Good Afternoon, Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce Members,

It is my sincere pleasure and honor to announce the promotion of Samantha M. Chivinski to the position of Executive Vice President of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce. This title has only been used once before in the history of the chamber and comes with great work, responsibility, and leadership!

Samantha has worked very diligently for the chamber over the last four years and eight months. She has grown in the chamber and with our members. She has a full and complete working understanding of all aspects of the chamber. She has served in the role of Events and Communications Director, and when the opening occurred and I determined the necessity to serve the best interests of the chamber and our members, she voluntarily converted her role to Member Relations Director. In both roles, she performed with excellence and distinction. 

She has grown professionally, not only inside our chamber, serving our 770 business and non-profit members, but in state and national peer organizations. She is currently pursuing her IOM designation through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Institute for Organization Management, an intense 4 year diversified education process in all aspects of chamber management and leadership. She is recognized by her peers in the Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals (PACP) as an inventive, idea-generating leader. Our recognition as 2022 PACP Chamber of the Year was much to her credit and due diligence as she worked with our staff and me to achieve excellence. She received the Chad Amond Conference Scholarship at our recent PACP Chamber Professionals & Leadership Conference, in named honor of a highly recognized leader inside the PACP family. Her work with Kyle Sexton and the Chamber Insiders group of national leaders provides her professional growth and best practices development benefiting our chamber and members.

In her role as Executive Vice President, she will serve in a crucial senior-level position. She will have managerial responsibilities and will oversee all Chamber projects, programs, and services, and as we develop our staff realignment will have the Member Services Director, the Events and Marketing Director, and the Financial and Administrative Director all working with and reporting through her. She will report directly to me as President and CEO and we will collaboratively work to carry out the Vision and Mission of the Chamber. As we have in the past, with our team being a strong cohesive work unit, the President and the Executive Vice President will work to assure the team members have the leadership and guidance necessary to perform the very best for our members.

I have asked Renee Buchanan to be retitled to Member Services Director. She has already assumed staff leadership of the Member Service Committee and the Ambassadors Committee. Her role as Community Outreach Director will now simply be rolled into her title and job duties as Member Relations Director. Renee has done a great job of new member recruitment and utilizing chamber value-added services and programs to recruit and retain chamber members. Her work ethic and incentives to achieve for the chamber and our members remain very strong.

Kelly Huber continues to develop in her role as Financial and Administrative Director and we appreciate her steadfastness and our members' cooperation and patience as we continue to work through staff and customer relationship management system conversion.

Dominique Hughes continues in a part-time role, as her last semester at Penn State Schuylkill commences. Dominique has decided to relocate to Maryland post-graduation, due to her boyfriend graduating with an Engineering degree and accepting his first job in Maryland. Unfortunately, that means post-graduation that our transition plan to move Dominique into the Events and Marketing Director position has now been altered. We respect Dominique’s decision and she will continue to work with us until her graduation in May 2023. We have begun a search for an Events and Marketing Director and we are hopeful that early in 2023 that hire can be made.

These position realignments are part of an evolution and transition that over my almost 14 years as chamber leader have resulted in a stronger, more vibrant chamber. We expect very positive results from these decisions and promotions and the continued development of the chamber staff. I greatly appreciate the full support of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors who were apprised and approved these realignments with enthusiasm. While we are honored by our current status of “2022 PACP Chamber of the Year” and the work that went into achieving that status over many years, our development as a chamber to serve our Vision and Mission depends very much on staff development and recognition and rewards for growth and leadership.

I know you will join me in sincerely congratulating Samantha Chivinski, Executive Vice President, for her well-earned promotion and the recognition of leadership this promotion provides. I have always said she is my “right and left hand” and no one is more pleased to bestow this promotion on her than I am. Equally so, I encourage your continued support to Renee Buchanan as she grows with our team and broadens her role in Member Services and ongoing enhancement of outreach to all our members.

The Chamber staff and Board of Directors are hoping to see you all at the SEDCO/Chamber Holiday Party next Wednesday, December 14, 2022, at Vito’s Coal Fired Restaurant in St. Clair, PA. We have a very special evening and celebration planned for you!

Wishing you All a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year!

Sincerely,

Robert S. Carl, Jr.

President & CEO