Tag Archive for: #hendersonvancechamberofcommerce

The Local Skinny! Reflecting On The Chamber Banquet

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Commentary: There is more going on in this speech than just the business portion that’s on the surface.  And while it’s about business and was offered in a business setting and in a business context and does in and of itself have deeper business significance than just what is on the service, is this message not also about life itself?  Should each person everywhere not hear it?  Listen in and decide for yourself.

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2023 Chamber board chair Bert Long, of HG Reynolds, spoke at the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce annual membership meeting and banquet on Thursday, March 30, 2023 and said each chamber year has a theme. He spent some time pondering to help come up with this year’s theme, naming 2023 “A Year of Collaboration.”

The idea is to propel the business community forward, work together or cooperate.

Long said, “In the current environment, working together can go a long way. We need conflict, but hear me out. We need healthy conflict. We must have conversation and spend time to understand each other, and we can’t learn and grow without it.”

“How,” he asked. “It starts by listening. Sometimes business leadership is looked to for answers, but there also needs to be respect. Once we listen, we must respond in a respectful manner. The tone is important.”

Rather than saying “Yes, but…” Long said, “What if we could say ‘yes and.’”

That could make a difference because as Long noted, everyone has a unique perspective but may need to put themselves in the other person’s shoes because that person has also had defining experiences and perspective as well.

We must work at it, he said, and celebrate the success of others.

Long concluded, “Take some time to connect. Explore how you can collaborate. It could be with someone in this very room.”

TownTalk: Resource Fair At VGCC April 27

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Organizers for an upcoming community resource fair are pleased with how planning is going so far, and they are predicting a win-win situation for all involved – for those who provide resources and for those who are seeking information.

Huff Consulting of Oxford, along with partners Vance-Granville Community College and the Henderson-Vance and Granville County Chambers of Commerce have been planning for months.

Michele Walker, Huff Consulting’s sales and account manager, said there are 65 vendors – nonprofits, for-profit companies, churches and more – lined up to participate in the April 27 event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the VGCC Civic Center on the Main Campus in Henderson.

“We’re very fortunate to have the community coming together for this,” Walker said on TownTalk.

Huff Consulting is a recruiting firm that works with a wide range of employees – from day laborers to corporate executives, Walker said, adding that her company has recognized the struggles that face many in the community. “Everybody has a need,” she said. And this resource festival is a way to bridge the gap between available resources and the folks who are looking for them.

Sandra Wilkerson, president of the Henderson-Vance Chamber, said this coordinated effort across county lines fits perfectly with the local Chamber’s 2023 theme “Year of Collaboration.”

The resource fair participants not only will be able to provide information to attendees, but they’ll also have the chance to build collaborations among themselves.

Having so many different segments of the community and region under one roof for the day is sure to create connections, said Lauren Roberson, director of the Granville County Chamber.

“We’re super excited to be a part of it and help in any way we can,” Roberson said.

In addition to sharing information with the community, Roberson said another goal is to shine a light on all the opportunities within the whole Kerr-Tar region, which includes Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person counties.

“You’re going to get way more done collaborating than working against each other,” she said. “We’re going to succeed by all working together.”

If people can live and work in the same area, that means there’s a greater chance that they’ll spend more time – and dollars – in that same area.

“We want to keep people in the Kerr-Tar region,” Roberson noted.

Don’t fret if you’re interested in coming out to the festival but have young children in tow – VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel said you’re in luck: VGCC’s Science Department is having an event that day as part of the NC Science Festival. There will be a Kid’s Corner where children can “come in and have fun with science,” Cissel noted.

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Henderson-Vance Chamber Accepting Nominations for 2022 Small Business Of The Year Through April 5

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The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the annual Small Business of the Year award through April 5. Visit www.hendersonvance.org or contact the Chamber at 252.438.8414 to ask for a nomination form.

There are several criteria to keep in mind when considering a local business to nominate, according to information from the Chamber’s Business Growth and Development Committee that oversees the annual awards program.

The business must be a member of the Chamber, be located within Vance County and have 50 or fewer employees, for starters. The business must be at least three years old and experiencing growth or stability during its operation and fills a void in the business community, perhaps providing a critical service or products or simply offering a unique approach to delivery of goods and services.

And finally, the business should be supportive of community growth and sustainability.

Governmental agencies, municipalities, schools and non-profits organizations are not eligible for nomination.

Additionally, there is space on the nomination form to note any extraordinary circumstances that the business may have overcome to remain in business.

Completed nomination forms should be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5 for consideration. Email forms to vanessa@hendersonvance.org or drop the form off at the Chamber office, 414. S. Garnett St., Henderson.

H-V Chamber Offers “Women In Business” Workshop April 11

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The name has changed, but the target audience is the same: WOVEN is now called Women In Business, and the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce invites women in business to a Lunch and Learn session next month.

Dr. Linda R. Jordon will be the guest speaker for the event, scheduled for Tuesday, April 11 at 12 noon, at Southern Charm Event Center at 200 S. Garnett St.

