Chamber Awarded Inaugural Siemens Sustainable Community Award
Aaron Nelson and Anne McKune attend National Conference on Corporate Community Investment to accept national award on behalf of the Chamber and its Foundation for a Sustainable Community

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, Albuquerque, NM, and Kingsport, TN were honored last week as the first recipients of the Siemens Sustainable Community Awards. The Awards recognize outstanding local public-private efforts to build and grow sustainably. The winning communities were announced during a reception at the Business Civic Leadership Center’s National Conference on Corporate Community Investment in Anaheim, CA. BCLC is an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Led by the question of what sustainability really means and what it looks like, BCLC and Siemens came together to establish the Sustainable Community Awards. In the Mid-Size Community category, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce accepted the award for creating the Foundation for a Sustainable Community, which invests in business and community resources to promote and advance environmental stewardship, social equity, and economic prosperity.

"Our three winning communities stand out as successful models for engaging the local business, civic, and government sectors in managing 21st century challenges, such as energy efficiency and sustainable development," said BCLC Executive Director, Stephen Jordan.

For photos and more information about the Siemens Sustainable Community Awards and its winners, or for more information about BCLC, visit http://www.uschamber.com/bclc/default.

Please Join us in Welcoming 14 New Members
Chapel Hill Concierge; Claris, Inc.; Design Intension; Entity, Inc.; Bill Faison; ICAP Energy, LLC; Italian Pizzeria III; Jen Rhoton Designs LLC; NewDominion Bank; Scientific Properties; Tarheel Land Company; TS Financial, Inc.; UniqueOrn Enterprises; Phyllis Brown, York Simpson Underwood

Register Today for the 14th Annual Golf Classic - Monday, May 12
The Golf Classic, presented by Performance AutoMall, will be held Monday, May 12 at the Preserve at Jordan Lake. The tournament is a great opportunity for business and community leaders to enjoy a day of golf while benefiting the Chamber Foundation for a Sustainable Community.

Register online at www.carolinachamber.org/events.
Contact Anne McKune at 967-7075 ext. 29 or amckune@sustainablefoundation.org for sponsorship and trade opportunities.


Participants can register for the tournament individually, in pairs, or in foursomes.
Member - $135
Non-Member - $160
Foursome - $500
Non-Member Foursome - $600
Bonus Pack - $20
(includes a mulligan, a tee buster and three raffle tickets)

The Chamber’s second annual Total Resource Campaign: Betting on Business - March 26 - June 4
The TRC is a ten-week volunteer-led, staff-supported campaign where volunteers use and grow their existing networks to recruit new Chamber members, renew existing members and sell Chamber and Foundation sponsorship and advertising opportunities.

You can help by:
• Meeting with a TRC volunteer to discuss sponsorship opportunities for your business/organization
• Donating a volunteer incentive prize valued at $50 or more

If you are interested in participating in the TRC, or would like more information, contact Tracy Hager at 967-7075 ext. 30 or thager@carolinachamber.org.

Partners in Health & Wellness Ribbon Cutting and Open House - 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 8
Please join Chamber Staff, Board, Ambassadors and community leaders for a ribbon cutting and open house for Partners in Health & Wellness in the Chapel Hill North shopping center at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, May 8. Partners in Health & Wellness is located at 1812 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Ste. B6 in Chapel Hill.
Partners in Health & Wellness also welcomes Dr. Matthew Taylor to the practice and will hold an open house after the ribbon cutting until 7:30 p.m.

Community Success Forum: Our Water, Our Economic Future—Regional Cooperation, The Next Stage - 8:30 a.m., May 13, 2008, One Eleven Place, Cary
As the Triangle struggles to recover from an exceptional drought, join local leaders at the 2008 Community Success Forum to learn what we can do as a community to conserve water. Get informed about growth’s impact on water usage and how other parts of the country have dealt with extended water shortages by sharing resources and being innovative. Attendees will hear from a host of well-known speakers including a panel discussion by local elected officials regarding plans to address future water needs.
The Community Success Forum is an annual forum hosted by a collaboration of chambers of commerce in the Triangle region, as well as other strategic partners, to generate discourse and find solutions to the region’s growth-related challenges. Tickets are $35 per person and include breakfast. Please call June Jones at 967-7075 x. 21 or email jjones@carolinachamber.org to register.

