Click here to view this email online. If you missed our email on Tuesday, January 26th, you can view it here.

The Chamber is thrilled to announce and recognize our new sponsors that are stepping up to be part of the Supporting Small Business Initiative for 2021. This new program is designed to support the Chamber's efforts to serve our small business community better by offering programs, seminars, virtual events, and more for little to no cost to our members throughout 2021.

We strive to provide each and every member with opportunities throughout the year to promote themselves at networking events to help grow their business, but with the challenges of in-person meetings in 2020, we wanted to be able to offer additional benefits for your membership investment. We are optimistically planning our regular big events and free monthly After Hours to resume in March and beyond, but watch our emails for additional events and educational seminars coming soon.

Please join us in thanking these generous underwriting partners that are serving the Chamber, our members, and the entire business community with their support.

If you would like to know more about this program and the benefits of partnership, contact Jason Harrison at (806) 373-7800 or jason@amarillo-chamber.org.

In December, the Chamber shared information about a pilot program to provide free rapid Covid-19 testing for small businesses through the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). The Chamber was given a small allotment of testing kits initially that were distributed to more than a dozen businesses with 40 tests in each kit. As of today, we currently have 21 businesses that are part of the program that have been testing their employees and their immediate families to help maintain a safe work environment and slow the spread of the coronavirus in our business community.

We are excited to announce that we have received a new shipment of more than 30 test kits (each with 40 rapid tests per kit) that are available to distribute to small businesses that qualify. As kits are distributed and results of tests reported, we will be eligible to receive more testing supplies for our members.

If you are a small business owner and would like information about free testing for your business, please call Denise at 373-7800 or email denise@amarillo-chamber.org. She will be able to explain the process, requirements, and instructional video needed to be certified before you can begin testing your employees. Once approved, she will arrange for a time for test kits to be picked up and answer any questions.

To learn more about this program that was started in an effort to help support the continued operation of small businesses throughout the state of Texas by Governor Abbott, click here.

If you know of a business that is not a member of the Chamber, we always appreciate referrals. For more information on joining the Chamber and the costs and benefits, click here, or give our Membership Director Ashley a call at 373-7800.

(310) 418-7322

The Amarillo CEO Peer Group is a membership advisory and executive professional development. Members practice making better decisions, becoming better leaders, and achieving better results. This practice is supplemented with one-to-one coaching between monthly meetings and exercises provided by nationally prominent speakers.

Sponsored Content. Click here to email a Girl Scouts representative directly

or click on the graphic above to visit their website and find cookie sales closest to you.

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts will be holding its first statewide Economic Development Symposium Virtual Presentation on a wide variety of economic development tools. Topics will include:

This virtual symposium is being offered on 3 different dates:

February 17, 8am - 1230pm CST

February 24, 1pm - 530pm CST

March 3, 8am - 1230pm CST

If you would like a WebEx invitation for one of these events, please request the date of your choice by email to Frank Alvarez or call (512) 936-9231 for more information.

Check it out! All of the federal government's pandemic relief resources for small businesses in one spot. Learn more: https://www.covid-sb.org

Watch the online calendar for more details and updates coming soon.

3/11 - Business After Hours at Rockwood Furniture

3/25 - Accelerate Success Seminar with Jody Holland

4/8 - Business After Hours at FirstBank Southwest Tower

4/12-14 - Panhandle Days in Austin

4/22 - Spring Mega Market

5/6 - Business After Hours at WTAMU Amarillo Center

5/20 - BusinessConnection® at the Amarillo Civic Center

5/27 - Business After Hours at Carson Wealth

6/10 - Business After Hours at Adobe Walls

7/8 - Business After Hours at First United Bank (The Colonies)

7/22 - Chamber Open Golf Tournament at Tascosa Golf Club

7/29 - Business After Hours at Revolution at 800 OR WT Enterprise Center

8/12 - Business After Hours at Nistler's Resplendent Garden

8/26 - Annual Banquet & Business Excellence Awards

9/9 - Business After Hours at Amarillo Club

9/23 - Business After Hours at Courtyard by Marriott Amarillo West Medical Center

