Business Solutions for Winter 2018

6 W I N T E R 2 0 1 8 Staunton Chamber of Commerce Carrie Borgini became President of the Staunton Chamber of Commerce in 2017 and was asked to run again in 2018. She knows from personal experience that involvement in the Chamber is key to its value. “When I started to get involved, it opened up a whole new way of thinking and exposure for our business. As I did more, our business was in the spotlight more, which helped tremendously,” Borgini says. In 2017, the Staunton Chamber of Commerce launched a campaign called “Spend It Here, Keep It Here” to promote buying locally. Other highlights for the year included Touch-A-Truck on Main Street in conjunction with the Route 66 Festival and Wing Fest, Rib Fest, Citizen of the Year, Balloon Glow, Cruise-In, Art in the Park, Trunk or Treat, Holiday Walk and Tree Lighting, and Snack with Santa. New for 2018 will be the Chamber’s largest fundraiser—Casino Night on March 3 at the Crystal Ballroom in Staunton. The theme is “Around the World, Staunton Style,” and the event will showcase Staunton’s diverse assortment of restaurants featuring Chinese, American, Italian, and Mexican cuisines. Notes Borgini, “We encourage Casino Night attendees to dress in the style of the country they choose and come out for lots of fun. With your ticket purchase, you get to enjoy great food; free soda, tea, and lemonade; plus $10,000 in play money. There will also be a cash bar. At the end of the night, you turn in your gambling winnings for raffle tickets and could take home great prizes.” Speaking of winning, Borgini feels everyone wins when they participate in the Chamber. She says, “I urge area businesses to come and join us, even if they’re located out of the city limits. We’re open to anyone who wants to promote the Staunton community as a whole.” She adds, “Madison Communications has been a great addition to the Chamber and has helped with every event we’ve hosted. They’re always there with great ideas as well as hands-on implementation. Madison Communications has truly been an asset, and we look forward to working with them more in the future.” Staunton Chamber of Commerce meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month. The location and time will vary. Get details at www.stauntonchamber.com . Who’s Minding Your Business? Whitney Ernst Customer Care Specialist Whitney Ernst joined Madison Com- munications in October 2014 and brought with her experience in human resources and administration. Her responsibilities as Customer Care Specialist include assisting residential and business customers with adding or changing services, billing questions, and troubleshooting. What’s a typical workday like? Ernst replies, “There’s no such thing as a typical day here at Madison Commu- nications! When the phone rings, you never know who’s on the other end of the line or what type of call it will be. It could be a new customer having trouble with their TV remote or a cur- rent customer with a billing question. You have to be on top of things and be prepared to answer whatever questions are thrown at you.” Ernst enjoys this ever-changing nature of her job, and adds, “As a ‘people person,’ I like getting to know our customers, whether it’s during a visit to our office or a phone call. I also like living and working in the same community as our customers.” Ernst and her husband Dave have two young daughters, Aynslie and August. She notes, “We’re the third generation on our family farm. We raise corn and soybeans, with our main focus on livestock. In our free time, we like to ride our horses, enjoy the outdoors, and refinish furniture.”