A Business After Hours is blossoming, just in time for St. Patrick's Day, at Hilton Garden Inn, 8535 Lyra Dr., in the Polaris area. Plan to network with other Chamber members on Tuesday, March

15, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., in a St. Patrick's Day-themed atmosphere.

Chamber members will enjoy complimentary appetizers and beverages, door prizes and professional exchange.     

Monthly Business After Hours (BAH) events are designed to give Worthington Chamber members the opportunity to network with other members in an informal setting and to learn more about Chamber member businesses.

Looking ahead: Business Before Hours on April 20 at Greek Express; Business After Hours on May 11 at Rivage Atlantique. 

We encourage pre-registration. Select "REGISTER NOW" above to reach the online registration page, and follow the registration prompts.  Be sure to click "SUBMIT." You'll receive an e-mail confirmation when successfully registered. Members who pre-register on our website by March 14 at noon will receive preprinted name tags, eligibility for extra door prizes, and listing in the "Know Before You Go" section of the Web site.

New board members, officers elected at annual meeting

Three Chamber members were elected and two appointed to positions on the Chamber's board of trustees at our 2011 Annual Meeting "Opportunity Knocks" event on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at the Doubletree Hotel Columbus/Worthington.

Joe Davis, Worthington Jewelers, and Amy Hall, DeVry University, were elected to three-year board terms. Pat Bright, Comfort Inn Polaris, was re-elected to a three-year term after completing a few months on the board to fill an unexpired term vacated by Erin Ellis. Filling an unexpired term vacated by Norris Woods, Marissa Michaels was appointed to continue OhioHealth's presence on the board.  

Appointed to an additional one-year term allowing her to serve a second year as chairperson was Kay Lakhi, The Rite Bite. Additional officers elected were Paul Cynkar, Battelle for Kids, treasurer; and Sheila Sinno, Sinno Law Office, chair-elect.  

Convening after the annual meeting are board members (standing, from left) Pat Bright, Joe Davis, Bill Alsnauer, Jeff Regensburger, Tony Lordo and Ann Baldwin, and (seated, left to right) Amy Hall, executive director Kathryn Paugh, and board chair Kay Lakhi. Board members not pictured are Sheila Sinno, Marissa Michaels, Bill Owens and Paul Cynkar.

Lynn Nadler, Keller Williams Capital Partners - LaBuda Advantage Team, and Shera Skaggs, CSGraphics, were honored for their service as they retired from the board.

Event sponsors were Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, CompManagement Inc., CSC, DeVry University, Volunteer Energy, and Doubletree Hotel Columbus/Worthington. Special thanks to Owens Construction, Shellee Fisher-Davis of The Art of Exposure, Advent Media, Beechwold Hardware and Clinton Lock for assistance with event staging. 

Join members of Young Professionals of Worthington (YpoW) for a March Madness career- and connection-building event on Wednesday, March 23, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Nationwide's Polaris On Your Side Center (corner of Rt. 23 and Polaris Parkway).

From 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Jason Taylor of Nationwide Insurance and Jack Windsor of Windsor LLC will lead a discussion on how to increase business and retention in our ever-changing business environment. The speakers' presentations will include effective ways for young professionals to develop grassroots marketing events through their "centers of influence" and effective approaches for developing young professionals' "centers of influence" into profitable referral sources.

The second hour of the event, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., will be devoted to open networking at a mixer at "The Pub" at NorthPointe, just 100 feet from Nationwide on the campus of The Conference Center at NorthPointe.

Attendees will be eligible for a door prize drawing, including a Nationwide Goody Bag (consisting of candle, key chain light with whistle and jar opener) and a gift certificate to G Worthy's Bar and Grill.

YPoW is a Chamber affiliate for members ages 21-39. Year-round sponsors are AAA Ohio Auto Club and Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield.

Make your reservations today through the REGISTER NOW block above or by calling 614-888-3040.

Not yet signed up as a YPoW member? This is your chance! The event is free for YPoW members. For prospective members, $30 is your admission to the events AND your annual membership fee if your company is a current Chamber member. Click here to download a brochure describing YPoW and membership opportunities.

Join the Women's Business Network of the Chamber for a luncheon on Thursday, April 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at Crowne Plaza Columbus North, 6500 Doubletree Ave.

The featured speaker is Pat Carpenter, from Sequent and OAD Publishing, author of "The Caregiver's Roadmap."

Married to another financial planning professional, Pat thought her family was well prepared for terminal illness. Updated will, advance directives and powers of attorney distributed, separate credit histories, personal life insurance in place: good basic planning, but not enough.

Caregiver's Roadmap is about what she and her late husband learned that wasn't obvious:

• How do you keep friends updated when you're exhausted?
• How do you find the right doctor?
• Where do you find resources?
• How do you protect your energy level?
• What is important to keep doing, and what can you let slide?
• And, oh, what about work?

Through the six years after diagnosis, they learned how to cope. They built a bridge over the barrier of illness. And they figured out how to say good bye.

Pat will share the journey that led to her book and her expertise in helping others.

Support our scholarship fund by making announcements ($5/member; $10/guest), distributing promotional literature or samples ($10), and participating in door prize drawings ($1/member/guest).

Reservations are required by April 15. Reserve your place through the"REGISTER NOW" link to the event web page, or call 888-3040.

Gentlemen are always welcome at programs conducted by the Women's Business Network.

Looking ahead: May 17 Women's Business Luncheon at Oakland Nursery. Save the date for the Progressive Power Luncheon on Oct. 13.