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This year marks an exciting milestone for the Upper Valley Career Center as we celebrate 50 years of hands-on, career-focused education across our region! We’re also proud to mark the completion of our $18 million expansion, made possible through the State of Ohio Facilities Construction Commission’s Career Technical Expansion grant.

This project reflects five decades of growth, innovation, and commitment to preparing students for in-demand careers. The expanded facilities will enhance programs including Medical Careers Academy, First Responders Academy, Sports Medicine, Construction Technologies, Electrical Trades, Robotics & Automation, Building Maintenance, Manufacturing & Machining Technologies, and our Adult Education Healthcare programs.

To commemorate both our golden anniversary and this exciting new chapter, we invite you to join us for a Ribbon Cutting Celebration on Thursday, December 4, from 5:00 to 6:45pm.  Following the program, guests will be invited to tour our new facilities until 8:00pm.

I realize this invitation is being shared early, but with the busy fall season and upcoming holidays, I wanted to be sure it found a spot on your calendar. A formal invitation is attached with additional details.

Please let us know if you’ll be able to join us by RSVPing at the link here by November 21.

The Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce invites you to join us for the next session in our 2025 Chamber Seminar Series, focusing on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) — what it is, how it works, and why it’s vital for business growth.

Presented by Mary Tangeman, Chief Operations Officer at Marketing Essentials, this seminar will uncover how a well-implemented CRM helps businesses streamline processes, improve communication, and strengthen customer connections.

Attendees will learn how to:

• Define CRM and its key functions

• Debunk common CRM misconceptions

• Map their processes into a pipeline

• Use HubSpot tools for contact, deal stages, dashboards, and automation

• Choose KPIs and create a reporting cadence

This interactive workshop will include real-world examples and a quick look at HubSpot’s free, easy-to-use CRM. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to optimize your current system, this is a great opportunity to build a stronger foundation for growth.

📅 Wednesday, November 5
🕗 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
📍 Piqua Chamber of Commerce, 326 N. Main Street, Piqua, OH 45356

To register, call 937-773-2765 or email khostetler@piquaareachamber.com.

We wanted to share the email received regarding the recent Power Project Back 2 School Bash.

Reaching out with a heartfelt THANK YOU for the love and support that you showed to the Power Project and specifically to The Back 2 School Bash!

WOW! Did we touch A LOT of Piqua kids?!!!!! There were 678 kids that registered, and we believe more than that came through without registering.

So, it is very safe to say SEVEN HUNDRED PIQUA KIDS were served!

*Through the support of generous community donors and WRIGHT PATT CREDIT UNION, who brought a team that bought and stuffed over 600 bookbags!

*1,200 PAIRS OF SHOES were given out by Victory Church in Tipp City. They brought a team that prayed over and poured love into our students.

*100 HAIRCUTS! Holy cow! ONE HUNDRED students received a fresh haircut for the start of school. We had a team of seven amazing hairstylists, some who even brought a helper with them. All spent their time and talents to make kids feel good about themselves. Thank you – Julia Karn-Smith, Angie Christian, Avery Payton, Jenni Henke, Carrie Schmiesing Armes, Summer Clark and Lisa Dawson. *side note – ALL of PCS alumni!

*FOOD (and tennis shoes!) What is a bash, without food?! Thank you to Crooked Handle who prepared and served hundreds of hot dogs, to Lees’s Famous Chicken who provided brownies – all individually wrapped and ready to serve and to Jackie and Casey Lavey who provided and delivered hundreds of cold bottles of water! We also had KONA ICE that was provided for free to the families – over 800 cups were handed out and we have a large sponsor to thank for the help with that – Midwest Maintenance/Angie Giguere. ALSO! Kellianne Cookies provided AMAZING decorated cookies for The Power Project to hand out and cookies specifically for Piqua City School employees that attended (45+ PCS employees attended!) ALSO, to spread the love to PCS staff – Bryan and Jen Butsch donated 2 pairs of amazing shoes from Can’t Stop Running to 2 staff members. The winners have reported that their feet have never felt better 🙂

*Face Painting, sign making, Piqua gear and READING! Haley Krogman (PHS&BGSU grad!) blessed us with amazing face painting and sign making! Weeks prior to the event, I collected gently used books for all ages and gently used Piqua gear that was washed up and displayed nicely. Many kids received a book and a hoodie or t-shirt for the beginning of the school year as well!

*Giveaway FUN! The Piqua Community was VERY gracious with the donations of gift cards and even a couple of bikes! PCS donated 2 laundry baskets full of detergent and cleaning supplies – Heath Murray State Farm donated SIX $100 gc from Walmart, one winner from each of our buildings including Piqua Catholic, Jeff and Erin Meyer with Meyer Restoration donated VISA gift cards that were given out to very lucky students and Mark Reedy blessed 2 students with brand new bikes!

