Notes from the President's Desk
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First, I would like to congratulate our outgoing Chairman, Missy Neu, for her leadership of the Chamber this past year and also issue the gratitude of the membership to those board members whose terms expired this month: Millard Allen, Danny Maddox, Bob Miller, Jeff Rentz, Del Ria Baisden, Abe Brown, Greg Gordon and Lynn Stewart. Thank you for your leadership, time and commitment to the Chamber. All of you are invaluable components of the business community, and we are excited by the fact you will remain involved.
As we move into the new 2018-19 fiscal year of the Chamber, I wish to express the appreciation of the organization’s leadership and staff for each of our member's support and involvement towards making possible our committed advocacy for a strong economic climate and a high quality of life in the Golden Isles. The Chamber Board of Directors will hold its annual retreat during the next two weeks to formulate the annual activities and events calendar, as well as create action plans for programs and initiatives which ultimately benefit our membership and the community as a whole.
It is my anticipation that a great deal of discussion will center on topics involving community needs; infrastructure necessary for sustainment and economic expansion; governmental and legislative affairs at the local, state and federal levels; support for educational institution initiatives in the ever-increasing demand for an efficient workforce. Most importantly, the retreat will focus on better meeting the needs of serving you, our members, in the way of communications, involvement and recognition opportunities.
I encourage you to call on your staff here at the Chamber offices. The Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce, as a membership organization, is indeed an “open door” here to assist, whether it be on an issue, needed information, referral, participation question, and how to better serve you.
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M.H. "Woody" Woodside
President
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Save the Date!
The 33rd Annual Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament will take place on
Friday, September 21
at the beautiful Sanctuary Golf Club. Filled with "Woody's Rules," this tournament has tricks sure to test golfers of all handicaps. Look for detailed information to come to your in-box soon.
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Disaster Recovery Joint Meeting Held
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The Chamber recently hosted a meeting for Brunswick and Glynn County officials and the Coastal Regional Commission to meet with representatives of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, for the purpose of gaining an overview of the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding and eligibility requirements. Congressman Buddy Carter organized the meeting that could lead to additional disaster recovery as a result of Hurricane Irma.
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Become a Chamber Champion!
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As a business person, you know that one size does not fit all. Our members have a wide variety of reasons for belonging to the Chamber: for some, networking and promotion is key, while for others, having a voice in advocacy is primary. Given this, the Chamber offers four extended membership levels to all members called
Chamber Champions
. This program allows you to sponsor events, participate in activities, achieve greater brand recognition and utilize a variety of "extras" with one bundled rate.
We hope you will take advantage of the cost savings and simplicity offered by joining.
To view the detailed benefits of the Chamber Champions program,
click here
. To see the current list of 2018-19 Chamber Champions, scroll to the bottom of this newsletter where they are listed every month.
Questions? Contact
Kate Reeves
, Membership Director, at 265-0620. See what being a Chamber Champion can do for your business!
The Chamber's fiscal year begins July 1, and annual dues billing will be going out to all members. If you have any questions about your billing, please contact
Kathy Stratton
. Thank you for your renewal and support.
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I'm a Chamber Member. Now What?
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Article One in a Six-Article Series
Have you recently joined the Chamber? Maybe you're overwhelmed by the number of benefits. How do you go about exploring the components of chamber membership that are most beneficial to you and your business? What if there are things you could benefit from that you know nothing about? Or maybe you're wondering when you're going to see your first new customer...any minute, right? Over the next six MemberNets, we will explore different aspects of the chamber and ways you can maximize your chamber membership, in excerpts from an article by chamber expert Christina R. Green.
A Word About Chamber Membership
Sometimes you'll hear that chamber membership is similar to a gym membership. You need to use it to gain the benefits. That's not
exactly
true. Regardless of whether you attend a single chamber event, the chamber is still tirelessly advocating for you and your business on a legislative side, ensuring that the voice of business is heard in city council, county level, at the state senate and on the federal level.
Even if you never attend a single networking event, the chamber is likely still referring inquiries about your industry or product to you. Community members and travelers often seek suggestions from the chamber on businesses in town.
Even if you never attend a ribbon cutting, the chamber is there to help you get back on your feet in times of natural disasters and other times of difficulty. It's not part of a membership benefit. It's just something they do because there's a need, and they are uniquely connected to business and government. The hardworking chamber staff and board are often there to help in those critical times because they're a part of the community, too.
So, you see you don't need to do anything to partake in the benefits as a chamber member. But if you do, the return on investment for your business will be much richer.
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BATS Citizens Advisory Committee
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Glynn County Transportation Needs Your Input!
