The beginning of a new year also means fresh faces on the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors.
A news release from the Chamber announced six new members joining the board for a three-year term.
“The new members include Jamie Wier, Director of Marketing at Blanchard & Calhoun Real Estate Co.; Quynh Spicer, Owner and Dentist at Harlem Family Dental; Matt Dial, Senior Director of Supply Chain Operations at the Augusta National Golf Club; Melissa Frank-Alston, Provost at Augusta Technical College; Stephen King, Area Manager for Georgia Power; and Suzanne Tatum, Deputy Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President for External Relations at Augusta University,” read the news release.
Stepping in to Chair the board is Neil Gwynne, owner of Poolwerx.
“It’s not an overnight decision in any way, shape or form. I’ve been involved with the Chamber since 2020 and have gotten more involved every single year,” he explained for ABD. “It’s a desire to impact the Chamber, the community, the business community, in a positive way. So, the time commitment is large, but more importantly, to me, it’s the impact that the Chamber has.”
Gwynne assumes the chairmanship just as the Chamber was recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Tim Monahan, Vice President and Managing Director of Government Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, acknowledged the local organization’s 5-Star Accreditation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, during a Dec. 4 luncheon.
“The organization is an elite group of Chambers across the country. Out of nearly 7,000 Chambers across the United States, there are only 151 5-Star Chambers in the entire country, and only 12 in all of Georgia,” he said. “The 5-Star Accreditation designation reaffirms the great work of your staff and volunteers, and I’m pleased to recognize and celebrate the high-quality expertise and strong leadership displayed by the team at the Columbia County Chamber. As members, you can be assured that your investment is money well spent.”
Gwynne said Columbia County and the Aiken Chamber of Commerce are the only two local groups with the 5-Star designation. He said they will be able to focus on their goals for this year, including highlighting the benefits of the Chamber.
“I really think the biggest challenge is, how do we attack the status quo this year and make positive changes in the Chamber to set ourselves apart over the next 20 years,” he said. “We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary this year in 2025 and really what we want to do is set up our vision for the next 20 years, what does the chamber look like 20 years from now when somebody else has the control and they’re looking back and saying, ‘Look at all that got accomplished over the last 20 years.’”
During his tenure, Gwynne said he wants to hear suggestions from current Chamber members about what they want from the Chamber. He wants recommendations for business growth, governmental affairs, and how to make local businesses more successful.
He also wants businesses that are not members to know the Chamber is available to everyone.
“What I really want them to see is all the things that we’re doing in the background that help them, whether they’re a part of the Chamber or not,” said Gwynne. “What the Chamber is looking for out of those nonmembers is that we are doing these things, and becoming a member of a Chamber is not always just a time commitment. It’s more so showing the appreciation and giving us the resources to continue to fight for positive business impact in the community and the county.”
The full list of 2025 board members is at www.columbiacountychamber.com
