Connections Fall 2017: Our Chamber Rocks!

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“ROCKS, unless unless you you have have the the courage courage to to step step on on them, them, you you will will never never “ROCKS, know ifif they they are are obstacles obstacles or or stepping stepping stones.” stones.” know JULY - SEPTEMBER 2017

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce. Here’s some of our significant third quarter accomplishments: Program Development 

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The Leadership Calhoun County Executive Leadership Program - CLIMB Inaugural class includes: Jimmie Thompson III, Brian Woodfin, Barry Robertson, Everett King, and Greg Kernion.

On Wednesday, July 26th Partners in Education held a meeting with 30 school administrators from Calhoun County.

The meeting & lunch was sponsored by RA-LIN & Associates.

White Plains High School Principal Andy Ward, White Plains Middle School Principal Courtney Wilburn, and White Plains Elementary School Principal Jonathan Gilbert were recognized for their schools' outstanding participation in the Chamber Award of Excellence Program.

LCC Advisory Committee had 11 members in attendance at the July 17th meeting.

Commerce and Information Technology Program Advisory Committee's quarterly meeting was held August 3rd. This is the Future Business Leaders of America Advisory Committee for all Calhoun County Schools. The 2017-2018 Program of Work was discussed including Job Shadowing, Internships, Workforce Development, Guest Lecturers, Business Trends, and Equipment Improvement.

Pleasant Valley Schools kicked off the Partners in Education Monthly School Spotlight by setting up their table inside the Chamber of Commerce & Visitor's Center Matched Piedmont High School Principal, Adam Clemons, with a business mentor, Bob Hirneisen of Carmin Industries Filled 30 mentor positions at Saks Elementary School by helping to partner them with LCC Alumni and the Big Brothers, Big Sisters Program.

Jacksonville State University Athletic Department is working on filling the other 20 mentor openings there, as well as 30 at White Plains Middle School.

Leadership Calhoun County Advisory Committee had their Summer Social at the Peerless August 29th.

Leadership Calhoun County held their first class of the 2017-2018 year with Orientation and Team Building on August 31st at the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce and the YMCA, with 23 class members present.

Youth Leadership Calhoun County Parent/Student Orientation was held on September 10th. Parents and students were introduced to what the Youth Leadership Calhoun County Program is and given an overview of the next 9 months.

YLCC's first class of the 2017-2018 year was Team Building Day on September 19th at the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce and YMCA Camp Hamilton Ropes Course. There were 31 students present representing all the schools in the county.

Leadership Calhoun County Alumni Team took first place in the inaugural Corporate Challenge event. The team was Drew Senter, Sarah Wheeler, Ben Simmons, Kelly Roberts, Chris Reynolds, & Angela Alvarez.

Leadership Calhoun County Advisory Committee held their monthly meeting on September 18th. Carol Kirk was added to the Committee.

Distributed invitation to the LCC Alumni Fall Social, October 24 Wellborn Schools were September's School Spotlight & had a table inside the Chamber.

Anniston, Jacksonville, Oxford, & Piedmont City Schools will participate in the Halloween Job Shadow Day. Participated in a Leadershape Webinar "Leveraging Positivity to Lead in Times of Change" on September 28th.

Public Affairs     

10 Members of Public Affairs Committee participated in Washington DC Fly-In and met with Congressmen Rogers & Aderholt and Senators Shelby & Strange On July 11, the Public Affairs Committee hosted lunch with Public Safety Officials at the Oxford Civic Center with discussion on Fiber Optics Initiative.

The Military & Security Affairs Committee hosted Farewell Reception for COL Kidd.

On August 2nd, the committee held a Conversation with Congressman Mike Rogers.

On August 24th, Military & Security Affairs Committee hosted reception for Major General Sheryl Gordon as Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard.

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For the Primary Runoff, the committee sponsored "Get out &Vote" ads.

Members of the Public Affairs Committee met with Grant Writers on the Fiber Optic Initiative.

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August 11, hosted a Social Media Boot Camp at the Chamber covering everything from Facebook to Twitter, Instagram, Blogs and Pinterest.

The 2017 Business 2 Business EXPO is set for Tuesday, October 17.

Held Business EXPO Exhibitor Training on August 29th with 37 exhibitors in attendance.

First Corporate Challenge on September 7 had 5 teams participate. Thank you RMC, BBVA, LCC, F&M, and Alabama Power.

We've already had several teams commit and strategize for 2018.

We had 134 Golfers, 18 tee sponsors and volunteers make our Salute to Industry Golf Outing the biggest and best yet!

Business Development

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Organizational Development     

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Chamber Ambassadors meeting was held on July 11, and sponsored by Alabama Power.

Chamber Ambassadors met on August 8 to plan for October's Member Appreciation Day, scheduled for Friday, October 27.

Chamber Ambassadors meeting was held on September 8, at the Chamber.

14 Members of the Chamber's Board of Directors made calls to 117 of our members during the 3 day Retention Campaign in July.

Ribbon Cuttings were held for All Purpose Automotive, Kolectic Treasures, Nephrology Associates, P.C., RMC's New Orthopaedic Program, Hair & Co., Exquisite You 2 Salon-Boutique & Antique Hall, Grayson & Associates, P.C., 2nd & Charles, Cheaha Regional Head Start at Constantine, Lance Johnson Studio, Rosa Lee Jewelry, Callahan Chiropractic, the JSU School of Business & Industry Finance Lab, JC Morgan Art Gallery, Model City Barber Shop, and Matco Tools Distributor Melissa Brumbelow.

Member Orientation was held at the Chamber on Wednesday, September 27 with 12 members in attendance.

July Business & Biscuits was sponsored by The City of Anniston and held at The Catalyst in Anniston with 70 in attendance.

August Business & Biscuits was sponsored by the Calhoun County Commission and was held at The County Administration Building with 60 in attendance.

September Business & Biscuits was sponsored and hosted by AOD Federal Credit Union in Jacksonville with 50 in attendance.

July Lunch & Leads was sponsored by Alabama Power and held at Local Joe's at Alexandria with 58 in attendance.

August Lunch & Leads was sponsored by Cheaha Bank and held at Mellow Mushroom with 58 in attendance.

September Lunch & Leads was sponsored by AOD Federal Credit Union and held at Jefferson's of Oxford with 42 in attendance.

July Business After Hours was sponsored by CableOne and held at Hubbard's Off Main in Oxford with 175 in attendance.

August Business After Hours was sponsored by ERA King Real Estate and held at the Anniston Country Club with 175 in attendance.

September Business After Hours was held at AOD Federal Credit Union in Oxford, with 150 in attendance.

11 new members joined the Chamber in July.

11 new members joined the Chamber in August.

The Chamber has 1160 members.

Tourism      

July 21, held first official State Bicentennial committee meeting, including all municipalities to share in their event planning.

July 24, held Area Attractions Meeting at Choccolocco Park.

July 25, spoke at Partners in Education Luncheon on the topic of the Natural History Museum's Fall Art Contest.

July 28, prepared 36 coaches' packets and 540 athlete packets for the Dixie Youth Little League World Series.

Supported the Dixie Youth Little League World Series August 4-10 at Choccolocco Park. Thanks to our members, teams said the welcome packet was the best they'd ever received.

August 2, hosted a Hotel meeting at the Oxford Performing Arts Center, which included a conference call with the Ohio Valley Conference to discuss future Choccolocco Park Events.

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August 18, Chamber Staff attended the Hobson City Founders Day Celebration presentations from the University of Alabama and UNC Chapel Hill.

Beginning in September through November, the days surrounding the JSU Home Games, you may begin to see Visit Calhoun County ads on the Weather Channel app and sites or apps that use Geo filters for distributing information.

The Chamber & Visitors Center also purchased 7500 pom-poms for distribution at JSU home games. See a JSU Cheerleader or Chamber staff member to get yours today!

