2024 Christmas Parade

Two Roane State students were recently awarded transfer scholarships to Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) for the 2024-2025 academic year. The scholarship recipients are Anna Cox and William “Willie” Phaler, both of whom will graduate as part of Roane State’s Class of 2024 this spring. Anna Cox will receive her associate of art degree in theatre arts and is also Roane State’s recipient of the 2024 President’s Award, the highest honor the college can bestow on a student. Willie Phaler, who is part of Roane State’s Middle College Class of 2024, will receive an associate of science degree in general studies. The scholarships, valued at $1,250 each, were given to Roane State Community College by MTSU as a part of their True Blue Tour, an appreciation event held in the fall of 2023. MTSU offers scholarships to institutions attending the True Blue events, which can then be given to deserving students who are planning to transfer to MTSU after graduation. The one-time scholarship can be used to offset the tuition and fees at MTSU. Roane State’s Advising Resource Center (ARC) selected this year’s recipients. Anna Cox was nominated for the MTSU Transfer Scholarship by her faculty advisor, Professor Courtney Minton. Minton stated that Cox has gone above and beyond expectations, earning a full 12 credit hours more than required for her degree. “In addition to her course work, Anna participated in eight theatre productions – four as a cast/crew member for Playmakers productions and four as a director or assistant director for the Roane County Children's Theatre,” Minton said. “The additional activities Anna tackled during her time at Roane State are a testament to her drive and her dreams.” Cox is planning to major in musical theatre at MTSU. She enrolled in extra music classes offered at Roane State in order to better prepare for transferring into MTSU’s program. Willie Phaler is a student-athlete and valedictorian at Sunbright School. As a Middle College graduate, he will receive his associate degree from Roane State at the same time as his high school diploma. He is planning to major in sports media journalism at MTSU. Phaler was also nominated for the transfer scholarship by his faculty advisor, Dr. Matt Waters, who stated that he was impressed by Phaler’s creativity and ambition. “A leader in our class video projects, [Willie] enthusiastically learns about and practices his skills,” Dr. Waters stated in his nomination. “In fact, he wrote, directed, recorded, and used Adobe Premiere Pro to edit his own short film for the Roane State Film Festival. I am confident he will continue to excel after he transfers to MTSU.” Information on Roane State’s Advising Resource Center (ARC) can be found online at roanestate.edu/ARC . For questions about the MTSU Transfer Scholarship, please reach out the ARC by emailing advising@roanestate.edu or calling (865) 882-4597.

Roane State Community College will honor the Class of 2024 with multiple commencement ceremonies this Spring due to the number of expected graduates and guests.

Hosted by Yes! Go Travel

Our in-person Small Business Networking is your chance to promote your business to about 25 other businesses in a round-robin introduction. Be sure to bring plenty of business cards and information about your services! We gather in our Joyce Conference Room on the second Thursday of each month from 8-9AM. Attendees have the opportunity to present a 1-2 minute elevator speech, enjoy refreshments, hear from our sponsor and our featured business of the month, and enjoy open networking. In the end, it's all about the networking! Stay as long as you'd like and make new contacts while renewing old ones.

Coffee & Commerce is a brand-new networking event, to be held on the first Tuesday of each month from 8-9 AM at alternating host locations. This event is free and exclusive to Chamber members. Attendees can expect light breakfast, networking, and a short program mid-event. We’re excited to foster more opportunities that will: • Strengthen connections between members • Give the host a chance to showcase their business • Keep members informed with high-profile guest speaker briefings • Give a restaurant/caterer Chamber member a business opportunity Visit our website calendar to register and learn who our monthly speakers and hosts will be! If you are a Chamber member interested in hosting a Coffee & Commerce (with space to accommodate 30+ attendees), contact events@orcc.org . (LINK TO C&C GUIDELINES)

Business After Hours is an informal quarterly networking event for business professionals to connect after work. We encourage our members to bring a guest, which can be a co-worker, client, or prospective Chamber member. Business After Hours is also a chance for the host location to showcase their business, services, and facilities to our Chamber community. Attendees can expect a word from the host, complementary refreshments, beverages, and a chance to win door prizes! You’ll want to make sure to bring plenty of business cards! Visit our website calendar to RSVP! Recent hosts have included the American Museum of Science & Energy, The Backyard, Holiday Inn Express, and Calhoun’s of Oak Ridge! If you are a Chamber member interested in hosting a Business After Hours (with space to accommodate 30+ attendees), contact events@orcc.org.

The Oak Ridge Human Resource Association, a separate nonprofit organization, has been merged into the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and is re-forming as the Oak Ridge Human Resource Alliance. The new Alliance is led by a steering committee who are HR practitioners or closely associated with the same. This group will guide the programming of meetings and events, under the leadership of its new chairman, Angelia Myers with Express Employment Professionals. The annual membership of $40 will be continued, with funds being used to offset program costs and special projects. The hybrid lunch meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month, at the Chamber (1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike) or online via Zoom and will run from 11:30 AM to 1PM. There is a free in-person and free virtual option for registrants, but guests can choose to pay $15 for lunch to be included. Visit our website calendar to register and learn about monthly speakers and topics! Meeting sponsorships are also available at $75 per meeting. (LINK TO SPONSOR) (LINK TO REQUEST TO BE A GUEST SPEAKER)

We offer a quarterly opportunity to learn how to maximize your membership and hear more about our Chamber's current initiatives. During this event, you will meet our staff, briefly network with other members, learn about ways you can get involved, and see exactly how the chamber can help your business grow! This is ideal for new Chamber members, new employees of an existing Chamber member, or anyone who just needs a refresher on what's included in your membership. For a fun element, we offer mimosas and do a toast to your membership! 2024 Member Orientations : Dates and locations are to be determined, but the time frame will be 3:30-5PM. Visit our website calendar to RSVP!

The growing Nonprofit sector faces different challenges than for-profit businesses and we want to engage and support our nonprofit members and their staffs. We have recently developed a Nonprofit Council of local nonprofit executives that will guide our nonprofit initiatives moving forward. The first event series they’ve developed are Nonprofit Roundtables, to be held on a quarterly basis from 11:30-1PM at the Chamber. These roundtables will include catered lunch, a training component on trending nonprofit topics, and will ultimately foster connections among nonprofits in our community. This is a great chance for nonprofits to share brochures, business cards, upcoming events, current needs, and other pertinent information with those in attendance. Visit our website calendar to register and learn about quarterly speakers and topics!

In celebration of our 75 th anniversary, we are bringing back a fun team-building event intended to get everyone beyond the confines of the office environment. Members can enjoy quality networking time, make memories, and foster comradery with a round of competitive golf at our Chamber’s Golf Classic on May 20. To add to the experience, we’ll have celebrity guest and former football player Lee Smith joining us! (ADD LEE SMITH HEADSHOT AND SPONSOR LOGOS) Save the date and get your teams ready! Sponsorship opportunities are now available, and registration will be open by the end of January. (INSERT SPONSORSHIP FORM) Visit our website calendar to register for our event!