Chamber to host free baseball game for Soldiers

posted May31 at army.mil.com

Fort Jackson is continuing its partnership with the Columbia Blowfish baseball club and the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the Army’s birthday with a baseball game.

Now in its fifth year, Fort Jackson Night treats military families to a free night of baseball as the Columbia Blowfish take on the Gastonia Grizzlies, two collegiate summer baseball teams in the Coastal Plain League.

“We feed a little over 4,000 Soldiers hot dogs and refreshments,” said Ike McLeese, president and CEO of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce. “It’s just an impressive sight to see that many Soldiers having a good time.”

The event will also allow organizers to introduce veterans of past conflicts to the audience, he said.

“They always arrange for us to honor heroes from past conflicts,” McLeese said. “We put them in a golf cart and drive them out between innings. The Soldiers are really inspired when they realize who they’re seeing and what their story is.”

The event takes place at 7 p.m. June 9 at the Capital City Stadium, located at 301 S. Assembly St., Columbia.

The game is free to anyone in the military, McLeese said. Tickets can be picked up in advance from the Chamber of Commerce before June 7, or at the Blowfish Stadium Ticket Office on game day. For more information, contact the Chamber at 803.733.1155.

Senator Lindsey Graham Visits Columbia Chamber with Message of National Security Warning

As a part of a two-day statewide base tour, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham visited the Columbia Chamber today (May 30, 2012) for a press conference warning of the severe negative impact the looming budget sequestration will have on our national security.

Graham was joined by Congressman Joe Wilson of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, and meet with local media before holding a roundtable discussion with local military and community leaders. Graham spoke on how the budget will affect the men and women serving our nation in uniform, and South Carolina’s defense infrastructure.

After the luncheon, Graham traveled to Fort Jackson for meetings with the Army base’s leadership. Leading military officials including Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta have warned that sequestration will decimate our Armed Forces. He noted that if the military sustained $1 trillion in cuts over the next decade, “we would have the smallest ground forces since 1940, the smallest number of ships since 1915, and the smallest Air Force in history.”

Graham’s statewide tour includes stops in Greenville, Beaufort, Charleston, Sumter and Eastover as he continues to raise awareness of the devastating effects these cuts will have on our national security and economy. The stop here in Columbia was hosted by the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Check out more photos from the event here.

There’s Still Time to Register for the South Carolina-Israel Experience

Companies and individuals still have time register for “The South Carolina-Israel Experience: How the Midlands Can Benefit.”

The South Carolina-Israel Collaboration and MITA, the Midlands International Trade Association, will host the program from noon-2 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, at the Columbia Marriott Hotel. Cost is $25 per person.

The featured Israeli company for the event will be Healarium, a technology company focused on integrated chronic condition care management for service providers of population health management (see www.healarium.com

Other speakers will include Jonathan Zucker, president of the Inter/Tech Group in Charleston and chairman of the collaboration; Tom Vogt, associate vice president for research at USC; and Tom Glaser, president of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce.

The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce is a sponsor of the event.

The South Carolina-Israel Collaboration, formed in 2011, has already succeeded in raising our state’s profile in Israel and generating business and research relationships that are beneficial to both sides. A 26-person South Carolina delegation to Israel last November included a significant group from the Midlands, and another such economic development trip is being planned for 2012.

Please RSVP by Friday, June 4 to research@findnewmarkets.com or by phone, (803)-777-1177.

Leadership Columbia Ribbon Cutting Photos

The Leadership Columbia Class of 2012 celebrated the completion of their class project – the renovation of the Free Medical Clinic – last night with a ribbon cutting. To learn more about the class and their project click here.

To view all the photos, click here.

