The Chamber chairman of the board and the “C Team” at South Georgia Medical Center provided 50 community leaders with updates from the Chamber and the medical center at the quarterly meeting of the Chamber Community Council.
 
Hosted by SGMC at their facility on June 28, Chief Executive Officer Ray Snead, Chief Nursing Officer Tami Jackson and Chief Operating Officer Heath Evans served on a panel that was moderated by SGMC Assistant Administrator Johnny Ball, answering questions about plans for improving emergency department services and use of the Smith Northview campus of SGMC, and an update on the medical center’s financial status and future plans.
 
Chamber chairman of the board Michael Lee explained that, “The work of the Chamber is really as easy as ABC – advocate, build and connect,” said Lee.  “We advocate for the business community, we build a pro-business community and help build new businesses, and we connect and promote our members and our community.”
 
Lee focused specifically on the Chamber’s ongoing initiative, creating a small business incubator.  “We are developing a detailed financial feasibility study which should be completed in early fall. If the project is financially sound, we will move to the next step, which is building a thorough business plan that we can take to potential investors and grant agencies to actually develop the facility,” Lee added.
 
Lee also provided an update on the SEEDS Business Resource Center, which has served 204 clients year to date.  The Southwest Georgia Business Plan Competition winner, THBoyd Communications, was announced earlier this year. And Business University, which provides no-cost or low-cost educational workshops for businesses, has coordinated 14 workshops serving 331 participants year to date.