Chamber After Hours creates relaxing evening of fellowship
The recent Chamber After Hours event allowed chamber members to get together for an evening of fellowship and networking and included a visit from John Carey, the director of the Office of Governor of Appalachia.
So often local businesspeople are so involved with everyday activities in the business world that they don’t take time to simply share in the lives of those with whom they connect every day.
One recent Holmes County Chamber activity was designed to put work details aside and provide an evening of fellowship.
The Holmes County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau hosted a Business After Hours event in the Commercial & Savings Bank conference room on June 11, where many Holmes County Chamber members gathered together for an evening of networking and connecting.
Chamber Executive Director Tiffany Gerber said the evening was the chamber’s way of providing another avenue for its members to share their lives in a simpler setting.
Gerber said chamber team member Michaela Miller really instigated the push to return this opportunity to the chamber members.
“Over the past year-plus, we’ve really tried hard to reinvigorate this event on a regular basis,” Gerber said. “The pandemic really kind of shut this type of event down for a while, and we never got back to it until recently, and it’s only because Michaela is very dynamic in her effort to bring our people together.”
She said Miller also has been instrumental in bringing the young professionals network closer together and driving that part of the chamber’s efforts.
“Any chance for our members to interact and network is a good thing,” Gerber said. “These are wonderful connections, and you see all of these little groups of people talking and having a good time. And it’s not among their own businesspeople; they are interacting with others, and that makes this a success.”
She said she heard discussions ranging from business dealings to talking about their children, golf and numerous other topics.
“That’s one of the nicest things about this event is that it is very relaxed, and I think people feel more open to simply sharing their everyday lives,” Gerber said. “It’s a good time to close up shop and wind down for the evening.”
She said it was encouraging to see a lot of younger adults engaging and getting involved, interacting with more experienced professionals who can serve as mentors.
One special guest for the event was John Carey, the director of the Office of Governor of Appalachia. He said finding time to connect with people throughout the Appalachian Region is something he enjoys because gaining insight into the mindset of people helps him better understand each county’s hopes and dreams.
Gerber said she often throws out invitations to Carey and was excited he took the time to come to Holmes County to visit with the chamber members.
“I think it’s important to visit every county,” Carey said. “There are 32 counties in the Appalachian Region, and you don’t necessarily have to go to a big event to better understand where people are coming from. There’s a lot of good things going on all over the region, and there’s a lot of wonderful projects going on in Holmes County, so I wanted to be here to talk to people.”
Carey pointed to the downtown Killbuck streetlight project as one of the activities in which his organization is connected.
While he enjoys meeting and talking with people, Carey said it is his job to make connections. He said seeing the beautiful scenery throughout Holmes County also is one of the perks of visiting Holmes County.