Cherokee Chamber Celebrates Successes At Annual Meeting

CANTON, GA — Local movers and shakers gathered last week to recap the 2018 successes and get a glimpse of the 2019 goals of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. The chamber held its 48th annual meeting on Jan. 24, which featured Trudy Cathy White as the keynote speaker.

White, the daughter of Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy and entrepreneur in her own right, encouraged the audience to find its passion and persevere while "clarifying their purpose and priorities," the Chamber of Commerce said.

In the changing of the guard ceremony, outgoing Board Chair Julianne Rivera, Owner of Sold by Julianne - Keller Williams Atlanta North, passed the gavel to incoming Chair John Barker, owner of Delphi Global Technology.

“In 2018, over 4,900 current and future members attended the variety of events offered by the Chamber, while 213 new members were recruited to the Chamber bringing our year-end membership total to 1,034 resulting in a 2018 membership retention rate of 83 percent," Rivera said.

Rivera also said the new Cherokee County Visitor Guide was released and a new magazine, "Progressive Cherokee," was unveiled to assist in promoting Cherokee County to potential businesses and newcomers while also reminding our community of what the county has to offer.

Going Green initiatives continued to flourish, and the Partners in Education Excellence Awards celebrated their 20th anniversary. Both the teen and adult Leadership Cherokee initiatives continued to expand, and the SchmoozaPalooza networking event that showcases a variety of businesses products and services, saw record-breaking vendor and attendee participation," the outgoing chair said.

Incoming Chair Barker announced the Chamber’s primary goals for 2019, which are to connect
leaders and cultivate member-to-member relationships. He also shared the overall organizational
goals for 2019 which are to enhance existing programs and increase the net membership by 5 percent.

"The ongoing organizational efforts will continue to direct us to focus strategically – utilizing the 2020 VISION, enhance member benefits, and measure success," Barker added.

Volunteers recognized for completing a three-year term on the Chamber Board included Chuck
Flagg, Cruise Planners; Will Goodwin, Oak Leaf Church; Linda Lullie, Inspired 2 Design; Dr. Kina Mallard, Reinhardt University; Sharon Shelton, Primrose School of Harmony on the Lakes and Katie Wise, LGE Community Credit Union. Immediate Past Chair, Bryan Reynolds, director of the Cherokee County Recreation & Parks Agency, was also recognized for his five years of service.

The newly elected Board members, who will serve until December 2021, are: Joe Brownlee, Georgia Power Company; Dr. Brian Hightower, Cherokee County School District; Melissa Madigan, BB&T; Katie Pearson, Northside Hospital-Cherokee; Cherokee County Sheriff Frank Reynolds; Abby Roach, Roach, Caudill & Gunn, LLP; and Guillermo Sanabiam, WellStar Health System.

“I look forward to working with these new Board members, as well as those who will be continuing to serve the Chamber as we work collaboratively to meet the Chamber's mission,” Barker added.

Lifelong resident Raymond Rollins was also named the 44th First Citizen of Cherokee County. Additional accolades went to In Harmony Pediatric Therapy, 2019 Small Business of the Year; Aroundabout Local Media, Inc., 2019 Excellence in Customer Service Award honoree; and the inaugural Non-Profit of the Year award was presented to the Service League of Cherokee County. All three recipients were chosen by out-of-town judges.

The 2018 Chairman’s Council Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Jay Street with ASC Group as he best exemplified ongoing dedication throughout the past year as a Chamber Ambassador while contributing dozens of volunteer hours on the Chairman's Council. The Going Green Business of the Year, chosen based upon commitment to environmental excellence as well as implementation of additional green tactics within their business, was awarded to Art Jewelers Diamonds & Design.

Photo 1: Julianne Rivera, 2018 Chamber Chairman and Owner of Sold by Julianne - Keller Williams Atlanta North (center) presented Kristi Estes (left) and Jennifer Puckett, Co-Owners of In Harmony Pediatric Therapy, with the 2019 Small Business of the Year Award.

Photo 2: Rivera presented Julie Little, President of the Service League of Cherokee County, with the 2019 Non-Profit of the Year Award.

Photo 3: Rivera presented Katherine Amick with Aroundabout Local Media, with the 2019 Excellence in Customer Service Award.

Photo 4: Rivera presented Dave Meadows, Owner of Art Jewelers Diamonds & Design, with the 2019 Green Business of the Year Award.

Photo 5: Rivera presented Jay Street, ASC Group, with the 2018 Chairman’s Council Volunteer of the Year Award.

Images via Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce