Stephanie Williams and Mike Hagan

Each year the volunteer leadership of the Greater Vidalia Chamber of Commerce changes, and Friday night, Stephanie Williams accepted the ceremonial gravel to lead the Chamber through 2024 from outgoing Chair Mike Hagan.

Williams steps into the position by following outgoing Chair Mike Hagan who has continued to take the organization in a positive direction just as his predecessors have done, and Williams says she plans to build upon the foundation that has already been laid.

   “One of my personal goals is to see the community come together,” she said, “and I think when you have a community that works together, you have a stronger community. I’m really excited about the direction that the Chamber is taking. I’ve been watching Mike Hagan a lot to see what he’s been doing. He’s been a great mentor to me this past year.

“We’ve got a lot of great things coming up this year,” she continued. “The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship will be opening in late spring and that will be great for budding entrepreneurs in our area, it’s going to be a great year! I’ve got a great board to be working with and of course, the staff has always been exceptional.”

The new Chair says the Greater Vidalia Chamber of Commerce catches the attention of others around the State of Georgia.

“I’ve been to meetings with state leaders and one of the things we always hear is, ‘Wow! You guys are really doing a great job in Toombs County!’ But it’s not just Toombs; it’s the surrounding area. That’s impressive when you hear other people comment and see what you’re doing. It didn’t happen this year, or last year, or the year before. It happened over many years on the shoulders of past Chairs and Board members. We’re growing, and we’re going to continue to grow. We’re always looking for new ways to help business growth in the community and we’ve gotten to where we are because the past leaders had the same vision.”