Created 712 Welcome packets Members of the Executive Committee and staff met with Dr. Beehler on September 14. From that meeting, we will be setting up to welcome potential students and their parents for Preview Day on October 14, from 9:00-12:00.

We're distributing our Find It Local guide through realtors and municipalities, but if your business would like to make them available, please contact a chamber staff member to pick up a box.

Hosted a restaurant meeting with 10 represented and 15 registered for the EXPO's Taste of Calhoun County.

Applied for State Tourism Grant to help fund a travel writer from PinkBike, possibly featuring Coldwater Mountain Bike Trail.

Public Relations                

The Visit Calhoun County Facebook Page now has 1233 likes.

VisitCalhounCounty.com had more than 2,700 visitors.

The Visit Calhoun County blog has generated more than 1,300 page views. @VisitCalhounCo has 512 followers on Twitter. @VisitCalhounCo has 334 followers on Instagram.

The Chamber Facebook page has 3958 likes/Followers.

CalhounChamber.com had more than 14,300 visitors, with 2290 directory searches of our online membership directory.

With 6 active job posting, we garnered 543 views.

Our Calhounchamber.com event calendar received more than 4902 searches.

Our 9 Hot Deals received 47 hits.

The Chamber's Twitter, @CalhounChamber, has 1228 followers The Chamber's Blog garnered 249 views.

The Chamber's July E-Newsletter, distributed June 30, had 566 opens, of the 2083 sent.

The Chamber's August E-Newsletter, distributed July 31, had 539 opens, of the 2102 sent.

The Chamber's September E-Newsletter, distributed September 5, had 541 opens, of the 2122 sent.

The Chamber's App, Calhoun2Go, has 182 users.

Thank You to our 2017 Partnership Investors

July Events

July 6, the City of Anniston hosted the Chamber's Business & Biscuits at Catalyst, a great creative arts and event space at 1224 Noble Street. Garfrerick's at the Club provided breakfast.

July 10, All Purpose Automotive celebrated a ribbon cutting for the grand opening, under new ownership, at their 1515 Greenbrier Dear Road location in Anniston.

July 12, Kolectic Treasures celebrated a ribbon cutting for the grand opening of their 4406 McClellan Boulevard location at Summerall Plaza in Anniston.

The Chamber’s Military & Security Affairs Committee hosted a Farewell Reception in honor of Col. Martine Kidd.

July 17, RMC Orthopedic celebrated a ribbon cutting for their new program.

Thank you to Alabama Power for hosting and sponsoring our monthly Ambassador Meeting for July!

July 12, Lunch & Leads was hosted by Alabama Power at Local Joe’s in Alexandria, located at 8314 Alabama Highway 144.

July 17, Nephrology Associates, P.C. celebrated a ribbon cutting and open house for their location at 1430 Christine Avenue in Anniston.

July Events

July 18, CableOne hosted Business After Hours at Hubbard's Off Main, located at 16 Choccolocco Street in Oxford.

July 20, Grayson & Associates held a ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil their new outpatient office and partnership with RMC at 801 Noble Street, 4th Floor, in Anniston.

July 17, Hair & Co. celebrated a ribbon cutting for their 1012 location, and attendees met the stylists and enjoyed refreshments.

July 18, Exquisite You 2 celebrated the ribbon cutting for their 7808 Highway 77 location in Ohatchee.

Thank you to our Board Members for taking the time to call members and thank them for their support of the Chamber!

Thank you to our area tourist attractions for joining us for a meeting at Choccolocco Park and keeping us in the loop of all the great things happening!

July 25, the Chamber's Partners in Education, a group comprised of administrators from every school in the county, met at the Chamber for a luncheon sponsored by RA-LIN & Associates.

July 26, members of our Public Affairs committee flew to Washington D.C. To meet with elected officials and advocate for Calhoun County.

August Events

August 2, the Chamber's Board of Directors, Public Affairs Committee, Military & Security Affairs Committee, Economic Development Council and elected officials were invited to a breakfast and Conversation with Congressman Mike Rogers at the Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center.

