Business After Hours with The Willows Golf Lounge
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CCCBI spent Wednesday evening with The Willows Golf Lounge for Business After Hours!
Over forty Chamber Members visited this unique location for an evening filled with positive energy, lively conversation and even activity on the golf simulators. Guests were able to enjoy the elevated atmosphere along with some delicious refreshments from Whattaboard, SlyFox Brewery and fellow Member - Oola Bowls Malvern.
"We’re incredibly grateful to the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry for the opportunity to host such an inspiring group of local leaders," said Michael Nickels, Director of Golf & Hospitality at The Willows Golf Lounge.
"From the beginning, our vision for The Willows has been about something bigger than golf. It’s about creating a place where people connect, relationships grow, and community gets stronger. Golf may bring us together, but what happens beyond the game is what truly drives us."
Special thanks to our host and everyone who joined us for a fantastic Business After Hours!
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Check Out the Chamber Connection
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We're thrilled to release our official magazine! Where business, leadership and community come together. This new publication celebrates the people, businesses, and moments that make our Chamber community thrive. With the help of out partners at Today Media Custom Communications, we've captured Member stories, marked milestones and created something unique. Take a look, discover a new business, and celebrate the people who make our Membership truly remarkable!
To reserve ad space in our next edition, call 302-729-29078 or email Holli Muffler at holli.muffler@todaymediacustom.com
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Office Closures for Labor Day
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From business owners and entrepreneurs to employees, essential workers, and community leaders, we are grateful for the dedication that make our community stronger.
CCCBI is wishing our Chamber Members and the entire business community a safe, relaxing, and well-deserved Labor Day!
Our team will return to the office on Tuesday, September 8th!
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Educator Pipeline Continues to Shrink
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As Pennsylvania begins the school year, new data shows that the state continues to face a long-term teacher shortage. A report from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania found that the number of individuals receiving initial teacher certification has, on average, decreased every year since 2013, falling from a peak of nearly 19,000 in 2013 to just over 6,000 in 2024. At the same time, the teacher attrition rate rose to almost 9,000 in 2024. The shortage has led to an increase of teachers working under emergency permits, which allow an uncertified person to fill a classroom vacancy if a teacher cannot be found. 7.3% of teachers in urban districts and 4.4% in rural districts are working under emergency permits.
The state has taken steps to address the shortage, such starting apprenticeships and high school education programs for future teachers and streamlining the certification process, reducing wait times from three months to two weeks. Additionally, the 2026-27 budget included $40 million annually for student teacher stipends. Student teachers can receive up to $10,000 annually if they commit to teaching in PA for three years.
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The Fund for Women & Girls
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For 30 years, The Fund for Women and Girls has been asking: What gets in the way of women and girls thriving; and what can the community do about it? The answers affect more than women. Affordable childcare, paid family leave, access to healthcare, educational opportunity and economic security impact families, workplaces and our entire community. The Fund works on both sides of change: investing in local nonprofits that meet immediate needs while also tackling the policies, practices and culture that create those needs. Current initiatives focus on paid family leave, youth advocacy, menstrual equity, and civic education.
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With The Fund’s work, change starts with people sharing their experiences. Grace, one of The Fund’s equity advocates, knows firsthand what access to paid leave can mean for a family. When her newborn daughter spent 14 weeks in the NICU, paid leave allowed Grace to be by her side without risking her job or financial stability. In the hospital, she met parents who didn’t have that same choice. The catch? Grace, a Chester County resident, chose a job with a New Jersey office where paid leave is a state policy. Today, Grace uses her story to advocate alongside The Fund for paid family leave for all Pennsylvania families: “Every parent, every child, every family deserves the dignity of time to care and be cared for.”
The Fund for Women and Girls believes that change happens when people speak up and come together. It is the idea behind The Fund’s upcoming community event, No Country for Mothers, on September 16th at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center. Featuring excerpts from the new documentary and an interactive conversation, the free event asks: What if we supported mothers instead of judging them? Attendees will explore how caregiving affects families, employers and our economy and what our community can do differently.
Learn more and register at thefundcc.org.
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We’d love to hear from and highlight your business! We are seeking member spotlight stories to include in our weekly newsletter!
Email your news to abby@chescochamber.org
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