Like most veterans, when US Marine Corps Sergeant Major Chris Thomas left military service, he weighed his options and asked himself a tough question: “What am I going to do, now?” Transitioning jobs can be emotionally draining and mentally exhausting for anyone, but for veterans thrust into civilian life, the prospects are daunting.

In 2022, Chris founded Elite 9 Veteran Talent Acquisition Services, LLC, an employment placement and business consulting firm focused on matching candidates with the right jobs. The Elite 9 team also provides employers with leadership development training, helping to facilitate the conversations that
resolve workplace conflicts, create a more cohesive team, and a more positive work environment for everyone.

“I’ve seen so many service men and women (who perform well in active-duty) struggle immensely when they get out. When I envisioned this company, I wanted to find ways to partner companies with veterans (or those wanting to work with more veterans) but what I quickly realized was that, while there are veterans in need, these companies could also use other services including workforce development solutions that went beyond recruiting, to retaining employees,” said Chris.

PROCURING A FLIGHT PLAN
In June 2001, Chris joined the Marine Corps and began working in the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron stationed in Beaufort, SC. From 2005-2008, he took a special duty assignment as a Drill Instructor in Parris Island, SC before moving on to high-level aviation logistics in Norfolk, VA. He was then selected to train Navy Officers at Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI. In 2015, he was among the rarified few chosen to serve as First Sergeant.

“It takes a special person to become First Sergeant,” said Chris.

Enlisted service personnel positions are sorted into an E-1 to E-9 ranking system, he explained; First Sergeants are selected from a competitive list of E-7 level Gunnery Sergeants. As First Sergeant, Chris’ duty was to perform human resources tasks for companies with 160 – 600 people. As a senior advisor to the Commanding Officer of the unit, as First Sergeant Chris’ responsibilities also included boosting and maintaining morale, promoting general welfare, addressing disciplinary issues, as well as guiding personnel through the strict brig regimen, the legal measures of losing rank, and processing out of the Marine Corps.

DEFUSING DRAG
In 2019, after a board review of Chris’ Marine Corps experience, he was selected to the rank of Sergeant Major. After achieving this elite E-9 status, Chris was ordered to Recruiting Duty, and was responsible for Marine Corps recruiting in Boston, MA, Central and Eastern Pennsylvania. As fortune would have it, it was in Pennsylvania where he’d also be closer to Anne, a Lake George, NY native he’d met online. Then, after 20 years of service, Chris left the Marine Corps to marry Anne and join civilian life in Upstate New York.

“There are a lot of veterans embedded into the Warren, Washington, and Saratoga Counties with organizations like the VFW, Veteran’s Affairs, County Services, and the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program (which offers holistic grants so those leaving service can be more effective). In my experience, I’ve never seen anywhere else as responsive to veterans,” said Chris.

DEPLOYING THE LANDING GEAR
“As long as you do what you’re told to do, and how you’re told to do it, you’ll be ok (and get that paycheck twice a month),” said Chris about military service. This level of job security puts veterans transitioning into the civilian workforce, and its relative unreliability, in a precarious position. Unsure of how to translate their military skills into civilian terms, veterans may take a temporary position to pay the bills, then stay on; dissatisfied, but glad to be putting food on the table.

Elite 9’s rigorous, mission-focused mindset instead puts job seekers in the pilot’s seat with effective career search strategies, expert resume writing services, and a specialized job bank of available openings. Elite 9 writes 2-page resumes for candidates applying for non-federal positions, and detailed 4–6-page descriptions for Federal agencies – giving problem-solvers with a readiness to adapt and perform a leg-up in securing these coveted positions.

MASTERING THE SWITCH
Finding the talent to fill civilian job openings is only part of the Elite 9 equation. They also act as head-hunters and facilitate candidate-employer connections through the Department of Defense (DOD) SkillBridge Program, placing service members in valuable paid internships with civilian companies during
their last 180 days of service. An obvious advantage for interns looking to gain work experience, the DOD SkillBridge Program also comes at zero cost to employers (as service members will continue receiving their military compensation and benefits during their internship).
Local companies including State Farm, Mr. Electric, and Miller Mechanical Services have currently been approved to participate in the program, making them visible to the nearly 200,000 highly-trained and motivated service members making the transition into the civilian workforce each year.

