Grand Island Chamber of Commerce: Holiday party held at Launch Club

Approximately 100 people attended last Thursday's Grand Island Chamber of Commerce holiday party at the Buffalo Launch Club.

The chamber, now 305 members strong, held elections of new members of the board of directors, and raised money for the Neighbors Foundation and chamber scholarships at the party, chaired by Bonnie Sciuk.

Eric Fiebelkorn, president of the Grand Island Chamber of Commerce highlighted new developments in 2012 for the chamber. Among them:

•A Grand Island street map is back, with 8,000 printed.

Fiebelkorn called the street map "a beautiful product," and an asset for businesses members, people new to the town and travelers.

•The Grand Island Phone Book has undergone an upgrade, said Fiebelkorn.

"We've mades some major changes to what was traditionally the Grand Island Phone Book. Now it's going to be called the Grand Island Community Directory. There have been enhanced clubs and organizational information in the book. That's coming out in January," Fiebelkorn said.

•The Light Up the Boulevard parade was a smashing success.

"I've gotten more emails and phone calls about what a great time it was for the kids, for adults," Fiebelkorn said. "Fran McMahon really spearheaded that and just did a fantastic job in combination with a lot of other folk."

He said the chamber hopes to make the event an annual joint effort between the chamber and town, "and have it bigger and better next year

Fiebelkorn also recognized Chamber First Vice President Jim Sharpe, who stepped in as acting president as Fiebelkorn was ill.

"Jim, I'd like to personally thank you for that," Fiebelkorn said, calling Sharpe's leadership "a job well done."

The chamber recognized two retiring members of the board directors, Michael Trachimowicz of First Niagara and Joe Philippone of KeyBank.

Trachimowicz "served us very well at at a time when we re-looked at our budgets and restructured how the chamber works to be more cost-effective and efficient, and provide better services," Fiebelkorn said. "And that's a big job to walk into and he was really good."

Fiebelkorn praised Philippone, saying, "We were lucky to have him in the services he provided here for us in the chamber and the community," Fiebelkorn said.