Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce is set to host an exciting double celebration on behalf of the Paulding County Park District Board on Wednesday, November 29th, 2023, with back-to-back ribbon-cutting ceremonies unveiling beautiful spaces at Rochester Park and Cecil Bridge Park. Event Details: - Date: Wednesday, November 29th, 2023 - Time: 12:00pm - Locations: - Rochester Park - 11885 Road 424, Cecil, OH 45821 - Cecil Bridge Park - 179908 Road 105, Cecil, OH 45821 Local residents, community leaders, and media are invited to join in the festivities, showcasing the results of extensive park revitalization projects. The celebration will continue seamlessly from Rochester Park to Cecil Bridge Park, offering attendees the opportunity to explore both newly renovated areas.
The Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for an extraordinary shopping extravaganza as the much-anticipated "Shop the Village" event returns for another year. On Saturday, November 25th, over 25 local vendors and businesses will unite to celebrate Shop Small Saturday, offering a unique and diverse shopping experience for residents and visitors alike.
Shop Small Saturday is an annual event that encourages communities to support local businesses and artisans. "Shop the Village" takes this concept to new heights, bringing together vendors who will showcase their exceptional products and services. From handcrafted goods to one-of-a-kind treasures, shoppers can expect to discover an array of items that reflect the rich tapestry of our local creative community.
Shop the Village promises a delightful shopping experience with something for everyone, including unique gifts, art, jewelry, fashion, and more. Each vendor has a diverse range of offerings, ensuring that attendees can find the perfect items for their holiday shopping lists or treat themselves to something special.
"We're excited to bring back Shop the Village for another year, showcasing the incredible talent and creativity that our local community has to offer," said Erica Noggle, Executive Director, Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce. "This is a fantastic opportunity for Paulding County residents to discover unique gifts, support local entrepreneurs, and celebrate the spirit of Shop Small Saturday right here in our own backyard."
With the holiday season just around the corner, "Shop the Village" provides a wonderful opportunity for shoppers to find thoughtful and meaningful gifts while contributing to the vitality of the local economy.
On Wednesday, October 26th, 2023, the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce marked a special moment at the Black Swamp Nature Center by hosting the ribbon cutting of the new Pavilion!
“We are thrilled to announce that our new pavilion is now open to visitors,” says Anna Gurney, Educational Specialist, Paulding Soil and Water Conservation District. “This project has been a labor of love, and we are grateful to everyone who has contributed to its success.”
The ODNR NatureWorks grant was awarded in November of 2021 for Black Swamp Nature Center improvements. The amount awarded was $40,726. Those funds were used for updates to the interior of the Nature Center Building in 2022 and the pavilion was built in 2023. To complete the pavilion, additional funds were needed. Many donations were received from the community including those from the Paulding County Area Foundation, Cooper Farms Foundation, Paulding Putnam Operation Round Up, and Ag Credit Mission Funds allowing for the completion of the project.
The beautiful pavilion is custom designed for the site allowing it to fit perfectly into the natural setting. It is open to the public during daylight hours and is first come, first served. We are proud to have it as an improvement to the Black Swamp Nature Preserve. Come enjoy the Pavilion’s serene surroundings, a perfect spot for gatherings, picnics, and appreciating the beauty of nature.
We have created a Community Surveys webpage! This platform serves as a vital hub for gathering valuable insights and feedback from our local communities and Paulding County as a whole. Here, you can participate in surveys designed to shape our counties future, voice your opinions on key issues, and help us understand your needs better. Your input is crucial in building a stronger, more vibrant Paulding County. Join us in making a difference – one survey at a time!
To have a survey added to the page please contact Erica Noggle at the Chamber. Our hope is that this will increase the visibility of and participation in the surveys that affect the businesses, employees and residents of Paulding County.
The Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce held their Annual Banquet on Thursday, October 5th. The Annual Banquet is the Chamber’s opportunity to honor businesses and community members because without them our Paulding County Community wouldn't be as amazing as it is today. This year’s theme was Be a Pop of Color in a Black and White World, to signify that it’s the people of the community that are important and make it successful. Guests were encouraged to come dressed colorfully, enjoy a delicious meal, and take the opportunity to network.
The Chamber touched on many programs and collaborative projects that have occurred over the last year. Those projects ranged from the Community Clean Up Day with Paulding Exempted Village Schools to the current project that is underway with the Wayne Trace Art Department. These collaborative efforts are a staple of the Chamber’s mission to exemplify leadership by positively reinforcing and representing their members and businesses in the communities that they proudly serve.