*MANY many thanks to all that financially supported the b2sb and the 70+ volunteers that worked the day of to make it such a huge success!

Clearly, I could write for days 😉 but I will leave you with some photos and also my deepest gratitude and so much love!

Shelli Mitchell

The Power Project

The Piqua Chamber of Commerce is hosting its 2025 Chamber Seminar Series with a focus on Digital Recruitment Strategies. This session will explore how businesses can attract, engage, and retain top talent in today’s competitive job market using modern tools and technology.

Presented by Mary Tangeman, Chief Operations Officer of Marketing Essentials, the seminar will cover key challenges in digital recruiting, effective strategies for talent acquisition, and best practices for managing the recruiting funnel. Attendees will gain actionable insights to optimize their hiring process, reduce costs, and strengthen their employer brand.

📅 Date: Wednesday, September 24
🕗 Time: 8 – 9:30 a.m.
📍 Location: Piqua Chamber of Commerce, 326 N Main Street, Piqua, OH

For details or to register, contact the Chamber at 937-773-2765 or email khostetter@piquaareachamber.com

Join us for the 51st Annual Steak Fry & Auction, presented by the Ambassador Club!

Date: Thursday, September 18, 2025 Location: Lloyd Fry’s Farm, 10328 N. Hardin Rd., Piqua, OH 45356 Dinner: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Auction: Begins at 6:00 PM

We’d like to thank our sponsors: McColloch Baker Insurance Service, Mutual Federal, and Morris Comfort Systems. We can’t wait to see you there!

The Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce the 42nd Annual Golf Outing, happening on Monday, July 21, 2025, at the beautiful Piqua Country Club.

This annual tradition is a great opportunity to enjoy a day on the greens with colleagues, clients, and fellow business professionals. Whether you’re a seasoned golfer or just enjoy a friendly round, this event is always a highlight of the summer.

Event Details:

• Date: Monday, July 21, 2025
  (Rain Date: Monday, July 28, 2025)

• Location: Piqua Country Club, 9812 N. Country Club Rd., Piqua, OH 45356

• Cost: $180 per player / $720 per foursome

• Deadline to Sign Up: July 1, 2025

Don’t wait—space is limited, and this event fills up fast! It’s a great chance to network, relax, and support the Chamber’s mission in a fun and active way.

Download  the Registration Form

The Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations until 5pm on Monday, November 25, 2024, for the “Business Person of the Year” award. Nominees should be a member of the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce; their business should be located within the 45356 zip code; they should be actively involved with the enhancement of the City of Piqua including their business, community, and/or the Chamber of Commerce; this person should be active in the betterment of the business community; the recipient should be recognized as a leader in the community; and this person should be successful in their chosen professional.

Nomination forms can be obtained at the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce or below.

Please contact Kathy Sherman at 773-2765 or email ksherman@piquaareachamber.com should you have questions.

Download the Application

The Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for the next recipient of the highest and most prestigious “Order of George” Award. The award is presented annually to a Piqua resident, to honor an individual who exemplifies the best in volunteer and community service.

Do you know of a deserving co-worker, friend, relative or neighbor, who is always willing to go the extra mile in an effort to make the Piqua community a better place to live and work?
The nominee must be living in the greater Piqua area or spend a significant portion of his/her time in greater Piqua (i.e. volunteering, work, etc.); must have contributed extensively of their time and talents in promoting and enhancing the quality of life in the greater Piqua area; the nominee must have demonstrated extensive and diverse participation, leadership and support in public and/or private civic endeavors over a significant period of years; the volunteer participation must be without regard to personal or professional gain; and the nominee should be a positive role model in the community and/or in his/her profession.

Applications are available at the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce or online HERE. The deadline for accepting nomination applications is before 5 p.m., November 25, 2024.

Please contact Kathy Sherman at (937)773-2765 or email ksherman@piquaareachamber.com should you have questions.

The criteria for selection are as follows:

• The nominee must be living in the greater Piqua area or spend a significant portion of his/her time in greater Piqua (i.e. volunteering, work, etc.)
• The nominee must have contributed extensively of their time and talents in promoting and enhancing the quality of life in the greater Piqua area.
• The nominee must have demonstrated extensive and diverse participation, leadership and support in public and/or private civic endeavors over a significant period of years.
• The nominee’s volunteer participation must be without regard to personal
• or professional gain.
• The nominee is a positive role model in the community and/or in his/her profession.
• There shall be no Chamber of Commerce membership requirements for the selection of a nominee.
• The selections are made without regard to race, color, creed, gender, age or national origin.