Southern Neighbor Ribbon Cutting – 5 p.m., Thursday, May 15
Please join Chamber Staff, Board, Ambassadors and community leaders for a ribbon cutting for Southern Neighbor’s new location. Southern Neighbor is located at 300 Market Street, Ste. 122 in Southern Village.

Business After Hours - 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 15
The Chamber's premiere monthly networking event, Business After Hours, will be held on the green at Southern Village from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 15. Business After Hours is sponsored by Market Street Association, Chapel Hill Children's Clinic and Town Hall Grill. Calliope Publishing will sponsor a table. Don't forget your business cards. In case of rain, Business After Hours will be held at Town Hall Grill.

Spring Fling at the Hamptons – 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, May 29
Join members of the Chatham County United Chamber of Commerce for the Chatham Chamber’s Business After Hours event at The Hamptons. The outdoor, catered event will include a wine tasting, live jazz and artists painting on site. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Kelly Brinkley at kellyb@ccucc.net. The event will be held at 3215 Mount Gilead Church Road in Pittsboro. For more information about The Hamptons, a development by Windjam Development Group, visit www.thehamptonsnc.com.

Triangle Chambers’ Annual Washington, D.C. Visit June 24-25, 2008
Join business leaders from across the Triangle as we travel to Washington, D.C., for two days of issue briefings and lobbying with key Congressional leaders on issues critical to our area. We will focus on issues that have a direct impact on the Triangle business environment and quality of life. Please contact Adam Klein, Director of Government Relations and Economic Development, at 967-7075 x. 24 or aklein@carolinachamber.org to register.

Ford Foundation names Aaron Nelson a national Regionalism and Sustainable Development Fellow
Friday, April 25, the Ford Foundation named Aaron Nelson a national Regionalism and Sustainable Development Fellow. Aaron is Chamber president and CEO and Foundation executive director. Throughout the next 12 months, Aaron will join a group of chamber and economic development executives from across the country and meet with leaders in the field of sustainable economic growth and prosperity to develop a regional action plan to implement in our community.

Chamber and Foundation welcome Kirsten Hausman, Foundation Program Coordinator
Kirsten Hausman joined the Foundation as program coordinator in late April. Kirsten is very excited to be here and is looking forward to working on programs including the Inter-City Visit to Ann Arbor and Leadership Chapel Hill-Carrboro. She can be reached at khausman@sustainablefoundation.org.

Latest Member-to-Member Discounts
The Chamber's Member-to-Member discount program allows Chamber members to utilize special discounts offered by and only available to other Chamber members. These discounts can save you and your employees money on valuable goods and services. Here are two of the latest discounts.

Ladies Fitness & Wellness
929-7474
A comfortable place for women, offering Cardio, Weights, Spin and other great classes, showers sauna, childcare, weight management and more. Receive our corporate rate discount and a Free 7 Day Pass. Ask about Thin & Healthy Total Solution and receive a Free Metabolism Evaluation.

Town Hall Grill
960-8696
Members receive 10% off food.

Click here to view a full list of Member Discounts

The Chamber is Hiring
Executive Assistant/ Office Manager to start Mid-May – The Chamber seeks an office manager to run front desk, answer phones, manage calendars, and meeting spaces. Job includes greeting and offering assistance to visitors, members of the community and Chamber members, assisting staff with mailings and events. Position is also executive assistant to President and CEO Aaron Nelson. Computer and organization skills a must. Flexibility and poise needed. If you are interested in the position or know someone who may be, please contact June Jones at jjones@carolinachamber.org or 967-7075 ext. 21.

Foundation provides information for WRAL Green Guide
Through a unique partnership, the Foundation is now providing WRAL with content for the new online Green Guide. WRAL.com Green Guide is now live at http://www.wral.com/news/greenguide.

Once you are on the site, click on Green Resources and Tips for making community sustainability work for you to see how we are highlighted.

