The annual meetings and banquets of two local Chambers of Commerce have been postponed and will be rescheduled to later in the spring of 2022.
Leaders of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and the Granville County Chamber made the announcements Wednesday.
Both meetings had been planned for late January, but rising cases of COVID-19 prompted both boards of directors to push the events out, in hopes that the surge in cases will have slowed.
The Henderson-Vance Chamber event has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 12, 2022; the Granville Chamber banquet is scheduled for March 28, 2022.
Both events will be held at the Vance Granville Community College Civic Center.
“After consulting local health officials and with the support of our sponsors we have decided it is the safest decision due to the increase in COVID cases in our community,” according to Lauren Roberson, executive director of the Granville Chamber. “Everything about the banquet will remain the same, just a new date.
The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce continues to work to bind the business community and the community at large together through human resource efforts, economic development efforts and through its own participation.
When an entity like a chamber can boast that only a handful of its board members ever miss meetings, it provides evidence to others outside, who are looking in, that the organization believes in itself.
Upcoming, the H-V Chamber will present its membership meeting and banquet, in person, at Vance-Granville Community College. The latest edition of “Envision Vance” will soon be published. And opportunities continue for businesses and individuals to involve themselves with an evolving, growing and relevant chamber of commerce.
Board Chairman Ronald Bennett told The Local Skinny! broadcast Tuesday at 11 a.m. on WIZS that the theme for the chamber this year is “A Year of Community.” He said, “A community made up of businesses, which is our main focus, but also made up of local city, county government, our educational partners, our healthcare partners, nonprofit organizations, our churches, law enforcement, fire, rescue, EMT, first responders and everyone that makes up our community.”
The priority, he said, is to be relevant to members and to “add value to them to help grow their businesses and organizations and connect with our partners.” The goal is to grow the entire community. He said, “Grow, Connect, Prosper. Three words found in the new Chamber logo that we feel are so important as we move forward.”
Chamber President Michele Burgess praised the board of directors and said she was really proud of the “inclusion and diversity that we share on our Chamber board.” She said, “When our nominating committee gets together, we’re very cognizant of that need, and we want it to reflect our community and our business community … and I am just excited about the degree of leadership that we have.”
Burgess explained how the chamber was growing, especially over the last five years. She said, “We have really built up our chamber, our influence, our leadership, and just our involvement from the board.”
The Chamber will celebrate and have its meeting and banquet at VGCC on January 27. Invitations are out to member businesses by email at this time. The deadline to nominate a citizen for the Citizen of the Year Award has been extended to this Friday, Jan. 7. Call 252.438.8414 or email michele@hendersonvance.org to get a nomination form.
The Chamber will soon celebrate having the latest edition of “Envision Vance” as well. Burgess said, “Our Envision Vance magazine is a tool for recruitment of industry, new business, small business, doctors, lawyers, new teachers.” It also features a business directory and is a great resource.
Bennett pointed out a new feature of the Chamber that Burgess added in 2021 – the human resource council. Bennett said it works with all local businesses. “Everyone has an opportunity to be a part of that and come to the table and talk about what we do to improve our workforce, what we can do through Vance Granville and through our schools to prepare our workforce more as we go into 2022 and beyond. So, you know, the HR council is just a great way to get involved,” Bennett said.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Henderson-Vance-Chamber-Logo-UD122821.png265504John C. Rosehttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngJohn C. Rose2022-01-04 13:20:312022-01-04 15:34:47The Local Skinny! Chamber Of Commerce Looks To 2022
There’s still time to nominate a resident of Vance County to be considered for the 2021 Citizen of the Year, and Henderson-Vance Chamber officials encourage the community to consider making a nomination by the deadline of Jan. 6.
“This distinguished award is presented at the Chamber membership meeting and banquet held each year in January,” according to Chamber official Sandra Wilkerson.
This year’s meeting is scheduled to b be held Jan. 27, 2022 at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center. Invitations and more information on the banquet will be emailed out to chamber members in January.
