Fall 2015 - Columbia County Chamber of Commerce

Quarterly Newsletter
Fall 2015
www.columbiacountychamber.com
Class of 2016
Leadership Columbia County
Heather Abdelnur
GRU
Charles Hayes
SRNS
Michael Jacobs
GIW Industries
Ryan Baxter
The Pollock Company
B.J. Jordan
State Farm Insurance
Julie Newman
Wright McLeod Attorneys
David Bullington
Queensborough Bank
Ricky Mays
Georgia Bank & Trust
Dawn Panowich
Camellia Walk Assisted Living
Steve Crawford
Morris Communications
Damion Moses
State Bank and Trust
Renee Rinder
SRP Federal Credit Union
Susan Erway
Bill Beazley Homes
Megan Moye
Meybohm Realtors
Cody Smith
Mellow Mushroom
Tony Gallo
Merrill Lynch
Tara Hooks
Regions Bank
Erik Stuckart
Doctors Hospital
Read more
about the
Class of 2016 on
Page 2
Angela Taylor
Doctors Hospital
Virginia Wilson
Precision Waste Services
Eddie Writer
ADP
Daniel Yonchak
Queensborough Bank
2015 CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE
7th Adult LCC Kicks Off
The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce extends its
thanks and appreciation to the following companies for
sustaining their membership levels.
The 22 members of the Leadership Columbia County Class
of 2016 met for the first time at the traditional Meet the Class
Reception at Savannah Rapids Pavilion
on Aug. 19. Two days later the group
spent a day of team building and
leadership training, followed the next
day by tackling the tough ropes course
at Pointes West Army Resort at Clarks Hill
Lake.
The class will spend a day each month for the next 10 months
meeting for various programs designed to teach them more about
our community.
This will be the seventh LCC class to complete the program.
Karyn Nixon is this year’s LCC Chair, and Laura Smith is Vice Chair.
DIAMOND LEVEL
PLATINUM LEVEL
GOLD LEVEL
Youth Leadership Class Begins
SILVER LEVEL
The 28 members of the new Youth Leadership Class kicked off
their program on Aug. 11 with a Meet the Class reception.
On August 15, the class spent the day at the Camp Lakeside for
team-building activities and leadership
training.
Class members are: Simone
Anderson, Grovetown; Julia Baughn,
Evans; Ellie Benton, Lakeside; Hunter
Berry, Harlem; Elizabeth Carter,
Westminster; Niki Chen, Lakeside;
Meghan Coggins, Greenbrier; Madison
Drummond, Greenbrier; Juliann Fuller, Harlem; Kevin Gorta,
Greenbrier; Anna Gregg, Evans; Griffin Hansen, Augusta Christian;
Abbey Haynie, Greenbrier; Michael Head, Westminster; Rebecca
Helling, Greenbrier; Keaton Hill, Augusta Prep; Macie Hofilena,
Augusta Prep; Katie Holleran, Lakeside; Hannah Hopkins, Augusta
Christian; Austin Matthews, Lakeside; Ally Richards, Augusta Prep;
Kezia Richardson, Grovetown; Kate Sandlin, Evans; Ankita Shah,
Evans; Jared Talman, Augusta Christian; Parker Wiley, Augusta
Christian; Zach Wilson, Evans; and M.C. Zimmerman, Lakeside.
Karen Smith is the Youth Leadership Committee Chair and
Jeremie Freck is Vice Chair.
Welcome New
Members
June through August
Above Grade Level in Home
Tutoring
Aiken Performing Arts Group
Auto Money Title Pawn
Badcock Home Furniture & More
Barney’s Pharmacy - Fury’s Ferry
Better Homes and Gardens
- Charles Allen, Jr.
Cre8tive Stone Works
of the CSRA
Creighton Laircey Company
Cucina 503
Dumpster Depot
Dye’s Southern Catering
Edward Jones - Matthew J. Loss
Eli’s American
ERA Sunrise Realty
Explore the South
Farmers Insurance
- Antonio White Agency
Farmers Insurance - Pirtle
Agency
Fort Gordon Signal
GAEC (Greater Augusta
Employment Committee)
Georgia Detox and Recovery
Centers
Goodwill Industries - Grovetown
Green Thumb West
Hawk Law Group
Hill Top Animal Hospital
James G. Swift & Associates
Kelly Promotional Products
Kudzu Staffing
L & J Roofing and Home
Improvements
Labor Finders
Main Street Digital
Making Ends Meet Bargain
Center
Marshall Pines Alzheimer’s
Special Care Center
MasterMarketerStat.com
Move the Mountain Ministries
Planet Fitness
Portable Services, Inc.
Powerserve
Qwik Pack & Ship
Rainbow of Augusta
Ray Good Custom Home Designs
Red Skye Wireless
Residence Inn Marriott
Sabea, LLC
Savvy Soles & Boutique
Serenity Behavioral Health
Systems
South Company
Southside Monument
SouthStar Trolley
Springleaf Financial Services
SRS Community
Reuse Organization
St. Moritz Building Services, Inc.
