Speakers' Connection

Follow the Chamber on:

Support Our Advocacy Efforts

Browse/Register

Speakers’ Connection

Are you a trained/seasonal public speaker, or do you have extensive knowledge of a particular field or practice? Are you looking for a new way to position your company as an industrial leader? Complete a Speaker Proposal Form to gain exposure and build your professional reputation across the Greater Binghamton Area. Any Chamber member in good standing can apply to the Speakers' Connection.

The Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce does not endorse, credential or accredit the competency, services, performance, or standards of practice of the individual speakers listed in the Speakers' Connection, or any business, company, corporation, or organization with which the individual may be affiliated. The Chamber does not receive any form of payment from speakers who are listed on this site.

Mike Atchie
Local Government Specialist, Chesapeake Energy Corporation

Topic: Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Drilling & Production

Objectives: Have a better understanding of the process of exploring for and producing natural gas from the Marcellus Shale Formation and the benefits it can bring to NY State and local communities

Program Duration: 1 hour.

Speaker's Fee: None

Recent 3 Speaking Engagements:

1) Steuben County Landowners Coalition Informational Seminar on Drilling
2) Lake Oteyokwa Lake Assoc. Drilling 101 Presentation

3) Catskill Landowner Coalition Annual Meeting

Download Mr. Atchie's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Grant Best
Regional Director, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield

Topic: Cost Drivers of Health Care

Objectives: Have a clearer understanding of what drives rapidly increasing health care costs as well as explore some avenues that can help to slow the rise down. Federal Health Care Reform can also be discussed with regard to how it will impact businesses in the future.

Program Duration: Flexible

Speaker's Fee: None

Recent 3 Speaking Engagements:

1) STAHR Lunch Program Speaker
2) Cosmos Club Dinner

3) Rural Health Network of South Central NY

Download Mr. Best's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Gordon Boyd
President, EnergyNext, Inc.

Topic: Energy

Objectives:
   • Understand the current state of energy markets.
   • How businesses and individual consumers can control their electicity and natural gas costs.
   • How energy markets and utility tariffs offer opportunities for savings

• How group buying works to save money for customers.

Program Duration: 30 Minutes

Speaker's Fee: None

Recent 3 Speaking Engagements:

1) New York State Assoc. of Counties, Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance,Buffalo
2) Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce, Board, Utica

3) US Department of Energy hearing re: Champlain Hudson Power Express, Glens Falls, NY

Download Mr. Boyd's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Keith Chadwick
President & CEO, United Methodist Homes

Topic:  Various Long Term Care topics which include:
   • Aging and You
   • How Is Senior Housing Paid For?
   • Long Term Care Insurance
   • Levels of Care
   • Services & Payment Options , and other issues.

Objectives: At the end of each session, participants will have a better understanding of that facet of long term care, including where to go for more information.

Program Duration: Variable, depending on topic.

Speaker's Fee: None

Recent 3 Speaking Engagements:

1) 21 Club
2) Broome Leadership Institute

3) Binghamton University (Professor Jeff Davis's Course on Health Care)

Download Mr. Chadwick's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Erik Charles
Founder/Owner, CNY MMA

Topic:
   • Sales Leadership
   • Entrepreneurship
   • Team Building
   • Motivation

Objectives: At the end of the session, a participant will gain a new perspective on overcoming obstacles with the odds against you, developing a closing mentality, building a business from the ground up, leading the field and dominating the market, and building a cohesive, energetic team with a common vision for the business.

Program Duration: Varies depending on request.

