve-nient for your financial needs, that’s changed. credit unions are enteringlarger networks in order to give their members more locations and moreoptions where and how to conduct their financial transactions whetherthey’re on the road, on vacation, visiting relatives or even moving out oftown. Technology also plays a role in providing convenience. The l-acommunity credit union provides essential banking services on theinternet you can conduct at home like electronic bill pay. Their outletsoffer aTM’s, direct deposit and will even let you apply for a loan online.automated tellers give you information over the phone. Future projects

include developing mobile bankingapps. “Once you have an account, youdon’t have to show up here thoughwe’re very friendly and always likeseeing our members”, says Kerry witha grin. Kerry is excited about running a creditunion because she sees ample evidenceof how credit unions can help commu-nities. “The philosophy of a creditunion is to help people manage theirlives better”, says Kerry. “when yousee evidence it’s working, it’s all theincentive you need.” Part of this philosophy can be seen inhow seriously the credit union takesthe word ‘community’. it was a beauti-ful spring day when i visited and thePine street community garden wasgetting ready for planting season. Thecommunity garden is a recent cu pro-

ject that’s been a boon for local residents with a waiting list to prove it.The garden beautifies the neighborhood, creates a sense of ownership andalso provides a forum for educational opportunities from growing food toeating healthier and gaining more nutrition. also during my visit the lobbywas being used for a food drive to benefit the united way’s pantry project.each year in april the credit union holds a community recycle day inhonor of earth day. They accept many items for recycling including oldcomputers, cell phones, tires and more. Many more community projectsremain in the forefront of their mission.credit unions work with all income levels. Kerry continually sees evi-dence of economic struggles, but she’s proud to say the l-a communitycredit union is strong and growing stronger. “we never shed a job duringthe worst of the recession and, frankly, this is a very good time to be acredit union.” Kerry is currently attending cuna Management school toobtain a ccue (certified credit union executive) designation. Part ofher ccue certification process requires Kerry to develop a five year planwith clear goals set and Kerry’s goals are very clear. she intends to growthe membership and loan portfolio of her credit union and leave it in astronger position when it’s her time to leave.The community credit union has locations at 144 Pine street in lewiston(783-2096) and 40 stanley street in auburn (777-4547). FMi: www.com-munitycreditunion.com

P A G E 8 N E W S L E T T E R OF THE ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Prst stdu.s. POsTage

PaidPerMiT #27

lewisTOn, Me04240

P.O. BOx 59lewisTOn, Me 04243-0059

MECHANIC’S SAVINGS BANK TO SPONSOR “YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR’S ACADEMY”The chamber is proud to announce that in the fall of 2012 it will facilitate “The young entrepreneurs academy (yea)” in the androscoggin area. The foundingsponsor of yea is Mechanic’s savings Bank, under the leadership of President rick vail. The academy is a one year program for high school youth who havedreams of starting a business. students of the academy will experience a hands on crash course in owning a business and by the end of the class, each will havecreated their own fully formed legal enterprise. This 33 week experience will include meeting with local business leaders, generating business ideas, designingand presenting business plans to investors, obtaining dBas, filing taxes, implementing businesses, and more. during the course, students will be inspired to thinkentrepreneurially and take risks, as well as learn real world knowledge of how business works. The program gets results: although the course only lasts for one year, 50% of all businesses started in the academy still run one year after graduation.additionally, 100% of all academy graduates graduate from high school on time and 99% of all graduates go to college.The young entrepreneurs academy began in rochester, ny and has grown to chamber locations all over the nation or country. This particular chapter of theacademy will be the second in the state of Maine. The largest obstacle hindering the success of the program is funding. we are currently seeking sponsors to helpmake this incredible opportunity available for the youth of our community. The chamber is looking for 22 commitments at the $1,000 level. This program willnot only inspire the future business owners of our area, but energize the business community as a whole. we hope we can count on you to stand behind our youthand give them the support they need in becoming entrepreneurial leaders.in addition to the founding sponsor, The chamber is looking for other members who want to support the growth of entrepreneurship in our area, interested par-ties should call the chamber and speak with chip at 783-2249. To learn more visit yea! online at yeausa.org