Our speaker for March 19th was Jenny Amorose, Chief Operating Officer, Dublin Chamber of Commerce.  Jenny spoke to us about the many projects and programs supported by the Dublin Chamber.  You can see more screenshots on our Flickr page or view the video on our YouTube channel.

Jenny has been with the Chamber since 1998 and during her tenure has been responsible for many of the Chamber initiatives such as 

• The Dublin School Champions Program

• The Taste of Dublin

• Women in Business

• Human Resources Luncheons

• The Dublin Economic Forecast

• The Dublin Corporate Challenge

• The Breakfast Series

Jenny is an alumnus of the Ohio University with a Journalism degree from the Scripps College of Communication.  She lives in Dublin and has two college-age daughters.

Jenny spoke of the many programs and initiatives supported by the Chambers.  Some of those are – 

• The Community Champions Awards in partnership with the Dublin City Schools which has recognized over 3100 students and teachers

• Several Community Leadership programs such as Dublin Leadership and the YP (Young Professional) leadership Program

• The Taste of Dublin that draws more than 1,000 participants and is currently scheduled for September 22nd of this year

• The Dublin Corporate Challenge scheduled for October 14-25 this year.  This is competition among the various businesses in Dublin and is divided into large, medium and small business competitions and has generated over $30,000 for the Dublin City Schools Business Academy.

• The Dublin, Westerville and Hilliard Multi-Chamber Business Expo

• The Chamber has continued to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic through a careful planning process and the use of technologies such as Zoom

• They have begun a “Support Local” business promotion program for local business through the creation of a website and targeted ads in various publications

• Over the next several months, the Chamber will be preparing for its future by remodeling its office space in Old Dublin, upgrading its technology and providing a drop-in workspace for professionals.

• The Chamber sponsors a Dublin Community Service Day currently scheduled for May 1.

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The human genome is the collection of genes that comprise all humans. This mapping of the human genome, first completed in 2003, established the baseline. By comparing this baseline with the genes in cancer cells, researchers can isolate the differences and develop targeted drug therapies.  

She went on to talk about some of the challenges unique to pediatric cancer research, including obtaining FDA approval, clinical trials often exclude pediatric patients, the rarity of certain pediatric cancers. More importantly, while long-term survival has improved, adult survivors of pediatric cancer remain at risk for a shortened life span, including a secondary cancer diagnosis. IGM studies are committed to changing this reality.  

She concluded her presentation by talking about what's next. This research holds promise for improving health outcomes in other areas, including behavioral health, epilepsy, immune response, and infectious diseases.  

If you were unable to join the club meeting presentation, this is one you won't want to miss!  Click here to view the presentation on our YouTube Channel.

This week we welcomed Anita Zucker who spoke to the club about Leadership and Resilience.  You can see the video of our meeting here; Anita was introduced by former member Sandy Morckel (starting at 9:09) Anita's speech starts at 13:28).  To see more screenshots, go to our Flickr page

Anita is past President of the Charleston Rotary club and the Chairman and CEO of The Intertech Group. She is an education activist and philanthropist who supports and serves on the board of numerous non-profits and institutions in the Charleston region and nationally.

Anita said in her family resilience was taught by her mother. Though she was small in stature with humble demeanor, Rose had the heart of lioness. When the Germans invaded her Polish village, Jews were sent to live in ghettos. Over the next year, the Germans conducted several actions against the Jews in the ghetto, killing many, including Rose’s father, brother, and other family members. Rose hid her family in multiple places she called “living graves”: underground, under barns, and other places. She saved her mother, 2 younger brothers and a baby niece. When she returned to Ludmir in 1945, there were only 125 surviving Jews from what was a population of over 25,000.

Anita spoke of the leadership qualities of Women. Women tend to view work more holistically, as a component of their life than men. They value meaning, purpose, and connection with co-workers. They are great listeners, motivated by challenge, multi-taskers, and have high emotional intelligence.

Thanks to values and perseverance of late husband Jerry Zucker when the time came for her to step forward and lead, Anita was ready to put her own strengths into action. She said they had a wonderful team in place and no leader can accomplish great things without talented and gifted individuals who support them.

Her company has adopted a strategic approach to make a profit and give back. Their mission statement: Invest profitably in a diverse global group of business while retaining our core values and providing for our employees, communities, and world at large. They strive to be good stewards in companies in which they invest. Anita feels that great achievements are made by leading by example and inspiration rather than dictation. She said one of the major realizations she had as a leader was recognizing the power of her voice. No matter what our position or role in life, each of us was placed here for a reason, and we all need to speak up for a greater good. 

Anita said that 2020 has challenged us to be resilient, but life and healing must go on.  We have to be aware of the impact of our actions and the legacy that we leave. Legacies are not just about oneself, they are about other people and what they gain as a result of interacting with us.  The key question we must consider is: How am I making a difference?

She fights hard for racial equity, social justice, diversity, and inclusion and educating people about these issues.  She is using her voice to fight for hate crimes legislation in South Carolina.

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