Sweet Jones, LLC
The FSL Group
The Swank Company
Thompson Forest
Consultants, Inc.
Trophies Unlimited
Twisted Burrito
Walt Bagwell Agency
West Warning Equipment
Sales & Sevices, LLC
Zebra Marketing
From independent living in apartment and cottage homes ...
to assisted, skilled or memory care.
Brandon Wilde,
a Community
and a Lifestyle.
How to Contact the Chamber
1000 Business Blvd.
Evans, GA 30809
(Behind the Bank of America on Ronald Reagan Drive)
706-651-0018 • 706-651-0023 (fax)
www.columbiacountychamber.com
Hours
8 am to 5 pm Mon - Thursday
8 am to 2 pm Friday
Pat & Charlie Moye
Residents of Brandon Wilde
706.868.3529 | BrandonWilde.com
Now Offering the Community Expert Memory Care
in The Windsor House
Advocacy
Your Chamber Working For You
While networking events and ribbon cuts
may be the picture many have of what the
Chamber is, that’s really just the tip of the
iceberg.
One of the driving forces behind everything the Chamber does is promoting a
healthy business environment by supporting legislation, governmental action and
programs that encourage a strong business
climate with growing economic opportunities.
We work with schools to help develop
a strong workforce for the future. We offer
support and opportunities for businesses to
grow and prosper. We train leaders to make
our region stronger. We monitor legislation
and regulations and give opportunities for
citizens to hear from those making decisions. And, we make sure that the decisionmakers know where our business community stands on the issues.
After all, an informed community is an
effective community.
With Fall comes the election season,
followed shortly by the beginning of the
Georgia General Assembly.
We have several events coming up that
are designed to let you meet the decisionmakers, those who want to be the decisionmakers and learn more about the issues
important to our economic growth and
quality of life.
Candidate Forums
Tuesday, September 29 • 6 - 8 pm
Performing Arts Center, Columbia County Library
The candidates for Georgia House District 122 and Columbia
County Board of Commissioners District 3 seats will answer questions from the Chamber and the Columbia County News-Times.
This is not a debate, and responses will be time limited.
No charge
Open to the public
No reservations needed
Harlem and Grovetown Municipal Elections
State of the Community
Tuesday, September 22 • 5 - 8 p.m.
Liberty Park Gym, Grovetown
Our elected officials share the progress and goals for our community. Receive a personal update from the City of Grovetown,
Columbia County Commission, City of Harlem, Columbia County
Board of Education, Fort Gordon and the Georgia Department
of Transportation. Dinner from Shane’s Rib Shack and a business
showcase begins at 5 pm. The program starts at 6:30 pm.
Tickets: Members - $25
Non-Members - $30
Reservations required
Presenting Sponsor: Georgia Bank & Trust and the City of Grovetown
Hosted by: Columbia County Chamber, Development Authority of
Columbia County, Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Premier Sponsors: AT&T, Columbia County Board of Commissioners, the
City of Harlem, Shane’s Rib Shack, University Health Care System
Executive Sponsors: Brandon Wilde, Gold Cross, Herbert Homes, Hull Barrett, Petsch Respiratory Services
Corporate Sponsors: Comfort Inn & Suites
Media Sponsors: The Augusta Chronicle, Beasley Broadcasting, WRDW
News 12
The Chamber and the Columbia County News-Times plan to combine resources and hold a candidate forum for any contested races
in the upcoming November 3 election. The date and location will
be determined once the slate of candidates has been determined.
Pre-Legislative Breakfast
Thursday, November 5
7:30 - 9 am
Savannah Rapids Pavilion
This is the annual warm-up before the start of the Georgia General
Assembly. The keynote speaker will be Chris Carr, Commissioner of
the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Our local delegation members - Sen. Bill Jackson, Sen. Jesse Stone, Rep. Barry
Flemming, Rep. Barbara Sims and Rep. Tom McCall - will discuss
their expectations of the upcoming session.
No Charge for members
Non-members - $10
Reservations required
Presenting Sponsor: AT&T
Premier Sponsors: Columbia County, Georgia Power,
Atlanta Gas Light
Executive Sponsors: Zaxby’s, Washington Road Self Storage,
Serotta Maddocks Evans, CPAs
To register, call 706-651-0018 or
visit www.columbiacountychamber.com.
Upcoming Chamber Events
Sold Out
For
2015
Annual Golf Tournament
Monday, October 5
Westlake Country Club
Presenting Sponsor: American Family
Insurance
Premier Sponsor: Camellia Walk, Aggregates USA, Zaxbys, Georgia Bank & Trust
Executive Sponsors: Georgia Regents,
Textron Specialty Vehicles, Sig Cox Air Conditioning, Cleveland Group CPAs
Chamber After Hours
Monday, October 26
5 - 7 pm
Remodeler’s Warehouse
4074 Washington Road
Join other Chamber members for a relaxing social and networking event.
Members Only
No Charge
Reservations Required
Executive Luncheon
Series
December 3 • 11:30 am to 1 pm
Savannah Rapids Pavilion
This quarterly series focuses on economic
development and professional development.
