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ONE SUMTER EDITION
ONE SUMTER STAKEHOLDERS UPDATE
The One Sumter Economic Development Foundation, Inc., monthly newsletter is designed to update you-our stakeholders-about the ongoing activities, events and opportunities for you to get involved, and stay involved. One Sumter is your foundation, your investment in our community's future. 
One Sumter Board to Host 
Donor Breakfast in June
The Board of Directors of the One Sumter Economic Development Foundation, Inc. is proud to announce the First Annual Donor Breakfast to be held on June 7 at 7:30 am at Georgia Southwestern State University's Griffin Bell Golf & Conference Center.
 
The meeting will allow donors, contributors and key stakeholders to receive an update of the activities and direction of the initiative, while also allowing the Board the opportunity to say thank you to so many community supporters who have made One Sumter a reality.  Updates will be given in each of the priority areas of the Business Action Plan:  1) Economic Development, 2) Workforce Development, 3) Marketing & Communications, and 4) Transportation.  Results from the April 12 Community Retreat and Strategy Discussion will also be outlined as the Board and staff begin to roll out work plans and strategy groups to implement the goals and objectives of One Sumter.
 
The One Sumter Economic Development Foundation, Inc., represents a partnership between the Sumter County Payroll Development Authority and the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce, which is dedicated to enhancing and supporting the community's economic development efforts. 
 
A grassroots effort designed to be a catalyst for change, One Sumter is born of the recognition by existing leaders the community must come together to do something different to change the fate of Sumter County.  As such, One Sumer represents not just the over 100 donors and investors that have contributed to the effort, but it represents all of us-all of our futures. 
 
As always, thank you to the community for its continued support of One Sumter! We look forward to seeing our donors and stakeholders in June.
 
For more information about the Donor Breakfast, or to contribute to One Sumter through volunteerism or financially; please contact Executive Director Mary Beth Bass at [email protected] , or at 229.815.1669.
Crowd Fiber Survey Extended to June 17
One Sumter's ongoing initiative to better understand the community's internet service and accessibility, specifically as it relates to the needs of business and industry, enters a new phase this month as strate gic efforts to gain public input launch in May.

Outreach to media outlets, direct mail marketing, and an extension of the deadline to participate in the Crowd Fiber survey represent just a few of the efforts to gain public input into the process.  To da te, survey completion has been relatively low in Sumter County, partly due to complications with content management on the Crowd Fiber/One Sumter site. If you tried earlier and had trouble completing the survey, please take a few minutes to go back online and try today! We heard your feedback and have made the necessary changes to receive greater input from our community, businesses and residents alike. The website will remain open and accessible through June 17 at https://onesumter.crowdfiber.com .  Survey respondents are automatically entered to win a free iPad provided by Sumter EMC, so go online and take the survey today!

The Broadband Feasibility Study represents One Sumter's first strategic effort to support and enhance economic development activities in Sumter County.  Contracting with broadband expert, Bailey White and Civitium, the One Sumter Economic Development Foundation has been working diligently over the last several months to explore the feasibility of expanding our community's fiber optic infrastructure. The purpose of the study is to better understand the current capacity and future needs for broadband connectivity in Sumter County. Of particular interest is how broadband and high-speed fiber service positions Sumter County to compete economically with surrounding communities. 

For further information about the Crowd Fiber survey, or One Sumter's Broadband Feasibility Study, please contact Executive Director Mary Beth Bass at [email protected]; or at 229.815.1669.
CLICK HERE OR THE CROWD FIBER LOGO TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY.
One Sumter Partners with Chamber of Commerce to Develop Leadership Initiative for College Students, Young Professionals
In an effort to continue community outreach to students at Georgia Southwestern State University and South Georgia Technical College, One Sumter is partnering with the Leadership Development Division of the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce to develop a leadership development initiative aimed at students from both institutions, as well as young, 20-something professionals. The purpose of the program will be to enhance the student experience while they are in Sumter County by educating them on opportunities to get involved in the community, as well as provide greater awareness for employment opportunities both now and upon graduation. Input from various student feedback sessions continues to indicate the desire to be more "engaged" in Sumter County, and this joint effort will not only enrich the student experience, but also provide value and benefits to the Americus and Sumter County community as well.
 
While the program is still under development, the hope is to launch the new initiative in the coming academic year.  Students, graduates and faculty from each institution will be involved in the planning process, as faculty from the University of Georgia's J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development assist in program design.
  