August 8, Cheaha Regional Head Start celebrated the ribbon cutting and an open house for the Constantine Head Start at 1200 Johnson Avenue in Anniston.

August 3, the Calhoun County Commission hosted Business & Biscuits at the County Administration Building, located at 1702 Noble Street in Anniston.

Chamber Ambassadors met on August 8 at the Chamber, to plan for our annual Member Appreciation Day. If you would like more information about becoming a Chamber Ambassador or about Member Appreciation Day call us at (256) 237-3536.

August 9th, Lunch & Leads was hosted by Cheaha Bank at Mellow Mushroom.

A ribbon cutting was held for 2nd and Charles in Oxford on August 3. Their Grand Opening Celebration was held on August 5.

August Events

Congratulations to Industry Products Company, who received an award on August 10 from Honda for "Excellence in Quality."

August 11, Lance Johnson Studio celebrated their 75th Anniversary with a ribbon cutting for their 1213 Noble Street Location in Anniston.

August 18, Rosa Lee Jewelry celebrated the ribbon cutting for their shop inside Alexander's on Noble at 1118 Noble Street in Anniston.

August 18, Anniston CarePlus celebrated a ribbon cutting and hosted a blood drive at their new location at 700 Quintard Avenue in Anniston.

August 23, Callahan Chiropractic celebrated a ribbon cutting for their new location at 3229 Henry Road in Anniston.

August 15, ERA King Real Estate hosted a great crowd for Business After Hours at Anniston Country Club.

August 17, Jacksonville State University's School of Business & Industry celebrated the dedication of the new Finance Lab in Merrill Hall with a ribbon cutting.

August 24, the Chamber hosted a Meet and Greet with Major General Sheryl Gordon, Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard.

More Events

August 25, the Chamber hosted a Google workshop about Free Websites. This workshop will again be offered October 20 from 10 AM to 12 Noon. RSVP by calling 256-237-3536.

The Leadership Calhoun County Class of 2018 had their Team Building Day on August 31! Leadership Calhoun County (LCC) is a program of the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce and is designed to prepare and build upon leadership resources within our entire county. Registration for each nine month class is generally held in June and is comprised of leaders and emerging leaders of this region.

From Sponge Relays to Tug of War, from cornhole to dodgeball, and Co-Op-A-Walk to trivia, teams battled out at the first ever Calhoun County Corporate Challenge on September 7 at Norwood Hodges Community Center in Golden Springs. Thank you to all our teams: F&M Bank, Alabama Power, BBVA Compass, RMC and LCC Alumni!

September 8, JC Morgan Art Gallery celebrated a ribbon cutting for their 324 Snow Street location in Oxford.

September 13, AOD Federal Credit Union hosted the Chamber's Lunch & Leads at Jefferson's of Oxford.

September 6, Adoration Home Cabinets celebrated the ribbon cutting for their new business!

September 7, AOD Federal Credit Union hosted the Chamber's Business & Biscuits at their Jacksonville Branch, located at 1060 JD&L Drive.

September 15, New Flyer of America Inc. celebrated a groundbreaking for their Vehicle Innovation Center.

September Events September 18, Model City Barber Shop held a ribbon cutting for their new location at 701 Wilmer Avenue in Anniston.

September 20, the Chamber celebrated a ribbon cutting for Matco Tools Distributor Melissa Brumbelow at the Chamber.

September 19, Youth Leadership Calhoun County's Class of 2018 started their journey together with Team Building Day at the Chamber office and YMCA Camp Hamilton.

September 26, AOD Federal Credit hosted Business After Hours at their Oxford Branch, located at 12 Elm Street.

Thank You for your continued support of the Chamber!

Thank you United Way of East Central Alabama for your support and membership in the Chamber for more than 30 years!

Thank you to the Public Library of Anniston & Calhoun County for your support and membership in the Chamber for more than 30 years!

Thank you to the Anniston Museum of Natural History for your contribution to the community, region and Chamber for over 30 years!

