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W-W Chamber elects new officers; 'dedicated to serving our members' The Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce has elected a new slate of officers and has set a halfday retreat for board members to plan the Chamber's activities and initiatives for the next year. Chamber Vice President Kip Burke was elected president for a two-year term, and board member Melissa Grant was elected vicepresident. Meredith Attwood was elected chamber secretary, and Robert Geiger was elected treasurer. New board members Billy Caddell and Geiger have been recently added to the board, joining board members Blake Thomson, Casey Jackson, Jim Baston, Sherry Hudson, Grant, and Attwood. Departing the board are former Chamber President Carol McTier and board member Sue Davidson County Commission Chairman Sam Moore, Washington Mayor W.E. Burns, and Wilkes Co. Superintendent of Schools Joyce Williams are ex-officio members of the Chamber Board of Directors with full voting rights. Burke said that his three years as a Chamber director have brought great changes. "We've moved the Chamber to The Square, more than doubled the number of Chamber members, and we've gained a great Executive Director in Donna Hardy and an excellent Tourism Director in Ashley Barnett. And now our efforts have been recognized by the State of Georgia naming us a Regional Visitor Information Center." But there's far more to do, he said. "We still have to keep our eyes on the prize, which is to make sure that every possible job, every dime and every dollar comes into Wilkes County and stays here. We're dedicated to serving our members, to growing their businesses every way we can, and to developing a competitive, skilled workforce. We're going to work even more closely with all the organizations in Wilkes County, because we can do much more together than separately." The Chamber will continue to work with state offices and organizations to bring business, industry, and tourism to Wilkes County, he said, and to continue to attract retirees to the area. "Studies have shown that wherever they retire, middleclass retirees create jobs, especially in the service sector. Those folks are flocking into Wilkes County now more than ever, and we want to make them welcome while still retaining our small-town, rural character." To reach out and increase the number of tourists who visit the area and spend money, Tourism Director Ashley Barnett has been advertising all over the South, in the Atlanta market, and throughout Georgia. And more and more, visitors are finding in Wilkes County a great place to shop, stay, and enjoy a slower pace of life. "The hotel-motel tax that visitors pay when they stay here is paying for the advertising, and Ashley is finding the most cost-effective media to reach even more visitors," Burke said.
The Chamber is also helping local construction contractors meet the new state requirements for professional licensing, Burke said. "We are committed to doing everything we can to make living and doing business in Wilkes County easier and more profitable. The bottom line is the bottom line."
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