The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the hiring of its new President and CEO, Eric Belley. A nationwide search was undertaken to fill the position vacated by Tom Peaco in June. Since then, Gordon Page has acted as Interim President and CEO and will help with the opening weeks of Belley’s transition. Belley will commence work for the Chamber on September 26, 2022.

Belley is a familiar face in the Camden-Rockland Region, having served as a business development officer for several local community banks over a nearly twenty-year span. In his role as a business banker, Belley assisted many small and medium sized companies in developing business plans and making business-to-business connections, while providing financial education, training, and lending services.

Being an advocate for the local business community grew out of his experience as a senior business consultant working on some of the nation's largest bank mergers during the 1990s and developing a successful consultative approach to addressing and solving problems.

"Eric Belley is a superb addition to the Chamber with his breadth of knowledge about the Camden-Rockland region, and his experience within the local business community will allow him to hit the ground running," stated Sheila Lowe, Chamber Board Chair. More...

Have you reserved your Advertising Space in the 2023 Jewel of the Maine Coast? 

The Jewel is THE most comprehensive source of information about the Camden-Rockland region, for visitors and residents alike. No one else delivers the amount of extensive, informative, and entertaining content visitors and residents crave, including where to stay, what to do, dining, boating, recreation, the arts, shopping and more—all in one place. 

50,000+ copies of The 2023 Jewel will be distributed and available for FREE at multiple outlets throughout Maine & New England. Together with the online, easy-to-navigate interactive Flipbook version of the Jewel, we’ve created a robust promotional platform with maximum reach and exposure for your business which can be accessed at home via computer, or on the go with mobile devices. 

Here’s what one fan had to say about this year’s Jewel: “In all the years we’ve been coming, your 2022 Jewel of the Maine Coast is fantastic…we loved reading it, it’s professional, it’s easy on the eye and we want to thank you for all the info.” 

Reach 75,000+ potential visitors and customers--just like this one--with an ad in the 2023 Jewel of the Maine Coast. Different sizes, special placements, and targeted sections are available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

For display advertising information, contact Diane Norton, Director of Member Marketing & Development, at 207-691-0131 or via email at Jewel@CamdenRockland.com.

Members wishing to update their Jewel listings should contact Amy Rollins, Member Services Director, at 207-236-4404 or via email at Amy@CamdenRockland.com

Like many of our members, the Chamber is experiencing staffing challenges this season. To avoid frustration, please call ahead if you plan to stop by to pick up Jewels, maps, to pay an invoice, etc. We appreciate it!

There is just one Business After Hours hosting opportunity still up for grabs in 2023: March 8. If you are interested in bringing 100+ people to your place of business for an evening of networking, please contact Amy@CamdenRockland.com today. The date will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each week, the Chamber features one of our members here in our Friday Report e-newsletter (distributed to 2,000 emails), and on our Facebook (5,000 followers) and Instagram (1,100 followers) pages. Featured Member posts link directly to your profile page on the Chamber website.

Simply click below to complete the two easy steps. Featured Members will be chosen as submissions are received. We invite you to take advantage of this great Chamber member benefit to promote your business.

Breakwater Kayak Co., is a guide-owned and operated sea kayaking outfitter, offering tours on the coast of Maine. We specialize in natural-history tours to introduce you to the excitement of sea kayaking the Maine coast, birding, rocky inter-tidal exploration, and coastal ecology. Rockland Harbor tours and Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse tours are two popular offerings. Open through October 10, now is the time to enjoy the Maine coast and learn about the marine wildlife. Located on the Rockland Waterfront at Snow Marine Park, 69 Mechanic Street, Rockland. Call (207) 542-3631.

To learn more about becoming a Featured Member, click here.

Submit your news releases to Amy@CamdenRockland.com.

Enjoy a round or two of mini-golf at Golfers Crossing on Route 1 in Rockport between Friday, September 16 and Sunday, September 18 and $5 for every round goes to supporting local and international charities. Golfers Crossing owners Wendy and Dick Crossman have teamed up with West Bay Rotary so that in addition to the $5 donation, all golfers will have a chance to win one of several prizes. Plus Rotarians will be there selling hamburgers and hotdogs from 11:30 AM to 2 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Mini-golf hours are Friday from 3 PM to 7 PM; Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM. More...

Are you looking to change your career or improve your skills? Adult Ed offers many online certificate and workforce classes which can be taken any time of day or night. Popular classes include: Bookkeeping Certificate; Project Management Certificate; Accounting Fundamentals Series; Creating WordPress Websites Series; Quickbooks Online Series; Data Analysis Certificate; Graphic Design Software Essentials; and Certificate in Mastering Excel. More...

alling all golfers: The Northport Golf Club is once again offering a special savings for new members who wish to join for the 2023 season. If you join NOW, you can enjoy playing fall golf with us (September and October) for FREE! Stop by or call 207-338-2270 Northport Golf Club Pro Shop for details. More...

Whatever the strength of your business, helping workers develop new skills will help your bottom line. Mid-Coast School of Technology Adult Education is an affordable resource offering opportunities for those who what to keep learning after the workday ends. More...

Thanks to generous gifts from The Rocking Moon Foundation and Leonard-Litz LGBTQ+ Foundation, OUT Maine spearheads a year-long “action research project” led by BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth living in Maine. BIPOC is an acronym for Black, Indigenous, People of Color. LGBTQ+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning. Sometimes the terms “LGBTQ+” and “queer” are used interchangeably. More...

This course is free with employment. Become part of our amazing team at the Pen Bay YMCA! We offer a flexible schedule, plus complimentary membership and programs. REGISTER TODAY! Contact Sam Grinnell, Director of Aquatics at sgrinnell@penbayymca.org or call the Penobscot Bay YMCA at 207.236.3375. More...

You’ve heard of “cowboy poetry”? Well, this is fisherman poetry! On Tuesday, September 27, at 6:30 p.m. the Camden Public Library welcomes writer Paul McFarland to the library’s Picker Room for an evening of poetry. McFarland will be reading and discussing poetry from his book “Father’s Shoes,” which compiles sixty-eight of his best poems written over the past fifty years. More...

Our online calendar is your guide to live & virtual events in the Camden-Rockland Region. Click here to view.

Have an event to share? Members are invited to share events on the Chamber Calendar. Login to your Chamber Profile Page to get started.

Members are invited to email Amy@CamdenRockland.com with details of goods, programs, products, or services they would like to offer to their fellow members. Please limit your offer to headline + 75 words and include an end date not to exceed 1 month.