Bob Rothe, Chairman of the Board, recently appointed Al Holmes of Optymize to serve an unexpired term on the Board of Directors. Al is the President of Optymize who works with clients to combine diverse marketing initiatives into a focused marketing strategy that supports their business objectives. Welcome Al!

There will be two Business After Hours mixers during October. The first one is scheduled for Thursday, October 16, 2003 at Staples, 812 W. McDermott and the second is scheduled for Thursday, October 30, 2003 at Community Credit Union, 225 S. Custer (McDermott and Custer). Both events will be held from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Please come out and support your fellow Chamber members and...remember to bring lots of business cards!

The Chamber will host a Nothing But Networking Luncheon on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 at 11:30 a.m. at Brazos Cattle Company. A buffet lunch will begin promptly at 11:30 and then the tables will be cleared at noon for a solid hour of...nothing but networking! The cost is $15 for members and $20 for prospective members. Reservations can be made by calling the Chamber office at 972-727-5585 or reservations@allenchamber.com.

The Allen Chamber of Commerce is providing office space to Representative Ken Paxton for his satellite office in Allen, which will be open on Tuesdays. Please stop by after Tuesday Morning LIVE to meet Rep. Paxton's District Director, Sheacy Thompson and see the new office. Ms. Thompson can be reached at
sheacy.thompson@house.state.tx.us or by calling (972)562-4543.

The new web portal for the Allen Chamber of Commerce is up and running and has already received over 11,000 hits since it's debut in early September! The new site includes free chamber email accounts, a personal calendar, an online address book, and a ‘my favorites’ section to save our member’s company information and contact information – this is available for anyone who is online at allenchamber.com! And, who are the beneficiaries of all of this online traffic? Our membership, that’s who! For advertising information, contact Karen Cromwell of ChamberOne at 214-228-7435

The Allen Chamber of Commerce will host a blood drive on Monday, November 24, 2003. Representatives from Carter BloodCare will have a mobile unit in the Chamber's parking lot from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. To make an appointment, contact Carol Rodgers at 972-727-5585. The need for blood is critical and your donation could help save a life during the holiday season.

Mark your calendars now for Celebrate Allen on Saturday, January 24, 2004 at the Renaissance Hotel in Richardson. The event is co-sponsored by the Allen Chamber of Commerce, the Allen Philharmonic Symphony and The Foundation for Allen Schools. More details will be published in the coming weeks.

The Small Business Development Center is offering several workshops designed for the small business owner. The classes are offered in cooperation with the Collin County Community College's Division of Continuing Education. For more information or to register, call 972-985-3711 in Plano or 972-548-6855 in McKinney.

All information including an entry form for the Rotary Holiday parade can be found at this web address: http://www.asrotary.org/parade.htm

Use the link to access the Chamber calendar and click on event for additional information.