News

Spirit of America Festival Celebrates 53 Years (News release) An incredible lineup of performers and one of the largest and most spectacular firework shows are on the agenda for this year’s Spirit of America Festival. Now in its 53rd year, the annual celebration honors the contributions of Americans, both past and present, who have dedicated…

Breakfast & Biz: The 6 Types of Working Genius The Chamber’s Breakfast & Biz professional development and networking event was held on June 18 at The Magnolia Room, attracting over 40 members from various professions, many of whom were attending for the first time. Carol Beth Durbin, from Durbin Leadership, delivered an engaging presentation on…

Alabama Residents Invited to Provide Input on Master Plan for Statewide Trail System Alabama residents are invited to help shape the future of the state’s trail systems through public input on the Sweet Trails Alabama statewide master plan. This plan aims to expand Alabama’s network of trails to promote outdoor recreation, tourism, health, and economic…

Miranda Runion Named Commodore of the Month Dr. DT and Jhorden Shackelford with the Neighborhood Christian Center shared the incredible work of the nonprofit organization and introduced students from their Summer Youth Leadership Program at our monthly Commodore meeting on June 14. This program allows teens and young adults to work with those in need,…

Chamber’s 12th Annual Clay Shoot Classic Brings Networking and Competition The Chamber’s 12th Annual Clay Shoot Classic, held on June 7 at Old South Clays in Athens, provided our members with an excellent opportunity to network while enjoying the great outdoors. The day-long event featured both morning and afternoon flights, offering a chance for fellowship…

Applications Open for the Chamber’s Excellence in Leadership Program Applications are now open for the Chamber’s Excellence in Leadership program for the 2024-2025 year. Excellence is an interactive program that provides skill development and community experiences to help participants grow personally and professionally as they explore the Decatur-Morgan County area. As the flagship initiative of the…

Emerging Leaders Tour Decatur Morgan Hospital At our Emerging Leaders event on June 5, attendees had the opportunity to tour the Decatur Morgan Hospital main campus.  They learned about the hospital’s state-of-the-art services and technology, including the newly installed PET-CT scanner, the first of its kind in the state. The event featured a luncheon followed…

United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches First Crewed Starliner (News release) – For the first time in history, a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V carrying NASA astronauts aboard Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner lifted off on June 5, 2024 at 10:52 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The launch…

The ACA Celebrates New Residence Hall with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony On June 4, Calhoun Community College, Athens State University, and local legislators celebrated the opening of its new Alabama Center for the Arts (ACA) residence hall apartments with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. According to Dr. Jimmy Hodges, Calhoun President, the three-story, 43,474-square-foot residence hall is the…

2024 Legislative Update Addresses Successes, Challenges of Recent Session On June 4, the Chamber hosted nearly 200 attendees at our 2024 Legislative Update. This event provided a valuable platform for the business community to engage with the Morgan County Delegation and discuss the most recent legislative session in Montgomery. The forum included topics such as…