Contact the chamber office to get a nomination form, which also lists criteria for candidates. Call 252.438.8414, visit the website https://hendersonvance.org/ or drop by the office 414 S. Garnett St., Henderson to get more information.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Henderson-Vance-Chamber-Logo-UD122821.png265504Laura Gabelhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngLaura Gabel2021-12-23 18:03:482021-12-28 08:34:37Vance Citizen Of The Year Nominations Due By Jan. 6, 2022
The 2021 Shop with a Cop project proved to be another huge success, and local law enforcement officials said it was good fun for a good cause. Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow said that 58 young people took part in Tuesday’s activities, thanks in large part to the generosity of local businesses and individuals who participated in the fundraising arm of the project sponsored by the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.
Chief Barrow reportedly had a run-in with the Grinch, but not even the Grinch could dampen the holiday mood at the Henderson Walmart as the children and law enforcement officers had some quality time together as they shopped the aisles.
“It was a tremendous event,” Barrow said. “We had an absolute blast shopping with the kids. It’s a great but humbling feeling to be able to shop with these kids.”
Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame echoed the police chief’s sentiments.
“It’s an awesome program,” Brame told John C. Rose Wednesday by phone. “I look forward to doing it every year.” With the help of Michele Burgess and Sandra Wilkerson at the Chamber, Brame said he and others in law enforcement get the chance to interact in a positive way with young people in the community .
The police department, sheriff’s office, Chamber, as well as the N.C. Highway Patrol and Maria Parham Health all are united together for a great cause, Brame added.
The community donated $12,000 through the chamber’s fundraising event – and through other donations – to provide the money for the Shop with a Cop project, according to Barrow.
He added that the families are grateful for the event. “It takes a burden off them during economically challenging times,” he said.
For the children, it’s just fun.
“It’s a positive thing to take them out to Walmart and shop with them,” Brame said. “That’s the part we love – it’s a win-win situation.”
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2021-shop-with-a-cop.jpg265504Laura Gabelhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngLaura Gabel2021-12-22 13:28:522021-12-22 15:36:32TownTalk: Shop With A Cop Makes Christmas Brighter For Kids In Vance County
Henderson Police Department Press Release – October 22, 2021
For the 2021 Holiday Season, the Henderson Police Department and the Vance County Sheriff’s Office have partnered with the Vance County Department of Social Services to assist children and families in the City of Henderson and Vance County during the holiday season through the “Shop with a Cop” program.
Funds raised through the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce “Shop with a Cop” raffle and by generous donors will be used to help underprivileged children and struggling families who otherwise would go without during the holidays. Individuals and families selected will have the opportunity to “Shop with a Cop” with one of Henderson’s and Vance County’s law enforcement officers.
Individuals or families wishing to participate in the “Shop with a Cop” program can pick up and return applications from October 25, 2021, to November 8, 2021, at Sadie’s Coffee Corner located at 324 S. Garnett Street.
Please send any donations to the Henderson Police Department make checks payable to the City of Henderson.
Completing a referral does not guarantee assistance.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/sheriff-police-032521.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2021-10-22 18:15:462021-10-22 18:34:20Families Can Sign Up Oct 25 – Nov 8 for Kids to Shop With A Cop
Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Michele Burgess reminded members Friday to ignore potentially spam emails.
Be especially careful at this time due to the fact that the subject line of an email going around right now is misleading about the Chamber itself.
Burgess wrote to members, including WIZS Radio, in a legitimate email and said, “Several of our business members reached out to me yesterday afternoon to report a strange email they received … (The sender) was asking our business owners if they were interested in purchasing our Chamber of Commerce professional contacts for your sales, marketing, and promotional activities.”
Burgess said, “This is a scam!
“The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce would never sell your business contact information to a third party for any reason. I am working to now to try to track down this person and her company to warn her to stop using our Chamber of Commerce name in her company marketing.”
Delete the email.
Burgess can be reached for additional details or if you have more you can report to her. Call 438-8414 or email michele@hendersonvance.org.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/wizsfbresize_0001s_0042_chamberofcommerce.png.png265504John C. Rosehttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngJohn C. Rose2021-09-17 15:18:592021-09-17 15:18:59Watch Out for Scam Email, Those Impersonating Others
WOVEN is a Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce sponsored program to provide networking and professional development opportunities to women in the workplace throughout Vance County and the area.
