Weekly Chamber Update: Ambassador Team, Boys & Girls Club Breakfast with Sandara Deal, Membership Lunch at BJ's

Your Chamber has an Ambassador program made up of dedicated professionals who are the eyes, ears, and legs of the Chamber.  Led by Chair Beth Rider, our Ambassadors are assigned to a small group of Chamber Members and their job is to establish strong working relationship with each of their members, providing them more personal attention. The Ambassador Team enables the Chamber to deliver on our mission to “serve, promote and protect our members, so they can grow and prosper.”

The Chamber Ambassador’s vision is for each and every member to know how to get the most out of their membership. The “Member Directory” web listings are 100% complete for 24/7 advertising; they get the “Weekly Chamber Update” and are in the know on current events; they have a current Chamber membership sticker in their window; they attend the monthly membership lunch at BJ’s restaurant; and they’ve hosted at least one “Business-After-Hours.” If you’d like to learn more about the Chamber Ambassador program, who your ambassador is or even be trained to become an Ambassador please call the Chamber at 706-886-2132.

New this year the Ambassador Team wants to recognize members with a new “Member of the Month” program! The "Member of the Month" will be chosen by the Ambassador Team from nominations. The member of the month will be featured in the “Weekly Chamber Update” and on the Chamber’s the web site. If you would you like to nominate an extraordinary business, please call or come by the Chamber today! 

I have a few announcements for you:

·         The Boys & Girls Club is pleased to announce a breakfast with first lady Sandra Deal, wife of Governor Nathan Deal, on Wednesday July 30^th. She will also read the kids at the Club that morning. For more information please call the Toccoa Boys & Girls Club at 706-886-3771.

·         NEXT WEDNESDAY is our membership luncheon at BJ’s Restaurant and next THURSDAY at 10am we have a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for El Portrero at their location on Broad Street. Come meet Cecelia and Pedro Guadarama, see the restaurant renovations and hear all about their menu specials.  

·         Our Welcome Center Director Sharon Crenshaw wants me to tell you that the Southern Living Inspired Home Event is going on every Thursday through Sunday at the Currahee Club now through August 31^st, tonight’s movie at the Schaeffer Center is Hunger Games; this Saturday evening you have a “local showcase”, live in concert at the Ida Cox Music Festival downtown Toccoa and spend Sunday afternoon listening to live music at the Currahee Vineyards.   

For more information on these and other events please visit the community calendar at www.toccoagachamber.com.  Like our Face book page, too! That’s your weekly update! I’m Wendi Bailey, your Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President!

2014 Southern Living Inspired Home Open for Tours

It's the first of its kind -- and if you're goal is to live a "perfectly Southern" lifestyle, it might be the home for you. The 2014 Southern Living Inspired Home is now open in Toccoa, GA at Currahee Club. Designers say it's the launch of a new community concept by Southern Living. According to its website, "Southern Living Inspired Communities is a collection of neighborhoods marked by charm, taste, and Southern spirit. 

These hand-picked neighborhoods embrace a pride of place and encourage new traditions of living in the South." The Toccoa home is the first of ten properties to be named, and will be open for tours for the next few months.

Good Day Atlanta's Paul Milliken went to Toccoa this morning to get a special tour of the house click the video to check it out!! http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/26091182/2014-southern-living-inspired-home-open-for-tours#.U8_ukuME1Fk.email

Weekly Chamber Update: Deal Armstrong, New web site Ads, Business After Hours With Habersham County

Hello this is Wendi Bailey, Chamber of Commerce President with your Weekly Chamber Update.

There are 2 new things I want to tell you about this week. First, the new exclusive Chamber Member coupon handout, in partnership with Deal Armstrong, is being distributed this week. Keep a look out for new deals & discounts or visit dealarmstrong.com or toccoagachamber.com to print your favorite one.

Second, your Chamber is providing a new way for member marketing to be measured. There are 15 new member ads on the Chamber’s web site to see. They are being hyperlinked directly to the member’s web site and those clicks are tracked and reported. We would be happy to come to your office and tell you more. Call us for an appointment at 706-886-2132.

I have a few announcements for you:

TODAY is the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting ceremony for James Johnson and his Get Fit Boot Camp at 10am at the new location on Skyline Drive. Come meet James and learn more about his fitness services that will get you into shape this summer. 

The next Business-After-Hours is on Thursday June 26^th. Please do not miss this special summer Joint Business-After-Hours with the Habersham County Chamber of Commerce at the Currahee Vineyards and Winery. Come meet vineyard owner Marvin Dunson, meet new people from Habersham, make new business connections, and bring a door prize to promote your business across county lines.  

Our new Welcome Center Director Sharon Crenshaw wants me to tell you we have new “calendar cards” available for you in the Welcome Center to remind you about all the upcoming activities. Come a get them! Tonight’s movie at the Schaefer Center is Monsters U; this Saturday is the Currahee Club’s Farmer’s & Artisan Day from 10am to 4pm. With more than 50 booths the Welcome Center will be there with Toccoa T-shits and Toccoa Visors, priced to sell. Saturday evening you have Chuck Taylor live in concert at the Ida Cox Music Festival downtown Toccoa and spend Sunday afternoon at the Currahee Vineyards.   

For more information on these and other events please visit the community calendar at www.toccoagachamber.com.  That’s your weekly update! I’m Wendi Bailey, your Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President!

Strategies for Obtaining Capitol and Funding Growth

The Chamber’s NEW Small Business Webinar Series continues this month with “Strategies for Obtaining Capitol and Funding Growth.”  It’s on Wednesday June 18^th from 12pm to 1pm and can be attended as a group, in the Development Authority office on Doyle Street, or you can link into the meeting from your home or office.

