Preparations are nearly complete for the Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet next Thursday, January 22, at The Pope Center.

Speaker for the evening is Clay Smith, general counsel and vice president of the Georgia System Operation Control Center (GSOC), an arm of the EMC cooperative, Chamber Director Ashley Barnett said.

The annual dinner is open to the public and tickets are $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Doors will open at 6:30 with a cash bar and dinner will begin at 7 p.m.

As in years past, the banquet will see awards given out for Big Business of the Year, Small Business of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Citizen of the Year, and the Pioneer Award, said Blake Thompson- Pres- ident. Chamber Treasurer Ed Pope III, and directors Robert Geiger, Jane Bundy, Mike Scarborough, and Allan Soto will also take part in the ceremony.

The membership will be voting for two new board members, Barnett said. Monthly Chamber Board of Directors meeting are held the second Monday of the month at 8 a.m. at the Chamber of Commerce office on The Square.

The annual dinner comes in the middle of the Chamber's annual membership drive, Barnett said. "We are excited about what's going to be happening in Washington and Wilkes County and want you and your business to be part of what is in store for us," she said. "Without our membership, the Chamber of Commerce and Welcome Center could not happen."

Barnett says that the presence of the Chamber and Welcome Center on The Square are critical to the growth of Wilkes County. "We are a one-stop-shop for all travelers, business and leisure. It is amazing the amount of traffic we receive - people wanting to move here and start businesses, people wanting to retire here and be a part of this great community."

Contact the Chamber at 706-678- 2013 or chamber@washingtonwilkes. org.