Antoinetta “Netta” Lindell

With 2025 coming to a close, the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry reflects on a year of economic momentum, expanded membership and community engagement throughout the county.

The chamber ended the year with 225 members, including a record 43 new businesses joining in 2025. That growth helped generate approximately $140,000 in revenue, which was reinvested into programs and initiatives aimed at strengthening the local economy and supporting the Chamber’s mission of making Warren County “the place to become.”

Throughout the year, WCCBI organized and supported dozens of community events in partnership with local organizations.

Working with the City of Warren’s Downtown Task Force and Explore Downtown Warren, the Chamber helped facilitate popular events such as Fall Fest, the Sasquatch Hunt, Shop Hop, the First Fridays Series, the Christmas Parade and Holiday Walk and the annual Car Show. The Chamber also collaborated with the Warren County Visitor’s Bureau to assist with logistics for Kinzua Rocks to Wake.

In addition, WCCBI hosted the ninth annual Trails at Jakes Rocks Fest. Since opening, the trail system has welcomed more than 150,000 users and now generates an estimated regional economic impact of more than $10 million. The festival will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2026.

The Chamber also celebrated 15 ribbon cuttings for new and expanding businesses across the county. Much of this success comes from the partnership with Gannon University’s Small Business Development Center. This partnership also helped more than a dozen entrepreneurs in launching or growing their business.

Workforce development and education partnership also expanded in 2025. The Chamber strengthened collaborations with the Warren-Forest Higher Education Council and the Warren County Career Center with a focus on preparing the future workforce.

WCCBI also led a Financial Literacy Focus Group in partnership with Northwest Bank, Erie Bank, KeyBank and several local credit unions. The group hosted multiple events and spent a full day educating Warren Area High School juniors and seniors on financial literacy. Plans are underway to continue these efforts, including a reality fair scheduled for March 2026.

October, marked as “Chamber Month” included the annual Chamber Gala, where more than a dozen business milestones and individual achievements. The Chamber also introduced its inaugural Young Professional Awards, presented to Andrew Papalia and Kassie Damcott, while David Snyder received the 2025 Community Service Award.

In 2026, WCCBI plans to relaunch the Warren County Young Professionals group for individuals under the age of 40.

The Chamber also saw significant growth in digital outreach, and the group posted a video every day in 2025, one of which received 3.8 million views on TikTok.

“Going viral helped put Warren County on the map, with people reaching out from all over saying they miss living here and can’t wait to come back,” said Administrative Assistant Caroline Johnson, according to a WCCBI press release.

She also noted they have reached nearly 10,000 Facebook and 1,000 Instagram followers.

Several new initiatives launched in 2025 further helped local businesses. The Chamber’s “Dine & Win Sweepstakes” supported 20 member restaurants by distributing $1,000 in gift cards to residents and providing advertising packages to participating businesses. Additionally, a donation from Pennsylvania General Energy allowed the Chamber to distribute $2,500 in Chamber Bucks across five communities to encourage local shopping on Small Business Saturday.

“Supporting local businesses should happen year-round, and we were encouraged by the strong community response,” said Johnson in the Chamber’s press release. The program is expected to return in 2026.

Chamber CEO Jim Decker credited the year’s success to strong community support.

“Our success is a direct result of the unwavering support from our members, partners, and the entire Warren County community,” Decker said in a press release.

As Decker prepares for retirement after three decades of service, he expressed confidence in incoming CEO Antoinetta “Netta” Lindell.

“I look forward to seeing the organization and community continue to grow and prosper under her leadership,” he said.

Lindell said she is eager to build on the Chamber’s momentum.

“This is an exciting moment for WCCBI as we continue supporting our business community while investing in the long-term vitality of our neighborhoods,” she said. “Our goal is to ensure that Chamber membership is essential, not optional.”