Smart Commute Challenge—Win a Free Trip
Take part in a regional program encouraging businesses and individuals to take an alternative mode of transit at least once during a five week period. From April 15th – May 30th, any employee or college student who drives to work or campus in Wake, Durham or Orange counties can enter to win 2 roundtrip airline tickets anywhere in the continental U.S. plus a week’s hotel stay by taking the Smart Commute Challenge! You can take the challenge by going to www.smartcommutechallenge.org and pledging to walk, carpool, take the bus, telecommute or ride your bike to work.

Hospitality Training Program - Orange County Bus Tour - Thursday, May 22
The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitor's Bureau's daylong hospitality tour of Orange County will include attractions in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough. We will gather at 8:45 a.m. at the North Carolina Botanical Garden and begin our hospitality tour at 9 AM. We will make eight additional stops, including shopping on your own in Hillsborough. Lunch will be provided at the Horace Williams House in Chapel Hill. The day will end by 4:30 p.m. or so back at the Botanical Garden.

Participation is very limited and registration forms are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Names received after the bus is full will be placed on a waiting list in case of cancellations. Registration fee is $10. The deadline for receipt of the registration form is May 19 at Noon. Contact Patty Griffin at 968-2063 with questions.

OWASA Resumes Annual Mowing and Clearing of Sewer Easements
OWASA is resuming annual inspections, mowing, trimming and other clearing in public sewer easements.
Most of OWASA’s easements are 30 feet wide, but usually about 20 feet of the easement width is cleared (about 10 feet on each side of a sewer main). For full story, click here.

Water Conservation Update from OWASA: Stage One water use restrictions are in effect
After last week's rain, our reservoirs are now 79% full, up from 72% Friday, April 25. The Cane Creek Reservoir, our primary water source, has risen 22 inches since Friday, April 25 and is about 5 feet below full.
On Sunday, April 27 and Monday, April 28, rainfall at the Cane Creek Reservoir totaled 2.1 inches. About 1.4 inches was recorded at our Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant in Carrboro.
Water demand in the last 30 days averaged 6.5 million gallons per day and continues to be well below the current water conservation objective of 7.8 million gallons per day.
Under worst case conditions of no further rainfall or water flow in the creeks and streams that drain to our lakes, and assuming water use of 7 to 9 million gallons per day, the 2.825 billion gallons in storage represent 8 to 10 months of supply. For full story, click here.

Take advantage of the spring’s manifestation and follow suit. Here are a few websites which offer great, unique tips for going sustainably green:
http://www.treehugger.com/gogreen.php
http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22355/28177-50-green-tips-earth-day
http://conservation.org/act/live_green/simplesteps/Pages/simplesteps.aspx

Chapel Hill Leads Group has Moved
Leads Group meetings have moved from the Weathervane to Extraordinary Ventures at 200 S. Elliott Rd.

THE FRANKLIN HOTEL TO HOST MONTHLY WINE DINNER EVENTS
Wine dinner scheduled for May 8th to feature Latin American theme
By popular demand, and with the success of the new Wine Dinner Events introduced in April, The Franklin Hotel is pleased to host a Four-Course Wine Dinner on the second Thursday of every month. The May event is scheduled for Thursday evening, May 8, 2008, with hors d’ oeuvres reception at 6:30pm and seated dinner promptly at 7:00pm. For full story, click here.

THE FRANKLIN HOTEL INTRODUCES JAZZ SUNDAYS
The Franklin Hotel’s Popular Lobby Bar and Patio to Expand Music Venues
The Franklin Hotel is pleased to announce the introduction of JAZZ SUNDAYS with Brevan Hampden and Friends. Starting April 6th, the new music venue will be featured in Roberts At The Franklin, the Hotel’s distinguished lobby bar and patio and quintessential gathering place in downtown Chapel Hill, every Sunday evening, 7:30pm – 10:00pm.
In addition to Jazz Sundays, Roberts At The Franklin features live music and entertainment every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. For full story, click here.

