Chamber reviews programs, installs board at annual meeting
The Gordon County Chamber of Commerce presented its 64th Annual Meeting on Friday, Feb. 23 at Georgia Northwestern Technical College.
The event was sponsored by Chamber members, included a review of 2023 programs, and featured award presentations to three outstanding members. The agenda also included the symbolic installations of new board members and officers.
Kathy Johnson, President & CEO of the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce, opened the event with a brief welcome to the record crowd.
“Today, we will be celebrating the Chamber’s success as well as the success of the business community,” Johnson said. “Those successes are the result of effective partnerships between business and elected leaders and the willingness of people like you to be engaged. We are grateful for your involvement and remain committed to providing the highest level of service.”
As Johnson concluded her remarks, she invited Jim Rosencrance, past Chair and retired business executive, to offer the invocation.
Rosencrance then yielded the podium to Johnson and Scope Denmon, 2023 Chair and Gordon County Area Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs Serving Chattooga, Gordon, Murray, and Whitfield Counties. Denmon acknowledged the event sponsors as well as the elected officials in attendance. Those included Georgia State Representatives Matt Barton and Matthew Gambill, as well as members of the Calhoun City Council, Gordon County Board of Commissioners, and local Boards of Education.
During the event, three
awards were presented to members who went beyond Chamber expectations as they served last year: the Business Commitment to Education Award, the Ambassador
of the Year Award, and the Chairman’s Award.
Alice Mashburn, 2023 Co-Vice Chair of Gordon Chamber’s Education & Workforce Development
Committee and Superintendent of Gordon County Schools, announced the Business Commitment to Education Award to Evco
Plastics, represented by Quality Control Manager Dana LeGrand and Human Resources Generalist Juan Fraire. Candidates for the
award are nominated by Calhoun City Schools and Gordon County Schools.
In her remarks, Mashburn thanked Evco Plastics for hosting Calhoun City Schools System Leadership Group for an onside overview and facility tour. The company has a long history of employing Work-Based Learning student interns and has offered Teacher Externships. They are a current sponsor of Talent Connect.
Johnson returned to the stage with Alan Parker, Service Center Manager with Arrow Exterminators and 2022 recipient of the Ambassador of the Year Award. This award is decided by the Ambassador Committee and goes to a committee member who has exceeded committee expectations by attending meetings and member celebrations, recruiting and welcoming new members, conducting visits with members to promote membership retention, and helping with Membership Appreciation events. Parker announced that Carol Hatch, Program Manager with New Foundations Development, was named the 2023 Ambassador of the Year.
Denmon returned to the stage to salute three retiring board members: Hatch, Matt Hibberts with Momon Construction, and Dee Wrisley with Calhoun City Schools. After that presentation, he made final remarks before presenting the coveted Chairman’s Award and surrendering his gavel.
“It is a distinct honor to present the 2023 Chairman’s Award to someone who is the reason I ever reached this podium,” said Denmon. “Some describe him as an advisor, a navigator, and even an oracle, but to me he is a mentor and friend. Join me in welcoming the 2023 Chairman’s Award recipient, Jim Rosencrance.”
Karen Jones, Senior Accountant and General Affairs Administrator for LX Hausys America, was then installed as 2024 Chair of the Board. Her first official action as Chair was presenting Denmon with a commemorative gavel. Jones then offered remarks and installed new officers and board members. Johnathan Stone with HMTX Industries / Halstead New England Corporation was installed as Vice-Chair and Steven Duncan with Starr-Mathews Agency was installed as Secretary-Treasurer. Jones, Stone, Duncan, and Denmon will form the 2024 Executive Board.
New board members were also installed. Those included Bram De Bruyne, Mohawk Industries; Stacy Long, United Way of Gordon County; Casey Parker, Calhoun City Schools; and Tony Pyle, Calhoun Police Department. Those four will join Ashley Bailey, Gordon County; Larriann Dixon, Dixon Construction; Cheryl Johannsen, Randstad USA; Alice Mashburn, Gordon County Schools; Garrett Nudd, AdventHealth Gordon;
Crystal Purser, Chickfil-A Calhoun; Nathan Serritt, Calhoun Farm Supply; and Chris Tarpley, Shaw Industries Group to form the Board of Directors.
Jones concluded her remarks by thanking sponsors of the Chamber’s 64th Annual Meeting and its Keep It In the County program. Gold Sponsors for the annual meeting included AdventHealth Gordon, Chick-fil-A Calhoun, City of Calhoun, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, Gordon County, Hamilton Health Care System, Mannington Mills, Mohawk Industries, North Georgia E.M.C., and the Starr-Mathews Agency. Silver sponsors included Alliant Health Plans, Builtwell Bank, Calhoun City Schools, Family Savings Credit Union, First National Community Bank, Fox Systems, Georgia Power, Gordon County Schools, GCB | A Division of LGE Community Credit Union, HMTX Industries/ Halstead New England Corporation, Shaw Industries
Group, Truist, and Twin Ponds at Riverbend.
Keep It In The County is sponsored by AdventHealth Gordon, Builtwell Bank, Calhoun Farm Supply, CalhounGordon Council for a Literate Community, Century 21 The Avenues, Cherokee Mechanical, City of Calhoun, Commercial Floor Resources, Wayne Davis Concrete, Dixon Construction, Family Savings Credit Union, GCB, a Division of LGE Community Credit Union, Georgia Power, Hamilton Health Care System, Harbin Clinic, HMTX Industries/Halstead New England, Integrated Sitework, Laminin Industries, LX Hausys America, Mannington Mills, Mohawk Industries, Momon Construction, North Georgia E.M.C., Oak Valley Trading, Republic Services, Sanco Packaging, Shaw Industries, StarrMathews Agency, and Truist.
The mission of the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce is to connect members and the community to promote economic growth.