The founder of LRJ Coaching & Business Solutions, LLC, Jordon is a facilitator, trainer and coach  in the areas of leadership development, professional skills and personal growth.

Jordon’s topic is “Working Smarter;” the $20 registration fee includes lunch. Please RSVP by April 4 by calling the Chamber at 252.438.8414 or email vanessa@hendersonvance.org.

 

H-V Chamber Of Commerce Accepting Nominations For Citizen Of The Year Through Feb. 3

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The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for its Citizen of the Year award through Friday, Feb. 3. This annual honor is given to a Vance County resident for outstanding service and dedication to the community.

Completed nominations should be submitted to Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson via email at to sandra@hendersonvance.org or mailed to P.O. Box 1302, Henderson, NC  27536. A selection committee will review nominations and choose the winner, which will be announced at the chamber’s annual meeting and banquet on Mar. 30.

Nominees do not have to be members of the Chamber of Commerce, but they should be individuals who have shown a willingness to volunteer and work for the betterment of the community. Their work in the community, however, should not be a part of their business career or paid position.

Questions? Contact the Chamber at 252.438.8414.

The Local Skinny! Chamber Adds New Board Members

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The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce begins 2023 with some familiar faces in new roles.

In addition to new president Sandra Wilkerson, Bert Long is taking the reins as chairman of the board of directors for 2023. Long is the North Carolina project manager with H.G. Reynolds and is in his second year on the Chamber board.

Following is a list of other officers and their roles:

  • First Vice Chairman – Margier White, State Farm Insurance-Margier White
  • Second Vice Chairman – Turner Pride, NC Cooperative Extension Service
  • Treasurer – Angie Jacobs, Country Snacks Manufacturing
  • Secretary – Scott Burwell, Kennametal
  • Immediate Past Chairman – Ronald Bennett, Variety Wholesalers

Directors are elected to serve three-year terms on the Chamber board; the new class of 2023 – 2025 directors recently voted in are Scott Burwell with Kennamental, Stephanie Hoyle with Century 21 Country Knolls Realty, Dana Greenway with Kids World, Inc., Ann Holsing with Coastal Credit Union, Desiree Brooks with Kerr-Tar COG and Brandi Parker with Versatrim.

Incoming chairman Long thanked outgoing board members Brian Williams and Tyler Brewer for their service to the Chamber board at the group’s December board meeting. Williams is employed by Thermo King of Henderson and rotated off the board after serving three years. Brewer, vice president of Brewer Cycles in Henderson, has completed six years on the Chamber board. He also served as board chair in 2021.

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Sandra Wilkerson New President Of H-V Chamber Of Commerce

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Sandra Wilkerson has been named president of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce, effective January 1, 2023.

Wilkerson has been the Chamber’s director of programs for the past four years, and she said Friday that she is looking forward to her new role with the Chamber.

“I am excited to step into this leadership role for our community and look forward to working with the board and all of our current team members who make our chamber as strong and vibrant as it is,” she said in a press statement released Friday.

Wilkerson takes over from outgoing president Michele Burgess, who announced last month her plans to step down at the end of the year.

“We are excited to have Sandra step into this leadership role to continue the positive momentum within our Chamber as well as the community,” incoming board chairman Bert Long said in the press statement. “Sandra has made it clear that she hopes to foster collaboration and provide a pathway to business for all in our community,” Long said.

In addition to the past four years as the chamber’s director of programs, Wilkerson was employed for 32 years with the City of Henderson, where she served in various roles.

In 2011 she was honored as a recipient of the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.  Among the most prestigious awards conferred by the Governor of North Carolina, it is awarded to persons for exemplary service to the State of North Carolina and their communities that is above and beyond the call of duty and which has made a significant impact and strengthened North Carolina.

Burgess Stepping Down From Chamber In December

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What candidate would be able to satisfy – exceed, even – the qualifications for a job description that could read something like this:

Enthusiastic, motivated individual needed for full-time position. Work includes night meetings, weekend catchup and early morning events. Constant desire to make improvements in the community. People-person skills a must.

That wouldn’t be the easiest job to fill, but that’s just what Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce leaders are faced with, following the announcement that President Michele Burgess is retiring at year’s end.

Burgess possesses all those qualifications, and then some. And though she said she will miss the people she’s had the pleasure to work alongside since July 2019, she said she looks forward to having more family time – especially with two young grandchildren.

She spoke with WIZS News Friday about her previous Chamber experience – all with the local office. You see, this is her third time back. She previously held the job in the mid-1980’s and then again in the mid-1990’s.

“When it’s your hometown, you’re so passionate about it,” Burgess said. She returned in 2019 with the idea that it would be a short-term role. She said the Chamber underwent a bit of a restructure “to try to make it work a little bit better. And we were on this big roll,” she continued. Until COVID-19.

Members sought advice from Chamber officials about how to follow pandemic protocols, she said. “I feel like we did a really good job” of answering questions and keeping businesses and employees safe.

