Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber Celebrates 100 Years of Growing a Greater Community
Staff Report From Valdosta CEO
Monday, July 28th, 2014
The Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber dedicated its 100th Centennial Tree to its first 100 Chairmen of the Chamber Board of Directors on Wednesday in a ceremony attended by some of the community’s most prominent professionals.
Carla Penny, Chairwoman of the Centennial Tree Project Committee, greeted many of the Chamber’s former chairmen of the Board of Directors, thanking them for their service and contribution to the community. Penny acknowledged the significance of the honorees of the Centennial Trees, noting also that the Live Oaks contribute to the beauty of Valdosta. The trees can be found on St. Augustine Road between Hwy. 84 and the Industrial Park as well as along the Gornto Road extension.
Tim Jones, Chairman of the Chamber Board in its centennial year was also present to laud those who have served to grow and strengthen the community. “A chamber of commerce is simply a business network that operates through membership to help make business better in a given region or community,” said Jones. “Our Chamber has accomplished a great deal since inception. How do we get even better and reach new heights as a business community?” he asks. “This is your Chamber of commerce. Get involved and be heard. The most productive times that a chamber can have is when the majority of the membership is participating, giving feedback or suggestions, and communicating clearly on initiatives.”
Jones says it’s not enough for the Chamber Board, president and staff to put effort into community collaboration. “We, the membership, have to be engaged to get the kind of economic success that we can all enjoy. The sky is the limit for our community in the future if we all put a little more skin in the game and participate whenever possible,” Jones said. “I have no doubt that we will be highly successful as a business/social community over the next 100 years!”
Valdosta, like the trees planted as a part of this project, has grown tremendously in the past century through the joint efforts of the Chamber and other leading local organizations. “The Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce has positively impacted the economic development and growth of our city and MSA for over 100 years through a strong collaboration with local governments, businesses and other area organizations,” said Valdosta Mayor John Gayle. “The addition of these attractive Centennial trees in our community are symbolic reminders of the strong role the Chamber has played in our community’s success—something we expect will continue into the future of this fine community.”
The stone marking the Centennial Magnolia was donated by Tyson McLane of Carson McLane Funeral Home to commemorate the service of the first hundred Chairmen of the Chamber Board of Directors.
The first 100 Chairmen of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors are:
1912-1914 J.T. Blalock
1915-1918 J.J. Newman
1919 J.F. McCrackin
1920-1922 J.T. Mathis
1923 F.W. Webb
1924-1925 J.M. Smith
1926-1928 J.R. Dasher
1929-1930 A.G. Cleveland
1931-1932 A.J. Little
1933-1935 J.D. Ashley
1936 P.C. Pendleton
1937 S.D. Register
1938-1939 H.G. Caldwell
1940-1941 E.P. Bass
1942 M.F. Ellinor
1943 P.G. Walker
1944 Harley Langdale, Jr.
1945 Wm. H. Harwick
1946 Arthur H. French
1947-1948 George B. Cook
1949 L.O. Smith
1950 Emil Girardin
1951 James L. Dowling
1952 Bert Glisson
1953-1954 J.W. Blanchard
1955 Don Nichols
1956 L.J. Mederer
1957 John Lastinger
1958 Comer Cherry
1959 B.H. Roberts
1960-1961 C.W. Warner
1962-1963 John Langdale
1964-1965 A.L. Dean
1966-1967 Roger Budd
1968 W.C. Banks, Jr.
1969 Courtney Foy
1970 Donald T. Schutt
1971 Tenney Griffin
1972 Joe Lee
1973 Loyce Turner
1974 Walt Carter
1975 Bill Amos
1976 Joe Cordova
1977 Paul Sanders
1978 Tyson McLane
1979 Wade Coleman
1980 Bill Holland
1981 George Powell
1982 Wendell Godbee
1983 Gerald L. Rainey
1984 Tommy Hatcher
1985 H. Arthur McLane
1986 Wally Colson
1987 Owen Harris
1988 Clarence Heidemann
1989 Ed Crane
1990 John R. Sessions
1991 Jewel Ivey
1992 Brad Burnette
1993 D.K. Hollis
1994 Stan Fillion
1995 Thompson Kurrie
1996 Glenn Copeland
1997 Lena Bosch
1998 Curtis Fowler
1999 Bill DeCoudres
2000 Bill Cowart
2001 Quillian Powell
2002 M.F. Campbell, Jr.
2003 Andy Deal
2004 Jud Rackley
2005 Jennifer Powell
2006 Tim Carroll
2007 Nick Valenti
2008 Walter Hobgood
2009 Jeff Hanson
2010 Terri Lupo
2011 Tom Gooding
2012 Tim Jones
2013 Jay Prince
2014 Carl Holley
For more information about the Centennial Tree Project and the efforts of the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber, please call 229-247-8100.
