NEW SCOTLAND – Janna Shillinglaw is hoping to build her community and get residents more engaged and involved, she said.

Shillinglaw is a real-estate agent; she opened a New Scotland office, Team Shillinglaw, in May.
She recently established, with the help of Voorheesville resident and financial consultant, Rick Decker, what she refers to as a "smaller hometown version" of a chamber of commerce for the town. It is called New Scotland Business Builders.

The group’s first meeting was held on Tuesday at her real-estate office in the Stonewell Plaza. Diane Cameron, the director of Community Caregivers, was the guest speaker.
"I have a deep respect for Diane Cameron" She just has a way with words," said Shillinglaw, who has written grants for Community Caregivers for several years.
"I’d like to get to know my business neighbors," Shillinglaw told The Enterprise. "Supporting local business is really important to me."

Through her website, www.newscotlandneighbors.com, Shillinglaw offers a community calendar, local real-estate listings, recipes, links to local news stories, and blurbs about businesses in town.

The advertising space is free for local business owners, Shillinglaw said.
"I’m looking to engage the community" to help shape New Scotland for years to come," she said. "It’d be great to have a unified business front," said Shillinglaw.
She hopes that New Scotland Business Builders might become an outlet for businesses to pool their resources for various projects. "I foresee meet and greets with guest speakers," she said, adding that at some point she would like to put out a quarterly newsletter, and potentially sponsor community events.
"I’ve lived in New Scotland for eight years. I plan on being here indefinitely," Shillinglaw said. "I’m really excited about getting to know people," she said.

Her project has led her to discover some treasures in New Scotland — from custom designed jewelry to home-baked rum cakes, said Shillinglaw.
"We live in a wonderful area, fresh with opportunities," Shillinglaw said, adding, New Scotland Business Builders "could be something meaningful in helping it grow."