To get involved with this exciting new initiative, please contact the Chamber of Commerce at 229.924.2646, or at [email protected] . 
Wayfinding Recommendations to be 
Shared on May 18
Students and faculty from the University of Georgia's College of Environment and Design will make their final recommendations on wayfinding signage and community branding next week, on Wednesday, May 18, at 9am at the Rees Park Economic Development Center in the Griffin Bell Community Center. Please make plans to attend!
  
Recommendations and renderings will be shared from the students' previous visit to Sumter County in March, where students spent a weekend with a critical eye towards tourism assets and directional signage throughout the County.  Over the three-day weekend, students conducted site assessments of existing signage, looking specifically at consistency of imaging, branding, effectiveness and placement of signs.  The final recommendations will reflect the students' learning experience and their insight into the visitor experience in Sumter County.

The Wayfinding Design Charrette is a joint initiative of the Archway Partnership and One Sumter.

MAKE YOUR RESERVATION TODAY!
The Chamber is hosting two workshops focusing on social media and e-mail marketing on  May 12, 2016 . The workshops will be held at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in the Education Building. 
  • 9:00 - 11:00 AM : SOCIAL MEDIA BASICS: THE HOW, WHAT, WHY OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING 
  • 1:00 - 3:00 PM: THE POWER OF THE INBOX: TIPS & TRICKS FOR SUCCESSFUL E-MAIL MARKETING  
For reservations, please contact the Chamber at 229.924.2646 or via e-mail [email protected]. 
Come See What's Behind "Door Number Three" 
on May 23!
 
"Oh I took a wrong turn, it was the right turn
My turn to have me a ball.
Boys at the shop told me just where to stop
If I wanted to play for it all..."
 
Join the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce as they "play for it all," on May 23 at 10am at Rees Park Economic Development Center. Surprises are in store that you don't want to miss-and, who knows, you just may have a ball!
Coming Up...
  • Wayfinding Charrette Presentation - May 18 @ 9am, Rees Park
  • One Sumter Board of Directors - May 10 @ 4pm, Rees Park
  • Constant Contact E-mail & Social Media Marketing Workshops - May 12 @ 9am & 1pm, Phoebe Sumter Medical Center Education Building
  • Candidate Forum - May 17 @ 6:00pm, GSW Rosalyn Carter Health & Human Science Auditorium
  • Sumter County Chamber of Commerce Press Conference - May 23 @ 10am, Rees Park
Click HERE for a full listing of our calendar events.
To add an event to our calendar, please submit requests to [email protected]. 
New to One Sumter?
The One Sumter Economic Development Foundation, Inc., represents a partnership between the Sumter County Payroll Development Authority and the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce, which is dedicated to enhancing and supporting the community's economic development efforts. 
 
A grassroots effort designed to be a catalyst for change, One Sumter is born of the recognition by existing leaders that the community must come together to do something different to change the fate of Sumter County.  As such, One Sumter represents not just the over 100 donors and investors that have contributed to the effort, but it represents all of us-all of our futures. 
 
It's about community, yes, but it's also about collaboration and cooperation.  To effectively compete in today's global environment, Sumter County must position itself as a visionary leader in Southwest Georgia, leveraging the strong history of leadership this community is so fortunate to have, and build new leaders into the 21st Century.  One Sumter fosters that vision for growth and competition.
 
The One Sumter Action Plan represents a bold and robust strategy to enhance the economic development efforts of Sumter County.  With four key priority areas:  1) Economic Development, 2) Workforce Development, 3) Marketing & Communications, and 4) Transportation; the Action Plan reflects a specific and intentional approach to leverage private funding with traditional, public sector resources to achieve greater economic impact over five years than any of these entities could accomplish alone.  Representing some $2.2 Million dollars in pledged funding over the five-year timeframe, One Sumter is truly unique its approach to community and economic development.
 
For more information about One Sumter and its initiatives, or to contribute through volunteerism or financially, please contact Mary Beth Bass, Executive Director, at (229) 815-1669, or at [email protected] ; or visit www.onesumter.org.  



One community.

One future.

One  SUMTER. 
One Sumter Challenge for Change

"THE GREATEST LEADER IS NOT NECESSARILY THE ONE WHO DOES THE GREATEST THINGS. HE IS THE ONE THAT GETS THE PEOPLE TO DO THE GREATEST THINGS." - RONALD REAGAN
Get Involved, Stay Involved!
For more information about the One Sumter Economic Development Foundation, please contact Executive Director Mary Beth Bass at [email protected]; or at 229.815.1669.  Visit One Sumter online at www.onesumter.org.
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