WNEG AM 630 Weekly Chamber Update

February 28, 2013

The new Chamber Ambassador Team kicked off a Challenge this month. The Chair is Stephens Federal Bank’s Tammy Riddle, and the Captains are County Clerk, Beth Rider; Advertising Unlimited Owner, Mariesa Pavliscsak and Georgia Baptist Conference Center’s Event Coordinator, Ann Ash.

Each Ambassador has a group of members to look after and a list of potential members to encourage to “get on board” and join the Chamber. Today the Chamber is 450 members strong. We want to be stronger with 500 members! The more members we have the stronger the Chamber’s voice is.

Members get “Weekly Updates” to keep them in the loop on community progress, they get a free web page with photos and business icon, they get a membership sticker for their window and all sorts of support and encouragement to grow and prosper.  

Our Ambassador Team bios and member lists are posed on the Chamber’s web site at www.toccoagachamber.com . Please visit the web or call 706-886-2132 for more information.  

Few announcements for you today:

Congratulations to the 2013 Business Plan Competitors. Currahee Outdoors – Matt Adams, The Dance Studio – Marlee Joiner, The Lan – Keith Ord and Photography – Stephanie Maley. Their initial business plans are due this Friday, March 1. After that, they’ll be paired with the Business students at Toccoa Falls College under Dr. Hunnicut. They are required to meet with professionals from the UGA SBDC and NGTC Business Resource Center. There will be a special Business EXPO in April and the winner will be announced at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting. The participants are competing for a prize package valued at over $1,200.   

After Work TODAY is the Joint Business After Hours the Amedisys Hospice at the Simmons Bond Inn Bed & Breakfast on Tugaloo Street. Join Linda Scofield of Amedisys Hospice and Joy Cusato of Simmons Bond Inn at 5pm today. The Jack Pot Drawing is at 5:30pm.   

Toccoa-Stephens County Pastors are invited to the Annual Pastor Appreciation Breakfast on Tuesday, March 26 at 7:30 am in the dining room of the Georgia Baptist Conference Center. Breakfast and a special gift are provided for no cost for one pastor per church. Everyone is welcome to attend! Breakfast is $5 per person. Invite your Pastor this Sunday and RSVP on Monday at 706.886.2132 or wendi@toccoagachamber.com.

Your Chamber celebrates all Community Progress by posting GOOD News stories on the web site at www.toccoagachamber.com under the “Accomplishments” tab.  So when you need to be uplifted just visit the web site and take a look of all we as a community have accomplished. 

That’s your weekly Update. I’m Wendi Bailey your Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President. 

TWO Groundbreakings in ONE Day!

DILLARD-JONES BUILDERS TO HOST FEB. 27 GROUNDBREAKING FOR 2013 SOUTHERN LIVING SHOWCASE HOME AT CURRAHEE CLUB

TOCCOA, GA - Dillard-Jones Builders, LLC will host a groundbreaking at 3 p.m. on Feb. 27 for its 2013 Southern Living Showcase Home at Currahee Club on Lake Hartwell. Presented by Dillard-Jones Builders and Currahee Club, the Showcase Home will open to the public from September through December.

The 2013 Southern Living Showcase Home will be the fifth Southern Living tour home presented by Dillard-Jones Builders. The company's 2008 Showcase Home in Tuscany Falls in Simpsonville SC and the 2010 Showcase Home in Claremont in Greenville SC won Dillard-Jones the 2009 and 2011 Southern Living Builder of the Year honors, making it the only two-time winner in the 20-year history of the Southern Living Custom Builder Program.

A Dillard-Jones custom design, the 2013 Southern Living Showcase Home is a four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot cottage plan featuring an L-shaped great room, kitchen and dining room combination with a see-through fireplace. A 142-square-foot breezeway connects the home's two-car garage and a detached carriage house for golf cart storage.

The Showcase Home features more than 730 square feet of outdoor living space including a front porch, outdoor living room with fireplace and retractable screens that overlooks Hole #17, the Quarry Hole, on Currahee Club's Jim Fazio-designed, Rolex World's Top 1000 golf course.

The house features a destination media room, built-in coffee bar in the master suite, an upstairs living area with a balcony that overlooks Hole #17, a large multi-use hobby room, and a mudroom with pet area. The home will feature ample windows and views that are not inhibited by cabinets or walls.

"The 2013 Southern Living Showcase Home follows today's trend of homes that are designed for today's lifestyles rather than homeowners having to adapt to the design of the home," said Tom Dillard, president of Dillard-Jones Builders. "It is a home that will complement the beautiful topography and active lifestyle of Currahee Club."

Established in 2004, Dillard-Jones Builders LLC specializes in custom residential construction ranging from the $500,000's to more than $2 million. The Greenville, SC-based company builds in Upstate South Carolina, western North Carolina and northeast Georgia.

