This document gives a brief synopsis of each of the year’s accomplishments as related to specific goals set forth in the 2007 Program of Work. For more details, please email chamber@greenvillenc.org or call 252-752-4101.

Chairman's Message

Dear Fellow Chamber Members:

Last year at about this same time, I was writing a similar letter to you as incoming Chairman. In that letter, I asked for the membership's support and active participation in accomplishing the ambitious 2007 Program of Work. It was my top priority to MAINTAIN THE MOMENTUM and build upon the work of all of the Chamber's past Chairmen.

When I think about what the Chamber has accomplished this year, three things come immediately to mind: a beautifully refurbished Fleming House, a new Business Expo and a new Strategic Plan. Those are three major accomplishments that top a long, long list of very important programs and activities. Please read the details of everything your Chamber accomplished in 2007. We are a busy Chamber!

When I think about the Chamber in general, one big thing comes to mind for 2007: our Chamber was recognized as one of the top three of its size in the NATION! Our team of leaders, volunteers and staff are the best. And we remember that good things don’t just happen, good people make them happen. So, first on my list is to say thank you for all the hard work that our many volunteers put into this organization – together, we make a big impact.

And there is more. We got a new Governmental Affairs Committee off the ground. We had many highly successful events such as the Education Summit and the appreciation dinners for Fire-Rescue and Law Enforcement. The first Business Expo in several years was a big success. We found new ways to help small business and new ways to market our members. We brought timely and important topics to the forefront through monthly power lunches. We reached out to businesses in so many ways, including a recent focus on safety.

I must say a highlight of the year for me was participation in the ECU Centennial through the major project of refurbishing the Fleming House. We can never thank enough the C.A. Lewis firm and Nancy Bolen Designs who donated their services, as well as the numerous businesses and individuals who made monetary contributions to this important project. The house is a lasting legacy and a central focus of Greenville, ECU and Chamber history.

And, while it was not a specifically-stated 2007 goal, the timing was right and I applaud the collaborative effort of our local state legislators, the Pitt County Commissioners, the Board of Education, the Chamber and others to achieve final passage the Sales Tax for School Construction. A successful campaign was mounted, and it was a three year effort brought to a successful close.

As many of you know, I had a little unexpected “sabbatical” this fall. I was out of commission for several weeks, and the Chamber never missed a beat. Chairman-elect Austin Bunch picked up many duties and the staff made sure every “chairman-duty” was appropriately covered. Our Chamber is a well oiled-machine, and I’m proud to have had the opportunity to lead such a fine organization. I’ll also take this opportunity to say how blessed we are in this community to have state-of-the-art healthcare and a healthcare system to be envied by the rest of the state. (By the way, I’m back stronger than ever and looking forward to remaining involved).

With great sincerity, I want to thank everyone who has been a apart of this year’s success. Every member counts – every dollar counts, every hour of time counts and every ounce of support counts. It takes us all to create success, and we do that well.

In closing, it has been my honor to have served you, the Chamber membership, as Chairman.

Dorson White
Chairman
2007 Board of Directors

2007 Annual Report  

Membership & Business Development

Vice Chairman: Dr. Austin Bunch (East Carolina University)
Ambassadors: Boots Mills
Business Expo: Chad Reynolds, Wachovia Securities
GATE: Mary Parsons – Parsons & Robinson Insurance, Liz Freeman – The Liz Freeman Team
Membership Gala: B.J. Whitley - Manpower

One of the primary focuses of 2007 was member retention. To maintain the Chamber’s 1,000 members, the staff developed and implemented a detailed retention process that keeps members in continuous contact with Chamber staff, informed and involved throughout the year.

The 29 Chamber ambassadors made personal visits to new and renewing members and contacted the entire membership over the course of the year. The Ambassadors met monthly for updates on Chamber events, assisted with Business After Hours and attended the 40 ribbon cuttings held throughout 2007. Ambassadors of the month were recognized in the Chamber newsletter.

The 2007 Pitt County Business Expo was held on Saturday, March17, at the Greenville Convention Center. More than 80 businesses marketed their products and services to the general public. A Business After Hours/Member Preview Party was held on Friday night, March 16 for Chamber members.

The "Get a Member…Get a Grand" membership campaign continued to grow the membership. Current member who personally recruited a new member were eligible for the drawing for ONE THOUSAND dollars. Grand prize winner, Mary Parsons of Parsons & Robinson Insurance signed up Daniel Cowan with Blue Diamond Pool Service.

The Chamber continued the popular monthly GATE (Greenville-Pitt Advisory Team for Entrepreneurs) meetings for small business owners with less than 25 employees. GATE, sponsored by First Citizens, focused on networking skills and provided speakers on topics of importance to small business.

The Chamber’s Annual Membership gathering was upgraded to an elegant gala event to celebrate the success of 2006 and kick-off the 2007 year. The Gala was held February 1, at Rock Springs Center and chaired by B.J. Whitley of Manpower. More than 260 people attended the black tie optional event. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 2006 Citizen of the Year Award to Renee Arrington of The Little Willie Center.