10/7 - Good Times Celebration® Barbecue Cook-Off at the Tri-State Fairgrounds

10/21 - Business After Hours at Casey Carpet One

10/28 - Business Seminar

11/4 - Business After Hours at The Nesting Place - Bushland

11/18 - Fall Mega Market

12/1 - Ag Appreciation Luncheon at the Amarillo Civic Center

12/2 - Business After Hours at Street Toyota

12/16 - Business After Hours at Rt. 66 Auto Haus

The City of Amarillo Public Health Department is currently administering COVID-19 vaccines to all individuals identified in the State of Texas Phase 1A and 1B Vaccine Allocation Plan as well as Second Dose Vaccine.

Immunizations will take place at the Amarillo Civic Center Complex (401 S Buchanan St, Amarillo, TX 79101). Eligible citizens should enter the North Exhibit Hall through Entrance 3.

Be sure to check the clinic hours and vaccine availability ONLINE before going.

**Public Health may close the line early in order to serve everyone in line before closing time.** All operational changes will be updated in real-time on this website.

If you know an outstanding individual or business that you would like to nominate for a 2021 Top 20 Under 40 Award, Top Business Award, or Top Emerging Business Award, click on the buttons below to fill out the form and submit the nomination to us by May 7, 2021. We will send nominees an official application to be completed and returned to us by Friday, May 28, 2021. Award winners will be selected by the Business Council of the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce and recognized in August 2021.

SAVE THE DATE: BusinessConnection^®  2021

If you participated in BusinessConnection in 2019 or were on the list to have a booth in 2020, watch your email for a quick survey to tentatively hold your space for our 2021 business-to-business tradeshow. We are optimistically planning our annual networking events to resume in 2021, so mark your calendar for Thursday, May 20, 2021, at the Amarillo Civic Center. If you are interested in more information or want to be on the list for a booth space when we open up registration, email Denise or call 373-7800.

CGI Communications has been a partner of the Amarillo Chamber for a number of years. CGI handles several advertising products offered to our members including website banner ads, community videos, ReviewTube reviews, and now has a new Magellan tool for voice activated website searching for text and videos.

Our representative, Al Forys, and his team will be reaching out to some of our members to offer more information about these tools that may be beneficial for your business.

Should you want more information on any of their products, reach out to Al Forys at the contact information below.

We try to alert you anytime a third party may contact you so that you know they are a trusted and legitimate partner of the Amarillo Chamber. You may see our complete list of advertising options and partners on the Advertising Opportunities page of our website. We encourage you to always check this site or contact Penni Bentley at (806) 373-7800 to verify our official program partners before giving out personal or financial information.

The Chamber has compiled a list of links to helpful resources on our Chamber website. From our homepage, simply click the Learn More button under the COVID-19 Resources section or go directly to the page at https://www.amarillo-chamber.org/covid-19-info--resources.html.

See our Staff Directory with photos, direct phone numbers and more on our Contact Us page of the website.

Tyler Andrews, Andrews & Associates / cat.man.du

Blaine Baker, Crown House Insurance

Scott Bentley, Amarillo EDC

David Bishop, Amarillo ISD

Lew Bradshaw, Pat Davis Properties

Kevin Carter, Amarillo EDC

Ryan Chandler, Northwest Texas Healthcare

Richard Constancio, Shiver-Megert & Associates

Joe Graham, Graham Brothers Jewelers

Jason Henderson, Bell

Brady Hochstein, Elevate Amarillo

Mark Hodges, FirstCapital Bank of Texas

Julie Imke, WTAMU Amarillo Center

Charles Leard, M&R Liquor

Trent Morris, Workforce Solutions Panhandle

Ed Nichols, Brown, Graham & Company, P.C.

Joseph Peterson, Edward Jones

Stephanie Price, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum

Aaron Sage, Sage Oil Vac

Doug Street, Affiliated Foods

Wendi Swope, Double U Marketing 

Ronnie Walker, Xcel Energy

Peter Warrick, Atmos Energy

Mikel Williamson, Happy State Bank

Lance Wolff, Insurica DFB

on our website. 

                                                   –  Author Unknown