Triangle Business Journals Women In Business Awards
Recognize the successes of the Triangle’s women in business by submitting a nomination for the 11th annual Women In Business achievement awards.
Your nominee should be a female business leader with a strong record of innovation, accomplishments or outstanding business performance.
For more information, or to submit a nomination, visit http://triangle.bizjournals.com/triangle/nomination/1262.

SBTDC Offers NxLevel™ Business Planning Course - Starting Monday, April 14 in Chapel Hill
NxLevel™ is a business-planning course designed to enhance your entrepreneurial skills and assist you in creating a comprehensive business plan. NxLevel™ helps entrepreneurs learn the skills needed to create, develop and strengthen successful business ventures. Unlike other educational programs, NxLevel™ addresses the special needs of the entrepreneur by providing a practical, hands-on and common sense approach to developing their business plan and business planning skills. Visit http://www.sbtdc.org/events/nxlevel/index.asp for more

Carolina Inn - Fridays on the Front Porch
Our popular "Fridays on the Front Porch" will help you unwind and ease into the weekend with live bluegrass music, cool drinks, good food and plenty of shade. Every Friday from 5-7 p.m., starting Friday, April 25, 2008 the Crossroads Bar serves its complete bar menu - along with beer and wine at special prices - on the porch overlooking the Inn's tree-shaded north lawn.

Vintage Faire, An Upmarket Tag Sale, 7th annual fundraiser held in October
to benefit the Mental Health Association in Orange County
ARE YOU SPRING CLEANING, DOWNSIZING, OR MOVING?
Please keep us in mind when looking for a place to donate the following goods:
furniture, glassware, crystal, silver, fabric, rugs, artwork, lamps, designer handbags, accessories (scarves, belts), new items, and crafts are all welcome. (no clothes, books, computers, or sports equipment).
We have donated storage space from Morningstar Mini-Storage
and use of a truck donated by RE-MAX.
Receipts will be given for charitable donations.
Please call the Mental Health Association in Orange County
at 919.942.8083 for more information.
Programs benefited include: Compeer, The Community Backyard,
Family Advocacy Network, Vocteer, and Hope Garden Project

6th Annual Southern Village Music Series Begins in May
For the sixth year, Market Street in Southern Village will host a summer-long Sunday Music Series. Every Sunday evening at 7pm, the Village Green Stage will be alive with performances from May 4 through September 7. All concerts are open to the public. All are free except as noted below.
This year’s series is sponsored by the Market Street Association and Southern Village Homeowners Association.
For full story, click here.

2ndFriday Artwalk - 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, May 9
The next 2ndFriday Artwalk will be taking place in Carrboro and Chapel Hill on Friday evening, May 9, from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. Many of the galleries will have live music and other art related entertainment. Admission is free.
Nearly eighty 2ndFriday Artwalks have been held in the last six years with growing community involvement and national interest. This popular once-a-month event draws residents and visitors from all over the Triangle who enjoy the opportunity to see a large variety of artwork during a single evening while socializing with their fellow art lovers. Visit http://2ndfridayartwalk.com/ for more information.

Donate an item to the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill "Wish List" and Receive a New Chiropractic Patient Exam FREE at the Chapel Hill Chiropractic Centre. ~A normal value of $125.
This is the first annual "Care to Share" fundraiser to support the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill and develop awareness of the health benefits gained through Chiropractic! Please visit www.chapelhillchiropracticcentre.com or call 919-968-4417 to learn more about the fundraiser and to see the "Wish List" items that are needed! Thanks for your support!

Kidzu Children's Museum - Castle Making Workshop - 2 p.m., Sunday, May 11
Make your Mother's Day Special by making art together. During this great hands-on workshop participants will each make a decorated Amazing Castle with stand-up characters. Local mixed media artist Helen Buiskool will teach kids the art of simple 3D design.
Fee: $8 per child (ages 5-8). Space is limited and prepaid registration is required. To register call Kidzu at 919-933-1455.

