Ambassadors Program
Ambassadors are highly visible, prestigious volunteers who serve as the Chamber’s primary liaison to new Chamber members. Considered the goodwill arm of the Chamber, the Ambassador committee plays an essential role in member recruitment, communication and retention, and each Ambassador is charged with conveying member needs, questions and concerns to Chamber staff, keeping our Chamber in line with our members’ desires.
Upon their appointment, each Ambassador makes a commitment to build lasting relationships with the membership, particularly new Chamber members, in order to build a loyal, committed membership base that will continue to support, participate and invest in the Chamber. Ambassadors commit to spending 1-3 hours per month on their duties as Chamber volunteers.
Ambassador Resources
- Click here to view the Ambassador Program Overview, which provides a full list of Ambassador responsibilities.
- Click here to download your monthly point sheet.
- Click here to download a new member interview form.
- Interested in becoming an Ambassador? E-mail Laura Morrison at lmorrison@carolinachamber.org for more information, or click here to download the Ambassador application form.
2011 Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors
- Irene Briggaman, Irene Briggaman
- Bridget Cook, Harrington Bank
- John Kinneer, Wachovia
- Jim McNeely, Power Home Technologies, Inc.
- Orlando Metcalf, TAI Groupe, LLC
- John Norton, Money Mailer Chapel Hill
- Joseph Novara, Chapel Hill Printing & Graphics
- Wendy Tanson, Ambassador Chair, Wendy Tanson, Broker/Realtor, CRS
Ambassador Biographies
- Irene Briggaman
Irene Briggaman is a long-time volunteer in our Chapel Hill-Carrboro community. She has volunteered, advocated or raised money on behalf of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Girl Scouts, Teen Center, Inter-Faith Council, Red Cross, AARP, Family Violence Prevention Center and Triangle Land Conservancy, to name a few, and became a painter when the Chamber built their first Habitat House. Awards earned by Irene for her volunteer service include; The Chamber/Jaycee Distinguished Service Award (1986), The President’s Award of the Chamber (1989), The President’s Award of the Polish American Club of the Triangle (1999), the Governor’s Award (1999), and Ambassador of the Year (2009), and she was named Tar Heel of the Week by the N & O. Irene was awarded a lifetime service award for her volunteerism at the Chamber’s 2005 Community Service Awards. That award is now given as the Irene Briggaman Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteerism. Irene was also awarded the Jefferson Award Medallion by the American Institute for Public Service through the public service efforts of WTVD-TV Channel 11, and was named one of the “40 at 40 [years]” celebration of the Inter-Faith Council. Irene is an Ambassador because she enjoys meeting such a diverse group of people within the Chamber’s membership. “The challenge is in understanding each member’s reason for joining and how to best match their needs with the programs and services provided by the Chamber," Irene said.
- Bridget Cook
Bridget is originally from Delaware and graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Marketing and Operations Management. Upon graduation, she was employed with Pepsi Bottling Group, where she ascended from the role of Sales Representative to become a Merchandise Manager and finally a Territory Sales Manager for the Philadelphia region. Bridget moved to North Carolina in 2007 when her husband, Doug, enrolled in the MBA program at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Due to her sales experience and success, Bridget was hired by Harrington Bank to be the Branch Manager for its headquarters in Chapel Hill. Although new to banking at the time, Bridget utilized her sales and management expertise to contribute to the growth and continued profitability that Harrington Bank has experienced since it first opened in 1999. She enjoys both providing excellent service to her existing customer base as well as meeting with other local businesses and individuals within the community through her outside calling efforts. Bridget’s favorite part of working for Harrington has been her wonderful staff and getting to know so many loyal Harrington customers. Bridget and Doug reside in Durham with their yellow lab, Molly. On the weekends, you can usually find them walking the American Tobacco Trail or working on projects for their new home.
- John Kinneer
John Kinneer is a Wachovia Business Banker managing relationships for clients with $2 million to $20 million in revenue. John has served in a variety of staff and line positions since joining the bank in 2000. John is married to Whitney Kinneer and both enjoy spending time with their son Holden Murphy Kinneer, born April 11, 2009. John served notably in the Marine Corps before attending Winthrop University.
- Wendy Tanson
Wendy Tanson is an award-winning broker with RE/MAX Winning Edge in Chapel Hill. A long-time Chapel Hill resident, she loves helping clients achieve smooth and satisfying moves into and out of Orange, Durham and Chatham counties. Wendy holds many advanced designations, including Certified Residential Specialist, Senior Real Estate Specialist, Accredited Buyers Representative, GREEN Broker and Accredited Staging Professional. In addition, she was named one of the top ten individual Re/MAX agents in North Carolina for 2009. Wendy brings to real estate a unique background in both communications and finance, having previously been a stock analyst and a communications consultant. Wendy graduated from Brown University and holds a master’s degree from UNC at Chapel Hill. She is committed to being well-educated, especially regarding the latest technologies, tools and strategies in real estate. Wendy resides in Chapel Hill with her husband James, teenage kids Joshua & Rachel, and pets Yofi and Bella.