MBC connect

The official publication of the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber and Development Authority

Small Business of the Year Bodyplex Milledgeville

Summer 2014

milledgevillega.com

Volume 1 Issue 2

161219

2 - MBC Connect

Summer 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

DIAMOND

Content a message from the chamber ...............................4

PLATINUM

milledgeville officially bicycle friendly .............5 blue sapphire gala .............................................6-7 business after hours..............................................8 ribbon cuttings .....................................................9

GOLD

eggs & issues legislative update .........................................10-11 great american main street award.................12-13 leadercast............................................................14

SILVER

chamber golf classic .....................................15-18 member to member news .............................19-23 chamber congressional luncheon .......................24

BRONZE

Leading Business.

Connecting Community. since 1947 130 S. Jefferson St. | Milledgeville, GA. 31061 w w w. m i l l e d g e v i l l e g a . c o m | c h a m b e r @ m i l l e d g e v i l l e g a . c o m Phone: 478.453.9311 | Fax: 478.453.0051

Summer 2014

MBC Connect - 3

2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

a message from chamber ceo

Leadership Team Chair Dr. Dale Young, Georgia College Past Chair Terry Kennedy, Exchange Bank Chair-Elect David Luke, Flipper Chapel AME Church Secretary Natalie Davis, The Union-Recorder Technology Tom Glover, Cogentes

Directors Tommy Cook, Need A Nerd Carol Goings, Baldwin County Board of Education Joannah Hollis, Northrim Investments Natacha Knox, The Market Basket Dr. Heather Langston, Oconee River Greenway Authority Merritt Massey, State Farm Insurance Billy Matthews, Bug House Pest Control Amit Patel, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Frank Pendergast, The Brick Mandy Petty, Cansino & Petty, LLC Claude Thorn, Milledgeville Country Club Courtney Tollison, Coldwell Banker SSK Realtors Brian Williams, Georgia Power Company Cameron Williams, Williams Funeral Home

4 - MBC Connect

April Bragg, IOM President & CEO, Milledgeville-Baldwin Chamber

I recently had the honor and privilege of graduating from the U. S Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management program and received the recognition of IOM. Institute for Organization Management (IOM) is the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Institute was designed to enhance individual performance, elevate professional standards, and recognize association, chamber of commerce, and other nonprofit professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of nonprofit management. Awarded to all graduates of the Institute program, the IOM Graduate Recognition signifies the individual’s completion of 96 hours of course instruction in nonprofit management over the course of four summers.

I attended my first year of Institute at the UGA Conference Center in Athens just five days on the job at the Chamber, and I can say with all certainly that this program placed me years ahead of the learning curve in my position. Not only have I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from Institute’s university professors, industry experts, and leading practitioners in the chamber and association industries, but I also learned from the “real life” experience of my professional colleagues sitting around me on a wide-range of topics including advocacy, media training, membership, finance, legal issues and human resources. This experience is not only about attending courses – it’s about taking an introspective look at yourself as a professional in the industry and at the same time building lifelong relationships with classmates, instructors and volunteers.

“Institute graduates are recognized across the country as leaders in their industries and organizations,” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s vice president of Institute for Organization Management. “These individuals have the knowledge, skills, and dedication necessary to achieve professional and organizational success in the dynamic association and chamber industries.”

Since its commencement in 1921, the Institute program has been educating tens of thousands of association, chamber, and other nonprofit leaders on how to build stronger organizations, better serve their members and become strong business advocates. Institute’s curriculum consists of four weeklong sessions at five different university locations throughout the country. Through a combination of required courses and electives in areas such as leadership, advocacy, marketing, finance, and membership, Institute participants are able to enhance their own organizational management skills and add new fuel to their organizations, making them run more efficiently and effectively.

Institute offers many opportunities to stay involved, from volunteering as class advisors to serving on the board of regents or joining the faculty; and I would fully embrace any opportunities to give back to this great profession that has helped shape the leader I have become. THANK YOU to the Chamber Board of Directors – and you, our members – for providing this tremendous experience in my professional development. It is a privilege to serve you, and I look forward to making this transformative experience available to the rest of our team in the years to come.