The pandemic has changed the way many organizations operate, and the Chamber is no exception. Burgess said today’s businesses may need different things from their Chamber membership, such as virtual meetings and networking events that target particular professions.

“It’s just a different world,” Burgess said.

When she leaves the office at the end of December, she said she leaves on a good note – the Chamber is functioning at a high level, and Burgess said she feels comfortable stepping down at this time.

Current Chamber Board Chair Ronald Bennett was on the board when Burgess was selected to lead the chamber most recently.

“She’s one that has her job at heart and the people at heart,” Bennett said by phone Thursday. “I can’t say enough good about what all she’s done,” he added.

A search committee is already formed to look for her successor, Bennett noted, adding that the board would be looking for additional volunteers to serve on this committee as well.

Burgess praised the Chamber board for all the support it has given her over the last few years and said she would miss those relationships. “When you have real strong leaders, you’re real thankful,” she said.

Burgess said she will continue to participate in different ways to help her community after she retires.

“I’m still going to be in the Chamber, still going to volunteer and participate,” Burgess  said.

Just maybe between visits to see the grandchildren.

 

 

Chamber, Rotary Join Forces To Host Nov. 10 “State Of The County” Address

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Join other members of the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce and the Henderson Rotary Club for the “State of the County” address and luncheon in November.

The event is the second in a series of informational meetings for community members; the first gathering spotlighted the “state of the city” address.

Speakers for the Nov. 10 program include County Manager Jordan McMillen and County Commissioners’ Chairman Leo Kelly.

The event will be held at Henderson Country Club from 12 noon until 1:30 p.m. The cost per person is $30; reserve a table for eight for $240, according to information from Sandra Wilkerson, director of programs for the Chamber.

The deadline to RSVP is Nov. 4 and Wilkerson said seating is limited, so don’t delay!

Call the office at 252.438.8414, email Wilkerson at sandra@hendersonvance.org at or register online at www.hendersonvance.org

TownTalk: Blackmon And Ellington Attend Chamber Business Meeting

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It’s a well-used analogy, but one appropriate for the situation that Henderson and the surrounding community finds itself in, according to City Manager Terrell Blackmon: The seeds for growth and improvement have been planted, and now the area is beginning to see those seeds sprout. But some onlookers may not be convinced until the flowers bloom.

Blackmon was a guest on Monday’s Town Talk with John C. Rose and he said he was among a group of local city and business leaders to come together to late last week to discuss ways to cultivate and nurture those tender sprouts as they continue to grow.

“They’ve been in progress,” he said. “It just doesn’t happen immediately…you have to plant seeds and allow them to grow.”

Blackmon used the analogy to describe the various projects that the city is a part of, as well as the 4-point strategic plan endorsed by the City Council at its 2022 planning retreat.

The meeting was one way for business leaders to hear about progress being made to make Henderson and the surrounding area more inviting – from its physical appearance to attract new residents, to the regional water expansion necessary to provide the infrastructure needed to attract new industry.

They gathered at Clearview Church in Henderson and speakers included Mayor Eddie Ellington, Ronald Bennett, president of the local Chamber of Commerce, Greg Etheridge, president of the local Rotary Club, Tony Mills with Henderson Police Department and Brian Boyd, who acted as facilitator for the meeting, which lasted about an hour.

“I was sitting in a room with a group of people that have a vested interest in this community,” Blackmon said of the gathering, a follow-up action from the recent letter presented to the City Council from concerned business about the negative image of the city.

That letter, Blackmon said, underscored some concerns that the city already was in process of addressing, but it also served to heighten expectations and showed that the business community was interested in improvements that were being done around the city.

Blackmon provided an update on progress being made in the council’s four priorities of its strategic plan – improving the image of the city, recruitment and retention of employees, safe, affordable housing and revitalization and redevelopment.

“They see that the city is growing and they want to make sure we’re doing it in a way that improves the overall appearance of the community,” Blackmon said of those who attended the meeting.

Projects like the regional water expansion and housing codes are just a couple of current projects. “Those things don’t sound real sexy, but the provide the infrastructure for the growth that we’re about to see happen in the community,” Blackmon said.

In his remarks to the group, Mayor Ellington said he is most interested in his hometown being the best it can be.

“I’m happy to see this traction and momentum,” Ellington said in a follow-up interview with WIZS News on Monday. “The only way to get better is to address them,” he said of concerns from the community, “admit it, and hit them head-on.”

Ellington said one concern he has is code enforcement in housing. The city council’s recent adoption of revised minimum housing code will surely help in a couple of areas of the city’s strategic plan priorities.

Ellington said staff shortages across city departments – from police officers to street maintenance crews – makes a tough situation even more difficult.

Code enforcement is not an easy job, but Ellington said it’s a key component in making progress. “That’s what’s so desperately needed,” he said, adding that he advocates beefing up the code enforcement staff to be able to adequately address violations across the city.

Blackmon said he is pleased to see that business leaders seem to be more interested in what’s happening in the city and are attending council meetings. “I’m very appreciative of seeing involvement” at council meetings.

“It shows me that they care about this community,” Blackmon added.

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