Vice President’s Message: Making Time for What’s Ahead

By Taryn Crayton, Vice President

I’m writing this article on my dad’s 75th birthday. A lot can happen in a life that spans 75 years — moving homes, losing parents, gaining grandchildren, surviving two heart attacks, multiple joint replacements, years spent working on a farm, selling that family farm, and a 30-year career with UPS — not to mention all the national and international changes he’s witnessed along the way.

Talk to my dad, and you’ll quickly find that time is one of his favorite topics. And honestly, it’s something we all talk about. The days are long, but the years are short. Time… I don’t have enough of it. Time… just trying to balance work and life. Time… there are only 24 hours in a day, and what I get to, I get to; the rest will wait for tomorrow.

At the Chamber, we know this feeling well because we’ve said the same things, too. That’s why we are intentional about how we ask for your time. Every event we plan, every meeting we schedule, and every article or resource we share is carefully considered and thoughtfully curated. We want to ensure that when you choose to spend time with us, it’s meaningful and valuable to you.

Our upcoming events reflect that focus, and we’re thrilled to bring you programs that will spark ideas, strengthen connections, and move our businesses forward together.

First up is Breakfast Basics on October 29th, where we’re tackling healthcare, one of the biggest challenges for employers today. By partnering with My Benefit Advisor and the Susquehanna Human Resource Management Association, this session will help you better understand your options, whether you have 5 employees or 100. You’ll hear insights on current healthcare trends, cost-saving strategies, innovative plan designs that boost employee satisfaction, and local and national resources to support your organization.

Next is our annual Business Leadership Forum, happening on November 5th, which will focus on one of the most talked-about topics in business today, Artificial Intelligence (AI). This event will provide thought-provoking and practical information to move your organization forward and, yes, even save you time. Sessions will explore building an AI strategy for your business, marketing tools that make your outreach smarter, cybersecurity, and the ethics of AI. We’ll also emphasize the importance of in-person connection with a networking panel on why face-to-face relationships matter more than ever in our increasingly digital world.

These events - along with ribbon cuttings, the weekly E-Biz and Members News newsletters curated by Kyra, remote office hours, our Foundation programs supported by our intern Amber, advocacy efforts led by Chris, our Holiday Open House, the Annual Meeting, and Membership Mornings, are all designed with intention. We know your time is precious, and we are deeply grateful each time you choose to spend it with us. We promise to make every minute you share with the Chamber purposeful, informative, and worthwhile so that when you turn 75, you can be like my dad and look back with a clear return on your investment of that most precious commodity, time.