Author: Amanda Blanton

Veterans Business Network of the ARCC hosting 4th Annual Walk for Veteran Suicide Awareness & Prevention

Written by Amanda Blanton on September 3, 2024. Posted in ARCC Spotlight, Business, Community, Featured, GFT Business Report, News.

*Resource booths setup around Glens Falls City Park, offering information to Veterans, friends & family. Photos courtesy of the ARCC.*

The Veterans Business Network of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) is once again planning a walk for Veteran suicide awareness and prevention.

The 4th annual walk will take place, rain or shine, on Thursday, September 12th starting at 3:30 p.m. in Glens Falls City Park. After brief remarks, a 22-minute walk will commence to recognize the approximately 22 Veterans that are lost to suicide every day.

“As we prepare for this walk, just remember that what we perceive in others is just the surface. Unless they share their feelings, we don’t really know their true emotional wellbeing,” said Veterans Business Network Chair Sean Dion, also President at Mr. Electric of Queensbury.

“Within the ranks of our Veterans and First Responders, we owe it to them to be their sixth sense, to be there before a crisis; and get them to proper care.

Please come and support not only Veteran suicide awareness, but the vast resource network that took time from their day to do the same. We have grown each year due to your continued support of our mission!”

The Veterans Business Network (VBN), of the ARCC, was established in 2021 to create a safe space for Veteran business owners, and Veterans in the workforce, to connect, collaborate, and share resources. Regular meetings were held, and annual food & necessities drives to benefit organizations helping Veterans were planned, but the annual walk had its own story.

In 2021, the VBN partnered with the VFW Post 2475 to organize what was then known as the “Stop 22 Walk.” Stop 22 was an initiative, started in 2018, between the Department of NY Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and one of the nation’s leading health and well-being companies HUMANA, to increase awareness of Veterans committing suicide; 22 Veterans are lost each day.

“As a veteran, I know firsthand that one life lost to suicide is too many. Events like the ARCC Veteran Suicide Awareness & Prevention Walk are crucial in raising awareness and fostering open conversations about mental health. Together, we can identify those in need and ensure they receive the care necessary to heal and thrive before it’s too late,” said Christopher Thomas, MPA, RBLP-T & founder of Elite 9 Talent Solutions.

In addition to raising awareness, the event will raise money for Kee to Independent Growth, LLC (KIGI) to help support their Veteran programs. Last year’s beneficiary organization was Alliance180.

“The team at Alliance180 is honored to once again participate in this important event. Our mission at A180 is to prevent suicide and reduce the effects of trauma for Veterans, first responders, and front-line healthcare workers. We thank the ARCC Veterans Business Network for bringing attention to this issue through this annual walk,” said Bob Nevins, Founder.

As the event grew, the addition of resource booths really began adding value. This year, multiple agencies will be on site to share resource materials and information specifically for Veterans.

Some of these agencies include: ASCEND Mental Wellness, Southern Adirondack Independent Living (SAIL), NY State Department of Veterans Services, Alliance180, the SUNY Adirondack Joseph P. Dwyer Peer-to-Peer Program, and many more.

“Communities are at their best when those capable of helping show up. This suicide and prevention walk highlights our cause for Veterans, but it’s also for every member of this community impacted by the tragedy of suicide; from our first responders to our family, friends, and neighbors. Join us and walk side-by-side as we strive to strengthen communication and coordination on suicide awareness and prevention,” said Amie & Juan Gonzales, President & Chief Financial Officer of Hunt Companies, Inc., and members of the ARCC Veterans Business Network.

This event is open to the public and generally draws about 150 people, including elected officials and community leaders. Please consider coming out to show your support on Thursday, September 12th, starting at 3:30 p.m. in Glens Falls City Park. Donations are appreciated and will go to benefit the Veterans programs provided by Kee to Independent Growth, LLC (KIGI).

ARCC Receives 45 Nominees for Annual Business Awards

Written by Amanda Blanton on July 30, 2024. Posted in ARCC Spotlight, Business, Community, Featured, GFT Business Report, News.

Nominees to be recognized, and winners announced at a breakfast ceremony on October 3^rd

Pictured left: Michele Morehouse (Communications Coordinator), Nicole Casey (Director of HR), ARCC President Tricia Rogers, and Andrea Deepe (CEO) of ASCEND Mental Wellness – winners of the 2023 Large Nonprofit of the Year award Pictured right: Cullen Fuller, ARCC President Tricia Rogers, and Ethan Hall of Rucinski Hall Architecture – winners of the 2023 Professional Business of the Year award. All Photos courtesy of the ARCC.

It was in 1991 when the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) first introduced its annual business awards.

That first year saw one business being honored as the “Small Business of the Year”, and the business was Leland Paper Company, Inc. The following year saw the awards grow to two categories, adding on a “Rookie Business” category.

Then in 2005, the “Steven M. Sutton Small Business Award” was created to honor Mr. Sutton, who co-founded Sutton’s Marketplace, which stood at 1066 US Route 9 in Queensbury and has since been home to many businesses. To those who knew him, he was a man of vision, an entrepreneur, and everything that embodied a small business owner and valued community member.

To this day, the ARCC still holds onto his legacy, keeping the “Steven M. Sutton Small Business Award” as a part of this annual event.

Throughout the years and decades, the event grew to add on more categories, and celebrate the amazing businesses that make up the Adirondack region of upstate New York. Aside from taking a break from the event in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards ceremony has been growing year after year. Which brings us to present day, and the ARCC receiving a record 45 nominations in 7 categories.

For a three-week period in the month of May, the ARCC asked for nominations and the community delivered.

“The ARCC Business Awards is one of my favorite events of the year. Watching businesses come together and celebrate each other’s success is something truly incredible,” said ARCC President & CEO Tricia Rogers.

