John Koon (L) accepts the 2022 Chairmanship of the Greater Vidalia Chamber of Commerce from 2021 Chairman Steve McComas.
More than 400 people gathered in the Vidalia Community Center last Thursday night to witness a man being passed the gavel to lead the Greater Vidalia Chamber of Commerce to the second time.
John Koon has hit the ground running for his second term as the Chairman of the Chamber and says why he decided to accept the leadership role.
“I love the Chamber,” Koon said. “I believe in what it does. I’ve had the opportunity to go around the state and speak at conventions, and I’ve seen how important it is to have an active Chamber like ours. There’s other Chambers in cities around us that have a Chamber, but it’s not as active. If you want businesses to succeed, you have to have people who are willing to serve and invest in the community and that’s exactly what we have right here.”
In addition to Koon, there is an active Board of Directors who will guide the Chamber, but the Chairman gives credit where it is due: To the ladies who fulfill the day-to-day operations of the organization.
“The Chair doesn’t really do a lot,” he said. “But I can’t say enough about the ladies in the office who do so much. Our job as a Board is to bring ideas to the table, but it’s the staff who really work to make those ideas come to fruition.”
Before officially turning over the gavel to Koon, Outgoing Chairman Steve McComas presented the 2021 Chairman's Award to the entire staff of Memorial Health Meadows Hospital for their service and dedication to the community during the COVID Pandemic.
