The Chamber recently finished a beautiful renovation of their office space, and they would welcome a visit from anyone. Their members and staff love it!

The Chamber will be hosting four Hot Topic seminars every Tuesday in August for their members. For more information, click here.

The Chamber recently launched their new website. The site has undergone a major overhaul designed to get visitors where they need to be quickly and to provide pertinent information and links in an organized manner. www.aikenchamber.net 

The Chamber is hosting a ChamberMaster/MemberZone training session in Anderson, SC for September 11 - 12, 2018. For more information, please click here.

The Chamber is hosting its first Building Brunsco Kids Expo on August 25. Kids and teens ages 7 - 18 will showcase their very own products that they have created.

The Chamber has named Tonia Stephenson as their new President & CEO.

The Chamber is proud of announce that Becky Warren will be joining the team. Becky is a recent graduate of the Hospitality and Tourism Management program at Appalachian State University. She will be serving the Chamber as Manager of Marketing and Events as well as a liaison with the Lenoir Tourism Development Authority. She
will be assisting with tourism efforts in Caldwell County and working to market our events for visitors and residents of the community alike. 

The Chamber has been named the 2018 Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE). The award was presented at ACCE's National Convention in Des Moines, IA in July. 

The Chamber is excited to announce Tina Wirth as Senior Vice President of Regional Advancement and Talent.

The Board of Directors of the Chamber recently announced upcoming changes in chamber staff. At the June board meeting, Chamber President Carolyn McManamy announced her resignation in order to accept a newly created EDC position. 

Following Carolyn's resignation, the Chamber Board of Directors met to determine the transition process and unanimously approved the Exec Board hiring a new president. They began the search by interviewing Caroline Moser, who expressed strong interest in the position and came highly recommended as well. On Tuesday, June 19th the Executive Board hired Caroline to serve as the new Chamber President. Caroline has been with the chamber since early 2014 as the Membership Services Director. The change will become official in early September.

After 27 1/2 years of service to the Chamber,  Tammy Williams has announced her resignation as Executive Vice President of the Chamber effective September 5. 

Holly Staples has been promoted from the Vice President/Director of Operations to the new President of the Chamber. Roberta Pifer has transitioned from Marketing/Member Services Specialist to Office Manager. Dayna Sones has transitioned from Membership Director to the newly created position of Events & Marketing Manager. Anya Davis has been hired as the new Membership Director. 

The Chamber is pleased to welcome Kim Niskey as the Chamber's first Business Development Director. 

Marjorie Dowd has resigned as president and CEO of the Chamber, effective immediately. Katie Collins, vice president of operations, will serve as interim president and CEO. The chamber and its executive board of directors will conduct a search to fill the vacancy. Dowd was hired as the chamber's president and CEO in February. 

The Chamber held our 3rd Annual Job Fair at Mount Airy HS on July 26.  We had 40 employers, 125 job seekers, and 10 direct hires made that day.  Employers purchased table space, and we had several event sponsors, as well.  The NCWorks Mobile Career unit came to the event to assist job seekers with resumes and their overall job search. Unique features of the event include: we feed the vendors before the event; job seekers could email their resume in advance and those were sent to employers; and all resumes received were scanned and sent to all employers.

The Chamber seeks to engage the services of an expert consultant who can assess the current state and impact of our Leadership Development Programs, benchmark against best practices and best-in-class programs, and utilize such information to deliver recommendations to ensure our Leadership Development Programs foster exemplary, inclusive, and sustainable leadership able to drive positive chamber and prosperity in our community. Please click here for more information.

The Chamber has hired Dale Gordon as their new Marketing and Project Manager.

Ditra Miller is the new director for the Chamber. Miller brings a wealth of administration, board membership, leadership, and entrepreneurial experience to the position.  Ginny Chase, who previously served as director for the Chamber for four years, has stepped into a part-time role as the Chamber's new Communications Coordinator. Ginny provides a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion for the Chamber, its members, and the community . Read more about the staff and plans for the future here.

The Chamber has named Karen Riordan as their new President & CEO.  She will begin her new role on August 20. For the official press release, please click here.

The Chamber will hold a Legislative Update Breakfast on August 17. The Chamber's breakfast series for August will provide an update on the most recent legislative session from our state representatives.