“This year we have a record number of nominees with 45 businesses, within 7 categories, which is a great testament to how special our business community is.”

The ARCC is thrilled to announce the nominees, in their respective categories:

Large Business of the Year Nominees: Arnoff Moving & Storage, GTM Payroll & HR, Upstate Transit of Saratoga, The VMJR Companies, Six Flags Great Escape, and Warren County Sheriff’s Office.

Professional Business of the Year Nominees: Irongate Family Practice, Capital CFO+, Fenimore Asset Management, Southern Adirondack REALTORS®, CEFO Advisors, Etched in Valor, and Bartlett, Pontiff, Stewart & Rhodes, P.C

Steven M. Sutton Small Business of the Year Nominees: Erbessd Instruments, Queensbury Billiards & Café, Career Jam, Elite 9 Talent Solutions, LayerEight, OrbitalFire Cybersecurity, Hogwash Cleaning Solutions, Hunt Companies, Inc., White Glove Janitorial Services.

Rookie Business of the Year Nominees: Elevation Medical Aesthetics, Kopf Property Management, and Madrina Molly LLC.

Large Nonprofit Organization Nominees: High Peaks Hospice, Moreau Emergency Squad Inc., Family YMCA of Glens Falls Area, and BHSN.

Small Nonprofit Organization Nominees: Alliance180, Tri-County United Way, Wiawaka Center for Women, The Hyde Collection, Lake George Land Conservancy, the Council for Prevention, North Shore Animal League Adirondack Region Cat Adoption Center, Dake Foundation for Children, Zonta Club of Glens Falls, Glens Falls Area Youth Center, Common Roots Foundation, Soroptimist of the Adirondacks, Adirondack Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and the World Awareness Children’s Museum.

Community Champion Nominees: Hannaford Supermarket and The Sagamore Resort.

The nominees will be recognized, and winners announced, at an awards breakfast, on Thursday, October 3, 2024 at the Queensbury Hotel in Glens Falls, NY. Registration is open for the event. Learn more by visiting www.adirondackchamber.org/events/details/annual-arcc-business-awards-2024-4497

ARCC Seeking Nominations for 36th Annual J. Walter Juckett Community Service Award

Written by Amanda Blanton on July 8, 2024. Posted in Business, Community, Featured, GFT Business Report.

Pictured: ARCC President Tricia Rogers and 35th Annual J. Walter Juckett honoree Robert Nemer. Photo courtesy of Andy Camp.

It was about 36 years ago, when board members of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) got together and decided to create an award that would honor a community member for their philanthropic work and positive impact in our region.

They named the award the “J. Walter Juckett Award” after a businessman whose leadership and commitment transgressed a wide range of civic, charitable, religious, political, business and educational activities.

But who was J. Walter Juckett?
Before making his impact in our region, J. Walter Juckett attended and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in electrical engineering from Norwich University, a private military college in Northfield, Vermont.
He also met his wife Elizabeth there. After his mother, mother-in-law, and wife all succumbed to cancer, Juckett was inspired to find ways to prevent, detect and treat cancer.

With some strategic partnerships, the Lake Champlain Cancer Research Organization (LCCRO) was formed in 1979, and after Juckett’s death in 1988, the LCCRO morphed into the J. Walter Juckett Cancer Research Foundation. To this day the Foundation provides funding for continued cancer research projects at the University of Vermont Cancer Center.

After receiving his engineering degree, Juckett began his career at the Hurlbut Paper Company in Massachusetts where his father, Frank A. Juckett, served as President. But during the depths of the Great Depression, the Juckett father-son team were enticed to move to Hudson Falls, NY to take over management of the Sandy Hill Iron and Brass Works – a manufacturer that specialized in equipment for the paper industry. The Jucketts positively shaped the future of Sandy Hill and the pulp and paper industry.

Aside from his successful business career, Juckett was recognized as a major community leader in his adopted home, the Village of Hudson Falls, and the entire region. He was recognized with honors for his work and contributions to the Boy Scouts of America, New York Business Development Corporation, Salvation Army, Norwich University, Presbyterian Church, Hudson Falls Central School and many other organizations. Juckett also served as President of Richmor Aviation, Director of the Glens Falls Insurance Co., Director of Kamyr Inc., Director of Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company, Chairman of the Lake Champlain Cancer Research Organization, and Chairman of the Adirondack Samaritan Counseling Center. He was a tireless worker for the arts, having served as a director of the Lake George Opera, and a major force in The Hyde Collection Capital Campaign. The list goes on and on…

Juckett left behind a legacy of hard work, community service and inspiration. Scholarships, awards, and foundations carry his name, which made naming an annual community service award after him most appropriate. And here we are, 36 years later, seeking the next J. Walter Juckett Award honoree.

If reading some of J. Walter Juckett’s story has inspired you to do some good work in your community – great! If his story is reminiscent of someone you know, the ARCC wants to hear about it.

Through July 8th, the ARCC will be accepting nominations for our 36th Annual J. Walter Juckett Award. We are looking to recognize and honor an extraordinary individual who has selflessly gone above and beyond by contributing time and energy to help others.

Past honorees include Charles R. Wood, Paul E. Pontiff, Esq., Bob Joy, Elizabeth Miller, Mark Behan, Dr. John Rugge, and most recently Robert Nemer. These individuals founded, owned, and operated successful businesses & organizations and gave back to their communities by serving on boards, committees, task forces and more. We are fortunate to live and work in a region where individuals such as them live and work alongside us.

Please visit the ARCC website for more information, and to submit your nominations, before July 8, 2024: adirondackchamber.org/j.-walter-juckett-community-service-award

The 36th Annual J. Walter Juckett Award will be presented at the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner on March 7, 2025 at The Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing.