Celebrating Small Business Saturday and ATHENA Honorees

There are two significant dates coming up on the Chamber calendar, and I encourage members and the general community to circle them.
 
The first is Small Business Saturday, coming up on November 27. It’s important we all continue to think and shop local – on this day and every other day – especially as the holiday season approaches. I recently saw an interesting sentiment on social media that said: “The work of local artists is not sitting on cargo ships.” Not only the work of local artists, but the work of all kinds of local businesses that are showing up for their customers deserve our support and your spending dollars. We can all play a key role in helping small businesses thrive by choosing to Shop Small first. Use the Chamber’s Business Directory in print or online at dcrcoc.org to see a list of area retail businesses, service providers, restaurants, and more.
 
And then we have the annual ATHENA Awards, with a ceremony to recognize 10 deserving local honorees on December 2. Bestowed annually, the ATHENA Award is given to members of the community who best embody the ATHENA Leadership Model. The Model is unique in that it focuses on personal traits of strong, successful leaders. It captures the spirit and collaborative leadership style often exemplified in women leaders, while also recognizing the importance of traits such as courageous acts and fierce advocacy in the pursuit of excellence. 
 
The Chamber Foundation will bestow the award to this year’s honorees is its 15^th annual such ceremony. See the November Hudson Valley Business Scene in the Poughkeepsie Journal for bios of each of the honorees and event details. I hope to see you all there to celebrate the accomplishments of these individuals including their community volunteer involvement and willingness to serve as a mentor – especially to women in the business community.
 

William Francis of Fortress Financial Advisory LLC is the Chamber’s Board of Directors Chair for 2021. You can reach him at wfrancis@lifemark.com.