Throughout the evening the Chamber celebrated with the community by presenting 21 awards in the categories of Milestone Awards, Golden Shovel Awards, Business Leader of the Year, Young Professional of the Year and the Legacy Award. Memories by Tawnya was present to take professional headshots and to capture a picture of each award recipient throughout the evening.
Milestone Awards were presented to businesses and organizations in celebration of their years of service to the Paulding County community.
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The Golden Shovel Awards were presented to the following businesses that made improvements or expansions to their facilities to better serve their needs and those of the community.
The final three award recipients are chosen from nominations that were submitted by community members. Those nominations were passed along to three Chamber Directors in the states of New York, Alabama, and Wisconsin. Each of this year’s awards recipients were chosen unanimously by those individuals.
Business Leader of the Year is presented to an individual that has excelled within a leadership role in a Chamber member business. This individual is innovative, motivating to employees and civically engaged. This recipient may have acquired a long-term record of service or may have made one outstanding contribution that made a major impact in their business, industry and/or community. This year’s 2023 Business Leader of the Year is Doug Schlatter with Schlatter Plumbing, Heating, and A/C.
The Young Professional of The Year award is presented to an individual (age 20-40) who has achieved a successful career and has made innovative contributions to their company/community. This individual has distinguished themselves as a future leader in the business/organization. This year’s 2023 Young Professional of the Year is Estee Miller.
The Legacy Award recognizes an individual in our community that has given their time and talent to build a better tomorrow. This year’s 2023 Legacy Award recipient is Traci Koenig.
A fun and creative fund-raising activity that occurs during the banquet is the Dessert Dash. Each table works together as a team to bid on a dessert. The table with the highest bid gets to ‘dash’ to the dessert table to claim their sugary goodness and then so on and so forth. This year’s desserts were provided by Grounded Coffee and Crumb, The Gardens at Paulding, and Grant’s Catering. The funds raised are then used by the Chamber throughout the year on Quality of Life projects throughout Paulding County. Through the kindness and generosity of the attendees we were able to raise over $2,000.
This year’s Annual Banquet was made possible by the sponsorship of It Takes Heart Ohio, Northwest State Community College, State Bank & Trust, The Gardens of Paulding, Baughman Tile Company, Paulding Putnam Electric Co-Op, Sherwood Mutual Telephone Association, The Union Bank Company, and First Financial Bank. Memories by Tawnya was present to take professional headshots and to capture a picture of each award recipient.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — As the breeze turns crisp and the leaves start to crunch, TourismOhio’s list of the “100 Things to Do in Ohio This Fall” is a fitting reminder of the many opportunities to get out and explore the heart of it all this fall.
“Fall is a wonderful time for adventure in Ohio,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “In just a few weeks Ohio’s fall foliage will light up with the colors of the season. I encourage you to pick a festival, a small town, or a park you’ve never explored before and experience the heart of fall in Ohio, the heart of it all!”
The annual “100 Things To Do in Ohio This Fall” list is the perfect autumnal companion for any traveler, and this year it’s even better . To ensure no fall festival or eerie encounter is missed, TourismOhio has made a free “100 Things To Do InOhio This Fall” checklist, available online for print or download.
“Ohio is beautiful all year round, but there’s something special about the fall season,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development, which oversees TourismOhio. “Whether you’ve seen the seasons change before, or this is your first fall in Ohio, there’s historic, picturesque, and even spooky adventures waiting for you in the heart of it all.”
Fall is a beautiful time to explore Paulding County. If you’re interested in history then you need to mark your calendars and join CoRP for their Annual Cemetery Walk at Live Oak Cemetery on Saturday, October 14th. We also have the Old Paulding Jail where you can schedule private or group paranormal investigations with 187 P.I.
“Paulding County is rich in history and adventure. We have some amazing coffee shops and local eateries where you can get a warm drink and a wonderful meal while you explore all the things that make our each of our communities amazing,” says Erica Noggle, Executive Director of the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce.
Check out festive weekends at Ohio’s amusement parks, zoos and aquariums, or have an ah-maize-ingtime at one of Ohio’s corn mazes. Paulding County has an amazing nine-acre corn maze located at Auglaize Canoe and Kayak. This year the maze has been patterned for the logo of the Cooper Farms 85th business anniversary celebration.
Paulding, OH also has a trail system located at the Black Swamp Nature Center. These trails provide a beautiful landscape for a variety of activities, as well as an extraordinary backdrop for family pictures.
You can explore all this and learn even more, including how to find the Ohio Department of Natural Resources 2023 Fall color report, at Ohio.org/Fall.
The Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce invites you to visit Paulding County and join in on all the Fall activities that have been scheduled by various businesses and organizations. You follow their events on Yodel - the Paulding County Community Calendar (https://events.yodel.today/pauldingcounty).
Operating within Ohio's Department of Development, TourismOhio works to showcase all Ohio has to offer as a place of adventure, a place of promise, and the place for you.
The Ohio Department of Development empowers communities to succeed by investing in Ohio’s people, places, and businesses. Learn more about our work at development.ohio.gov.
Picture above: Scott Strahley
Paulding, OH: This year the Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce wanted to do something to encourage the growth of leadership skills and kindness in the area youth. There are many ways that you can try to guide and encourage students but Erica Noggle, Executive Director for the Chamber, wanted to do something a little different. Noggle reached out to Mrs. Doster, a 3rd grade teacher at Paulding Exempted Village Schools. Together they came up with the Pathfinder Program.
Each week the students will have the opportunity to earn the Pathfinder of the Week Award. The criteria to earn this award are to show acts of kindness, demonstrate leadership skills, step outside his/her comfort zone, be kind to everyone, lead by example, etc. The student that is chosen will receive a certificate, get to pick a small prize from the treasure box, and get their picture taken to post in the hallway, on the classroom Dojo page, and be submitted to the local newspapers.
Mrs. Doster will pilot the program for the 2023-2024 school year. The hope is that next year the program can be expanded to include all 3rd grade classrooms in Paulding County. Noggle and Doster are also very appreciative for the support of MY102.7 in making this program a reality. This is a wonderful opportunity that we have to help develop leadership skills in our youth!
The Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce and the Paulding County Area Foundation are bringing the Charitable University Program to Paulding County. This event will be held on October 24th, 2023, from 5-8pm at the Paulding County Carnegie Library. Ohio’s charities, big and small, make positive differences in the lives of Ohioans every day. The programs provided by charities elevate the quality of life we all enjoy, and many families rely on these valuable services. Because of the vital nature of our nonprofit sector, the Ohio Attorney General’s Charitable Law Section developed this new program aimed at elevating the security and effectiveness of Ohio’s charities by training board members, key staff and volunteers on the various legal obligations and fiduciary considerations that should be considered in guiding these organizations.
Charitable University is a free, training program for charitable leaders that covers some of the most important concepts necessary for protecting charitable assets and ensuring they are used exclusively for the charitable mission. Training courses are divided into four different topics: Board Governance and Policies; Financial Budgeting and Internal Controls; Governmental Filings and Recordkeeping; and Fundraising. Those who complete at least one training course in each of these four content areas will be eligible for a completion certificate and will be saluted on the AG’s web page as a graduate of Charitable University.
Completion of this program will be required for eligibility for some funding opportunities in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, and it is hoped that other funding organizations begin to adopt similar requirements to better ensure the sound management and appropriate use of charitable assets.
We are fortunate to be surrounded by many amazing individuals. Please take this opportunity to show those people how much they are appreciated and valued. There are three awards that you can nominate an individual for. Please complete the nomination form by September 1st, 2023.
Business Leader of the Year will be presented to an individual that has excelled within a leadership role in a Chamber member business. This individual is innovative, motivating to employees and civically engaged. This recipient may have acquired a long-term record of service or may have made one outstanding contribution that made a major impact in their business, industry and/or community. The Young Professional of The Year award shall be presented to an individual (age 20-40) who is achieving a successful career and has made innovative contributions to their company/community. This individual has distinguished themselves as a future leader in the business/organization. The Legacy Award recognizes an individual in our community that has given their time and talent to build a better tomorrow. This individual does not have to work at a member business.
Leadership in Action is a series of experiences designed to enhance personal and professional leadership qualities within the unique resources of Paulding County. The sessions explore leadership challenges and opportunities, using class time and tours, to provide the participant with a variety of leadership skills to be used in real world application.
Why should you participate in our leadership program? Here's just a few possible reasons:1) To improve your decision making, strategic vision, and problem-solving skills.2) To build self-confidence, wisdom, and emotional intelligence.3) To learn valuable skills and tools for leading and influencing others.4) To surround yourself with other leaders and grow personally and professionally.
Class size is limited to 20 people, and the participants application must be approved in order to attend. The challenges, speakers, tours and the interaction of the participants provide an unforgettable journey in the quest for leadership. You can learn more at https://www.pauldingchamber.com/Leadership-In-Action.
Registration Deadline: August 18th, 2023
P.O. Box 237, Paulding, OH 45879
Paulding Area Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization.