National Small Business Week, May 20-26

No matter how you look at it, small businesses are a vital part of our local, state and national economy. In fact, it is rather easy to prove that the success of our national economy is tied directly to the success of small businesses. In other words, small business is ”big business” for our nation.

National Small Business Week  reminds consumers of the value that small businesses bring to local communities and the economy as a whole. Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce would like to thank our small business members for their support and commitment to the community. Special recognition goes out to Radha Herring, owner and broker-in-charge of Watermark Real Estate Group, for being named Small Business Association’s 2012 South Carolina Small Business Person of the Year. The SBA selected Herring based on her growth in sales, financial performance, response to adversity and community involvement.

Read more about Herring and SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year award. Also, visit the chamber’s Small Business Resource Center to discover ways the chamber is reaching out to small business owners.

Leadership Grand Strand Class XXXII Celebrates Graduation in Ceremony May 6

The 23 participants of Class XXXII will graduate May 6 from Leadership Grand Strand during a ceremony at Pine Lakes Country Club in Myrtle Beach. The reception, sponsored by Santee Cooper, will begin at 6 p.m. and will be followed by dinner. The graduation commencement will begin at 7:30 p.m., and the Ann DeBock Leadership Award will be presented to 2012 recipient Dr. Debbie Conner during the ceremony.

The Leadership Grand Strand Executive Committee for 2012-13 will also be announced at the graduation ceremony. It includes: John Sawyer, chair;  O’Neil McCoy, chair-elect, Jeffrey Wisniewski, secretary;  Brent Musick, treasurer and Julie Kopnicky will serve as an at-large board member for three years.

The goal of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored LGS program is to develop a corps of informed, committed and qualified individuals capable of providing dynamic leadership for the Grand Strand area.

For class participants to graduate, they must complete a nine-month program and a minimum of 100 hours of community service. This year, participants assisted the Salvation Army Angel Tree project, Youth Leadership Academy and the Adopt-A-Highway program.

Graduates of Leadership Grand Strand Class 32 are:

• Brandi H. Barnhill, Shepard Care Hospice
• Stephanie Burgess, Santee Cooper
• Whitney R. Cromer, Coastal Carolina University
• Jan Dobr, Martin’s Restaurant
• Tracy G. DuRant, BB&T Puckett, Scheetz & Hogan Insurance
• Kristin Free, Carolina Creations Landscapes, Inc.
• Jay Herring, Watermark Real Estate Group
• Johanna S. Hodge, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
• Jenna Leigh Hottel, Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday
• Paul L. Kaufman, Prestwick Country Club
• Christopher Kavanagh, Watermark Real Estate Group
• Victoria Levy, State Farm Insurance-Wade Davis Agent
• Nancy Redden Livesay, Horry County Solicitor’s Office
• Greg Mitchell, Horry-Georgetown Technical College
• Rebecca Kleinbach Murphy, Myrtle Beach Travel Park
• Annie Obuchowski, Raycom Media, WMBF News
• Rusty Ray, WBTW, DT News 13
• John D. Rutenberg, TD Bank
• Alicia L. Sanders, Horry County Emergency Management
• Gladys A. Velasco, Mercy Care
• Diane White, IHT Staffing
• Edward Lenorris Williams, Williams Painting
• Janet Wood, City of Myrtle Beach

Leadership Grand Strand is now accepting applications for Class XXXIII. Applications, which require three letters of reference, must be typed and are due by June 30, 2012. Applications are available at LeadershipGrandStrand.com. Tuition costs are $890 per person.

Leadership Grand Strand is also currently accepting community service project proposals for the upcoming class. Interested organizations can find a copy of the request for proposal online.

Military Appreciation Days

Military Appreciation Days celebrates military men and women – active duty, reserves and National Guard – and veterans from every service branch. Look for military and local/visitor discounts from local businesses, along with concerts, special events, the big Saturday parade and family activities in downtown Myrtle Beach. Download a flyer.

National Tourism Week

To salute National Tourism Week, May 5-13, 2012, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association will once again extend a big ”Thank You for Visiting” to those choosing the Grand Strand as their vacation destination. Tourists flying into the area will receive a warm hello from local entertainment at the Myrtle Beach International Airport(see below). And the chamber’s Oak Street and Murrells Inlet welcome centers will serve complimentary refreshments. Plus, TourismWorksForUs.com shares with locals the importance of tourism for everyone.

Airport Welcome Center Entertainment

May 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.-Doug Fankhauser, various instruments & singer
May 8, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.-Joan Burton, guitar player & singer
May 9, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.-Tim Peterman, steel drums player
May 10, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.-Joan Burton, guitar player & singer
May 11, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.-Javier Vega, trumpet & piano player

Call for Community Service Project Proposals

Leadership Grand Strand is accepting proposals for community service projects for Class XXXIII. Nonprofits and government agencies are encouraged to submit a proposal that addresses specific needs your organization is facing as it seeks to help our community. Projects over the years have varied widely. They can be anything that involves hands-on volunteer hours. Examples of past projects include design and implementation of a conference, improvement of a local animal shelter, providing assistance to a program for abused children, building or repairing homes, etc. Go online for complete proposal guidelines. All proposals are due by June 1, 2012.

Leadership Grand Strand accepting applications

Learn what it takes to turn your talent into leadership skills that can propel you in your career – apply for Leadership Grand Strand. During the program, participants get an in-depth view of community issues, develop leadership skills, and are exposed to community involvement opportunities. LGS helps to build strong connections as participants develop lasting relationships with fellow class members. More info and applications for 2012-2013 LGS program are online.  Scholarships are available. Applications accepted through June 30.

Dr. Debbie Conner Named 2012 Ann DeBock Leadership Award Recipient

Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s leadership program, Leadership Grand Strand, announced the 2012 annual Ann DeBock Leadership Award will be presented to Dr. Debbie Conner of Coastal Carolina University during the Leadership Grand Strand Class XXXII graduation ceremony on May 6 at 6 p.m. at Pine Lakes Country Club.

Each year, the Leadership Grand Strand class honors one alumnus who has exhibited outstanding leadership and service. To receive this award, the recipient must volunteer in service or civic roles, serve on appointed boards or commissions, and exhibit an overall demonstration of effective leadership skills.

The 2012 award winner was born in Houston, Texas, moved to North Carolina at a young age and attended A.C. Reynolds High School in Asheville, N.C. Conner then attended Converse College where she earned her Bachelors of Arts degree as a double major in psychology and secondary education. In 1994, she moved to the Myrtle Beach area and joined the staff of Coastal Carolina University as coordinator in the Department of Student Affairs.

In the years that followed, Conner continued her education while she worked for Coastal Carolina University as the director of student activities; director of community relations, special events and stewardship; and assistant vice president for University Relations. She earned her master’s degree in student personnel from the University of South Carolina in 1996, followed by her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Leadership from Clemson University in 2005. Currently, Conner serves as the associate vice president of University Relations at CCU.

In addition to her many academic and professional accomplishments, Conner also stays busy raising her 17-year-old daughter Kayla with her husband, Tracy, who works in the golf industry. According to those she knows and has worked with, Conner has always been a good example for young women seeking a healthy work-family balance.

”She is a tremendous inspiration for all young women who aspire to be successful in a career and successful in a marriage and family. She has a tremendous ability to assume responsibility and to handle all her duties with a cheerful attitude and a winning spirit,” said Tommy Brittain of The Brittain Law Firm, P.A.

Conner also spends a great deal of her time volunteering. She has worked with several organizations along the Grand Strand including the Street Reach Ministries, Coastal Carolina YMCA, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, Converse College Alumnae Board, Waccamaw Area Heart Association and more.

Currently, Conner serves as the vice president and conference committee logistics chair of the CCU Women in Philanthropy and Leadership organization, president of the Brittain Fellowship Class at First Methodist Church in Myrtle Beach, co-chair of The Bi-Lo American Red Cross Christmas Dinner, a member of the Rotary Club of Carolina Forest Sunrise and much more.

The Ann DeBock Leadership Award was commissioned and started by Class XIX in memory of Ann DeBock, the executive director of Leadership Grand Strand from its inception in 1979 until her death in 1998. The other nominees for this year’s award were Vern Hearl of LHWH, Shannon Detzler of The Jackson Companies and Cindy Ott of Horry-Georgetown Technical College.

For more information, visit LeadershipGrandStrand.com or call (843) 916-7222.

About Leadership Grand Strand
The goal of Leadership Grand Strand, a program of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, is to develop a corps of informed, committed and qualified individuals capable of providing dynamic leadership for the Grand Strand. Over the years, Leadership Grand Strand has created a cadre of leaders who guide the direction of change throughout the Grand Strand.