Chapel Hill & Durham TCBY CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY!
In Honor of Mothers Everywhere, Chapel Hill & Durham TCBY Gives Mom a Free Cup or Cone!
TCBYat the Shops at Eastgate in Chapel Hill and Homestead Market in Durham celebrate Mother’s Day by honoring deserving moms with a free cup or cone of the Country’s Best real dairy Yogurt all day long. – Sunday, May 11, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
As an added bonus every 50th customer will get a FREE 7” TCBY real dairy yogurt crunch cake to take home for Mom on her special day!

**All TCBY yogurt contains 7 live and active cultures, is at least 96% fat-free and comes in a variety of delicious flavors. Whether it’s soft serve, hand scooped, in a shiver, cake, parfait or Beriyo Smoothie, TCBY offers the Country’s Best real dairy Frozen Yogurt. www.tcby.com.

UNC Executive Development Seminars
Advanced Financial Decision-Making
May 14 – 16, 2008
http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/Programs/execEd/openEnrollment/fe.cfm
Learn how to use financial data to better drive strategic business decisions.

Dispute Settlement Center: INTRODUCTION TO THE MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE INDICATOR
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is arguably the most widely used, accurate, and versatile personality instrument in the world, with dozens of uses - in communication, teambuilding, and conflict resolution - for individuals and organizations. In this workshop, you'll learn:
• how you take in information;
• how you make decisions;
• how you re-energize;
• how you prefer to interact with the outer world; and
• your own profile and its inherent strengths and weaknesses.
Date: May 14, 2008; 9:00-Noon. Fee: $95. [Venue: Homestead Center, 600 Homestead Rd, Chapel Hill 27514.]
Contact information: To register for any upcoming training, visit www.disputesettlement.org or call 919-929-8800 ext 10.

Carolina's Funniest Comic At DSI - Fridays at 7:30pm from May 16-June 13
DSI Comedy Theater, the South's premier theater for improv and the
alternative comedy scene, is proud to host the “Carolina’s Funniest Comic” Standup Comedy competition on Fridays at 7:30pm from May 16th to June 13th.
March Madness may be over but DSI has organized a competition to determine "Carolina’s Funniest Comic" and the heat is on. 32 comedians are able to register and compete for up to $1000 cash and prizes.
20 slots have already been claimed and there is still a month of registration left. There are 5 weeks of comedy competition scheduled for a single elimination tournament judged by the audience. The public steps up to compete and the public decides the winner. For full story, click here.

Chapel Hill Wine Company - Free Spring Wine and Cheese Tasting - 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 17
Chapel Hill Wine welcomes back customer favorites, Chapel Hill Creamery, for a FREE spring wine and cheese tasting at the Chapel Hill Wine Company on Saturday, May 17th from 1 to 5 p.m. Owners Portia McKnight and Florence Hawley produce cheese with milk from their own "healthy and happy" Jersey dairy cows on the farm just off Dairyland Road between Carrboro and Hillsborough. Come taste some of their fresh cheeses including Carolina Moon (a ripe-aged Camembert style cheese) and fresh Mozzarella, along with our Spanish wine tasting. The Chapel Hill Creamery will also have their cheese for sale. For more information, call 968-1884.

Twig Green Day - Raising support and awareness for important local non-profits.
Twig, Chapel Hill’s new eco-friendly store located on Elliott Rd next to Whole Foods is launching its inaugural fundraising event for community-based non-profits on Saturday, May 17, 2008 from 8am to 8pm.
The festive event will include musical entertainment and door prizes. Whole Foods Market will provide refreshments; several non-profits will be on hand to raise awareness of their work. Twig is donating 20% of the event proceeds to the non-profits. According to storeowner, Shawn Slome, each customer will have the chance to name the non-profit of their choice at the time of their purchase. Non-profit partners include Piedmont Wildlife Center, The Audubon Society, Waldorf School, Eno River Association, NC Museum of Life and Science, Triangle Land Conservancy and others. For full story, click here.

DSI to Host "Carolina's Funniest Comic" Standup Competition - Fridays at 7:30pm from May 16th to June 13th
DSI Comedy Theater, the South's premier theater for improv and the alternative comedy scene, is proud to host the "Carolina's Funniest Comic" Standup Comedy competition on Fridays at 7:30pm from May 16th to June 13th. DSI has organized a competition to determine "Carolina's Funniest Comic." 32 comedians are able to register and compete for up to $1000 cash and prizes. There are 5 weeks of comedy competition scheduled for a single elimination tournament judged by the audience. For full story, click here.