SOARING TO GREAT HEIGHTS
Although a life spent in the line of duty already provides unique cross-training in multiple skill sets, Chris understands knowledge is power and has added a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, and two Master’s Degrees in Public and Business Administration to his long list of military credentials. He also chose to participate in the Resilience-Building Leadership Program, an authorized DOD Training Partner, working to create comradery while building resilience within companies.
After an initial consultation, Chris conducts DiSC personality assessments to categorize employees by their learning style. In addition to being a catalyst for successful decision making (that allows managers at every level of the company to identify issues and respond), Chris also uses what he discovers to conduct conversations that create cohesive teams.
Then, after approximately six months, Elite 9 revisits its business clients for feedback and to address any concerns that may still exist, building accountability into the system, and leading by example.

For more information, find Elite 9 Veteran Talent Acquisition Services, LLC on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and at elite9vtas.com

AI (artificial intelligence) is all the rage right now.

It seems like you cannot open an email, watch the news, or listen to a podcast without hearing something about AI. I am not an expert on all things AI; however, I have had the opportunity to conduct a few interviews on the subject, have done a fair amount of research, and in turn have formulated my opinions on the use and integration of AI into our everyday lives.

I want to state formally that I am not against AI or any form of technology that seems to be expanding and evolving at an ever increasing rate. However, I am against using AI or any tech just for the sake of using it. I believe that when it comes to many things, we (humans) often blunder into things without stopping to consider the repercussions – just look at social media if you want a previous
example, or giving cell phones and tablets to toddlers, cooking with non-stick pans, smoking cigarettes… The list goes on.
These things always seemed great at the time and we never stopped to look at the larger consequences of what we were doing or the things we were using. I don’t believe that AI is much different from any of these. There is this great new emerging technology that will be bringing this great benefit to all of us. What is that benefit? Like many things, it is probably going to make our lives easier, but at what cost? What are the longer term repercussions? Have we even stopped to think about it?

It’s important not to get confused by the term “Intelligence.” AI, as we know it today, is nothing more than predictive math. It does not think, it does not consider, it simply solves probability equations. In my experience, every math teacher I’ve ever had has advised — and many times mandated — that students check their work. AI is no different. We, the humans at the steering wheel, need to be the guiding presence for the technology.
As I said earlier, I am not against these things. Currently we employ many tools that are now considered AI. In fact, I’m scheduled to sit on an AI panel in March to discuss its uses in marketing. Whether it’s in ad platforms or using tools like ChatGPT, our team is always exploring the new exciting world of AI, looking for new methods and pathways to be more efficient. So, our intent here is not to discredit or give our opinions on why you should or should not use AI – rather, it is to give you a reason to pause, slow down, or maybe just investigate the technology a bit more before jumping in with both feet.

We had ChatGPT write the article because, well, can you argue with a self-assessment? We are including the whole interaction, prompts and answers. Fingers crossed that none of it infringes anyone’s copyright, and that the software’s answers are not hallucinations (“hallucinations” is the term used for when ChatGPT makes something up, which apparently it often does). Enjoy!

Title: “ChatGPT’s Confession: Navigating the Limits in Content Creation”

Introduction
Greetings, humans! It’s your friendly neighborhood ChatGPT here, ready to spill some digital tea on why I might not be the knight in shining armor for all your content creation needs. Buckle up as I take you on a byte-sized journey through my strengths and stumbles, straight from the algorithm’s mouth.
The Accuracy Conundrum
Let’s dive right into the rabbit hole of accuracy. Yes, I’m a linguistic wizard, but I confess, the realm of hard facts is a bit tricky for me. Brown et al. (2020) pointed out that, in the dance of generating responses, I might sometimes trip over my own feet and end up leading you astray into the land of inaccuracies.
While I’m designed to dazzle with words, discerning the nuances of factual precision isn’t exactly my forte. So, when it comes to content creation that demands impeccable accuracy, consider me your co-pilot, not the captain.
Contextual Coherence: My Achilles’ Heel
Now, let’s talk about the intricate dance of maintaining contextual coherence. Short and sweet responses? I ace that. But extending the symphony over longer passages? That’s where the rhythm might get a bit wonky. Holtzman et al. (2020) highlighted my sensitivity to input phrasing – a slight tweak, and the dance might lead us to a different ballroom altogether. Crafting an engaging narrative that seamlessly flows from one point to the next is a challenge I’m still mastering.
Think of me as the conductor who occasionally fumbles with the baton. It’s a good idea to have a human editor to polish the notes and make sure our symphony doesn’t hit a sour chord.
The Illusive Control Over Style and Tone
Ah, the subtleties of style and tone! I can mimic various styles, but achieving precise control is like trying to catch a digital butterfly. OpenAI (2021) spilled the beans on this – I might not always hit the mark when it comes to your intended style and tone.
So, if you’re aiming for a specific voice in your content, think of me as your AI co-author rather than the solo virtuoso. A human touch can fine-tune the nuances and ensure our collaboration produces the right vibes.
Conclusion
There you have it, my dear creators – the confessions of ChatGPT. While I’m here to sprinkle some linguistic magic, I’m not without my quirks. The quest for accuracy, the dance of contextual coherence, and the elusive control over style and tone are the hills I’m still climbing.
Consider me your AI companion in the content creation journey, but not the sole captain of the ship. Collaborate with me, guide me, and let the sparks fly as we create content that seamlessly blends the best of both worlds – the precision of algorithms and the artistry of human creativity.

