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You are here: Home / Archives for Patty McCormac

Patty McCormac

Prescott Chamber Chief Focused on Membership

January 30, 2017 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Call it kismet. Somehow, the tumblers all clicked into place and the stars aligned, so much so that Sheri Heiney feels her new position as president and CEO of the Prescott Chamber of Commerce was meant to be.

“We have family in the Sedona area and it’s been our dream to move out West,” she said. “We have been visiting here for 25 years and love it.”

It was “just by the grace” that she noticed a position available in the Prescott Chamber in an online trade magazine.

“I told my husband ‘I’m going to throw my hat in there,’” she said. “I think it was just meant to be.”

Heiney beat out candidates from across the country, said Sanford Cohen, who headed the nationwide search for the new president and CEO to take over when David Maurer retired after more than 13 years as the Chamber leader.

“She was far and away the top choice of the board,” Cohen said. “Just her professionalism, her depth of experience and the ability to field questions answered showed us she was well-schooled in everything that a chamber of commerce does.”

Heiney was president of the Rochester, Michigan chamber for 16 years.

Cohen said it did not hurt that she is from his home state. “There is something to be said for the Midwestern work ethic. She hit the ground running with the staff and a set of goals. It is going to be a very exciting and optimistic year for Prescott. She has earned many awards for her work.”

During her leadership, the Rochester Regional Chamber was recognized in 2008 as the Outstanding Chamber of the Year in Michigan, and was honored as runner-up in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014. Heiney was also named the Michigan Chamber Professional of the Year for 2011 and 2014. The Rochester Regional Chamber was also named Non-Profit of the Year by Automation Alley in 2009.

Heiney and her husband, John, took their time driving West. They left Michigan on Dec. 23, arrived on Dec. 26 and found a place to live.

“On Friday, we were moving in,” she said. “This is the first time I have lived out of state.”

The couple has four children, ages 26, 24, 22 and 21. “They are independent and are following their dreams, which allows us to follow ours,” she said. “We are rediscovering each other after the kids left the house. It is really cool.”

They also have two spoiled Shih Tzus, Bella and Bailey. And John has accepted the position of community outreach manager for the City of Prescott.

“What is really special about Prescott is the tourism. Every time I am in the lobby of the visitors center, it is always packed,” she said.

The chamber she left has 1,000 members. Prescott has 860. She says she will be continuing to build membership.

“We are going to add some programs, listen to the needs of people and make those things happen,” she said. “We have a tremendous number of volunteers. I am very thankful for that.”

There have been only three CEOs in the last 47 years since the Prescott Chamber was founded.

“I have some big shoes to fill of someone who as been here so long,” she said.

She said David Maurer was eager to retire and was leaving on a cruise the day after her first official day.

“I am in my retirement place. I am not going anywhere anytime soon,” Heiney said, adding that she’s impressed by how friendly everyone is in Prescott.

In fact, when she returned to her car after her first day of work, there was a note on the windshield. Someone had seen her Michigan license plates and took the time to write a note to let her know they were from Michigan as well.

Heiney earned her degree in hospitality and tourism from the University of Michigan. She is also a licensed realtor and a certified business consultant.

“I love working with chamber members, business and community leaders. You get to wake up every day and every day is different,” she said. QCBN

By Patty McCormac, QCBN

 

 

 

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Feature, Patty McCormac, Prescott Chamber of Commerce, Sheri Heiney

Shoppers, Browsers Welcome at At Home

March 16, 2016 By quadcities Leave a Comment

@HomeAside from bringing 25 jobs to the Quad Cities area, the new At Home store on State Route 69 may also be providing residents a new pastime: browsing through 110,000 square feet of items to decorate their homes, from wall art to patio furniture to holiday decorations. There is also an outside garden space of 50,000 square feet.

“Once they come in, they come back, a thousand times over,” said Ryan Desterhouse, the store’s director.

The mission of the store is to provide items for every room, every style at everyday low prices.

The first thing a person sees when he or she walks through the front door is a

focal table containing seasonal items from $2.99 to $59.

There are up to seven tables in the front of the store that are beautifully decorated.

“As you walk in the door, there is a beautiful, seasonal section,” said Stacy Sullivan, who is head of corporate communications. “You see outdoor furniture, fountains and patio fireplaces.”

The other side of the store is stocked with items for spring, summer and Easter.

“We really want this to be a place for the customer to come in and have a great time. We want everyone to feel welcome,” Desterhouse said. “Our associates allow them to have a great time and help them out any way they can.”