Columbia Chamber Supports MetLife’s Fresh Fest in Columbia

Looking for a way to get involved in Columbia’s health and wellness causes in the community? The S.C. Fresh Fest is great way to do just that. On Saturday, June 2, the Columbia Chamber will attend the MetLife-sponsored event Fresh Fest. Fresh Fest is a “run, play, and enjoy” environment at the S.C. State Farmer’s Market featuring food, children’s activities, and both a 10K and 5K run for charity.  One hundred percent of the profits of Fresh Fest will be donated to causes that focus on the health and wellness of Columbia’s youth, families and overall community.

The festival is a part of a greater program called Active Carolina, which is also aimed toward taking action against unhealthy habits in the community. “In today’s fast paced society, it’s more important than ever to bring communities together for the common good to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others” said Tim Goldman, event director for the Active Carolina Organization. As a part of this organization, Fresh Fest makes a call to action to the Columbia community to stand up for health and wellness awareness in a fun and friendly environment.

Other sponsors for the event include the Special Olympics S.C., Famously Hot Columbia S.C., the American Diabetes Associationand many more. The Farmer’s Market is located at 3483 Charleston Hwy. in West Columbia, where the gates will open at 7 a.m. For more information, go toSCFreshFest.com. You can also email questions to SCFreshFest@gmail.com or call Tim Goldman at (803)-546-0116.

Columbia Chamber Sponsors S.C.-Israel Benefit

Curious about doing business in Israel or maybe you’re ready to find an Israeli partner.

Join the South Carolina-Israel Collaboration and MITA, the Midlands International Trade Association for “The South Carolina-Israel Experience: How the Midlands Can Benefit” from noon-2 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, at the Columbia Marriott Hotel. Cost is $25 per person.

Featured speakers will include Jonathan Zucker, president of the Inter/Tech Group in Charleston and chairman of the collaboration; Tom Vogt, associate vice president for research at USC; Diane Weiner, director of business development for the Israeli company Healarium; and Tom Glaser, president of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce.

Sponsors for this event include the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, USC/Innovista, the Central South Carolina Economic Development Alliance and Parker Poe Law Firm.

The South Carolina-Israel Collaboration, formed in 2011, has already succeeded in raising our state’s profile in Israel and generating business and research relationships that are beneficial to both sides. A 26-person South Carolina delegation to Israel last November included a significant group from the Midlands, and another such economic development trip is being planned for 2012.

Please RSVP by Friday, June 4 to research@findnewmarkets.com or by phone, (803)-777-1177.

Dedication for Salvation Army Facility Held in Attendance with the Chamber, May 11

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce will be attending a dedication for the new Salvation Army Center for Worship and Service, set to be hosted on Friday, May 11 at 1 p.m. on 3024 Farrow Rd. in Columbia. There will also be an Open House held on Thursday, May 17 starting at 5:30 p.m. at the same address.

“[We want to] thank you for helping to spread the good news of our new operation in Columbia” said Major Roger Coulson, Corps Officer in Columbia, S.C. Parking for each event is in the front and rear of the building, while additional parking will be located at the Dentist office of Dr. Davis and Dr. Dingle.

You can RSVP the event by emailing Roger_Coulson@USS.Salvationarmy.org or by calling 803-309-6435.

Leadership Columbia Class of 2012 Completes Free Medical Clinic Renovation

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Set for May 16

COLUMBIA, S.C. – After four months of dedication, perseverance and teamwork, the Leadership Columbia (LC) Class of 2012 has completed renovations to the Free Medical Clinic, 1875 Harden St. A ribbon cutting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, 2012, to welcome the more than 10,000 clients who are treated each year at the clinic to the updated facility. The mission of the Free Medical Clinic is to provide quality healthcare at no cost to residents of the community who have no health insurance and cannot pay for such services.

Speakers include:
Ike McLeese, President & CEO | Columbia Chamber
Dennis Coker, Executive Director | Free Medical Clinic
Krisdee Foster, Chair | Leadership Columbia
Natalie Henderson, Class of 2012 | Leadership Columbia
Eunika Simmons, Class of 2012 | Leadership Columbia

The LC class selected the Free Medical Clinic as this year’s community service project with the goal of refurbishing the clinic and collecting needed supplies and funds to help the operation of the center. Renovations began Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. Over the course of the project, the class has provided more than 1,500 hours of services, raised more than $12,000 for supplies and $30,000 for facility improvements. The class has also assisted the clinic in securing new community partnerships, suppliers and medical volunteers.