Speaker's Fee: None

Recent 3 Speaking Engagements

1) Jefferson Community College of Entrepreneurship (Entrepreneurship)

2) Member Solutions (Sales Leadership)

3) S.O.S. Shelter (Team Building and Motivation)

Download Mr. Charles' Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Gerri A. Harrison CFP EA
President, Gerri Harrison Financial Services

Topic:  Multiple Financial Topics

Objectives: Gerri has spoken to a variety of groups from as few as five to as large as two hundred on any number of financial topics. Favorites for individuals are the Upromise class showing how to accumulate dollars for college costs without having to take the money out of your pocket and The Jar System class, which is the creation of a spending plan for individuals to stop living paycheck to paycheck. Past classes for both individuals and businesses have included saving for retirement, how to reduce taxes and tax planning strategies, ways to help reduce everyday expenses, pros and cons of long term care insurance and planning for long term care expenses, generating a lifetime income so that you do not run out of money in later years, estate planning issues, upcoming changes to tax laws, the reasons and benefits for considering a Roth conversion or doing Roth contributions, how to start a small business, learning how to use QuickBooks and many more. Gerri has a keen interest in increasing financial literacy for both adults and children. If you have a financial topic that you are interested in learning more about or having employees, family members, associates or others you are involved with please consider contacting us to determine if it is something we would be willing to develop an educational event around. We also would welcome an opportunity to be part of a panel discussion or to do a question and answer session for individuals wanting to learn more about their financial situation.

Speaker's Fee: Negotiable

Recent 3 Speaking Engagements:

      1)   EAP class at Broome Community College on creating financial statements
      2)   UPromise Class at her office on Saving for college

      3)   Lunch and Learn session with local attorney on estate planning

Download Ms. Harrison's Bio.

Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Ken Kamlet

Attorney, Hinman, Howard & Kattell, LLP

Topic: How to Redevelop Contaminated Sites

Objectives: Participants will have a better understanding of:

• how the "brownfield" clean up law works and how to obtain lucrative tax credits for brownfield cleanup and development;

• liability, and how to limit it, under federal and state "Superfund" laws;

• oil spill liability in New York State;

• Phase I and Phase II environmental sites assessments;

• Soil vapor intrusion and what it means;

• Grants and financial incentives for environmental cleanups under federal and state law.

Program Duration: 1 hour

Speaker's Fee: None

Recent 3 Speaking Engagements:

      1)   Presentation on "Tax Increment Financing" to New York State Brownfield Coalition.
      2)   Presentations on Brownfields and redevelopment to Broome Leadership Institute, several local Rotary Clubs, a Planning Course at Binghamton University, and Several classes at Chenango Forks High School.
      3)   Presentation to the Broome County Bar Association on "Potential Litigation Issues Under NYS Brownfield Cleanup Program.

Download Mr. Kamlet's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Scott Kurkoski
Attorney, Levene Gouldin & Thompson, LLP

Topic:  Various Gas & Oil Topics:
   • Leasing
   • Compulsory Integration
   • Pipelines and Surface Use Agreements
   • Estate Planning and Management
   • Subsurface Severance of Mineral Rights
   • DEC, EPA, and Related Political Issues

Objectives: Participants will have a better understanding of oil and gas development and the affects it can have on landowners and our community.

Program Duration: Variable, depending on topic.

Speaker's Fee: None

Recent 3 Speaking Engagements:

1) Broome County Bar Association Oil and Gas Seminar
2) County Attorneys' Association of the State of New York

3) Cornell Cooperative Extension Marellus Shale Financial Seminar: Understanding and Managing Bonuses and Royalties.

Download Mr. Kurkoski's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Brian Sampson
Executive Director, Unshackle Upstate

Topic: New York State Politics

Objectives: Have a better understanding about the government of the State of New York and what they can do to help get things reformed.

Program Duration: 1 hour

Speaker's Fee: None

Recent 3 Speaking Engagements:

1) ACCE Annual Convention
2) NYSAC Annual Meeting

3) Rochester Rotary

Download Mr. Sampson's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Rebecca Sheriff
Outreach Specialist, ACCORD

Topic: Dispute Resolution/Communication

Objectives:

• Have knowledge of ACCORD's services

• Have knowledge of dispute resolution and effective communication skills.