Reservations required
$25 members/$35 non-members
Presenting Sponsor: Georgia Regents
University
Premier Sponsors: EDTS, Georgia Power,
Premier Networx, Spherion
Executive Sponsors: ADP, Comcast Spotlight, Security Federal Bank,
New York Life/Kendra Financial Group
Media Sponsors: The Augusta Chronicle,
WRDW
Holiday Social
Chamber Before Hours
Tuesday, November 17
8 - 9:15 am
Chamber Office
The event begins with networking and
a continental breakfast, followed by a
program topic of the day discussion.
No charge for Chamber members
Guests - $10
Reservations required
Sponsored by: Elliott Davis Decosimo
Monday, December 7 • 5 - 7 pm
John Harris Body Shop
4316 Evans to Lock Road
Join other Chamber members for a relaxing social and networking event.
Members Only
No Charge
Reservations Required
Sponsored by: John Harris Body Shop
and ALLCLEAN Pressure Washing
Registration,
Sponsorships and Ads
You can register for any of these events by
visiting the website at
www.columbiacountychamber. com or by
calling the office at 706-651-0018.
If you are interested in sponsoring a
Chamber event or program, please contact Cassidy Harris, Director of Programs,
at cassidy@columbiacountychamber.com
or by calling the Chamber.
If you are interested in advertising in this
newsletter, please contact Jennifer Miller,
Director of Communications, at jennifer@
columbiacountychamber.com or by calling the Chamber.
What’s Been Happening At The Chamber
Executive Luncheon Series
It was a full-house for the June 4 luncheon,
which featured a panel discussion about
a recently released Savannah River Site
Community Reuse Organization report on
the pending lack of qualified workers in the
region in the next few years.
Networking for Leads
Members participate in a sort of “speed networking” event on June 16 at the Chamber.
Participants get 60 seconds to give their “1
minute commercial” before moving on to the
next person.
Hiring Our Heroes
The Chamber was awarded the
Chamber of Valor Award from the
Hiring Our Heroes program on
June 24 for its work helping veterans find jobs.
Youth Leadership
Class members participate in team-building skills at Camp Lakeside on August 14.
Chamber After Hours
More than 160 members turned out for the
August 10 Summer Cookout After Hours at
the Alzheimer’s Association.
Chamber Before Hours
It was another full-house for a
workshop on dealing with new
regulations dealing with fraudulant credit cards .
Leadership Columbia County
The 21 members of the Class of 2016 spent
August 22 tackling the challenging ropes
course at Pointes West Army Resort on Clarks
Hill Lake.
CSRA Community Event
Chamber members proudly displayed their Chamber sign at their
booths at the expo at Fort Gordon
on August 20.
Board of Directors
Executive Board
Michelle Piper, Chair
Shawn Vincent, Treasurer
State Bank and Trust
Georgia Regents University
Angi Brock, Chair-Elect
Robbie Moore, Secretary
The Cleveland Group, CPAs
Blanchard & Calhoun Insurance
Rick Crawford, Past Chair
Eric McIntyre, Membership Chair
Security Federal Bank
Georgia Power Company
Board of Directors
Pat Brown
Kellie Johnson
John Deere Commercial Products
Shane’s Rib Shack
Ed Burr
Jacki Jones
University Health Care System
Suntrust Bank
Tim Cole
Bob Kendra
Georgia Bank and Trust
Kendra Financial Group/NY Life
Tamara Craven
Brian King
Savannah River Remediation
Donsbach & King
Greg Criste
Yvonne Meeks
Spherion
SRP Federal Credit Union
Mike Fowler
Mike Oates
Hull Barrett Attorneys
WRDW TV
Rachael Grant
Ken Shah
Verizon Wireless
Comfort Inn & Suites
Pat Goodwin
Karen Smith
Better Homes and Gardens
Doctors Hospital
Mark Herbert
Mike Swain
Herbert Homes
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions
SPACIOUS FLOOR PLANS
FITNESS CENTER
LIBRARY &
RESOURCE CENTER
BEAUTIFULLY LANDSCAPED
GARDENS AND COURTYARDS
Call today to schedule your personal visit:
3949 Evans to Locks Road • Evans, GA 30809
706.396.9255 • www.camelliawalk.com
Julia Heyman
ResCare Home Care
507 CDP Industrial Blvd
Suite 2
Grovetown, GA 30813
CelebraTing
37 Years of being
a savin
Dealer!
• Copiers • Wide Format Printers •
• Scanners • Shredders •
• Folding Machines •
• Mobile Printing • Cost Recovery •
• Document Management • Scanning •
• Work Flow Enhancement •
Floodplain Management
Information
Columbia County participates in National
Flood Insurance Program, which dictates
minimum standards to be adopted and
enforced at the local government level.
Information is available on Flood Insurance
Rate Maps (FIRM), flood zones, flood
insurance, elevation certificates, and other
related issues.
Please contact Shari Mendrick at
(706) 312-7247 or
smendrick@columbiacountyga.gov
to use this free service.