The Greenville Chamber held its 134th Annual Meeting, presented by TD Bank, on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at the Greenville Convention Center.
Business professionals and community leaders gathered to hear the Chamber’s accomplishments from 2022, latest initiatives and future goals for Greenville. The meeting included remarks from Chris Fincher, regional vice president of TD Bank; Carl Hurst, 2023 board of directors chair; and Carlos Phillips, president and CEO of the Greenville Chamber.
“If you leave this afternoon with only one takeaway, please make it this: Greenville is better, stronger and greater when we achieve together,” Phillips said.
The event featured a panel discussion on bringing business, education and healthcare communities together to face the challenges of a pandemic and hiring skilled workers.
The guest panelists included Dr. James P. Clements, president of Clemson University, Michael Amiridis, president of the University of South Carolina, Mark O’Halla, president and CEO of Prisma Health, and Danya Trent, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Programs and general manager of the company’s Greenville facility.
Following the panel, nine annual awards were presented to local organizations and business professionals.
- The Small Business of the Year Award, sponsored by Trehel Corporation was awarded to The YoPro Know, whose services help businesses across the country attract and retain Generation Z and Millennial professionals.
- The Minority Business of the Year Award was presented to Mance Multimedia, a full-service creative agency that uses marketing, advertising, design and production to build clients’ recognition and credibility. Sponsored by Bank of America, the award is presented to a local, independently-, and minority-owned company that has been in business for a minimum of three years.
- The Young Professional of the Year Award was presented to Hayden Turlington, an accredited asset management specialist and financial advisor for Wagner Wealth Management. Sponsored by Michelin North America, the award recognizes an individual between the ages of 22 and 39 for his or her involvement in the community.
- The ATHENA Leadership Award ® was presented to Liz Seman, chief of staff and liaison to the Board of Trustees at Furman University. Sponsored by Hughes Agency, the award honors individuals who assist women in reaching their full leadership potential; demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession; and provide valuable service by devoting time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community.
- The Max Heller Neighborhood Improvement Award, sponsored by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, was presented to United Ministries for their mission to serve and empower individuals who are experiencing homelessness or living at or below the poverty line to achieve both economic and psychological mobility. The award, named in honor of former Greenville Mayor Max Heller, is given to an organization that has shown exemplary efforts toward neighborhood improvement and empowerment.
- The Leadership Greenville Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to Gavin Axson, a 20-year veteran of Brasfield & Gorrie and the company’s chief preconstruction manager. The award, sponsored by Prisma Health, recognizes a Leadership Greenville alum who has made outstanding civic and community contributions.
- The F. Ben Haskew Collaboration Award, sponsored by Furman University, was presented to Dr. Keith Miller, the second president of Greenville Technical College. The award was first presented to former Chamber CEO Ben Haskew in 2016 and recognizes Upstate leaders who display progressive visions and a partnership approach to responsible growth in the Upstate.
- The 2022 Chairman’s Award, sponsored by Ogletree Deakins was presented to Scott Millwood, co-founder of Deal Strategies and a managing partner of the NEXT Founder Fund.
- The Buck Mickel Leadership Award was presented to President and CEO of United Way of Greenville County, Meghan Barp. The award, sponsored by Duke Energy, honors those who have had a dramatic impact on the community by playing a leadership role in solving critical community issues, strengthening the community or providing visionary leadership to a major community development project.
- The Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to Adam Reitz, a Greenville Chamber Ambassador since 2021 and a technology consultant for TSAChoice. The award, sponsored by AFL, is presented to an individual for their outstanding service in their role as a Greenville Chamber Ambassador.
Source: greenvillejournal.com
