BNI Flagship Chapter- Erie, PA

10/01/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Kimberlee Persons on renewing her BNI membership! 🎉
Kimberlee, a personal banking professional with First National Bank, is celebrating an incredible 16th year with BNI! Her continued commitment to BNI and the relationships she has built over the years are worth celebrating.
Congratulations on 16 years, Kimberlee! Here’s to another year of building relationships, sharing referrals, and growing together! ❤️🤝

10/01/2026

🌟 Celebrating Our BNI Network Leaders! 🌟
This week, we took a moment to recognize some of our amazing BNI members who have been going above and beyond to help our chapter grow! 👏🎉
A big congratulations to our Network Leaders for their outstanding contributions!
🏆 Tim Franks – 106 one-to-ones, 54 referrals, and 7 visitors!
🏆 Evan Rumbaugh – $41,590 in Thank You for Closed Business (TYFCB)!
🏆 Seth Lucas – 8 visitors!
🏆 Kyle Ferrara – $33,264 in Thank You for Closed Business!
🏆 David Chivari – 4 visitors!
🏆 Tom Faessel – 5 visitors, 54 one-to-ones, and 184 CEUs!
👏 These numbers represent more than just statistics. They reflect the relationships being built, referrals being shared, and genuine commitment to helping one another succeed!
❤️ That's what BNI is all about — Givers Gain!
Congratulations to everyone recognized, and thank you for making our chapter stronger every week!

09/30/2026

🔧 Today’s Feature Presentation was by Jeff Jaruszewicz with Lake Effect Plumbing!

Jeff brings 20 years of plumbing experience and completed a five-year union plumbing apprenticeship. Lake Effect Plumbing is a fully licensed and insured local company, and Jeff holds a City of Erie Master Plumber license along with several specialized certifications.

They serve both residential and commercial customers, offering:

✅ Repairs and installations
✅ Water heaters and tankless systems
✅ Drainage and pipe replacement
✅ Backflow testing
✅ Remodels
✅ Gas lines
✅ Emergency plumbing services and much more!

Great referrals for Jeff include homeowners, business owners, restaurants, hotels, medical offices, property management companies, manufacturers, and general contractors.

Thank you, Jeff Jaruszewicz, for an informative presentation and for showing us the wide range of work Lake Effect Plumbing can handle!

📞 (814) 218-1261

09/29/2026

🏆 Last week’s Best 60-Second Presentation Trophy went to one of our newest members, Nolan Miller of Junk Bros Trash Removal!

Although Nolan has only been part of our chapter for a short time, he is already well-liked by our members and starting to receive referrals.

Nolan isn’t afraid to take on the difficult cleanout jobs that others may refuse, including challenging hoarding situations. He recently told us about a home filled with so much clutter that the owners didn’t even know where their deceased cat was. Nolan and his team handled the situation, removed everything, and completed the job—showing that he is willing to tackle even the most complicated cleanouts.

Junk Bros is committed to making junk removal easy, affordable, and stress-free through honest pricing, dependable service, and respect for every home.

Congratulations, Nolan, and welcome to our BNI Flagship family! We hope this trophy brings you many more referrals and helps you continue growing your business! 👏

If you or someone you know needs reliable junk or trash removal, contact Junk Bros Trash Removal:

📞 (814) 807-8161
🌐 junkbrostrash.com
📧 [email protected]

Now the big question is…who will take home the trophy tomorrow? 🏆

09/29/2026

🎨 This week’s featured presentation was from Mike Hayes of Hayes Painting Services!

Mike really doesn’t need much advertising- he is already well known throughout our community for his honesty, experience, and outstanding work. His customers appreciate not only the quality of his painting, but also the genuine kindness and care he brings to every job.

Mike often accepts challenging projects that other painters might turn down, and the before-and-after photos he shared were incredible! He explained that professional results come from following the proper process: protecting the space, carefully preparing and repairing the surfaces, priming, painting, and thoroughly cleaning up afterward. There are no shortcuts when quality matters!

With more than 30 years of experience, professional equipment, expert knowledge, and full insurance, Mike gives his customers confidence that their homes are in excellent hands. As he reminded us, almost anyone can apply paint—- but not everyone is a professional painter.

Mike is always honest, dependable, and willing to go above and beyond for his customers. We are very fortunate to have him as part of our BNI Flagship family!

If you or someone you know needs interior or exterior painting or deck restoration, Hayes Painting Services is the trusted name to call. 🏠🖌️

09/26/2026

🌟 Most Improved Member Spotlight -Evan Rumbaugh! 🌟

Congratulations to Evan Rumbaugh with Agresti Real Estate, our Most Improved Member! 👏

Evan made an impressive 20-point jump in just one month, bringing his Power of One score to 75/100 and earning the #3 overall ranking in our chapter! With 96% attendance and an average of 1.12 one-to-ones per week, his commitment and growth have certainly not gone unnoticed.

Everyone loves having Evan in our group-not only for his great sense of humor, positivity, and the brightness he brings to every meeting, but also for his creativity, professionalism, and genuine willingness to help others.

We’re so lucky to have you in our chapter, Evan. Keep up the amazing work-you’ve earned this recognition! 🎉👏

09/22/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday to George Zacherl! 🎂

Today we’re wishing a very Happy Birthday to George Zacherl, Executive Director of BNI Western Pennsylvania since 2006!

George visits our chapter periodically, and we always appreciate the valuable information and insight he brings with him. Whether it’s ideas on how to grow our chapter, build stronger relationships, or generate more consistent referrals, we always walk away with something useful.

Thank you, George, for your continued support, guidance, and commitment to helping our chapter grow and succeed!

Please join us in wishing George a very Happy Birthday and a wonderful year ahead! 🥳🎈🎉

09/17/2026

A big thank-you to Tim Franks for this week’s featured presentation, “Protecting the People Your Business Can’t Run Without.”

Tim explained how Key Person Life Insurance and Buy/Sell Funding can help protect a business, its owners, and its team when the unexpected happens.

The key takeaway: Life insurance isn’t simply a policy-it’s a strategy designed to protect what matters most. Thank you, Tim, for an informative and valuable presentation! 👏

09/16/2026

🏆 Last Week’s BNI 60-Second Trophy Winner! 🏆

Congratulations to Brian Potts with NorthStar Financial! 👏

Brian helps make business dreams possible through commercial loans and private-money lending- even when traditional lenders say no. Congratulations, Brian! 🎉

09/05/2026