The Brunswick Area Transportation Study (BATS) is currently restructuring its Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) to provide citizen perspective, participation and involvement in the metropolitan transportation planning process. The CAC will be comprised of 18 members: thirteen will be appointed by the BATS Policy Committee and five "at-large" members will be appointed by the Glynn County Board of Commissioners and City of Brunswick officials.
To become a member of the CAC, you must work or reside within Glynn County, submit a complete membership application, and receive BATS Policy Committee membership confirmation. At-large members should be residents of Glynn County. Applicants may not be Glynn County staff members or already serving on a BATS committee.
Meetings will be held the second Monday of every odd-numbered month starting at 5:30pm, in the Harold Pate building located at 1725 Reynolds Street, 2nd floor conference room. CAC members will serve for a two-year term, without compensation. Applicants are considered active for two years from date of appointment.
Applicants must submit a completed CAC application directly to the Glynn County Community Development office located at 1725 Reynolds Street, Suite 200, or via email to
rhatcher@glynncounty-ga.gov
.
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Georgia Chamber Congressional Luncheon
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Join the Brunswick-Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce as we head to the Macon Marriott City Center on Tuesday, August 14, for the annual Georgia Chamber Congressional Luncheon. Tickets are $100 and the schedule is as follows:
10:30 AM -- Coca-Cola Reception
11:00 AM -- Doors Open / Lunch Served
11:30 AM -- Program Begins
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Leadership Glynn Graduates Class
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The 2017-18 cohort of Leadership Glynn recently held its graduation celebration at Skippers Fish Camp in Darien. The class completed a ten month program, showing a behind-the-scenes look into our education system, local government, local economics, and the health system. Also included was a trip to Atlanta to help foster better understanding of our state government by meeting with top elected officials and department heads.
The Chamber thanks Leah Hall and Richard Edgy for their leadership in co-chairing the Leadership Glynn program this year.
For the list of 2017-18 Leadership Glynn graduates and their sponsors,
click here
.
The purpose and goal of Leadership Glynn is to develop informed leaders and channel their ideas and experiences toward community resources, issues and concerns to help direct the future of the Brunswick and Glynn County areas.
A call for nominations goes out annually in July with applications due in mid-August. Be on the lookout for more details on 2018-19 nominations in the next two weeks.
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Youth Leadership Glynn Finishes Year
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Youth Leadership Glynn is a program for local high school students with strong leadership potential. This past year, principals and guidance counselors selected 29 students to participate in the program. The students were exposed to subjects dealing with local government, team building skills, economic development, local industry and coastal and environmental issues, just to name a few. The class completed nine sessions from August - May, under the excellent leadership of co-chairs Beth Lane and Jenni Morris. Congratulations on a great year, Youth Leadership Glynn!
Thank you to the following companies for sponsoring 2017-18 Youth Leadership Glynn:
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Ameris Bank
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices,
Hodnett Cooper Real Estate
Georgia Power
Gilbert, Harrell, Sumerford & Martin
Gulfstream Aerospace
Hurt, Norton & Associates
International Auto Processing
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McGinty-Gordon & Associates
Pinova
PrimeSouth Bank
Rich Products
Seaboard Construction
SunTrust Bank
United Community Bank
WoodmenLife
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Coastwide Cigarette Litter Awareness Campaign
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Georgia's Coast is Not an Ashtray!
In an unprecedented effort, entities in Georgia's six coastal counties have joined together to battle the nation's number one most littered item: cigarette butts. Providing comprehensive coverage of Georgia's coastal area, Tybee Clean Beach Volunteers, the City of Tybee Island, Keep Savannah Beautiful, Keep McIntosh Beautiful, Keep Camden Beautiful, UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Keep Golden Isles Beautiful, Keep Liberty Beautiful, Fort McAllister State Park and Crooked River State Park have united in a coast-wide cigarette litter awareness educational initiative: GEORGIA'S COAST IS NOT AN ASHTRAY.
Funded by a $15,000 Keep America Beautiful cigarette litter prevention program grant, the three-month initiative consists of cigarette waste receptacle and signage placement, radio public service announcements, social media promotion, educational video development, business signage placement, drink coaster outreach and pocket/car ash tray distribution.
A total of 81 cigarette receptacles will be placed and educational outreach provided in public spaces near coastal water bodies of varying types.
While simultaneous project-specific outreach activities will occur in all six coastal counties during the June-August effort, community-specific outreach activities are encouraged as well.
Click here
to keep up with the effort's progress this summer.
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Vote in General Primary Runoff
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Exercise your right to vote. The General Primary Runoff takes place on July 24th. Early in-person voting runs July 2-July 20.
Local candidate runoffs include:
Joint Water & Sewer Commission at Large, Post 2 (non partisan):
Bob Duncan
Audrey Gibbons
County Board of Education, District 2 (republican)
Eaddy Sams
David Sharpe
County Commissioner at Large, Post 1 (republican)
David O'Quinn
Mark Stambaugh, Jr.
