Workforce & Business Development Program

05/29/2026

05/28/2026

Chamber Members and entrepreneurs: Invest in your business growth this year!

The U.S. Small Business Administration and the Portsmouth Area Chamber of Commerce are partnering to bring a valuable Business Development Training series designed to help local businesses succeed.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to strengthen your business operations, these workshops offer practical tools and expert guidance you can apply right away.

All sessions will be held at the Chamber office. 342 2nd Street - downtown.
Reserve your spot today by contacting [email protected]

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and grow alongside fellow Chamber members!

05/28/2026

A deep connection to Southeast Ohio and nostalgia brought Joe Brehm to OHIO for the Master of Science in Environmental Studies program. Now, he is the Co-CEO at Rural Action.

In his current role, he thrives on the variety of each day, whether he is focused on fundraising strategy or visiting his programs' hands-on forestry work in the field.

"If I could give any advice to students, it would be to trust that your thoughts, instincts and passions are of the utmost importance to the world ... When you're at the beginning of a career, it’s difficult to have confidence that your perspective matters, but you should pursue those interests relentlessly, it will take you somewhere worth going."

📰 ohio.edu/news/2026/05/ohio-graduate-discusses-career-public-service-offers-words-advice

05/28/2026

Join us for the June edition of Coffee Talk: Using AI Tools in Business! Whether you want to boost your daily productivity, spark new creative ideas, or streamline your communication, this session is for you.

Our guest speaker, Business Development Specialist Melanie Sherman, will break down today’s most accessible AI tools and give you practical, real-world ways to start using them right away.

📅 When: Thursday, June 18
🕗 Time: 8-9:00 a.m.
📍 Where: OSU Endeavor Center, Room 159 (1862 Shyville Rd, Piketon, OH)
🍴 Bonus: A delicious Hotcake & French Toast Bar from Bob Evans will be provided! 😋

✉️ Questions? Reach out to Kim or Dawn at: [email protected]
or [email protected]

Tag a colleague or business owner friend who needs to be there, and we'll see you there! 👇

05/25/2026

In honor of this day, ALL Community Action Committee of Pike County locations will be closed on Monday, May 25.

We will reopen our locations on Tuesday, May 26, at the normal operating hours.

We encourage everyone to take this time to remember the fallen and enjoy a safe day with family and friends.

05/21/2026

Formerly-incarcerated Could be the Answer to Labor Shortages 🛠️💡

At the NGA’s 2026 BEC Conference, Joshua Johnson spoke to attendees about the benefits of second-chance hiring—meaning the hiring of formerly incarcerated, detained or arrested individuals, who he refers to as “justice-impacted.” Johnson himself was previously incarcerated for ten years and is now the founder of The Redemption Collective, an organization that “helps states, employers and workforce systems to design and implement fair-chance hiring strategies,” and a keynote speaker.

About 600,000 individuals are released from incarceration every year, Johnson says, and just over a quarter of them are unemployed. Despite this, he adds that 85% of human resources professionals report that this demographic “perform their jobs about the same or better than workers without criminal records” because “justice-impacted individuals represent one of the most motivated, loyal and under-utilized talent pipelines in America.”

Read more on Johnson's story, second-chance hiring, and what the glass industry can do: https://www.windowanddoor.com/article/formerly-incarcerated-could-be-answer-labor-shortages

05/20/2026

05/20/2026

Tracking your marketing doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be intentional.📲

When you focus on the right goals, track meaningful data, and actually use what you learn, your marketing becomes a lot more effective.

Want to learn how to do this step-by-step?

Join us for How to Track What’s Working (And What’s Not) and get practical tools you can start using right away.

📅 May 27
⏰ 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

👉 Save your spot:
https://www.hockinghillschamber.com/event-detail/hH3OfeuLJjdqXc_soSKWUw2/webinar-series-how-to-grow-your-business