"Coffee with the President" continued to inform new members and increase participation. Nine “Coffee with the President” meetings were held this year, providing valuable orientation to new members and also networking opportunities.

10 Business After Hours, presented by Southern Bank, were held to showcase businesses and encourage networking among members. Business After Hours remains the Chamber’s most popular event, according to 2007 survey results.

The Annual East Carolina University Merchants Fair provided a unique marketing experience for 38 members to promote their business to ECU students.

Educational opportunities for small businesses were presented in the form of "Lunch & Learn" and "Tuesday Toolbox" seminars in partnership with Pitt Community College.

The Annual Small Business Breakfast, presented by First Citizens Bank, highlighted Small Business Week in May with nationally-known keynote speaker Steven S. Little. Little, presented by the Pitt Community College Small Business Center, provided a 90 minute seminar entitled “Ready…Set…Grow: The 7 Irrefutable Rules of Business Growth.” The Awards Breakfast was held May 9, at Brook Valley Country Club. Mary Parsons was presented the Small Business Leader Award and Wilkerson Funeral Home was presented with the First Citizens Bank Customer Service Award.

The Chamber Gift Certificate Program put about $400,000 back into local business in 2007. Fifty-one businesses accept the certificates.

Education & Workforce

Education Cabinet: Joel Butler - University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina
OASIS: Alice Keene - Pitt County Community Schools & Recreation
Teen Leadership: Jennifer Congleton - Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Stephanie Hinnant - Taff Office Equipment Company
Education Summit: Don Mills

The Chamber board approved a leadership development program, proposed by the Education Cabinet, designed to positively impact the dropout rate. The program is a week long (5 day) summer pilot project targeting identified at-risk students transitioning from grade 8 to high school.

The first Adult Team Spelling Bee was postponed until 2008 and has tentatively been scheduled for the month of October. Members of the Worker Bee committee observed other Spelling Bee events during this year and gained helpful information to help in planning for this fun-filled fundraising event. The funds from the event will be used for the new leadership development program.

The support of Pitt County Schools and Pitt Community college continued to be a top priority. See Government and Community Issues division report.

The Education Cabinet held four meetings this year and continued the mission and purpose of Partners in Education. The group continued to focus on supporting public school initiatives and endorsing innovative programs that address current educational issues and needs. The annual OASIS Celebration breakfast was held on November 1. 130 OASIS Partners were recognized for their volunteer efforts with the Pitt County School System.

The Annual Education Summit, "How SAFE Are Our Schools?" helped focus on safety concerns for Pitt County schools (K-12 education). The keynote speaker was Attorney General Roy Cooper. The summit, held on October 1, was presented by DSM Pharmaceuticals.

The Chamber strengthened its partnership with DSS and STRIVE on workforce development by providing marketing and education services for Work First. The Chamber completed its one year contract with DSS on June 30, 2007, and renewed the marketing contract for the coming year. The Chamber has actively promoted Work First through varied marketing avenues including the Chamber Web site (984 hits from Jan.-May), Business Partner (7 articles), ChamberGrams (average of 3 entries per month), Business Beat(2 tapings) and Tax Credit Working Lunch (May).

The Annual Safety Awards Banquet recognized businesses with outstanding safety records. The Chamber partnered with the North Carolina Department of Labor to coordinate the annual banquet that was held on April 17.

The Chamber continued to support the Health Sciences, Business Technology and Automotive Academies as a partner, and support the establishment of new academies. The Chamber also hosted The Pitt County Educational Foundation Teacher Executive Institute on December 4.

The 2007 Teen Leadership Institute (TLI) successfully completed a very well organized and exciting 19th year in April 2007, with 28 students receiving their TLI certificates and pins. TLI provided opportunities for growth in leadership for high school students.

Government & Community Issues

Vice Chairman: Bill Brown (Brown & Wood Pontiac-Cadillac-Buick-GMC)
Community Unity: Rhonda Jordan - City of Greenville
Community Safety: B.J. Whitley - Manpower
Leadership Institute: Michele Miller-Pitt County Memorial Hospital
Power Luncheons: Dan Nichols - SCA Collections

The Chamber hosted a Wine & Cheese Reception on March 7, to celebrate the ECU Centennial and the completion of the Fleming House renovation. Many of the Fleming House Renovation sponsors were in attendance and recognized at the event.

The Community Leaders Breakfast was held on March 8, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the founding of ECU. The General Assembly was invited and several members attended.

The Governmental Affairs Group was organized in August to focus on monitoring local and state issues affecting community and business. The General Assembly passed legislation which allowed Pitt County to hold a referendum for a proposed quarter-cent sales tax. The Chamber was an integral part of the team effort, along with county and educational leaders, to ensure the referendum’s passage. The Sales Tax Advocacy Committee (STAC), which had been working on this issue for three years, transformed to a citizen advocacy group. The Citizens for Education Construction (CFEC) met on a weekly basis and mounted a successful campaign which led to the passing of the referendum with 59 percent of the vote on November 6, 2007.

