New Year’s resolutions and new board of directors!

BY MELINDA RIZZO

In the spirit of its founding in 1954 Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce welcomes three new members to its board of directors to promote the region’s economic vitality.
 
From lenders to lawyers, educators, entrepreneurs and health care professionals, business leaders volunteer their time, talent and treasure to further the region’s business, retail and commercial growth and expansion.
 
"Our region is diverse - from skilled trades, manufacturing, education, health and wellness and our hardworking agriculture roots. As we continue to strengthen our relationships with community partners, we're mindful of how these bonds are integral to everyone's success," said Danielle Bodnar, UBCC executive director.
 
UBCC welcomes Dave Ault, David Nagy and Todd R. Hurley to collaborate at the table of its 19-member board of directors.
 
Ault is owner of Ault Signature Homes in Upper Saucon Township Lehigh County.
 
He said one of UBCC’s biggest strengths is its “membership numbers” and the greater potential for adding new members to its future rolls.
 
“There are a lot of people here and at every event, I see new faces,” Ault said.
 
He considers 2020 a chance to get more involved by attending networking and mixer events and to become more involved with leadership and service opportunities.
 
Nagy is director of marketing and IT management for the Wehrung Family of Businesses in Ottsville.
 
He views chamber participation as a stewardship for the Wehrung organization.

A Wehrung employee since 2015, Nagy looks forward to getting more involved with UBCC and learning about the chamber’s outreach initiatives as a new board director.
 
Taking a seat on UBCC’s board of directors offers Nagy a chance to be part of Wehrung’s long-standing commitment to community outreach and service.
 
“Wehrung’s Lumber has long strived to be a great member of the community, and it is an honor that I was selected to represent the company moving forward,” Nagy said.
 
Wehrung’s Founder Woodrow “Woody” Wehrung along with a few small business owners formed the Quakertown Chamber of Commerce in 1954. The organization evolved and was renamed Upper Bucks Chamber of Commerce in 1976.
 
Woody’s grandson Jason Wehrung is among UBCC’s past board presidents, having completed a two-year term as its board leader in 2018.
 
“I look forward to increasing my knowledge [through board membership] about everything the chamber can offer its members,” Nagy explained.
 
And he noted UBCC’s impact is a positive, driving force in the business community.
 
“I have already seen the positive impact [UBCC initiatives] can bring, and I am excited to be a part of that culture,” he explained.
 
Todd R. Hurley is Executive Vice President and Chief Relationship Officer at Penn Community Bank in Perkasie.
 
A 35-year employee with Penn Community, Hurley said meeting new people and providing opportunities through financial service offerings helps others realize their life goals and dreams. Providing financial knowledge and service to others is among Hurley’s daily motivators.
 
“UBCC [membership and participation] provides the opportunity to meet new people and through supporting each other, help our businesses thrive,” Hurley said.
 
As a new board of director, Hurley hopes to meet and get to know a larger number of UBCC members and share what he has learned through the years at Penn Community as a banking and community liaison professional “to help move UBCC into the next decade,” he said.
 
Ault and Nagy said their families are primary motivators in their daily lives and professional successes, too.

The need to provide and care for loved ones spills into a broader common goal to strive for the economic health and well-being of the UBCC business community.
 
Ault, who has owned and operated his business since 2006, said it’s important for organizations like UBCC to have a wide spectrum of working and professional backgrounds represented on its board.
 
He believes offering a “working man’s perspective on the economy and where it is going” will be a valuable tool to guide UBCC through 2020 and beyond.
 
Hurley said recruiting and keeping people engaged and actively involved in chamber committees and activities was among its biggest challenges, and a strong foundation and enthusiastic leadership were among its many strengths.
 
Ault said he wants to attend more events this year and get to know more UBCC chamber members better.
 
 Click HERE for a full list of the 2020 UBCC Board of Directors.