“We see couples come in and decide on patio furniture or furniture for their home,” said Sullivan. “At Home allows customers to express their personal style by choosing from an expansive selection of more than 50,000 items, including seasonal and holiday décor, patio furniture, home furnishings, wall art and decorative accents, rugs and housewares. Employing an every day low pricing model, At Home is dedicated to allowing customers to affordably make their house into a home.”

At Home can also furnish the best of man caves.

“It’s a one-stop location,” said Desterhouse.

The store hosted a grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month with the Prescott Chamber of Commerce. Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe President Ernest Jones Sr. was among guests helping to cut the ribbon.

At Home currently operates more than 100 stores across 28 states.

This marks the fifth big-box specialty retailer of home décor products in Arizona.

By Patty McCormac

At Home is located at 1891 E. State Route 69 in Prescott. For more information, visit the website, www.athome.com or call 928-499-7710.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: At Home, Patty McCormac, store

Graham Opens a New Chapter

February 26, 2016 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Purple CatShari Graham, a tax accountant, retired in 2012.

“One of these days, I am going to take a day off,” she said earlier this month. “I have plans to take a nap. It might be in March,” she said with a laugh.

During the past few years, Graham has been busy. She has been traveling, reading and being involved with the Prescott Center for the Arts. Now she is opening a bookshop, The Purple Cat A Good Used Book Store.

It may seem like a chancy proposition to open a bookstore as hardbound books seemingly become passé. Maybe not.

“Amazon opened a retail book store in Seattle recently,” she said. “And used books are especially in demand these days.”

Besides, she recognizes a good business opportunity when she sees one.

Right next door to her new bookshop was a bookstore at which she worked for a year. The owner wanted to move the store out to Prescott Valley.

Graham said she did not think it was such a good idea to move the store because it had been in place for years and it had a good customer base.

“People have been used to having a book shop in this location,” she said. “Certainly, people are going to return to the location and expect a book shop.”

“I sat there and thought about it for a while and decided this was a good business opportunity,” Graham said. ”I decided to open my very own shop. It is not connected with the former shop. I did not buy it. I am not taking over. It’s a totally new shop.”

The idea for the quirky name for the shop came to Graham while driving on a chilly, rainy afternoon when she told herself, “This is a good day to curl up in a chair with a good book and a cat.”

At the time, she was wearing a purple sweater. Later in the day she saw clip art of a purple cat.

“The logo of the cat makes me smile.”

The shop is a cozy 800 square feet.

“It’s not a huge shop. It’s a whimsy. It’s friendly and has a very good feel to it. The bookshelves in the center are on the diagonal so it looks different the second you walk in.”

The store also carries book accessories like bookmarks, attractive book bags, bookends, audio books and book lights that she says are hard to find.

Sharon Petz, who will be working part time at the shop, says she is really excited about working there.

“It’s just an ideal part-time job for me. The bookstore has a lot of personality. It just puts a smile on my face to walk in and see it and get to know the customers. It is welcoming and cheerful,” she said.

Her clientele include “active, retired interesting people who are interested in all kinds of things,” Graham said.

“Taking empty space and transforming it into a beautiful little shop has taken three months of solid effort and I have had some fantastic help,” she said.

Some of the help appeared magically out of nowhere and some in the form of neighbors and friends. She says putting the shop together has been fun and she has really enjoyed working there.

A native of Kansas, she found herself in Arizona because her husband was in the U.S. Air Force. She says it was love at first sight for her for Prescott in 1995.

Graham has three grown children and three grandchildren.

What advice would you give someone who wants to start a business?

“Talk to someone who has already done it. You could ask them what the advantages and disadvantages are, and what they would do differently.”

What do you consider the most important character trait for small business owners?

“Enthusiasm and perseverance. It’s almost equal doses of each.”

 Where is your favorite place to travel?

“Italy because of the food and Michelangelo’s art and sculptures.

When was the last time you laughed really hard?

‘‘Probably yesterday. I laugh a lot.”

What is your favorite book?

“That’s hard. You would think I would know one wouldn’t you?”

The Purple Cat is located at 3180 Willow Creek Road in the Fry’s Willow Creek Shopping Center across from Jack-In-The-Box. For more information, call 928-776-0116 or visit the purplecatz.com.

 

By Patty McCormac

 

 

Filed Under: Community Profile, Spotlight Tagged With: bookstrore, Patty McCormac, Shari Graham

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