CED's 17th Annual Biotech Conference - May 19-20 - Fusing Science, Technology and Industry Leadership
At CED’s 17th annual Biotech conference, learn about life science industry trends, and discover new business and partnership opportunities by connecting with entrepreneurs, investors and scientists. Fueled by pioneering research and development, and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, come see for yourself why Biotech 2008 will be the biotechnology event of the year, celebrating what is widely considered one of the biotech industry’s top three economies in the country. Register Before May 12 to Save! Use promo code 1620. Chamber members will receive CED member rates for the conference, which provides a savings of $100. For more information, visit www.cednc.org/biotech.

Optima Asset Management Announces Two Seminars
Financial Planning for Women - 9 a.m., Thursday, May 29
Discussion will include financial issues encountered by women and women
business owners.
Location: Chapel Hill Chamber's conference room (104 S. Estes Dr.)
RSVP: to Diane McIntee (919) 933-9019 or diane@optimaasset.net by 5/14

Financial and Legal Aspects of Estate Planning - 9 a.m., Thursday, June 5
This seminar will be conducted by me and Beth Tillman, Attorney at Law
Location: Chapel Hill Chamber's conference room (104 S. Estes Dr.)
RSVP: to Diane McIntee (919) 933-9019 or diane@optimaasset.net by 5/20.

Showcase for a Cure – Friday, May 30th
INTERIORS by Decorating Den invites you to visit Showcase for a Cure, a project benefiting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Eastern North Carolina Chapter. Each year a custom builder is chosen to build a home seeking the support of area vendors to secure donated products and services. After the Showcase for a Cure is complete, it is decorated by a team of local designers who donate their time and talent to furnish the home with donated or discounted furnishings which are available for purchase on silent auction during the time that the home is open to the public. For details, click here.

Town Planner Community Calendar -- May Heads Up -- the Newsletter that Keep you in the Know
View Town Planner's monthly e-mail newsletter online at http://www.townplanner.com/headsup/NCCOR/2008_05.htm.

West End Valet Service Expands
The West End Valet Service (on West Franklin Street) now includes 11 businesses with the recent addition of Mansion 462 and La Residence Restaurant and Bar. This free service is available six nights a week, Monday to Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. to patrons of any of the businesses with a validated parking receipt. Downtown visitors enjoying other establishments can also use the valet service for a $5 charge. Just drop off cars in front of the UNC Information Technology building (440 West Franklin Street) at the Valet Parking stand. Businesses already participating are Mediterranean Deli & Catering, 411 West Restaurant, Bonne Soirée, Carolina Brewery, Elaine's on Franklin, Lantern Restaurant, Studio Supply, Talulla's Restaurant and the West End Wine Bar.

Jaycees Yard Sale Fundraiser - Saturday, June 7th, 7am-1:00pm
Our yard sale at Southern Village is in less than two months, and we need your help to make this year's event a success!!! First of all, we need STUFF! Please encourage your friends, family, and
coworkers to donate items for us to sell. Secondly, if anybody is willing to serve on the yard sale committee, please contact Management Vice President Joanna Worrell at managementvp@chapelhilljaycees.org. We need people to help with collecting, sorting, advertising, planning, etc. The more, the merrier! Thanks!

Project Graduation 2008 Seeking Donations
Project Graduation is a substance-free party given by the entire community for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools high school class of 2008 to celebrate their first night at graduates. The fifteenth annual alcohol and drug free celebration takes place Saturday, June 14, 2008 and includes outstanding food, music, performances, games, door prizes, scholarships and more. Project Graduation is funded entirely by tax-deductible donations from individuals and businesses in our community. Monetary donations are gratefully accepted at the address below. For more information, visit www.projectgraduationchccs.org.
Project Graduation of Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Inc.
P.O. Box 17043
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

BUSINESS NORTH CAROLINA SEEKING SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS
Business North Carolina magazine is seeking nominations for Small Business of the Year. This marks the 30th year of honoring the contributions small businesses make to the state’s economy. Nominated companies must have fewer than 100 employees, be North Carolina-based, independently owned, have at least one owner active in the business, have been in business at least five years, and be profitable. Nomination forms may be found at http://www.businessnc.com/businessnc/index.php?
Deadline for nominations is June 17, 2008.

