Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Archives - Page 10 of 23

Hope seeks re-election to City Council

Posted at 10:35 am June 14, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Chuck Hope

Chuck Hope Jr. is seeking re-election to Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election.

In a press release, Hope said he wants to continue representing the city in such things as the Energy Communities Alliance, which recently took him to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. Department of Energy officials and federal legislators.

“We want to make sure that our legislators are current on issues that matter most to Oak Ridgers,” Hope said.

During the visit, Hope and Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson met with David Klaus, under secretary for management and performance at DOE headquarters. They discussed Oak Ridge’s status in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and water treatment plant upgrades.

Hope said he is known for his community involvement and support. He served on the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, and the Oak Ridge Beer Permit Board before being appointed to Council. Hope was selected by a council majority in July 2011 to fill a vacated City Council seat, and he successfully ran for election in 2012. (Hope actually won twice in 2012, first winning a three-month term in a special election in August and then getting elected to a four-year term in a regular municipal election in November.) [Read more…]

Chamber supports AMSE land transfer resolution

Posted at 11:03 am June 13, 2016
By John Huotari 8 Comments

The American Museum of Science and Energy is pictured above on November 15, 2015. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Note: This story was updated at 8:50 a.m. June 14.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce supports a resolution that would allow the city manager to negotiate with business executives and federal officials to transfer about 17 acres of federal property at the American Museum of Science and Energy to help Main Street Oak Ridge, the project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The Oak Ridge City Council will consider the land transfer resolution during a meeting tonight (Monday, June 13). Under that resolution, the 17.12 acres could either be transferred to the city or to RealtyLink, the company redeveloping the mall. The transfer would also include 1.87 acres of city-owned land that are on the north, south, and west sides of the AMSE property.

On Friday, Chamber of Commerce President Parker Hardy said the Chamber supports the land transfer resolution.

“It’s entirely consistent with our overall support for the Main Street Oak Ridge project,” Hardy said. “This has been a long time getting here, and we’re proud to lend our support.” [Read more…]

Dodson—teacher, community leader—running for City Council

Posted at 12:54 pm June 5, 2016
By John Huotari 2 Comments

Jim Dodson

Jim Dodson, an Oak Ridge art teacher and community leader, has announced that he will be a candidate for Oak Ridge City Council in the November 8 election.

Dodson, a teacher with Oak Ridge Schools for 29 years, has a strong record of community service and leadership on several civic boards and organizations, a press release said.

“I will definitely work alongside my Oak Ridge and East Tennessee neighbors for a better quality of life in our community,” Dodson said. “I hope to give our residents a voice on City Council and continue to promote excellent educational opportunities for all our kids and young adults.

“I will also continue to help recruit businesses and families to Oak Ridge as the place to relocate. I look forward to working as an Oak Ridge City Council member to maintain and improve all city services while providing safe and thriving neighborhoods. It’s my vision that what Oak Ridge has to offer should not be a secret anymore.” [Read more…]

June 2 seminar: How to win friends, influence people in digital age

Posted at 5:15 pm May 30, 2016
By Kathy Gillenwaters Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building is pictured above.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce has again teamed up with Dale Carnegie of Tennessee to offer a workshop series on leadership essentials. The June 2 session is titled “How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age.”

“The digital age is changing how we work, play, communicate, and think,” a seminar description said. “It is an exciting frontier that rewards those who leverage the power that it presents. This workshop provides and introduction to the tools needed to develop the attitudes of success necessary to move to new levels of effectiveness in the digital age.”

A discount is available for members of the Chamber. The June 2 session is scheduled from 8-10 a.m. at the Chamber, which is located at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

Running for Office Workshop on Thursday at Oak Ridge Chamber

Posted at 11:37 am May 15, 2016
By Kathy Gillenwaters Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building is pictured above.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is offering a free workshop for anyone interested in running for local office on Thursday, May 19. The workshop is scheduled from 7-8:30 p.m. May 19 in the Joyce Conference Room at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. It’s open to the public.

The workshop will be conducted by Bob Eby, who has successfully run four campaigns over four decades and currently serves on the Oak Ridge Board of Education. He will share advice that he has received from elected officials over the years as well as his own observations and experiences during the past 30 years. Eby will share his list of things you must do, the things to avoid, and things to consider in order to run a successful campaign. There will be an opportunity for participants to ask questions and discuss issues. [Read more…]

Explore Oak Ridge to co-locate with Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

Posted at 11:10 am May 13, 2016
By Kathy Gillenwaters 1 Comment

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building is pictured above.