New Members July-September Danny Shears Custom Built Clocks LLC 26 W. 11th Street Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 225-1000 Customized Wall Clocks Lisa Morales East Alabama Works 1130 Quintard Ave. Suite 100 Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 231-5130 ext. 19 Non-Profit Keller Williams Realty Group Brandie Holt 1805 Hillyer Robinson Pkwy Ste A Anniston, AL 36207 (256) 310-3502 Real Estate Jessica Forbus Forbus Blinds and Screens, LLC 809 Bama Drive Oxford, AL 36203 (256) 831-3943 Manufacturer /Window Coverings Chad Lincoln McCullars Lincoln Insurance Agency 1027 S. Quintard Ave. Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 237-1100 Insurance Susan Shropshire Keller Williams Realty 1805 Hillyer Robinson Industrial Parkway, Suite A Anniston, AL 36207 (256) 689-6396 Real Estate Melissa Brumbelow Matco Tools Anniston, AL 36207 (678) 858-9848 Auto Parts, Supplies & Services

Tom Wright District Judge Calhoun County 25 West 11th Street Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 231-1733 Friends of the Chamber

Brandy & Tony Mitchell Adoration Home Cabinets 1857 Mudd St. Lincoln, AL 35096 Cabinets/Contractor

Percy Huckeba Kurt's Truck & Parts Co. 350 Industrial Drive Ext. Oxford, AL 36203 (256) 241-1484 Truck Parts

Elienna Minniefield & Andrea Washington Karing Hands Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 343-1105 Home Health Care

Christine Corbitt 2nd and Charles 900 Quintard Drive Oxford, AL 36203 (256) 835-5331 Retail

Miranda Kelley Guild Mortgage Company 1225 Snow St. Suite 20 Oxford, AL 36203 (256) 485-4618 Mortgage Company

Brandon Balenger Rehab Partners Physical Therapy of Anniston LLC 100 Bill Robison Pkwy Suite C Anniston, AL 36206 (256) 820-8555 Physical Therapists

Shaun Quinlan, PC 1215 Noble Street Anniston, AL 36207 (256) 235-1973 Attorney

Lois Garlock Changer & Dresser, Inc. 1527 ITC Way Anniston, AL 36207 (256) 832-4392 Manufacturer Bruce Long Air Effexs Heating and Cooling, LLC Anniston, AL 36206 (256) 689-9892 Heating , Ventilation and Air Conditioning Dr. Jose Oblena Quality Healthcare & Holistic Clinic, LLC 226 South Quintard Ave. Ste. C Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 283-2906 Healthcare Bennie Greer Model City Barber Shop 701 Wilmer Ave. Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 454-4769 Barbershop

Scott Henderson Advanced Disposal 1430 Speedway Boulevard Lincoln, AL 35096 (800) 333-7736 Waste Collection Daniel Harper The Real DeCoy, LLC 1400 Commerce Blvd. Suite 27 Anniston, AL 36207 (605) 400-1744 Motorized Duck & Goose Decoys Gregory Pass Edward Jones 600 Laura Lane NE Anniston, AL 36202 (256) 343-5441 Financial Consultant Bobbi Kemp Kemp Flooring America 825 Snow St. Oxford, AL 36203 (256) 831-5520 Flooring

New Members Continued...

Jason Murphy JRM Photography 1128 Edmar St. Suite B Oxford, AL 36203 (256) 272-9998 Photography Hannah Nguyen Hannah Closet 813 Snow Street Oxford, AL 36203 (256) 365-2451 Boutique Benjamin Crump Direct Auto & Life Insurance 1118 S Quintard Ave. Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 676-3162 Insurance Wes Spivey Trump Auto Sales 1430 South Quintard Ave. Anniston, AL 36201 (256) 770-4211 Auto Sales

September 21, the Chamber's annual Salute to Industry Golf Outing was held at the Anniston Country Club, with McDonald's, the Peerless, and Golden Corral serving and sponsors hosting at every tee box. Thank you to all our sponsors and golfers for making this event another huge success!