The 2013 Southern Living Showcase Home will be open from August through December, closing for a short period in November for holiday decorating. Admission to the Showcase Home is $10 per person, with proceeds benefiting Neighbors 4 Neighbors and Food Bank of Northeast Georgia-Food 2 Kids programs in Stephens County, and Operation Finally Home, a non-profit organization that provides custom-built mortgage free homes to wounded and disabled veterans and the widows of the fallen soldiers.

For more information, call (864) 527-0463.Consumers can follow the progress of the 2013 Showcase Home at www.dillardjones.com.

NGTC Healthcare Wing Groundbreaking is

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Practical Nursing Program Moving to the Currahee Campus

North Georgia Technical College is preparing for additional classroom space with the construction of the new Healthcare Wing on the Currahee Campus. The plans are to move the Practical Nursing program from the Clarkesville Campus to the Currahee Campus. 

The need for additional health care professionals has increased significantly in the area with the recent opening of the Ty Cobb Healthcare System facility which is just 10 miles from the Currahee Campus. Also in the area are Stephens County Hospital as well as nine nursing homes within a 50-mile radius of the campus and numerous rehabilitation and home health care businesses that require trained medical personnel.

Over a third of the students attending the Currahee Campus are currently enrolled in medical related fields. Practical Nursing Instructor Lynn Baker will also be moving with the program. Entrance into the Practical Nursing program is a competitive process in which prospective students will be accepted for the 2013 Fall Semester which begins in August.

Practical Nursing Information Sessions have been held during the last few months with one more scheduled on March 4 at 6:00 PM on the Clarkesville Campus. For more information on the Practical Nursing Program on the Currahee Campus, contact Program Director Melinda Shiflet at 706-754-7732 or Instructor Lynn Baker at 706-754-7743. For more information on programs of study at North Georgia Technical College, contact 706-439-6300 or visit www.northgatech.edu.

Weekly Chamber Update February 21, 2013

Congratulations to Team Toccoa-Stephens County for attending Toccoa-Stephens County’s “All Things Currahee” Day at the Georgia State Capitol.  The theme was taken from the Currahee Club golf course recently being recognized as one of The Rolex World’s Top 1,000 Golf Courses.  

Jim Fazio was our special guest this year. He is the acclaimed architect of the Currahee Club golf course that is the centerpiece of the 1,200-acre community.  Also celebrated were Marvin and Ashley Dunson owners of the the Currahee Vineyards and Winery, and Brenda Carlan Director of the Currahee Military Museum who updated us on the Camp Toccoa at Currahee development.

Team Toccoa-Stephens County was successfully recognized and will be remembered for this collaborative effort highlighting our Community assets and attractions, as well as reviewing our legislative issues and concerns. We showed strength of leadership, and a team spirit that helps make a positive difference in our great community.   

Announcements for you today:

Today at 10am is the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting Celebration for the New X Factor Grill. Join Brian Westmoreland and his staff at their location on Doyle Street. That’s 10am downtown Toccoa.  

Save the Date for the Chamber Member Luncheon on Wednesday February 27 at 12pm at BJ’s Restaurant. Come eat family style in the back room. Bring your business cards, plan to tell us about yourself and hear updates on calendar events and programs.

Also on Wednesday the 27^th we will celebrate another Currahee, the North Georgia Technical College Currahee Campus ground breaking at 2pm for their new $3.2M Healthcare wing expansion. Come celebrate the project that will enhance the healthcare programs, providing five larger classrooms and two laboratories.   

Your Chamber puts members first. Come join the association that has a heart, cares about you, and is a champion for your business!

That’s your weekly Update. I’m Wendi Bailey your Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President. 

All Things Currahee

Toccoa-Stephens County’s All Things Currahee Day at the Capitol is Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Toccoa-Stephens County’s “All Things Currahee” Day at the Georgia State Capitol was a tremendous success today. The theme this year was taken from the Currahee Club golf course in Toccoa recently being recognized as one of The Rolex World’s Top 1,000 Golf Courses, according to the biennial ranking recently published by D’Algue Selection out of Paris, France.   

“Jim Fazio was our special guest this year and was honored at the Capitol with a Resolution for his work,” says Wendi Bailey, T-SC Chamber of Commerce president.  “Jim is the acclaimed architect of the Currahee Club golf course that is the centerpiece of the breathtaking 1,200-acre community framed by both Lake Hartwell and the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.”

As part of the celebration, each Georgia legislator received an invitation to be a Currahee Club member for a day that includes a round of golf at the award-winning golf course.      