The webinar will cover why having a strategy in place is crucial for small businesses, strategies and sources for financing, and what businesses need to be doing now in order to navigate the process successfully in the future.

The webinar will be presented by Grace Fricks, President and CEO of Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs, Inc. (ACE), and Linda Davis Jameson, Chief Credit Officer at ACE. Bring your lunch and we'll provide drinks and dessert. Please call the Chamber to register at 706-886-2132. There will be six webinars in all and the three remaining are in August, October and December. 

I have a few announcements for you:

The Center for Natural Health and Optimal Wellness is having their grand opening next Monday June 9^th at their new location at the Toccoa Foothills Plaza.  The Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting ceremony is next Thursday the 12^th at 10am at their new location. Also, please save the date for Get Fit Boot Camp Ribbon Cutting on June 19^th and for Just Good Things on June 26^th.  

The next Business-After-Hours is on Thursday June 26^th. This is a special summer Joint Business-After-Hours with the Habersham County Chamber of Commerce at the Currahee Vineyards and Winery. The winery has a new wine to share called Blanc de Bleau which is made from a variety of grape that originated here in the 1600’s. Currahee Vineyards has acquired this special grape and is now the only winery in NEGA to have it. Come meet owner Marvin Dunson, meet new people from Habersham, make new business connections, and bring a door prize to promote your business cross county lines.  

Our new Welcome Center Director Sharon Crenshaw wants me to remind you about upcoming activities: tonight is the “kick off” of the summer move series at the Schaeffer Center with the movie Frozen, on Saturday morning there is a Nature Walk at Tugaloo Bend, Saturday evening you have the first concert of the Ida Cox Music Festival downtown and the Toccoa Motor Speedway has “Ultimate Late Model” racing.  

For more information on these and other events please visit the community calendar at www.toccoagachamber.com.  That’s your weekly update! I’m Wendi Bailey, your Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President!

T-SC TOMORROW Workforce Development & Summer Manufacturing Camp

Hello, this is Wendi Bailey, your Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President with your Weekly Chamber Update.  

The Toccoa-Stephens County Tomorrow visioning program includes a “Champion of Workforce Development” and he is Dr. Mark Ivester, NGTC VP of Economic Development. His mission is to cultivate a workforce that provides a competitive edge for existing businesses and attracts new companies to Toccoa-Stephens County.

NGTC enrolled in the “Dream IT Do IT” campaign which is a national program sponsored by the Manufacturing Institute and promotes manufacturing careers in the US. Organizations from 32 different states enrolled in the program and our NGTC was the first in Georgia.

In an effort to create awareness of manufacturing careers, the college is currently offering a Summer Manufacturing Camp for kids grades 6-9 from June 2-5 from 8am to 4pm at the Clarkesville Campus.   

There will be tours at Caterpillar in Athens and Eastanollee, as well as TI Automotive in Lavonia. A student will work in their engineering lab to design a part then move on to the machine tool lab to build the part.

Presentations will be made showing the history of manufacturing, as well as, manufacturing today.  For more information about the Summer Manufacturing Camp please visit their website at www.northgatech.edu  or call the Chamber at 706-886-2132.

Also, there are additional opportunities for financial aid at the college, i.e. the expanded Strategic Industries Workforce Development Grant, new low interest loans and the Hope Grant are all available for qualifying students. Contact College Admissions to learn more.

I have a few announcements for you:

The Stephens County Historical Society is celebrating the 70^th anniversary of D-Day this Saturday. The run up Currahee Mountain is at 8am, the walk is at 9am, the kids obstacle course is at 10am and the memorial service is at 12pm with the very Reverend Mary Demmler. All events are at the Camp Toccoa at Currahee on Ayersville Rd.

TODAY at 10am is the “Departure Ceremony” for the Toccoa Soldiers at the GBCC. The local National Guard unit is preparing to deploy on a potentially yearlong mission. Soldiers from the 876th Engineering unit will train their Afghan counterparts and either construct or dismantle buildings and the like depending on the need of U.S. troops. The public is encouraged to attend the ceremony at the GBCC.

For more information on these and other events please visit the community calendar at www.toccoagachamber.com.  That’s your weekly update! I’m Wendi Bailey, your Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

The Chamber’s 17^th Annual Golf Tournament, presented by North Georgia Credit Union, was at the award winning Currahee Club last Friday! 23 teams, one coming as far away as Carol County, got to experience the 7,200 yard, highly decorated, Jim Fazio designed, championship course.

Congratulations goes to the winning Teams: 1^st place was State Farm - Mike Van Minos, 2^nd place was 1^st Franklin Financial and 3rd place was Stephens Federal Bank. Steve Alligood won the 2014 Currahee Club membership.   

We have a complete list of all our sponsors and prize winners on our Chamber web site at www.toccoagachamber.com. On behalf of the Chamber Board we thank you for your support of this important event. Thank for supporting your Chamber and Welcome Center.  

I have a few announcements for you:

Your Chamber and “Deal Armstrong” are creating an exclusive Chamber Member coupon flyer that will help your business reach close to 8,000 North Georgians, in 8 counties who have opted in to see regional deals. Call us today for a consultation or for more information and to reserve your spot. 

The 7^th Annual Tugaloo Corridor Canoe/Kayak River History Tour is scheduled for this Saturday, May 24, 2014, (Memorial Day Weekend). The plan is to depart from Walker Creek Access on Yonah Dam Road by 8:30am, lunch at Longnose Creek Falls (water level permitting) and takeout adjacent to the Mound around  2:30pm or so with transportation provided for principle drivers back to Walker Creek.  If you think you will be able to make it this year please call Kelly at 706-886-0022. Be ready for a good paddle!

For more information on these and other events please visit the community calendar at www.toccoagachamber.com. Happy Memorial Day!