All Dutchess County RegionalChamber of Commercemembers and their guests arecordially invited to attend theJanuary Contact Breakfastfor the State of the ChamberAddress delivered by President& CEO Charlie North. Thebreakfast, scheduled from 7:30-9a.m. at the Poughkeepsie GrandHotel and Conference Center onWednesday, January 18.North will provide Chamber

members with not only a recap ofthe exceedingly successful 2011year, but also a glimpse into thefuture of whats next for one ofthe most proactive and cutting-edge chambers in New YorkState. Several new initiativesand areas of focus for 2012 willbe introduced and discussed indetail. Members will also be ableto submit questions in advanceto be addressed by North at theend of the presentation.To reserve your place at the

January Contact Breakfast, call845-454-1700 ext. 1000 or visitwww.dcrcoc.org. Tickets cost$20 for Chamber members withadvance purchase, $25 at thedoor. Non-members can attendfor $30.In addition to the State of

the Chamber, not-for-profitmembers Taconic Resources forIndependence and MaranathaHuman Services will be on handto promote their organizations.The Chazen Companies sponsorthe January Contact Breakfast.The Chazen Companies

are professionals providingcivil engineering, landscape

architecture, planning, landsurveying, and environmentalconsulting in the Hudson Valleyfor over 60 years, and arededicated to delivering a broadrange of innovative, multi-disciplinary business solutionsto both their public and privateclients. For more information,visit www.chazencompanies.com.

Business After Hours, theChambers monthly after-work networking event, will beheld at the newly renovatedShadows on the Hudson (176Rinaldi Blvd., Poughkeepsie)on Wednesday, January 25from 5-7 p.m. Guests will enjoycomplimentary passed horsdoeuvres and a cash bar alongwith the opportunity to meetand network with fellow HudsonValley businesspeople.Shadows on the Hudson

recently underwent a makeoverto transition its dcor to its

current more sophisticated look.Sheer curtains now drape thefloor-to-ceiling windows, andnew light fixtures hang overa fresh dance floor creating aspace thats part Manhattanand part Las Vegas. For moreabout Shadows, visit www.shadowsonthehudson.com.Associated Abby Carpet &

Floor, The Brake Shop and QuintInvestments and Insurancesponsor the January BusinessAfter Hours. Associated AbbeyCarpet & Floor, a family ownedand operated business, opened

our doors in August of 1972. Forover 35 years Associated AbbeyCarpet & Floor has served theHudson Valleys Floor coveringneeds. Their expert designconsultants, with over 130 yearsexperience, are available toassist you with all of your floorcovering decisions. For moreinformation, visit wappingersfalls.abbeycarpet.com. The BrakeShop, owned and operatedby Mike Spinelli, is quicklybecoming one of the premierauto service shops in DutchessCounty. Providing much more

than brakes, The Brake Shopcan handle most small andlarge auto repair issues. Formore information, visit www.thebrakeshoponline. Tocontact Quint Investments andInsurance, a sole-proprietorshipoperated by Chamber associateboard member Wayne Quint,e-mail wquint@quintii.com.The event is complimentary

and open to the public, howeverreservations are requested. ToRSVP, call 845-454-1700 ext.1000 or visit www.dcrcoc.org.

JANUARY 2012DUTCHESS COUNTY REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Firmbach & Firmbach5x1

Business After Hours Heads to Shadows on the Hudson

Message From The Chair.............................2

Message From The County Executive .............. 3

Message From The Chamber President ........... .4

HVYP Toy Drive....................................... 5

WLA Seeking Mentors/Mentees ................... . 5

Next Generation Gala Awards..................... . 6

Go Red Reception .................................... 6

Upcoming Events ..................................... .7

Member News ...................................... 8-9

New Members .................................. .10-11

Ribbon Cutting Photos.......................... 12-13

Join the Hudson Valley Ski Club ................. 14

Scholarships Available ............................ 15

Are You Using Your SmartCard?. ................. 16

Business After Hourssponsored by:

Contact Breakfastsponsored by:

North to Deliver State of the Chamber

Check outpage 3 for amessage tothe businesscommunityfrom MarcusMolinaro,the newDutchessCountyExecutive

The Chamber invitesall members to attendour Annual Meeting/January Contact

Breakfast

PK-0000132982

Firmbach & FirmbachCertied Public Accountants

A F a m i l y A c c o u n t i n g p r a c t i c eOur family has been serving the Hudson Valleys Accounting

needs for the last 50 years.Call and ask for Karl or Rudy 845-454-5440

w w w . F i r m b a c h C P A s . c o m

2 JANUARY 2012 WWW.DCRCOC.ORG

Message from the Chair: Frank Castella, Jr.

The Bottom Line is a monthly publication of :The Dutchess County Regional Chamber of CommerceOne Civic Center Plaza Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

www.dutchesscountyregionalchamber.org(845) 454-1700 Fax: (845) 454-1702

The Bottom Line Volume 29 Number 1Annual Chamber membership includes a 1-year subscription to The Bottom Line

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce,One Civic Center Plaza, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

The Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce Web site,www.dutchesscountyregionalchamber.org, is developed and hosted by

Integrated Enterprise Solutions, Inc. (IES).

OfficersFrank Castella, Jr., Chair ........................Harmon & Castella Printing, Inc.Jill Sammon, 1st Vice Chair .............Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp.Joseph Bonura, Jr., 2nd Vice Chair ...................................... The GrandviewJohn Davies, Treasurer .........................................................Riverside BankVincent Ricotta, Secretary .............................................Friendly MotorcarsGaye Mallet, Past Chair .............................................Adams Fairacre FarmsStephen E. Diamond, Of Counsel .......................Vergilis, Stenger, Roberts,

Davis & Diamond, LLPDirectors

Renee Bulla ...........................................................Momentum AdvertisingSalvatore Calta, Jr. ................................................................................ IBMDr. Christine Huebner Caridi................................................Marist CollegeOri Brachfeld .......................................................Dash Lock & Key ServiceJan Dewey .................................................................. Poughkeepsie JournalJennifer Dunn ............... State Farm Insurance - The Jen Dunn Agency, Inc.Carol Gordon ........................................................Rhinebeck Savings BankKimberly Hunt Lee ..................................................McCabe & Mack LLPAlexandra Laubacker ......................................................................IES, Inc.Joseph Lepore ...............................................................LCS Facility GroupWilliam Lessner .........................................................Adams Fairacre FarmsJames Letterio, Jr. ............................................Sedore Hudson Valley CPAsTheodore Luty, Jr. ........................................................... Dorsey MetrologyPaul S. Mancarella ..................................................................DeS JewelersDoug McHoul ................................................McHoul Funeral Home, Inc.Rita McPeck ................................................................................. KeyBankDavid Ping .............................................................................Health QuestRobert Ranieri ........................................................... Rose & Kiernan, Inc.Pierrette Ruhland ............................................................Red Cap CleanersMary Schoonmaker ......................................................................TD BankJeffrey Senft ............................................ S & O Construction Services, Inc.Nicholas Shannon .........................Saint Francis Hospital & Health CentersJennifer Van Tuyl .........................................................Cuddy & Feder, LLPTomWeddell....................Vanacore, DeBenedictus, DiGovanni & Weddell

Associate Board MemberWayne Quint..............................................Quint Investments & Insurance

Chamber StaffCharles S. North ..............................................................President & CEOAudra B. Gerty ........................................ Executive Vice President & CFOGloria Cukar ...............................................Senior Vice President & COOGeoff Brault ......................................................Director of Media ContentDarlene Bruno ....................................................... Administrative AssistantKara DeMaio .................................................. Director of Media & DesignChristine Desi Desmoni ......................................Director of MembershipRich Kleban ..............................Director of Communications & MarketingStephanie Seymour ..................................................Director of OperationsCarmela Spreer ...................................................... Administrative AssistantLaurie S. White ......................................................Membership ConsultantHoward Lynne..............................................Volunteer Government Liaison

The Chamber Foundation StaffKarolyn Osborne ........................