03/29/2024
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By Erin Smith

There is excitement in the air at the Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce with the first meeting to launch the Chamber Ambassadors program.

The meeting, which took place Thursday at San Jose Restaurant in Elizabethtown, was the first meeting to explain the program and accept applications for Chamber Ambassadors.

The members of the Chamber’s Board of Directors welcomed those in attendance to the meeting. Members in attendance included Executive Director Dawn Maynard, President Charlotte Smith, Maurice Williams, Lisa Clark, Brittney Woodell, and Tiina Mundy.

“We are excited to have this new program and to have this as a new way to get more business leaders involved with the Chamber. We are super excited to have you here,” said Smith.

Maynard added that it is the hope this new program will continue to grow in the years to come.

Chamber member Lisa Clark explained that the idea for creating a Chamber Ambassadors program is to the fact the Chamber has so many events that go on throughout the year and it would be nice to have the extra support of the Ambassadors program. She explained that she had participated in a Chamber Ambassadors program in Columbus County and that as a group, their work as Chamber Ambassadors helped to bond them together.

“As a group, we did an additional fundraiser for the Chamber,” said Clark of her experience.

She added that members of the Ambassadors group of which she took part still remain in contact today.

Clark said it was a way to learn of the needs of the different businesses as well as learn more about the different services offered by those businesses.

She then explained one of the goals of the Ambassadors program is to promote various events the Chamber puts on as well as attending and volunteering with those events.

“We are hoping to raise awareness of the Chamber in the community,” said Clark.

She added, “Certainly as a group, if you decide to do so, you can do an additional fundraiser, but you are not required to do so.”

Clark said that if one enjoys being an Ambassador, they might consider becoming an individual member.

She told the group that there are many upcoming events that folks might want to take part in supporting including the upcoming Summer Sounds concert series, the White Lake Water Festival, ribbon cuttings and more.

It was also explained that certain programs within the Chamber do require being a Chamber member while other programs do not. The Ambassador program is designed for Chamber members while the monthly Chamber luncheons are open to guests.

Smith clarified that the Chamber will hold the meeting to gauge interest in the Ambassador program every year and take applications. The board will then vote on the new Ambassadors and the new Ambassadors will be sworn in at the Chamber banquet in June.

Smith added the Chamber would offer something new this year at the banquet. Chamber businesses can sponsor a table at this year’s banquet for $100. The sponsors can then decorate the tables, advertising their businesses, at the well attended annual event. The hope is it will be another way Chamber members can network and advertise their business all while helping the Chamber.

Carla Ward told the group she had been a Chamber Ambassador when she belonged to the North Myrtle Beach, SC Chamber. She noted that the Ambassador program provides and infrastructure to assist Maynard with all of the activities and programs of the Chamber.

If you would like to participate in the Chamber Ambassador’s program, you can go to the Chamber website and print out, complete and mail the application to the Chamber office.

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