Explore Oak Ridge (the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau) will be moving its operations from its current location at 102 Robertsville Road to co-locate with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce in July, according to an agreement reached by the two organizations earlier this week.

The Chamber building is located at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike, near Oak Ridge High School and across from the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

The initial lease is for three years, with two additional one-year extension options. It will position the Chamber, Explore Oak Ridge, the Oak Ridge Industrial Development Board, and the Roane State Tennessee Small Business Development Center in one facility, a press release said. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chamber opposes Hall tax changes that hurt local governments

Posted at 9:48 pm April 28, 2016
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building is pictured above.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce acknowledges the need for tax reform in Tennessee, but the organization has opposed changing the Hall income tax in a way that would hurt local governments, an official said Thursday.

Specifically, the Oak Ridge Chamber opposes modifying or ending the Hall income tax in a way that would result in a negative financial impact to local governments, Chamber President Parker Hardy said.

The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill Friday that would lower the Hall tax on stock and dividend income from 6 percent to 5 percent in the 2016 tax year. The tax would be reduced by 1 percent per year after that until it is eliminated by 2022.

Oak Ridge officials expect to lose between about $100,000 and $120,000 in the fiscal year that starts July 1. There is an impact on other local communities as well—including Anderson County, Clinton, and Roane County—but none of them will lose as much as Oak Ridge.

The eventual repeal of the tax could cost Oak Ridge as much as $700,000 per year or more. The city collected $708,454 from the Hall tax in 2015. [Read more…]

Running for Office Workshop offered at Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

Posted at 12:19 am April 21, 2016
By Kathy Gillenwaters Leave a Comment

Bob Eby

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is offering a workshop for anyone interested in running for local office on May 19 from 7-8 p.m. in the Joyce Conference Room at the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike. The workshop is free and is open to the public.

Participants will learn about the process of running for office, gain helpful tips, and will have the opportunity to ask questions about what to expect.

The workshop will be conducted by Bob Eby. Eby has successfully run four campaigns over four decades and currently serves on the Oak Ridge Board of Education. He will share advice he has received from elected officials over the years as well as his own observations collected over the past 30 years. Eby will share his list of things you must do, the things to avoid, and things to consider in order to run a successful campaign. [Read more…]

Chamber has Primetime networking event on Thursday; public invited

Posted at 11:30 am April 19, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Spring Primetime networking event is Thursday, April 21.

As of April 12, more than 40 Chamber-member organizations had reserved exhibit space for the event, which is titled “Fiesta Primetime.” It’s scheduled from 4-6 p.m. under the tent in the parking lot of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, which is at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

Primetime is one of the Chamber’s biggest networking events of the year, a press release said. Anyone—Chamber member or not—is encouraged to attend. [Read more…]

City publishes summary of Oak Ridge Land Bank Partnership Strategy Workshop

Posted at 1:08 pm April 14, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff 1 Comment

By City of Oak Ridge

On November 6, 2015, the Oak Ridge Land Bank Corporation, in conjunction with the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, hosted the second Housing Strategy Work Session. The purpose of this meeting was to identify willing partners in the effort to improve housing quality in the City of Oak Ridge.

As a result of this collaborative meeting, feedback was gathered from six identified stakeholder groups, each having their own perspective on what needs to be done and what they could do in addressing the city’s identified housing challenges.

The participating stakeholder groups offered the following input:

Banks

[Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chamber celebrates nonprofit members Tuesday, April 5

Posted at 8:38 pm April 2, 2016
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

Oak-Ridge-Chamber-Give-It-Up-For-A-Cause

Community members and members of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce learn more about local nonprofits at last year’s Give it UP for a Cause. This year’s event will take place on April 5. The event is free and the public is invited. (Submitted photo)

To celebrate National Volunteer Month, the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is hosting a nonprofit fair on Tuesday, April 5. It’s scheduled from 8-10 a.m. at Pollard Technology Conference Center, which is at 210 Badger Road. The community is invited to attend.

“Give it UP for a Cause” is the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s annual event to honor the nonprofit members of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce. Several nonprofit organizations will be on hand to share what they do in the community, what their needs are, and how those who are interested can get involved.

Gene Caldwell, longtime community volunteer, will be the guest speaker. Caldwell was a pediatrician at the Oak Ridge Children’s Clinic for many years before being elected to the Tennessee State House of Representatives. He will speak about the importance of volunteerism.

Exhibitors for the event are: [Read more…]

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