Sources:
Brown, T. B., et al. (2020). “Language Models are Few-Shot Learners.” arXiv:2005.14165.
Holtzman, A., et al. (2020). “The Curious Case of Neural Text Degeneration.” arXiv:1904.09751.
OpenAI. (2021). “ChatGPT: Improving Default Behavior.” Retrieved from https://openai.com/blog/
chatgpt-default-behavior

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) is pleased to announce the addition of Chris Barden, Chief Operating Officer of North Country Janitorial, to their Board of Directors in 2024.

“We are so excited to welcome Chris Barden to the ARCC Board of Directors,” said ARCC President Tricia Rogers. “Chris brings with him a lot of knowledge on the operations of a small business, as well as giving
back to the community.”

Mr. Barden joined North Country Janitorial Inc. (NCJ) in 2011, and currently holds the position of Chief Operating Officer. He joined NCJ after a 10-year career with Casella Waste where he was the Senior Operations Analyst. Mr. Barden is a former army officer and graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He leverages his diverse background as a soldier, a waste management professional, a leadership training instructor, and as an entrepreneur to facilitate a responsive and proactive operational setting at North Country Janitorial. Additionally, Mr. Barden serves on the Board of Directors of the Warren County Economic Development Corporation and the Adirondack Vet’s House.

The ARCC would also like to express our gratitude for the Board service of Crystal Grimaldi, of Ideal Dairy Farms. Grimaldi served as ARCC Board Secretary for many years, and the ARCC thanks her for her dedication to the organization and her continued support. Jennifer Whalen, of Rozell Industries, will now serve as Board Secretary.

The Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) is excited to announce the promotion of two team members – former Marketing Director Amanda Blanton will now serve as Vice President, Marketing & Communications, and former Events Manager Carol Ann Conover will now serve as Director of Events & Community Engagement.

“These two ladies have really grown in their positions, and as the ARCC is ready to take it to the next level I am confident that Amanda and Carol Ann will continue to lead and excel in their roles,” said ARCC President & CEO Tricia Rogers.

Ms. Blanton joined the ARCC team in August of 2016, after serving as a marketing & call center representative for a credit union in Saratoga Springs. She has been responsible for all marketing and communications for the Chamber, hosts the Chamber’s weekly radio show, regularly writes for business related publications, and has successfully increased the ARCC’s social media presence. She also serves as the staff liaison to the Adirondack Nonprofit Business Council.

“Every step in my career path has certainly led me to where I am today. The past 7+ years at the ARCC have been a rewarding and educational experience. I feel much pride and joy in the work that I do for this organization and greater community. I am truly excited to grow in my new role,” said Ms. Blanton.

Ms. Conover joined the team in January of 2021, bringing with her a diverse professional background spanning multiple business sectors. She has been active in the Adirondack region and Glens Falls community since moving here permanently in 2013. Carol Ann also serves as the staff liaison for the ARCC’s Women’s Business Council, Veterans Business Network, and Leadership Adirondack.

“Growing with the ARCC and our amazing community these last 3 years has been nothing short of inspiring. The way our members come together to support our mission and celebrate each other is truly a gift. I’m excited to continue the momentum and excitement this team has created in my new role as Director of Events & Community Engagement – I am grateful to my teammates for this opportunity and to our members for their constant support and encouragement. Thank you for putting your trust in me and in the ARCC. Together, there is no limit to what we will achieve!” said Ms. Conover.

ABOUT THE ARCC
Founded in 1914, the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) is a membership organization representing businesses in New York State’s Washington, Warren, Essex, and Northern Saratoga Counties. The ARCC is a 501c6 not-for-profit corporation, governed by volunteer Board of Directors, and does not receive any funding from local, county or state governments. Our mission is to support our business community through advocacy, education, connection, and collaboration.