“We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of our Leadership Columbia class,” said Ike McLeese, president & CEO, Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce. “This project will have a tremendous impact on the community for years to come.”

In order to update the Free Medical Clinic, a comprehensive work plan was designed to include installation of new light fixtures, complete bathroom renovations, new flooring, HVAC installation, painting and furniture delivery. The class also updated the entranceway of the clinic with a new awning, safety rail and seating for waiting clients.

In-kind donations were critical to the success of the project. The LC Class of 2012 would like to thank the local businesses and community organizations that contributed their services, time and donations. Top contributors ($1,000+) include Rogers Townsend & Thomas, BB&T, 2nd, Wind Heating & Air, GMK, Lexington Medical Center, Carolina Wholesale Flooring, Ferguson, Chariot Ironworks, First Citizens, Carolina Event Consulting, Polliwogs, Excel Dryers and Specialty Woodwork.

The Class of 2012 will hold a wrap party concluding the event at Tin Roof in the Vista,1022 Senate St. For more information on this event, please visit http://lc12party.eventbrite.com/.

The journey of this project was documented through the Class of 2012 Facebook page and blog.

To learn more about the mission and work of the Free Medical Clinic, please visit their web page at www.freemedclinic.org.

To apply for the Leadership Columbia 2013 Class, click here.

About Leadership Columbia
Since its inception in 1973, Leadership Columbia has celebrated close to 1,600 graduates. The 10-month program includes monthly learning sessions, a class retreat, a group project and enrichment activities. Leadership Columbia encourages service learning with participants urged to apply their talents by becoming a part of professional associations, civic organizations, nonprofit boards and public commissions.

For more information on Leadership Columbia, visit www.columbiachamber.com/leadershipcolumbia.htm

Graduation Imperative Launch | May 8

Want to increase a region’s economic vitality, then increase the number of people in that region who hold college degrees, whether they are 2-year, 4- year, graduate or professional degrees.

Join the public launch of The Graduation Imperative, an effort to increase our region’s college degree attainment, at 10 a.m. May 8 of the steps of the S.C. Statehouse in Columbia.

The Graduation Imperative is a collaborative initiative of the Navigating from Good to Great Foundation, the Central Carolina Community Foundation, COR, and the S.C. Higher Education Foundation in partnership with the region’s colleges and universities.

In South Carolina, nearly 34% of the state’s 2.4 million working-age adults hold at least a 2-year degree. The national rate is 38%.  By 2018 more than 60% of the jobs nationwide are estimated to require at least a two year degree.

Twenty-four percent of the state’s working age population holds bachelor’s degrees against a national average of 28%.  Just by moving to the national average by 2030, South Carolina could see an annual gain of $6.9 billion in personal income, $7.8 billion in gross state product and 44,514 permanent jobs.

Join the effort to improve our region and South Carolina’s college degree attainment rate.

2012 Palmetto Pillar Awards, Call For Nominations

The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce Information Technology Council (ITC) is seeking nominations for the 2012 Palmetto Pillar Awards. The awards program, started in 2000, honors the area’s top leaders in technology innovation.

Nominees are honored in the following categories:

• One to Watch
• Leadership in Technology
• Public Service through IT
• Start-up Venture
• Technology in the Arts
• Licensed IT Product
• Custom Application Development
• Cloud Services
• IT Infrastructure Services
• Student Achievement

Nominations are free and open to the public. Top recipients will be honored at an awards banquet on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, at the Zone at Williams Brice Stadium. To apply for a Palmetto Pillar Award or nominate a company or individual, please visit http://www.columbiachamber.com/PPA.htm.

Deadline for nominations is June 1, 2012.