The Grant County Chamber of Commerce executive director
Chamber’s executive director works to increase membership
Shawna Melton of Sheridan knew a little about how chambers of commerce operate before she began her new job in April as executive director of the Grant County Chamber of Commerce.
Her stepmother is president of the Harrison Chamber of Commerce in north Arkansas.
“It’s a family affair,” Melton said with a laugh.
“I was approached by a board member about this position,” she said. “I stayed at home with my kids for 13 years, but I felt called to take this job. I think I have a lot of attributes to help me with the job. I enjoy people and have an outgoing personality.
“Plus, I talk to my stepmother, and we share ideas. They have Crawdad Days in Harrison, and we have Timberfest here in Sheridan.
“I think I am able to speak on a personal level with sponsors and businesses and tell them about the services the chamber can provide them,” Melton said. “I enjoy getting out in the community. It’s always something different every day.”
Melton, 32, said the chamber has approximately 185 members.
“It’s grown since I started,” she said. “I personally have brought in 16 new members. I set a goal of four for the year when I started; I have met and exceeded that goal.
“I’ve also brought in more sponsorships,” she said, adding that those sponsorships total $47,000.
“I really enjoy the personal side of chamber work,” she said.
“We are a small town,” she said. “In the 2010 census, we had about 4,600 residents. With a projected rate of growth of 2 percent, we should be at about 5,000 now.”
Melton said the timber industry is “the driving force” in the county.
The Grant County Chamber of Commerce celebrates that industry every year with Timberfest.
“It’s a huge festival for us,” Melton said. “My only disappointment with my job so far is that we had to cancel the fireworks at this year’s Timberfest. [The fireworks show] was my idea. That was my baby. It would have been the first time the festival featured fireworks. It was just too dry to do it.
“I am already planning a big blowout, complete with fireworks, when we have our 35th annual Timberfest in three years. It’s going to be big.”
She said the biggest employer in Sheridan is the Kohler Co. Faucet Operations.
“They employ about 800 people,” she said. “They make bath faucets.”
Melton said several small businesses have opened in the county recently, “but there has been no big push for manufacturing jobs.”
“But we keep trying,” she said. “We network with other organizations and do what we can. We meet with the mayor and the county judge to make sure we all stay on the same page.
“A big draw for Sheridan in the summer is baseball and softball. We had 68 teams here for tournaments last year. We have excellent parks and recreation facilities that attracted those tournaments. That also meant an increase in business at local motels and restaurants.”
Melton said the chamber has started a Grant County Business Spotlight of the Week feature on its Facebook page.
“We want to highlight a different business every week,” she said. “We’ve really gotten a lot of good feedback from it.
“We try to connect with our local businesses on a daily basis through social media.”
Melton said her goal for the remainder of the year is to continue to increase chamber membership.
“I want people to call us and say they want to join,” she said. “Our light is shining so bright right here in our own backyard. We want our businesses to know we want them to succeed and are here to help them.”
The Grant County Chamber of Commerce is at 202 N. Oak St. in Sheridan. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The membership fee for businesses with 10 or fewer employees is $125 a year; membership dues increase according to the size of the business.
“We provide high service for a small amount of money,” Melton said.
Melton was born in Harrison and graduated from Bergman High School in 2001. She is the daughter of Ransey and Patty Methvin of Harrison. Melton has one sister, Amber Benetz, who lives in Bryant, and three brothers — Aaron Methvin of St. Louis, Cody Methvin of Harrison and Bryan Methvin of Dallas. Melton was active in high school. “I played basketball all through high school,” she said. “I was Miss FBLA in 2001. I was in the Spanish Club and the Art Club, and I was on the tennis team.”
Melton has lived in Sheridan for nine years. She has three children — sons Taylor, 14, and Brock, 13, and daughter Kinley, 6. They all attend Sheridan schools.
“It’s a challenge for them to try to keep all A’s in school and be involved in their activities,” Melton said of her children. “They are great kids. They do really well.”
Melton is also a certified personal trainer at Custom Fit by Nicki in Sheridan.
“We have a gym, as well as virtual training, and we offer nutrition and meal planning,” Melton said.
She said her day normally begins at 4 a.m., when she begins her training class for her clients.
“I go back home, get the kids ready for school and come to work here at the chamber,” she said. “Then I go back to a training class at 6 p.m.
“So between my work and the kids’ activities, I stay pretty busy. I enjoy it.”
She said she also enjoys hiking and spending time with her boyfriend, Charlie Hobson, who is a firefighter with the North Little Rock Fire Department.
Melton said plans are underway for the chamber’s next event, Christmas on the Square in Sheridan.
“It will be Saturday, Dec. 5,” she said. “Activities start at 4:30 p.m. with the parade. Businesses stay open, and we will light the lights on the square.
“We will have a more traditional theme this year … and old-fashioned Christmas with carolers. I hope we have a great turnout. It will be a great time.”
Other upcoming events sponsored by the Grant County Chamber of Commerce include its annual banquet in January, an Easter-egg hunt in the spring and a fishing derby in the summer.
“Everything we do is to raise money for scholarships,” Melton said. “We want to give back to the community.
“We give four scholarships to high school seniors. Students at Sheridan and Poyen high schools can apply. There are different qualifications for each scholarship.”
For more information on the Grant County Chamber of Commerce, call (870) 941-0210 or visit its Facebook page.