Chamber Luncheon Features Several Speakers

Attendees at the monthly Phoenixville Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon got to check out Club 212 and heard from various speakers.

Keller Williams Real Estate and Phoenix Tax Consultants sponsored the luncheon, and many attendees donned red for Go Red for Women month and heart health awareness.

Kristen Jenkins, a teacher at Phoenixville Area High School who coordinates the program, let those in attendance know abut the Phoenixville High School Co-op Program, which connects area businesses with interns from the high school.

“It’s a great opportunity for them to learn new skills,” Jenkins said, adding that it’s also helpful for local businesses.

Seniors Madison Benner and Hayley Connors shared their experiences as part of the program.

“It would be great if other businesses in the community would be open to sharing their knowledge with future entrepreneurs,” Benner said.

Connors, who is interning with the Chamber, said she was pleased with the experience of working with a non-profit organization.

To tie in with Go Red for Women month, Kathy Clarke, nurse manager at Phoenixville Hospital, gave folks some facts on heart disease and some ways to help lead healthy lifestyles. She encouraged those already on medication to let physicians know about any concerns about side effects before going off of the prescriptions. She also noted that the women typically have different, and at times more subtle, heart attack symptoms than men.

Luncheon sponsor Keller Williams was represented by Joymarie Chupein-DeFruscio, who noted that Keller Williams is celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

She was followed by Julia Brufke-Wenger of Phoenix Tax Consultants, who spoke on loving your business and developing a financial plan.

Brufke-Wenger went over five components that determine a financial plan and noted that four of them can be controlled but the fifth—the rate of return—is often the one that’s focused on. More emphasis should be put on the way funds are invested, how often contributions are made and how taxable the investments are, she explained.

“It’s the process and that’s where a good adviser can help you,” Brufke-Wenger said.

Mary Malazita from Phoenix Tax Consultants also spoke briefly, going over some of the tax changes and how those may affect local business owners.

The next Phoenixville Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon will be on Tuesday, March 13 beginning at 11:15 a.m. The luncheons are open to current members and those interested in joining the Chamber.