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The Rocky Mount Area Chamber selected one night to commemorate 100 years of service to the greater Rocky Mount area, and what a night it will be.
On Monday evening, May 24, 2004, The Chamber will present a one-of-a-kind community wide celebration entitled "A Night of Notables" at the Dunn Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of North Carolina Wesleyan College.
According to Chairman Rick Toomey, the event will bring great focus to the Twin County region and celebrate The Chamber's centennial in grand fashion.
"Our evening begins at 6:00 P.M. with an gala buffet and reception in the Dunn Center lobby followed at 8:00 P.M. by a talk show program in the auditorium hosted by Emmy Award winner Charlie Rose of The Charlie Rose Show and 60 Minutes II."
Toomey noted that tickets to the gala reception include admission to the talk show program in the auditorium. Tickets for just the program may be purchased separately. He added that Chamber members and the general public are invited to attend.
Why a "Night of Notables"? Well, consider the fact that the broadcast style program will feature an informal living room chat with Twin County natives who have experienced extraordinary success in the fields of business, government, literature, sports and the military.
"On stage will be Gen. Hugh Shelton, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Bill Harrison, Chairman & CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.; and Ken Thompson, Chairman, CEO & President of Wachovia Corp.; Attorneys General Thurbert Baker (Georgia) and Roy Cooper (NC); acclaimed novelists Kaye Gibbons and Allan Gurganus; and Herman Boone, the inspiration for the Hollywood hit Remember the Titans.
"Now that should be enough to whet anyone's appetite about this special night of celebration and recognition for our Chamber," Toomey added.
Founded on July 11, 1904, The Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce boasts membership ranks nearing the 800 mark. The Chamber is accredited by the United States Chamber of Commerce and is affiliated with numerous professional groups such as ACCE, NCCBI, the Chambers of North Carolina's Eastern Region, and ForEnc.
Since its inception, The Chamber has been the community's voice for economic growth, community investment, and political action.
The Chamber has been recognized statewide and nationally for its commitment to K-12 education and workforce development and has received numerous awards and citations. The organization was the recipient of the 2002 Governor's Business Partnership Award for Education.
The annual Business Expo is the largest east of the Triangle and programs in Business Development, especially partnering initiatives with Nash and Edgecombe Community Colleges, are sought after by members and the general public alike.
The success of The Chamber's Business Recruitment Division is well documented. In fact, in recent months, news reports point to the opening of numerous retail and service businesses like Home Depot, Walgreen, Food Lion, and Ruby Tuesdays as a very positive sign of an emerging local economy.
The successful Work First initiative (welfare-to-work) has turned welfare checks into payroll checks as a result of education, training, and dozens of valued partnerships with Chamber businesses.
Certainly the organization's Nash County Travel and Tourism Division has made a significant impact on the local economy resulting in over $ 150 million annually in hospitality related income for the region. In 2002, the Nash County Visitors Bureau was voted the best in North Carolina by its peers.
"We see a brighter future for Rocky Mount and the Twin Counties, and we're spreading the word that this centennial will have impact far beyond a single evening. We are deeply appreciative to our many community partners who have made this celebration possible, and we urge the people of this area, whether you're Chamber members or not, to join us on May 24th for the grandest of celebrations," Toomey said.
Presenting sponsors for the Rocky Mount Area Chamber's Night of Notables are Wachovia Bank and Wachovia Securities and the Nash County Tourism Development Authority. Centennial Circle Sponsors are RBC Centura and MBM Corporation.
Those included in the Centennial level of sponsorship include: Boddie-Noell Enterprises, ElectriCities of North Carolina, J.P. Morgan Chase and Company, Nash Health Care Systems, Stallings Oil Company and Eagle Transport Corporation, and Riverside Printing.
Gala Sponsors for the event are: Lewis Advertising, Nash Community College, Poyner & Spruill, Southern Bank, and Roger Taylor and Associates.
For program information and tickets, contact Linda Mann at The Chamber at 973-1211 or at lmann@rockymountchamber.org.