Summer 2014

2014 AMBASSADOR TEAM Chair Dawn Williams, BB&T Secretary Kelly Moore, Servpro of Baldwin, Putnam, and Jones Counties Lauren Abis, Central State Hospital LRA Gerald Andrews, Tidal Wave Auto Spa

Milledgeville officially Bicycle Friendly

Brione Burrows, Central Georgia Technical College

By KYLE COLLINS

Linda McKnight, Birthflowers

kcollins@unionrecorder.com

Amy Miller, Robins Federal Credit Union

On May 14th, the League of American Bicyclists announced its latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC). Milledgeville earned Bronze status on its first try and becomes one of only seven Georgia cities to reach a BFC designation. The city is now formally recognized for its quality bicycling infrastructure, programs and continuing efforts to improve them. The BFC program is helping transform the way communities evaluate quality of life by assessing investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and municipal policies. “Milledgeville is proud to have earned the designation as a bicycle friendly community from The League of American Bicyclists,” said Milledgeville Mayor Richard Bentley.

“We have worked over the past several months to make our community more inviting to bicyclists and to encourage more citizens to utilize bicycles as a means of transportation, recreation, and exercise. We hope this will aid in our message to encourage citizens to get active and help our community in several ways to include traffic issues, parking, and the environment.”The local Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee hoped for Bronze but anticipated an honorable mention the first time.

Successful applicants can achieve Honorable Mention, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum status. For Milledgeville to become “bike friendly,” the city met the five E’s of engineering, education, enforcement, evaluation and planning and encouragement. A 25-page narrative accompanied the application showing progress made on the five E’s and future ideas. Dr. Jim Lidstone, Director of Georgia College’s Center for Health & Social Issues and Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee member, said this is a “springboard to Silver.” “We’ve got four years to do a lot of the things we’ve got down on paper,” Lidstone said. “I think we’d have a good shot at being the first Silver Bicycle Friendly Community in Georgia.” Lidstone said the city “knocked it out of the park” with education and encouragement.

The Bicycle Club of Milledgeville and Live Healthy Baldwin promote cycling for transportation, recreation and fitness. Another plus is the Fishing Creek Community Trail that will connect the Oconee River Greenway to Georgia College West Campus, Baldwin County Schools, the county recreation department and the Milledgeville-Baldwin County Industrial Park via bicycle and walking trails when completed. “This round of applications overwhelmingly confirms what we heard from local elected officials at the National Bike Summit this year - riding a bike embodies the quality-of-life aspirations of communities across the country,” League President Andy Clarke said.

“Making this healthy and active transportation mode safe and easy is of growing importance. We’re excited that these communities have made the smart and vital investments to become a designated Bicycle Friendly Community.” Milledgeville was one of 49 communities selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to work to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic through policy and system changes. One of the main goals of that initiative was to gain a BFC designation. The City of Milledgeville enacted a Complete Streets Policy in 2013 to address needs and expectations of all users of city roadways and streets including bicyclists. Under the Complete Streets Policy, the city agreed to try and accommodate all road users within the current budget constraints. The city receives free signage with the Bronze status. A bike and pedestrian implementation strategy will transform the city by the next BFC application round. Complete Streets is a good tool to have.

Jennifer Minshew, Magnolia State Bank

Summer 2014

Jessi Cox, Georgia College Admissions Melissa Fort, Craig Massee Insurance Agency Kristy Johnson, Oconee Regional Medical Center Sheila McCant, All Phase Electric Company Colin McCulley, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC

Randy Moody, Milledgeville Country Club Walter Reynolds, Z97.7FM Sara Stone, Wilkinson Insurance

CHAMBER STAFF April Bragg, CEO abragg@milledgevillega.com Ashley Bacon, Investor Relations Director abacon@milledgevillega.com Hank Griffeth,Operations Director hgriffeth@milledgevillega.com Ansley Burgamy, Marketing & Communications chamber@milledgevillega.com

Leading Business.

Connecting Community.

since 1947

130 S. Jefferson St. | Milledgeville, Ga. 31061 www.milledgevillega.com | chamber@milledgevillega.com Phone: 478.453.9311 | Fax: 478.453.0051

MBC Connect - 5

Bodyplex Milledgeville Small Business of the Year 2014

The 67th annual Blue Sapphire Gala Awards Dinner presented by Exchange Bank was held Saturday, June 7th at the Milledgeville Country Club. More than 180 community leaders and business professionals gathered to celebrate the success of their members, pay tribute to the community’s notable achievements and name the 2014 Small Business of the Year.

The Milledgeville community was recognized for several notable achievements.

Milledgeville was designated a Bicycle Friendly Community by The League of American Bicyclists, named a Downtown of

James Grant, CPA

6 - MBC Connect

the Year by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and the Georgia Downtown Association, and named a 2014 Great American Main Street, the nation’s premier accolade for downtown revitalization. Also, the Baldwin Lofts project developed by Frank Pendergast received the Gold Award of Excellence in Design and the Georgia Trust Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation.

The Development Authority of the City of Milledgeville and Baldwin County presented the Industry Leader award to Merlin Fechner, President of Triumph Group, Inc. Walter

Studio Designs Printing

Reynolds, Chair of the Young Professionals Board, presented the Young Professional of the Year award to Sara Stone. Ashley Bacon, Investor Relations Director, presented the Ambassador of the Year award to Colin McCulley.

The highlight of the event was revealing the 2014 Small Business of the Year winner, Bodyplex. Each year the Chamber recognizes a group of Small Business of the Year finalists. To be eligible, the business must employ 25 or fewer employees, exhibit exemplary community service efforts, be in sound business and financial standing, and

The Fun Factory

Summer 2014

Gala Recap

J. Floyd Harrington Leadership Award – Lyn Chandler

Industry Leader – Merlin Fechner

Summer 2014

reflect local entrepreneurial spirit, customer focus and community outreach.

Co-owners Dr. Mike Martino, Larry Mullis and Adam Shields accepted the award and several of their staff members were there to celebrate this momentous achievement.

Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees, including James M. Grant CPA, Studio Designs Printing and The Fun Factory.

Terry Kennedy, Board Chair, presented Lyn Chandler the J. Floyd Harrington Leadership Award. The prestigious recognition is not awarded annually, rather it is bestowed upon an individual who exemplifies

Young Professional of the Year – Sara Stone

outstanding leadership in our community. Lyn received this award for devoting his life to improving our community for the betterment of others. He served as an instrumental part of founding MilledgevilleBaldwin County Communities In School and he currently serves on the Board of Education (District 3). He truly wants what is best for Milledgeville and we all know “It’s all about Literacy.”

Thank you to our event sponsors Exchange Bank, The Development Authority of the City of Milledgeville & Baldwin County, Days Inn and Georgia Drywall.

Ambassador of the Year – Colin McCulley

MBC Connect - 7

On Thursday, April 17th – The staff of Jackson’s on Sinclair welcomed the community for a lively night of Business After Hours. The weather made for a great evening and owner, Will Jarriel outdid himself on the spread, creating a great space for networking and fellowship. A big thanks to him, his family who came to support the effort and his staff for a wonderful evening!

8 - MBC Connect

Summer 2014

Ribbon Cuttings

The Green Market

Southern Pipe & Supply Co, Inc

Lemon Tree

222 E. Hancock Street Milledgeville, GA 31061 478-628-9059 facebook.com MarketAtTheGreenway

110 Industrial Park Drive Milledgeville, GA 31061 478-387-2690

117 West Hancock Street Milledgeville, GA 31061 (478)804-0054 facebook.com TheLemonTreeMilledgeville

STEMversity 578 Lawernce Road Wilks Building/CSH 31062 478-414-1049 Stemversity.org

Summer 2014

Oconee River Greenway Phase II 499 E Green St Milledgeville, GA 31061 (478) 387-4916 oconeerivergreenway.org

MBC Connect - 9

Legislative Update The local legislative delegation “brought the bacon home to Milledgeville” this past session, according to Central State Hospital Local Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Mike Couch.

Couch introduced state Sen. Burt Jones (R-District 25) and state Rep. Rusty Kidd (I-Milledgeville) at Wednesday’s Chamber Eggs & Issues.

Both officials helped pass state property legislation to free up CSH for future marketing, create a four-year bachelor’s degree program for Georgia Military College and allocate Georgia College funding to name some highlights.

“Out of the nine rural communities I represent, we got more done for Milledgeville and Baldwin County than any other,” Jones said.

Each legislator weighed in on key topics such as: • Central State Hospital redevelopment Kidd met with the Georgia Board of Public Safety Monday.

“We are going to try and get them 20 to 25 acres of land at the state hospital property on Carl Vinson Road to build a new facility and expand it into a driving track, rifle range and so forth,” he said. “That would be a big plus.”

The state representative also inquired to the State Properties Commission (SPC) about abandoned residential units at CSH. Kidd said SPC would love to sell them all at once.

“The state is ready to send someone down to appraise them so we can start trying to sell those pieces of property and put them on the tax digest rather than let them sit and continue to rot,” Kidd added Wednesday. “There were 160 at one time that could be used. Now it’s closer to 100.”

Couch said the homes are zoned residential. The Counselors of Real Estate Consulting Corps (CRE) planning team will arrive June 9 to help determine the best use.

“If you ask me today what the homes will be a year from now, I’d say residential property. I think we’ll have them in the market then, but we’ve got to work through a brand new world. Having CRE come help us develop that plan over an entire week will be critical,” Couch said.

• YDC returning to house ‘bad dudes’ Kidd mentioned a limited reopening at the Bill E. Ireland Youth Development Campus (YDC) within “a couple of months.”

The secure facility would be a Special Management Unit (SMU) helping the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice adequately address the most disruptive youth from other facilities.

“It won’t be as big as it was years ago, but they are going to put 75 bad dudes down there,” Kidd said. “There will be about 130 to 150 employees. If it works, they will expand it.”

• Transportation infrastructure, Highway 441 expansion update Jones said the possible deepening of the Savannah Port would boost highway traffic throughout the state.

“The T-SPLOST proposed a few years ago didn’t pass, so the state is going to have to come up with the funding by some other means,” the senator said. “We don’t have it right now.”

U.S. Highway 441 lane additions are on the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) docket, according to Jones.

Kidd said funds were previously allotted to extend the highway to four lanes all the way to Interstate 20.

The representative said Gov. Nathan Deal’s choice not to fall in line with Affordable Care Act related Medicaid expansion affected federal funding for the port and highway projects.

“The President isn’t in favor of giving much money to Georgia right now. We’ve got to find additional revenue,” Kidd said.

10 - MBC Connect

Summer 2014

UPCOMING Eggs & Issues: $10 members/$15 general

August 12th September 9th Baldwin County must keep rail siding for economic development.

The Development Authority understands the necessity from an industry recruitment perspective.

“We don’t want to lose the rail,” Kidd said. “It’s vital to find ways to keep it here.”

Jones said communities like Baldwin County should spotlight regionalism for future transportation infrastructure development.

“If the Highway 441 project is the one to put this area of Georgia on the map, it would be good to reach out to our neighbors to get the state to move this up on the itinerary,” he said.

• Rural hospitals are hurting Kidd admitted that Georgia rural

Summer 2014

hospitals are in trouble. The state representative was happy to hear that Gov. Deal set up a study committee to analyze ways to save these hospitals.

Kidd spoke with a law firm that will work with Hancock County and Sandersville free of charge finding innovative methods to keep a facility open.

“Triage” centers might be the answer.

“It may not be a full-fledged licensed hospital,” he said. “Patients could come in and stay 24 or 36 hours and then be transferred to a full fledged hospital. That still leaves medical care in that county.”

Oconee Regional Medical Center faces hard times.

“We’ve got to find answers for our local hospital to keep it a vibrant, regional hospital,” Kidd said.

October 14th November 11th 7:30 a.m.

Registration/Breakfast 8:00 a.m. Program Central Georgia Technical College Conference Center

MBC Connect - 11

Milledgeville Named

A Great American Main Street City

“A college town and history buff’s paradise, Milledgeville, Georgia has an eclectic mix of activities for just about anyone. The buildings have been beautifully preserved and businesses offer anything from a bouquet of flowers to a,

12 - MBC Connect

while you wait, custom t-shirt! Shopping enthusiasts will find antique shops with lots of hidden gems, boutiques that offer trendy styles, and a jewelry store that will be celebrating 127 years in business in July.” This excerpt from the

application that was submitted to the National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, for the Great American Main Street Award is just a glimpse into the wonderful world of Downtown

Summer 2014

Milledgeville Main Street Milledgeville.

Milledgeville Main Street, the organization behind the downtown’s success, was formed in 1988, and became a city department in 2007. Since then, the group has led a community effort to “reinvent ourselves,” as Mayor Richard Bentley puts it.

“Staying focused, having a solid Board of Directors and creating positivity throughout downtown lends itself to success,” says Milledgeville Main Street Director Carlee Schulte, who also cites the use of the NMSC Four-Point Approach® and a history of outstanding directors.

Two main efforts, in particular, have been critical in supporting local business owners and preserving the city’s historic character. The first is the city’s “grassroots” BOOST program, in which local donors give small sums of money to help local b u s i n e s s e s .

Milledgeville Main Street manages the money, and businesses can apply for grants of $100 to $1,000, to be used for marketing, advertising, exterior or interior renovations, and purchasing equipment.

A second program that has also helped boost the area is Milledgeville’s 50/50 facade-matching grant program, which offers up to $1,500 per business to conduct facade improvements.

Over the past 5 years, that program “has really transformed the downtown,” Schulte says — and preserving the area’s charming historic character is key to those grants. In partnership with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs

Summer 2014

Design Studio, Milledgeville Main Street provides businesses with historically accurate design concepts before they begin renovations.

While there have been several significant historic rehabs downtown, two of the most important are the Campus Theatre and Baldwin Lofts.

Local developer Frank Pendergast, who rehabbed Baldwin Lofts, first helped catalyze downtown development in 1993, when he took a risk and opened a restaurant there, at a time “when no one else would,” according to Schulte.

His pizzeria, The Brick, recently celebrated 20 years in business.

Building on the success of The Brick, Pendergast tackled the

1903 Horne Building, which was once occupied by a department store and seemed too large for any one business alone — until Pendergast decided to bring residential housing downtown. Completed in 2002, his $4 million Baldwin Lofts project added 15 apartments and two retail spaces downtown.

Georgia College purchased and rehabbed another downtown landmark, the Campus Theatre, in 2008. The $6.9 million renovation included a full restoration of the exterior and original Art Deco facade, while the interior was transformed into a black-box theatre, office space and bookstore.

The success of both the Baldwin Lofts and

the Campus Theatre projects has only spurred further development, according to Schulte.

Three large renovation projects are currently underway, which will provide at least 10 commercial spaces and 20 residential lots within the next two years and pour another $2 million into the district.

Looking to the future, Schulte says Milledgeville Main Street plans to continue growing its downtown, expanding its programs and recruiting new businesses, while exploring new options for parking.

“I believe that the future plans for a Main Street community must be a work in progress that is ever evolving,” she says.

STUDIO DESIGNS PRINTING; 3.75"; 5"; Black plus one; MBC CONNECT; -

MBC Connect - 13

Leadercast

Inaugural Leadercast a Success Community business leaders accessed the knowledge and experience of world-renowned leaders by attending Leadercast® at CGTC’s New Conference Center in Milledgeville on May 9, 2014, hosted by the Milledgeville-Baldwin Chamber of Commerce. Local sponsors this year include ADT, Northridge Christian Church, Century Bank and Hampton Inn. The Leadercast event was broadcast LIVE from Atlanta, Ga. to hundreds of sites around the world, including Milledgeville. This year’s speaker lineup includes: • Andy Stanley, Leadership author and communicator • Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel laureate & human rights activist live from Cape Town, South Africa • Malcolm Gladwell, Journalist and best-selling author of The Tipping Point and Outliers • Randall Wallace, Screenwriter, director, producer & songwriter (Braveheart, Secretariat) • Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP • Laura Schroff, Former ad sale executive and best-selling author of An Invisible Thread • Dr. Henry Cloud, Clinical psychologist and leadership consultant • Simon Sinek, Best-selling author of Start with Why and leadership expert • Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States (2001-2009) via exclusive video interview Last year, over 100,000 leaders from 14 countries attended Leadercast. Now, in its 15th year, this full day, experiential conference reached its largest audience to date.

“I’ve gone the last two years and I still refer back to my notes” said 2012-14 attendee Scott Siegle, Market President for BB&T MidSouth Region.

Leadercast exists to positively change the way the world thinks about leadership. This year’s theme—Beyond You—challenges leaders to focus outward rather than inward.

14 - MBC Connect

Summer 2014

Golf Recap

The 19th Annual Chamber Golf Classic was once again a successful tournament for all involved – sponsors, players and volunteers alike! Originally slated to take place April 14th, the tourney was postponed due to some nasty weather forecasts, so on Monday, April 28th – The tournament took place on a beautiful, sunny day at the Milledgeville Country Club. We had a great turnout with 26 teams, all boasting happy golfers! The course offered contests for putting, longest drive, closest to the pin as well as a hole in one contest with a grand prize trip to Hawaii!

After the tournament, we hosted a “Good Ole Boy” reception, stocked with a freshly BBQ’d whole hog wrapped nicely with bacon, baked beans, pasta salad, homemade chips and cookies. Big thanks to Bruce Vaughn and Colin McCulley with Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC for assisting with the cooking of the hog – It was outstanding!

Following the reception, we hosted awards for all three flights as well as a Putting Contest; after many putts made by several anxious golfers, Mr. Tripp Becker sank the winning shot – continued on pg 16

Summer 2014

MBC Connect - 15

Golf Recap continued from pg 15

winning a whopping $172. To wrap up the night, the Chamber brought everyone together on the 18th hole for the notorious Golf Ball Drop – Awarding $1,000 to one lucky winner. Tickets are sold leading up to the event for $5 – and the lucky winner this year was Mr. Jim Fain of Beckham Fain Insurance.

This tournament certainly wouldn’t be successful without the generous support of the community through various sponsorships as well as volunteer

16 - MBC Connect

commitments and player efforts.

THANK YOU to all involved for making the 19th Annual Chamber Golf Classic successful and another one for the books. Can’t wait for the 20th Anniversary – Hope to see you there!

Sponsors

Summer 2014

Golf Recap

Summer 2014

MBC Connect - 17

Golf Recap

18 - MBC Connect

Summer 2014

Member 2 Member News is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school within their 13-county community charter. MidSouth Community FCU is a local not-for-profit financial cooperative, owned and operated by its members.

Pictured left to right: MidSouth Community FCU Milledgeville Head Teller, Jenifer Collis, presents a donation check to Relay For Life Specialist, Alisia Goff.

MidSouth Donates to Relay For Life of Baldwin County MidSouth Community Federal Credit Union Milledgeville Head Teller, Jenifer Collis, recently presented a donation to the Baldwin County Relay For Life. The Milledgeville branch participated in a variety of fundraising activities to support the event that was held on April 11 at the Baldwin High School Stadium, in Milledgeville.

MidSouth Community FCU was originally chartered as Bibb Teachers Federal Credit Union, and has since grown to $191 million in assets and a membership that includes more than 31,000 members. Membership

Summer 2014

The Fall Line Farmers Market on First Fridays is held once a month on the front lawn of the First Presbyterian Church May through September - with a break for the 4th of July!

You'll find a selection of freshly picked seasonal fruits, veggies, awardwinning honey, coastal shrimp, breads, baked goods, farm-fresh eggs and more yummy foods and beverages plus unique arts & crafts!

Kids and adults get to pet baby barnyard animals brought by Oasis Family Farm and other local farmers which are showcased in our enclosed playground area!

Other kid-friendly activities include face-painting by 4H-ers and "Plant-a-Pot" with a Master Gardener Extension Volunteers so kids can take home their own plant to grow!

Everyone enjoys the Live Music by local top-notch performers in a welcoming venue to meet up with old friends and make new ones too!

The Milledgeville Community Garden Assoc. supports this opportunity for everyone to buy fresh, locally grown food and provides access for residents to use SNAP/EBT benefits.

Find us on Facebook or call 478-452-9394 for more information! See you at the market!

MBC Connect - 19

Member 2 Member News Milledgeville Community Garden Association It's been a busy year since the Lucille Harris Community Garden was built in the late spring of 2013 at the site of the Collins P. Lee Center at 237 Harrisburg Rd. The veggies and friendships are flourishing!

With the installation of the Solomon Harris Walking Trail, a 1/4 mile paved path that surrounds the garden property, many folks have benefited from this additional opportunity for healthy living!

Neighbors, friends and supporters meet weekly on Tuesdays at 11 a.m. in the Collins P. Lee Center to plan and hear updates of interest to all. Please join us anytime you wish to see for yourself how this initiative is growing and stimulating more positive change in the community! Perhaps you would like to help! Call Debbie Harshbarger, MCGA Treasurer and Outreach Chair, at 478 414 6433 for information. We thank all of our many volunteers and donors from across the community who are dedicated to making this an exemplary project!

Fairfield Milledgeville has been awarded the Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor for 2014. This is the second consecutive year for this award.

20 - MBC Connect

Christine County, a registered and licensed dietitian, has joined Oconee Regional Medical Center as a clinical dietitian.

County earned a bachelor of science in Dietetics from the University of Akron and a master of science in Human Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University. She completed a 49-week internship at Louis Stokes VA Medical Center where she gained experience in medical nutrition therapy and community dietetics.

In her role at ORMC, County will lead the Diabetes Support Group and Medical Nutrition Therapy and Diabetes Self-Management programs. She is also available for speaking engagements on diabetes (Type 1, Type 2, adult on-set and gestational), high blood pressure, obesity and cardiovascular disease. County also consults one-on-one with patients concerning weight loss, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. For more information, please call her at 478-457-2300.

Beckham Fain Insurance celebrates its 4th anniversary in business July 1! Jim and Tina Fain have been proud members of the Chamber since it's opening. They thank all of the clients and friends who have been a part of the businesses success!

Summer 2014

Member 2 Member News Kristin Council was selected as Magnolia State Bank’s Employee of the Year for 2013.

Kristin, who has been employed in the bank’s Collections Department since 2010, provides superb customer service to all customers, and is respected by her fellow employees. She is always willing to take on additional responsibilities and displays a positive spirit.

Bank, has awarded scholarships to 38 outstanding students since the program began in 1994.

Old Capitol City Classic 5K Road Race and 1 mile Fun Run on Saturday, August 30th at Oconee Regional Medical Center. The Fun Run begins at 7:30 a.m. and the 5K starts at 8 a.m. For registration forms, contact Connie Pitirri-Wilson at 478-454-3859 or cwilson@ormcinc.org.

Exchange Bank Officers Graduate From GBA Banking School Jonathan Pope, Assistant Vice President Branch Manager with Exchange Bank, Milledgeville, Georgia, has graduated from the Georgia Bankers Association (GBA) Banking School. This is a three year program consisting of lectures, discussions, joint case studies and outside assignments encompassing 55+ course topics. Home study assignments were required to be completed between the on-campus sessions. In the third year of the program, students participated in a Bank Management Simulation to make decisions as senior officers of a bank

Exchange Bank 2014 Scholarship Recipients Congratulations to (l to r) Sarah Pounds, Jones County High School, Bradley Evans, Greene County High School and Lily Edmonson, Georgia Military College for being named the Exchange Bank 2014 Scholarship Recipients in our Milledgeville, Gray and Lake Oconee markets. Exchange Bank, your Community

Lynn Vinson, Assistant Vice President Operations with Exchange Bank, Milledgeville, Georgia, also completed the required course of study to graduate from the GBA Southern Operations and Technology School. This is a two-year program consisting of lectures, discussions, joint case studies and outside assignments encompassing 27+ course topics.

Home study assignments were also required to be completed between the on-campus sessions.

Summer 2014

MBC Connect - 21

Member 2 Member News

Carol Flint

Rhonda McHan

Lee McLemore

Craig-Massee Real Estate would like to welcome our three new agents: Carol Flint, Rhonda McHan, and Lee McLemore. Carol moved to Milledgeville in 2010, prior to moving she worked with Lockheed Martin in New York and retired from the company in 2005. Carol and her husband enjoy the lake and celebrating life with friends. Rhonda grew up in Washington County and graduated from Georgia College with a BBA in Marketing. Rhonda has 20+ years in sales and management, she also has an 11 year old son Nick. Lee grew up in Dublin and attended Georgia College. Lee is married to Danielle they have two children, Cooper and Kinley. Craig-Massee would like to welcome each of these new agents to Milledgeville and Baldwin Counties Best Real Estate Company.

22 - MBC Connect

Frank May, Treasurer for the Bicycling Club of Milledgeville and his wife Susan, completed a Coast to Coast Bicycle ride to benefit The Methodist Children's Home in Macon. The ride started in St. Augustine, Fl and ended in San Diego, Ca. During the two month adventure the May's followed the Southern Tier Route planned by Adventure Cycling. This was a self supported ride with Frank and Susan carrying everything they needed for the two months on their bikes, including tent, sleeping bag, cooking pots, stove, bike parts, and of course clothes. The ride took them though the flat land of Florida, the Gulf Coast of Alabama, the Cajun Country of Louisiana, the big(three weeks of riding big) state of Texas, the hills of New Mexico, the deserts Arizona and the mountains of California. All of this riding was to benefit the children of The Home. For more information or to Donate go to themethodisthome.org/bike or Facebook @ Bicycling for the Methodist Home.

Summer 2014

Member 2 Member News The Baldwin Lofts received the 2014 "Excellence

in

Rehabilitation"

Preservation Award from the Georgia Trust this past month. The Baldwin Lofts was developed by Frank Pendergast in 2013 and is the only privately owned property in Milledgeville to ever receive this honor.

Summer 2014

MBC Connect - 23

Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 751 Milledgeville, GA 31059

PRSRT STD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

MILLEDGEVILLE, GA 31061 PERMIT NO. 135

SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING EVENTS August 1 First Friday- Back to School Blow-Out 6-9PM Downtown Milledgeville August 12 Young Professional Meeting 12 noon MBC Chamber of Commerce August 13 Eggs & Issues Breakfast Help Wanted! Utlizing Interns & WBL students 7:30 am CGTC Conference Center August 15 Great American MainStreet Hometown Celebration 6-10PM 100 Block of W Hancock St August 21 Georgia Chamber 2014 Congressional Lunch 10:30AM Macon Marriott City Center September 5 First Friday- Taste of Milledgeville 6-9PM Downtown Milledgeville September 9 MidGA Digital Economy Summit 8 AM-4 PM Middle Georgia State College

visit milledgevillega.com