Guest speaker Cherrelle Lawrence, the Dean of Corporate Learning & Professional Development at Vance Granville Community College and Dean for the Franklin Campus in Louisburg, will help sharpen your skills to advance in the workplace on July 14th at noon.
For $20 per attendee, which includes a box lunch, you can attend at Vance Granville Community College Civic Center.
Dean Lawrence earned her Master of Business Administration in 2020 from East Carolina University. Prior to returning to VGCC, Dean Lawrence was the Assistant Director of Employer Relations at Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel Hill.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/woven_hvchamb.jpg265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2021-06-18 18:03:362021-06-18 18:16:46The Local Skinny! WOVEN to Sharpen Your Workplace Skills
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is surely one vehicle that almost no one will ever be afforded the opportunity to drive to work. There is a special program for that.
All fun aside, there is presently special transportation survey information out from the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.
According to Chamber President Michele Burgess, the Chamber’s Governmental and Public Affairs Division is seeking responses to the survey to identify local transportation needs.
Burgess said in an email received by WIZS News, The Chamber, “in partnership with the Community Collaborative Council, would appreciate your immediate response to a survey to help identify local transportation needs as it relates to recruiting, hiring, and maintaining employees at your business/industry.”
Basically, the survey is trying to determine if transportation limitations are impacting ways people travel to work, how they travel and if recruiting new workers is being affected by means of transportation.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/wizsfbresize_0001s_0042_chamberofcommerce.png.png265504John C. Rosehttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngJohn C. Rose2021-05-10 10:34:282021-05-10 15:01:26Local Business Transportation Survey Respondents Needed
The newly formed Human Resources Council, a program of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, will have its first meeting on Thursday, Mar. 25 at 1 p.m. There’s still time to register to participate in the virtual meeting, according to Chamber President Michele Burgess.
Burgess said the council, which falls under the chamber’s business growth and development division, will bring together human resources professionals from a variety of businesses and industry to network, problem-solve and share ideas. The council will meet monthly, she said, and will feature guest speakers.
The purpose of the council is “to help our members grow and to help them solve problems that they’re losing sleep over at night,” Burgess told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s Town Talk. Until the group can gather in person again – which Burgess hopes it will be able to do by the fall – virtual meetings can help connect area human resources professionals to one another. And this, she said, will build relationships as well as a network for sharing ideas and helping solve HR problems.
One of the challenges that businesses, both large and small, face in the Vance County area is finding employees to fill job openings, Burgess said. These days, besides asking for information about COVID-19 related loans and grants, the Chamber fields calls from companies wondering how and where to find good employees. “That’s really how the whole human resources council came to be,” she said. “It really started even before COVID,” she said, adding that she hopes through strengthening relationships with the public school system and VGCC, the talent pool and workforce development can improve for area business and industry.
Thursday’s speaker is Cherrelle Lawrence, dean of corporate learning and professional development at Vance-Granville Community College. The topic is “Investing in Talent.” Lawrence, who also serves as dean of VGCC’s Franklin campus, will kick off the council gathering with an overview of topics related to human resources. “I’m excited for my business members to hear her,” Burgess said. “She is really dynamic and full of energy!”
The HR Council will serve to inform human resource officers and managers in local businesses about innovative programs including specific training, apprenticeships and internships offered in the community, she said. “We like being involved,” Burgess said of the Chamber, “but we also like to share with our other partners like VGCC’s Small Business Center, local economic development commission and other entities that attract new business.
“We feel like the workforce issue is very important at this particular time,” Burgess continued. “We want to keep our local businesses here and operating (and) workforce pool is key to that,” she said. “We realize (at the Chamber) that we can’t do everything. But getting people employed and helping our industry” is a top priority.
The Chamber’s business growth and development division is co-chaired Chamber members by Brian Williams, account manager at Temperature Control Solutions, and Stephanie Hoyle, broker associate with Century 21 Country Knolls Realty.
To learn more or to register for the Thursday meeting, email michele@hendersonvance.org or call 252.438.8414.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/wizsfbresize_0001s_0042_chamberofcommerce.png.png265504Laura Gabelhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngLaura Gabel2021-03-23 14:33:572021-03-23 14:54:25TownTalk 03-23-21: H-V Chamber Advances will help with Human Resources
It’s not easy to bring people together. To bind them together is still more difficult.