The State Chamber (formerly NCCBI) implemented a new federation which allows Greenville-Pitt County Chamber members to have a membership in the state chamber at no charge. About the Federation: The NC chamber Federation is a grassroots advocacy partnership for businesses in North Carolina with 10 or fewer employees who are members of their local chambers. Its purpose is to empower businesses and engage them in political action to increase their collective power in the state legislature. Our Chamber is also a member of the U.S. Chamber Federation, allowing membership opportunities to all Greenville-Pitt County Chamber members at no cost.

The Chamber, Greenville Police Department and SmartHomes by Security Alert sponsored a “Breakfast on Crime” on November 29. Chief William Anderson provided factual insight regarding the recent incidents in the area. Law enforcement officials offered crime prevention techniques and strategies for the 100 business owners and managers in attendance.

The “Power 2007” luncheon series was held on the third Tuesday of each month to keep members informed on important issues. Featured speakers included Dr. Steven Ballard, East Carolina University Chancellor, The Honorable Don Parrott, Mayor of Greenville; and The Honorable Beverly Perdue, Lt. Governor of the State of North Carolina.

The Chamber worked with the Eastern Region to continue providing leadership for the Chambers of Commerce of North Carolina’s Eastern Region (NCER). The purpose of the group is to strengthen the coalition of eastern Chambers, business and elected officials. NCER, under the leadership of President Al Delia, completed its position paper with the inclusion of the ECU Dental School.

The Community Unity Breakfast was held on January 15, to promote positive race relations. The speaker was Dr. Kenneth Hammond, pastor of Union Baptist Church in Durham.

The Leadership Institute program developed the future leaders of Greenville-Pitt County. The 25th Leadership Institute class was held January – June, 2007, with 23 participants.

The annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner was held on May 15, with 180 Pitt County Law Enforcement Officers and sponsors attending. Lt. Earl Phipps, Greenville Police Department, was named the Officer of the Year. The annual Fire/Rescue Appreciation Dinner was held on October 16. Donnie Hardee, EMS Specialist, was recognized as the Fire/Rescue Employee of the Year. Both events were organized by the Chamber’s Community Safety Committee.

Marketing & Special Projects

Vice Chairman: Dawn Raiford (Bank of America)
Reverse Raffle: Dawn Raiford – Bank of America, Justin Tart – Culpepper Investment Group

The Chamber Champions program provided advertising and sponsorship opportunities for members. Chamber Champion participants increased from 17(2006) to 22(2007).

Several features were added to the Web site – www.greenvillenc.org- which added overall value for members. Added features in 2007 included an interactive message from Chairman of the Board, Dorson White, welcoming visitors as they entered the site, photo gallery, Cost of Living Calculator, a pop-up ad to promote news/info, updated calendar of events, testimonial section, more advertising opportunities and a Chamber Champions scroll. Plans included a total re-vamping of the web site which should be ready to go live in early 2008.

The Chamber published – written report and the website – an account of Chamber accomplishments and plans via the Annual Report of 2006 and Program of Work for 2007 which was distributed in January. The area’s quality of life magazine, IMAGES of Greenville-Pitt County was distributed in January and a virtual magazine was put on the web site. “the Business Partner,” the Chamber’s newsletter, was an insert in the Daily Reflector 10 times during 2007.

The Chamber responded to newcomer requests with high quality materials and comprehensive information and provided members with opportunities to promote their businesses. All materials in newcomer packet were up-to-date and provided all the essential “start up” info for a newcomer. Members had the opportunity to advertise via flyers. Approximately 50 packets per month were sent out.

Membership directories were maintained and updated in print, on CD and on the Web site. Updated directories on the Web site and on CD were updated daily.

The 2007 Reverse Raffle, the Chamber’s only fundraiser event, was held on September 13, at Rock Springs Center. 300 tickets were sold for the first time in the event’s history.

Planning & Research

Vice Chairman: Phil Dixon (Dixon, Conner, Allen & Garcia)
Fleming House Renovation: Anne Sneed, Phil Dixon - Dixon, Conner, Allen & Garcia
Strategic Planning: Sue Collier – University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina

Nearly $170,000 has been raised for the Fleming House Renovation and a number of in-kind donations were made.

The Chamber’s operating procedures, policies and policy guidelines as well as the personnel manual were totally revamped in 2007 and approved by the Chamber Board in December.

Membership input was gathered through a variety of means to obtain information for the new strategic plan (2008-2010). A survey was conducted via the internet among all main contacts of members (1,000) with a 36 % response rate. Small Business Resources and Support was the top priority among primary members. Also, secondary contacts were also asked for input through another survey which was conducted among chambers in the Carolinas. Lastly, focus groups were held to “drill down” on topics (i.e. minority businesses, young professionals, small business owners).

The Strategic Planning Task Force, chaired by Sue Collier, met during the year to implement the strategic planning process. A specific timeline was created and the final planning took place at the annual board retreat in October. The new plan, fluid yet designed to be the umbrella for 2008-2010 planning, was approved by the Board of Directors in October.