Durham Tech Small Business Center Announces Summer 2008 Business Seminars and Classes
Topics include:
• Savvy Socializing: Networking for Success
• Evaluating a Franchise Opportunity -- Is Franchising Right for You?
• Five Secrets That Will Lead You to Remarkable Business Success
• How You Can Get Simply Organized
• Thinking of Starting a Business?
• The REAL Entrepreneur: How to Start and Build Your Own Business
• Intro to QuickBooks Pro
• The Best Small Business to Start Right Now
Visit www.durhamtech.edu/sbc for more information.

Help the Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County Meet an Important Challenge
Your business can strengthen our community by helping the Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County (FVPC) become a stronger advocate for families facing the threat of domestic violence. An anonymous fundholder at the Triangle Community Foundation has offered FVPC a challenge grant to maintain and expand our programs. Every dollar given to FVPC will be matched, up to $30,000, if FVPC can raise this amount by June 30, 2008. This is an “all-or-nothing” challenge.
Please make your tax-deductible donation to Family Violence Prevention Center (note "Challenge Grant" in memo line) and mail it to FVPC, PO Box 187, Chapel Hill NC, 27514. For more information call 919-929-3872 and leave a message asking to speak to a Board member about this important effort. For full story, click here.

Ms. Jane Showerman is OWASA’s new Customer Service Manager
Ms. Jane Showerman began work as OWASA’s new Customer Service Manager on Monday, March 24th. She is responsible for managing the Customer Service staff and programs including monthly billing, service sign-ups and related interactions and communications with customers.

Kevin M. Ray, OWASA’s Director of Finance and Customer Service, said “We are delighted that Jane Showerman has joined the OWASA Team. She has extensive experience and knowledge of water and sewer customer service and billing, and has been responsible for the implementation of various meter reading and billing system tools. I believe she is well poised to lead our Customer Service department forward.” For full story, click here.

Soprano Emily Ezzie Awarded First Prize in Long Leaf Opera Vocal Competition
Soprano Krista Leigh Wilhelmsen Awarded Second Place
The second bi-annual Long Leaf Opera Vocal Competition took place on Saturday April 26 at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s Paul Green Theater. Soprano Emily Ezzie of Baltimore, Maryland was awarded first prize for her performance. Ms. Ezzie will be invited to perform in a future Long Leaf Opera production and received a $1,000 cash prize. Ten finalists all under the age of 35 were judged on their technical and musical interpretive abilities, stage presence and professional attitude by a panel of judges. For full story, click here.

Triangle Business Journal honors 40 Under 40 winners
The Triangle’s most influential and highly accomplished young leaders
were recognized at Triangle Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Leadership Awards gala on Friday, May 2, 2008 at the North Ridge Country Club in Raleigh.

“Triangle Business Journal is proud to recognize the outstanding achievements and talents of 40 exceptional leaders, said Publisher Charlene Grunwaldt. “They have attained great success in business while giving back to their communities through charitable causes and volunteer efforts.” For full story, click here.

Town of Chapel Hill, UNC, Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, Community Leaders Announce Partnership to Benefit the Community's Homeless
Monday, May 5, Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chancellor James Moeser will joined Chris Moran, executive director of the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, Rev. Richard Edens, a United Church of Chapel Hill pastor, and other community leaders to announce a new partnership to benefit the community’s homeless.
For more information, contact:
Town of Chapel Hill contact: Catherine Lazorko, (919) 969-5055, clazorko@townofchapelhill.org
UNC-Chapel Hill contact: Lisa Katz, (919) 962-2093, lisa_katz@unc.edu

Submit your member news to mbranson@carolinachamber.org.


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