The Day included the House of Representatives and the Senate each passing a Resolution officially proclaiming February 19th as Toccoa-Stephens County’s “All Things Currahee” Day, recognizing the attention Currahee Club and Fazio’s compelling golf course design have brought to the town, the county and the state. 

After that, the delegation from Toccoa, including Currahee Club Managing Director Andrew Ward, members of the Currahee team and Fazio, met with the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and Speaker of the House for group photos.   

Later, a luncheon was sponsored by the North Georgia Credit Union at which the Currahee team and Fazio met with Senator John Wilkinson and Representative Dan Gasaway. Others invited to the lunch included Mike Beatty, the commissioner to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and Cheryl Smith, the northeast Georgia tourism product manager for the Georgia Department of Economic Development. 

In the afternoon, the Stephens County delegation paired up to visit the chairmen of the House and Senate

Committees important to the citizens of Toccoa-Stephens County.  This is a collaborative effort highlighting our

Community assets and attractions. “It was a wonderful opportunity for our team to review legislative issues and concerns including infrastructure, transportation, water supply, tourism product development, education and labor force – just to name a few,” says Tim Martin, executive director of the Development Authority. 

This was a day-long celebration coordinated by the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority. “This event highlights the strength of leadership and the Toccoa Team spirit that provides the ability to make a difference in our community,” says Mayor David Austin.  “It is also a great way to thank our legislators and state agencies for their service, build good will, and tell everyone how much we respect and enjoy working with Senator Wilkinson and Representative Gasaway.”  

About Currahee Club  Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, atop the shores of Lake Hartwell, the private, gated community of Currahee Club is bringing mountain living to a whole new level. Drawing upon its rich local heritage and picturesque landscape, Currahee – a Cherokee word meaning “stands alone” – truly is one of a kind. Residents and members at Currahee Club enjoy a perfect blend of golf, mountain, lake and club. And an extensive collection of amenities, including a 48,000 sq. ft. clubhouse, will be complemented by a comprehensive new Amenity Center Campus currently under construction and set to open in May 2013. The new center will offer a zero-entry swimming pool, grand lawn, tennis courts, a sports club and grill, community garden, playground and more. Residential offerings at Currahee Club are varied and include beautiful mountain Manor homes and charming Cotswold-style cottages. Homes range in price from $300,000 to over$1 million. Currahee Club is part of the Arendale Hospitality portfolio of properties.

Media Inquiries:

Wendi Bailey – President Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce, 706-886-2132

Tim Martin – Executive Director of the Stephens County Development Authority, 706-886-4242

Warren Grant – Windfall Communications, 404-266-2351, cell 404-405-3282

Weekly Chamber Update 2-7-13

February 7, 2013

Leadership Day at the Capitol was this past Monday. Representatives from the State leadership development programs provided remarks to celebrate the day including 4-H, J.W Fanning Institute for Leadership Development and the Georgia Academy for Economic Development.

Greg Roach, Chairman of Leadership Toccoa-Stephens County attended and represented our local programs. Greg is the Director of the North Georgia Technical College Currahee Campus and serves on the Chamber of Commerce Board, Executive Committee. For a list of the Leadership Board members please visit www.toccoagachamber.com.

Also attending was Main Street Director Connie Tabor, a recent graduate from the Georgia Academy for Economic Development class - along with Kinloch Dunlap and Danette Smith. 

We were reminded that leadership begins by having the heart of a servant, putting the needs of people and community ahead of their own. Leaders discover issues they are passionate about - and give their time addressing them. Leaders have vision, they are bold, and they have perseverance to realize the vision.  They develop their styles and influencing skills by serving on local Committees and Boards. They never stop learning and never stop serving. They mentor future leaders and inspire others to volunteer and engage.       

The 2013 Leadership T-SC class is graduating next Tuesday, February 12th. This is significant as it is the first class to graduate since the T-SC TOMORROW visioning program held the Community Input Meeting, where leadership was identified as a top community priority. We look forward to the 2013 Graduation Ceremony and we thank them for their future service. 

Few announcements for you today:

TODAY is the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Celebration for the Stephens County Hospital’s new practice,  Dr. Fordyce, at his office on Falls Rd. That’s 10am at 218 Falls Road.  Hope to see you there!

Also, TODAY we will recognize the 2013 Stephens County School System STAR Student and STAR Teacher at 3:30pm at the High School.

Next Wednesday is the Annual Career Fair for the Middle School 8^th Graders.  The kids will get to meet with representatives of a variety of careers and tour the high school and CTAE class rooms. 

If you would like more information about any of these programs please call the Chamber at 706-886-2132.

The Toccoa Stephens County Chamber of Commerce is the Community’s leading advocate and champion for business. We provide leadership opportunities and business building initiatives that focus on the critical priorities of our Community. Our business is your business!

That’s your weekly Update. I’m Wendi Bailey your Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President.