When it comes to supporting local business and industry, folks would be hard-pressed to find an organization around here that does a better job of promoting all the positives right here in Henderson and Vance County than the Chamber of Commerce.
And the way Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson sees it, a major role of the Chamber is to accentuate the positive while creating lasting connections that strengthen the community.
“We’re motivators,” Wilkerson said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. Chamber members are encouraged to get involved in the community and form those partnerships with others that serve to make everyone better.
“The networking, the people that you meet are going to help you,” she said. “It’s about partnership.”
Leading by example, Wilkerson said the Chamber has teamed up with Vance County Tourism to bring Miss North Carolina 2025 Sophia Kellstrom as the featured speaker at the Jan. 28 Women in Business luncheon.
Registration for the event is $20 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members; call the Chamber office (252.438.8414) and register with Vanessa Jones no later than Jan. 23. The luncheon begins at 12 noon at the Henderson Country Club.
And men, don’t let the “Women in Business” title scare you away – Wilkerson invites you, too!
“We are kicking the New Year off right,” she said of Kellstrom’s visit to Henderson.
“I am thrilled that this young lady has granted us this opportunity to sit down with us and engage,” she continued.
In addition to being crowned Miss North Carolina 2025, Kellstrom founded “Pennies from Heaven” when she was just 8 years old to fight food insecurity among children and is the author of “Sophie the Superhero” a children’s book that encourages kindness and helping others.
Whether it’s presenting events like Women in Business or any number of other events from ribbon-cuttings to Shop With A Cop And Friends, Wilkerson said she and the Chamber staff are grateful and appreciative of the Chamber Board of Directors for the support they provide throughout the year.
Outgoing Board Chair Scott Burwell passes the torch to Dr. Abidan Shah of Clearview Church and Wilkerson said she looks forward to his leadership role.
The new board chair picks out a theme to weave into his or her term, and she’s eager to hear what this year’s theme will be. Whatever the focus, rest assured that it will include a lot of red, white and blue as a nod to the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.
Another popular program in the community is Leadership Vance, now in its 35th year. This program isn’t just for newcomers to the area, Wilkerson said. Lifelong residents who have completed the class have commented about how much they learned during the seven-month long class. Applications must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on Jan. 27. Find the application and an information brochure on the Chamber website https://www.hendersonvance.org/
“This is one of my favorite things,” Wilkerson said, noting that the selection process has become a bit more competitive. With a cap of 18 participants, the selection committee has an increasingly difficult time each year. And it is a pretty big time commitment for participants – a couple of sessions each month that have the class touring businesses, schools and learning about the county’s history, government and more.
“It’s so much that we introduce you to and make connections,” she said. Two recent Leadership Vance graduates – Sam Seifert and Kenia Gómez-Jimenez – serve on the Henderson City Council.
Leadership Vance can claim at least a small part in their decisions to run for political office, but Wilkerson said the program helps participants see and understand the community and how they can contribute – whether it’s running for a seat in local government or simply knowing where available resources are.
“We have so much positive in this community,” Wilkerson said. “We tend to talk about the negative,” but the goal, she said, is “to go out and spread positivity. That’s the whole thing that we try to do…and it’s working.”
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