Program Duration: 1/2 to 4 hours

Speaker's Fee: Negotiable

Recent 3 Speaking Engagements:

1) Office of Aging Caregiver Group

2) Visions FCU Senior Expo

3) Broome County Department of Health's "Get the Lead Out" Program

Download Ms. Sheriff's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Robert Shutt
Etiquette Consultant, RASolutions.Net

Topic: Business Etiquette, Workplace Etiquette, Customer Service Etiquette

Objectives: Appreciate the important role appropriate behavior (aka: etiquette) plays in individual and organizational professional success. The goal of etiquette is to insure that your message, your mission, your talents, and your unique and wonderful qualities, are fully appreciated by those you interact with. Inappropriate behavior creates a distraction that detracts from your professional effectiveness and consequently, your professional success. Etiquette eliminates distractions. These sessions give you the knowledge and confidence needed to let you and your organization "shine through".

Program Duration: 1 1/2 to 3 hours

Speaker's Fee: Negotiable

Recent 3 Speaking Engagements:

1) NYS Conference: Medical Group Managers Association, Saratoga Springs, New York
2) Dartmouth College: Civic Skills Training

3) Washington, D. C., United Technologies: Hamilton Sundstrand Accounting, Carrier, Otis Elevators,

Download Mr. Shutt's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Bob Stezzi
Owner/ Founder, Stezzi Training & Consulting

Topic: Mastering Change

Objectives: By the end of the session, participants will:

• Respond more quickly to changing situations;

• Improve motivation in changing organizations

• Learn ways to become an effective change agent in any organization.

Program Duration: 30 Minutes to 4 Hours

Speaker's Fee: Yes

Recent Speaking Engagements:

1) "Leading Boldly" for Vulcraft.

2) "Mamaging Time, Prioritizing & Organizing" webinar for NYHIMA.

3) "Improving Workplace Communication, Cooperation and Teamwork" for VMR Electronics.

Download Mr. Stezzi's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Susan Wheeler
President/CEO, The Star Group, Inc.

Topic:  Various topics included:
   • 9 different modules as a Certified ADA Trainer
   • Mental Health Issues and Disorders

• Employing People with Disabilities

Objectives: Have a better understanding about the basics of the ADA and Disablity Awareness, making your business more disability friendly to increase customer base, nonobvious disablilties. mental health, etc.

Program Duration: ADA Training 1-2 Hours; All others negotiable

Speaker's Fee: Negotiable

Recent Speaking Engagements:

1) Annual Breakfast for the Mental Health Association of the So. Tier
2) Mental Health Association of NYS in Albany

Download Ms. Wheeler's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Robert Wedlake
Attorney, Hinman, Howard & Kattell

Topic: Gas Leasing Law

Objectives: Learn about Gas Leasing Law

Program Duration: 1 hour

Speaker's Fee: None

Recent Speaking Engagements:

1) Gas Landowners' Coalition meetings
2) Continuing Legal Education lecturing

Download Mr. Wedlake's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.

Carol Yeager
President, Gearcor, Inc.

Topic: Is There Still Room For Me On The Internet?

Objectives: The wild, wild west of my generation is the Internet. In the early years, it offered anyone with initiative a national forum to showcase their product, service, or idea. So news bloggers to small retailers and big dreamers like me "opened up shop", competed and succeeded. I'll offer anecdotal stories about how and why my business caught the wave and flourished, how we managed the early growth, and what the future holds for Internet entrepreneurs like us now that big players are muscling their way in with big dollars. Do we adapt or die? Is it survival of the fittest? We'll also discuss burning questions facing us rugged net pioneers: Is Amazon.com the Walmart of the Internet? Does anyone ever look at page 2 of an Internet search? Is Google really a code name for "Big Brother"? All this and more...

Program Duration: 1 hour

Speaker's Fee: None

Recent Speaking Engagements: None yet... Been too busy building a business!

Download Ms. Yeager's Bio.
Contact the Chamber about this speaker.