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Hands-Free Georgia Act Takes Effect July 1
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The Chamber reminds you that the new Hands-Free Georgia Act will take effect this Sunday, July 1. The law will require drivers to use hands-free technology when using cell phones and other electronic devices while driving. But “hands free” isn’t as clear cut as it sounds.
Click Here
for details on what will and will not be allowed with the new law.
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Kinder-Carnival Needs Your Support
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Members of the Early Education Roundtable, including representatives from the United Way, the Glynn County School System, and DECAL (Georgia’s Department of Early Care and Learning), have come together to put on a
Kinder-Carnival on July 28
at The Ritz Theatre (
click for poster
). Kinder-Carnival will be an event to provide invaluable information, resources and activities which aid and support families on how to best prepare young children to be school-ready. It is targeted to families of 0-5 year-old children to promote early literacy and prepare children to be school-ready by providing information and support. The Health Department will be providing free school health exams for children and there will be numerous kids activities and events.
Companies are encouraged to support and sponsor Kinder-Carnival for only $150. If you are interested in supporting this important community event, please
click here
for a sponsor form. Thank you!
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Business After Hours:
Toucan's Ale House
July 26
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Who says business can't be fun??
Mark your calendars to come to July's
Business After Hours!
Toucan's Ale House
2450 Perry Lane, BWK
Thursday, July 26
5:30 - 7:30 PM
$7 Members | $10 Non-Members
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Bring your co-workers and friends, and don't forget plenty of business cards!
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Welcome New Chamber Members!
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Click on the names below to learn more & welcome our newest Chamber members.
And
THANK YOU
to all our member renewals! We appreciate your continued support.
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July Community Highlights
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Glynn Visual Arts
Summer Calendar
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Details
Golden Isles Arts & Humanities
Summer Calendar |
Details
Marshes of Glynn Libraries
Summer Calendar
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Details
With so much activity going on in the Golden Isles during the Summer, the Chamber reminds you to keep our area clean and stash your trash! For a list of recycling initiatives and activities, visit
Keep Golden Isles Beautiful's website
.
Check out our
online Community Calendar
for events during the month of July. There's so much to see and do in the Golden Isles!
Details
CONGRATULATIONS to
Beth Lane
of Island Directory for being named May's Ambassador of the Month! You will see her smiling face at many chamber functions. Beth is also the 2017-18 co-chair for Youth Leadership Glynn and recently shared the honor of being named 2018 Ambassador of the Year.
CONGRATULATIONS to
The Brunswick News
for receiving the Georgia Press Association's highest award, the 2018 General Excellence Award, at the association's convention on Jekyll Island. The News took home over 50 awards, as part of the association's Better Newspaper Contest, as well as 24 advertising awards. |
Details
Has your organization recently received accolades?
Let us know!
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Utilize the chamber's
Member–To–Member Discount Program.
Encourage other chamber members and their employees to choose fellow chamber members when making buying decisions. The program is an effective way to attract more customers, build relationships with fellow chamber members, save money and strengthen our local economy.
What types of discounts can be offered?
Any! Include a percentage off the purchase price, such as 10% off car detailing or 10% off dry cleaning. You could also offer a “bonus,” such as offering a free dessert with a customer’s meal. Be creative!
Call Kate Reeves, Membership Director, for assistance, (912) 265-0620.
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Need some inspiration in your professional or personal life? Take a moment to watch the below short videos from ted.com and entrepreneur.com.
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Eduardo Briceño: How to get better at the things you...
Working hard but not improving? You're not alone. Eduardo Briceño reveals a simple way to think about getting better at the things you do, whether that's work, parenting or creative hobbies. And he shares some useful techniques so you can keep...
Read more
www.ted.com
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Ken Burns Says Entrepreneurship Is at the Heart of the...
The award-winning filmmaker says that improvisation is the key to the American promise of prosperity and self-reliance.
Read more
www.entrepreneur.com
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Ameris Bank
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices,
Hodnett Cooper Real Estate
Georgia Power
Gulfstream Aerospace
Hurt, Norton & Associates
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iHeart Media
McGinty-Gordon & Associates
Peachtree Pest Control
South Coast Bank & Trust
SunTrust Bank
The Brunswick News
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STAKEHOLDER:
AT&T
Gilbert, Harrell, Sumerford & Martin
PrimeSouth Bank
Rich Products
Seaboard Construction
United Community Bank
Woodmen Life
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EXECUTIVE:
AdvantaClean of Brunswick
BrandMortgage
Coastal CPA's
Edward Jones-Jeff Jones Advisor
First Coast Benefits Solutions
First Glynn Bank
GEM Cars
Henshaw Companies
The Salvation Army Brunswick
Turner & Associates
White Electrical Construction
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