It takes energy, and sometimes it takes a “new generation of business leadership.” That’s the phrase used to describe Tyler Brewer at Thursday night’s Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce Meeting and Banquet. Brewer is the incoming, 2020 Chamber Board Chair.
Tyler Brewer, 2020 Chamber Board Chair
The 2019 Chamber Board Chair, Nancy Wykle, described Brewer just that way. Brewer followed by saying to a packed Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center crowd of 400 plus, “Let us all help each other grow.” Economic growth, like will be discussed at the upcoming Economic Development Summit sponsored in part by the Chamber in February. And the continued growth of downtown Henderson, Henderson at large and the County already started in 2019 as described by Wykle.
Wykle said, in 2019, the Chamber performed 17 ribbon cuttings, five business after hour events, four lunch and learn sessions, hosted and sponsored a hometown debate on healthcare that was broadcast statewide on Spectrum News, continued community outreach programs like with “Shop With A Cop” and put on a successful golf tournament plus adjusted its budget to achieve solvency.
For just the third time in the history of the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year Award, a couple was selected for the 2019 Citizen of the Year Award. Tommy and Carolyn Farmer were introduced by 2018 Citizen of the Year Thomas C. Church.
Tommy and Carolyn Farmer, 2019 Citizens of the Year for the H-V Chamber of Commerce
The Farmers have been a binding force in the community too, at church, at school, at places all around where they volunteer. As Mr. Church built the anticipation in the room as he worked up to naming Mr. and Mrs. Farmer, he described the “dynamic duo” with some of the words found on the nomination forms: “Genuine. Dedicated. Faithful.” The Farmers were described as servants. And Church said, “They have planted seeds and the fruits of their labor can be seen in their students.”
It even turns out that Brewer himself was a former soccer player under Mr. Farmer. And the two socialized together at the end of the night. A fitting end to an evening that started with a social hour of hor dourves, coffee and hot chocolate and live music.
The Farmers were selected because they saw the “value of helping children…and education…and they have done (their) work quietly and tirelessly.” The United Way, the local Men’s Shelter, Civic clubs and duties, community service, tutoring and working with children and families, church leaders and volunteers. The love of sport and soccer and athletics and even transporting other children, along with their own, to sports and church. The Farmers have helped bring together and bind together their community.
A short video presentation showed an active, supportive membership which is engaged with it’s Chamber. Sort of a “you should join the Chamber because” type video to affirm a mission and energize for the future.
And to go along with it, the Chamber Banquet was fun. It worked. Great food. Music. Time to socialize. And geared for a
L to R: Nancy Wykle, Publisher of The Daily Dispatch, along with Desiree Boyd Brooks, 2019 Chamber Ambassador of the Year and advertising director at The Daily Dispatch.
diverse group of ages, backgrounds and beliefs. The banquet was timely and business-like. It radiated an energy, if you will, that can bind its members and community.
Also named at the banquet was the 2019 Ambassador of the Year, Desiree Boyd Brooks. She was recognized for being an ambassador for several years now, because she works with members to add value to their membership and because of her passion. Hal Muetzel introduced Brooks as “well connected…a walking testimonial for the Chamber…and a busy mom.”
Shout Out to the Vance County High School Chorus!! Fantastic, awesome and great job and performance tonight at the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce banquet. Just as our Chamber binds businesses, citizens, volunteers and leaders together, your performance of “Pray for Peace” demonstrated to all the binds of prayer. Beautiful job chorus and soloists…”Pray for Peace…Pray for mother…father…children…Pray for leaders…Pray for forgiveness…Pray for brother…sister…me…Pray for wisdom…Pray for others…Pray for Peace!”
Vance County High School Chorus
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Tommy-Carolyn-Farmer-01302020-HV-2019-CTZ-of-YR.png294560John C. Rosehttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngJohn C. Rose2020-01-30 23:46:042020-01-30 23:55:56A Chamber That Binds
The community donated $12,000 through the chamber’s fundraising event – and through other donations – to provide the money for the Shop with a Cop project, according to Barrow.
