NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MANDI PRYOR BRINGS COMMUNITY
TOGETHER THROUGH THE CHAMBER.
BY KATHY RUDOLPH
W
ith plans to bring back monthly lunches, continue
evening mixers and add more women-centric and
smaller niche events, Mandi Pryor, new Executive
Director of South West Communities Chamber of Commerce,
is ready to do what it takes to help members succeed.
“Smaller niche events allow for more personalized
relationships,” says Pryor, of Cecil Township. “When people
trust one another, they want to do more business with each
other. It can be daunting to walk into a large room of people,
and this helps members get to know one another.”
Located on Washington Pike in Collier Township, the South
West Communities Chamber of Commerce provides tools
to assist in the operation and promotion of area businesses,
and its members work together to make their communities
desirable places to live and do business. The organization is
approximately 100 years old and its member municipalities
include the boroughs of Bridgeville and Heidelberg as well as
Collier, Scott, South Fayette and Upper St. Clair townships. It
is housed in a 125-year-old building that was once a West Penn
Power substation, and which members and area businesses
helped to restore 25 years ago.
Pryor started as executive director in August. “We had many
strong candidates throughout the Pittsburgh and surrounding
region, but hiring someone with Mandi’s experience and talent
was the ideal choice,” says Wendy Kingsland, Chamber President,
and President and CEO of Visionary Federal Credit Union.
Pryor’s background includes marketing, event management,
social media, website design and public relations. “With her
extensive experience, she’s in a great position to represent each
and every business in the South West Communities Chamber
of Commerce and lead us on a path of success to have a
positive impact on our members’ businesses,” notes Kingsland.
In addition, Pryor worked as a former location manager
in Florida’s film industry and is owner of MP Marketing and
PR. She is an executive producer and host of “Spotlight on
Pittsburgh,” a talk show featuring the city’s most fascinating
people. The show can be viewed on Peters Township
Community Television.
“I call it my hobby,” laughs Pryor. She and Rob Costanza,
associate producer and Peters Township resident, produce
the show. “I’d describe it as a fun talk show, where I let the
conversation go how it goes—it’s very low scripted.”
Some of Pryor’s guests have included comedian Terry Jones,
John Chamberlin, blogger of the YaJagoff.com podcast, and
Tanya Mallory, CEO of Dress for Success Pittsburgh.
“When the Chamber position came along I thought it was a
perfect match for my talents in event planning and marketing,”
Pryor explains. “I am out and about all the time, and as a small
business owner I can definitely identify with the members
and people who want to become members. They are trying
to reach out and grow their businesses in the community and
want to work with one another to achieve that. My vision is to
get us out more active in the community—whether it’s hosting
events, young professional groups or volunteering.”
Much of the volunteering includes being part of the
Chamber of Commerce Common Good Foundation, which
was created in 2008 as an extension of the chamber to
enhance business outreach programs and encourage future
businessmen and women to reach their goals and aspirations
through a scholarship to a high school senior in area school
districts.
“When people trust one another,
they want to do more business
with each other.”
For Pryor, it’s all about the community flourishing. “The
Chamber isn’t just about business,” she says, “it’s about
community and family—and supporting one another. We are
not just a business-to-business organization that invites people
to come to the Chamber and we’ll help them do a ribbon
cutting and tell everybody about their business. We want to
host events that are not only for the Chamber members, but
also for their families and friends. That’s what this is all about.
As much as we are online and in the digital age, we still need
the people-to-people connection. If we can help incorporate
this into the community through the Chamber, then I think
we’re helping out the area.”
For more information on upcoming South West
Communities Chamber of Commerce events, visit
swccoc.org. n
Chartiers Valley | Winter 2017 | icmags.com 15