Presenter: Stephen Estes, Deputy Commissioner Tompkins County Personnel
This session will teach participants how to formulate, develop, implement and evaluate plans which will enable them to improve the effectiveness of cross-functional decisions, and achieve organizational objectives. The participant will be able to develop a vision and articulate the mission of an organization or unit. He or she will be able to define where s/he wants to be at the end of a process, gather internal and external information, conduct a SWOT analysis, develop strategies that take into consideration the information gathered, select a strategy that best balances available resources with the highest likelihood of success, implement the plan, measure and evaluate the outcomes, revise and move forward as necessary. The participant will:
Learning Objectives
Learn basic strategic planning terminology,
Become aware of the benefits of managing strategically,
Obtain a step-by-step overview of the strategic planning process, and
Learn how to formulate, develop, implement and evaluate the effectiveness of a strategic plan.
Speaker Bio: Stephen Estes, SPHR, is the Deputy Commissioner of Personnel forTompkinsCounty government. Stephen has been a public sector recruiter and diversity recruiter for an organization of 750 employees for more than twenty-three years. He is responsible for classification/compensation studies, discipline/discharge, office supervision, management training, and serves as an expert and consultant on theNew YorkState civil service law. Stephen is currently a member of the Tompkins County Inter-municipal Health Insurance Consortium, Tompkins County On-line Application Web Project Team, HR and Payroll Project Group, and Tompkins County Drug and Alcohol Testing Consortium. Stephen is a Board Member/Certification Chair (past Diversity Chair) of the Society for Human Resource Management of Tompkins County. He is a past President of the Diversity Consortium of Tompkins County as well as being a 2007 graduate of Leadership Tompkins. Stephen is also sole proprietor of Estes Access Solutions, creating custom Microsoft Access database applications for a variety of government and not-for-profit entities.
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Recurring Events
Business After Hours
Business After Hours is our premier networking event where you can connect with dozens of Chamber members, community leaders, and potential clients. Network with professionals across the region to exchange contact details, discuss current industry trends, and generate sales leads in an informal setting.
Networking at Noon
Each month, members enjoy lunch with Chamber members while meeting new people, expanding their networking, and learning more about our diverse base of businesses and organizations in Tompkins County. Our goal is to enhance opportunities for our members to share what’s new and exciting in their workplace, discover new customers, and create meaningful connections that lead to lasting business relationships.
Community Conversations
Tompkins Chamber hosts community-specific conversations throughout the county, offering a space for businesses and leaders in our smaller municipalities to convene for hyper-local networking, conversation, mentorship, and advocacy. These events will serve as a forum for the Chamber to engage businesses who rarely attend Ithaca-based events and allow us to better understand and support the unique needs of each community.
L.E.A.R.N.
The L.E.A.R.N. professional development series is designed to give Chamber members access to tools and resources that will help them grow and strengthen their businesses. The series is made up of workshops relevant to the themes of Leadership, Equity, Action, Resilience, and Navigation.
Participants in this series enjoy the following benefits:
- Access to qualified, knowledgeable, and experienced presenters
- Clearly defined course objectives
- Relevant and timely topics
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Training Series
To aid Chamber Members’ desire to cultivate diverse, equitable, and Inclusive (DEI) workplaces, a group of experienced facilitators are partnering with the Tompkins Chamber to host a webinar series. The series has the added benefit of introducing Chamber members to local consultants and facilitators who can assist their respective businesses and organizations to develop strategic DEI plans, conduct follow up workplace trainings, and assist in recruitment/retention strategies for a diverse workforce.
Roundtable Series
Roundtables are free & for Chamber Members only.
Women in Business Roundtable
Open to all women and those who identify as female from within the Chamber’s membership base, this group includes small business owners, nonprofit leaders, managers, and women in all types of roles discussing work-life balance, gender in the workplace, and more through facilitated discussion and activities, or open sharing.
Small Business Roundtable
All Small Businesses with less than 50 employees from within the Chamber’s membership are welcome to join our Small Business Roundtable discussions. A mix of topic based and speaker facilitated discussions are blended with general roundtable sharing, mentorship, and brainstorming to result in connections and deliver information to keep moving area small businesses forward.
CEO Roundtable
CEO level discussion including leaders from the area’s largest employers and institutions, as well as area nonprofit executive directors, meet quarterly to provide important updates and discuss key community and economic concerns.
Featured Annual Events

Economic Summit
The Tompkins Chamber presents key local issues impacting local businesses and developers, policy issues impacting the business community, and local insights from participants in a national economic outlook survey. Partnering with Ithaca Area Economic Development (IAED), the event includes important updates about our economy, workforce, upcoming projects, and strategies to move forward and achieve a sustainable economic recovery.

Annual Dinner & Awards
One of the premier business community events of the year, the Annual Meeting highlights the Chamber community and previews the goals and initiatives for the coming year. Come and celebrate the success of our business community and economic development with hundreds of local leaders and elected officials! Join us as we raise a glass to the companies, not-for-profits, and volunteers who partner with us to help our community thrive.

Golf Tournament
This day on the green combines top-notch golf with valuable networking and advertising opportunities. Held at one of the County’s finest and professionally-rated golf courses. Staggered start golf tournament with several prizes, including skins. Lunch and beverages provided.

Great Big Chamber Auction
See and be seen by the region’s top business executives and small business owners. The Great Big Chamber Thank You & Auction holds tremendous value to our sponsors, donors, and attendees as it is one of our most highly publicized and attended events. The Great Big Chamber Auction portion helps underwrite the events and programs that support our Chamber members. Traditional silent and live auction, networking, and nonprofit recognition awards.

