Plan now to join our trip to Germany this fall!

This fall, the Newnan-Coweta Chamber, in partnership with the Georgia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (GACCE), will travel to Germany for A Taste of Tyrol-Innsbruck, Austria, featuring Oktoberfest, set for September 30 to October 8, 2015.

Our home for the seven nights will be Innsbruck, Austria. Innsbruck, the capital of the Tyrol, is located in the Alpine region of Austria, in the valley of the river Inn, at 1,000 feet above sea level. It is surrounded by mountain ranges and numerous peaks which reach an altitude of approximately 8,000 feet above sea level. The city has 140,000 inhabitants and hosts one of the oldest universities in Europe. Innsbruck is an excellent vacation destination and is best known for its rich cultural heritage and great location, as it is only a stone’s throw from Italy and Germany. Innsbruck has been the host for Olympic Winter Games twice, in 1964 and 1976. In the town, some 160 restaurants, cafes and bars, most of them in walking distance to the old town, offer traditional Tyrolean and Austrian specialties as well as international dishes.

For $2,999 per person, this trip includes:

• Roundtrip airfare from Atlanta
• Seven nights in Innsbruck, Austria, at a first-class hotel
• Seven (7) buffet breakfasts and four (4) dinners
• Sightseeing with admissions including a local guide. Tours to Munich & Oktoberfest, Neuschwanstein Castle and a half-day tour of Innsbruck. Optional additional tours also available.
• Modern air-conditioned motor coaches for all transfers & tours
• Professional drivers and host/guides
• Baggage handling for one piece of luggage outside the secure area at the arrival airport

Final payment is due June 30, 2015. Reservations are first-come, first-served, so sign up early to reserve a space. For more information, email info@newnancowetachamber.org or call 770.253.2270. For an itinerary, click here.

30th Annual Golf Classic volunteers hold wrap-up meeting

Last week, many of the volunteers for the 2015 Golf Classic assembled at White Oak Golf Club to wrap up this year's event by discussing the successes of the recent tournament and planning for an ever bigger and better one next year! Kneeling, from left, are Jeff Allbright of Newnan Country Club, Sean Eason of Summer Grove Golf Club, Phil Aaron of State Farm and Prime Time Eventz; second row, Chamber President and CEO Candace Boothby, Phil Downey of Hometown Magazine, Sharon Rogers of Newnan GNC, Judy Peeler of Paul Peeler Leadership, Marcia Smith of MWS Business Services, Barry Ashe of Ashe Sales and Consulting; and at back are Mike Denny, Sonya Denny and Lynn Butterfield, all of Newnan GNC, Al Marshall of Legal Shield, Chamber Executive Assistant Valerie Ward, Shirley Key of Georgia Power Company, Dr. Blanche Wallace of DSL Coaching Group, Beverly Bauer of Therapeutic Massage Center, Lori Grace of Backflow Prevention Testing with Grace, Maggie McSweeney of Cardinal Waste Solutions, Andy Miller of Print Source, Marty Riggs of Landmark Christian School and Mark Sprague of Snapshot Graphics.

And volunteers are already signing up to work on next year's Golf Classic! If you or your company would like to help with the planning for the 2016 event, give us a call at 770-253-2270 or e-mail info@newnancowetachamber.org.

Coffee Call is tomorrow at the Chamber office!

The Chamber is always looking for new ways to help our members network, and a new program we've kicked off for 2015 is our Coffee Call Business Card Exchange. We had a great time at the first one in March, and now it's time to get your business cards together and join us for breakfast again tomorrow!

Coffee Call will be held from 8-9 a.m. at the Chamber office. A great way to jump start your day, Coffee Call allows you to enjoy coffee and a light breakfast while connecting with vital contacts. This event is free to members and $20 for non-members.

Click here to register for the Coffee Call. For more information, call 770-253-2270 or e-mail info@newnancowetachamber.org.

Monica Pearson to speak at our June 3 Women of Prosperity Luncheon!

WSB-TV’s Monica Pearson to speak at June 3 Chamber Luncheon

Longtime WSB-TV News Anchor Monica Pearson will be the guest speaker for our Business Women's Network Women of Prosperity Luncheon on Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at the Newnan Country Club.

Pearson is a renowned Atlanta television personality. After 37 years as a news anchor with WSB-TV in Atlanta, Pearson retired in 2012. She now hosts a weekly radio show on KISS 104.1 FM, writes a column, “Monica Matters,” for Southern Seasons Magazine, continues her Closeups interviews on www.wsbtv.com/monica and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia with an MA in Journalism and Mass Communication on August 1, 2014.

She joined WSB-TV in 1975 as Atlanta's first woman and first minority to anchor the daily 6 p.m. news. She began her professional career at The Louisville Times, followed by a position in the public relations department of Brown-Forman Distillers before joining WHAS-TV in Louisville as a reporter and later anchor.

She has received numerous accolades and honors for her work, and her 33 local and regional Emmys include an Emmy for an exclusive interview with Georgia Congressman John Lewis in 2008. The interview garnered national recognition, as Lewis changed his U.S. presidential support from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama. Among her many awards, Pearson was awarded the Legacy Award from the National Association of Black Journalists in 2012; The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Team Trailblazer Award in 2013; and also in 2013, the Interdenominational Theological Center presented her with the James H. Costen Award for Excellence in Civic and Community Affairs.

This luncheon is sponsored by LifePlan Financial Advisors, Inc. and will be held June 3, 2015 with networking at 11:15 a.m. and lunch at 11:45 a.m. Cost is $35 for Chamber members and guests, $50 for General Admission.

For more information, email info@newnancowetachamber.org or call 770.253.2270, or click here to register now through ChamberMaster.

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Dennis McEntire shares his leadership story at NuLink Early Bird Forum

Thomas Watkins of PetSmart emceed yesterday's NuLink Early Bird Forum and introduced speaker Dennis McEntire of Newnan Utilities. He spoke briefly about McEntire’s personal contributions to the community and young professionals like himself, noting that McEntire was not only a great mentor but also one of those rare people who know how to get things done. The crowd roared when Watkins said McEntire was “like a hybrid between Chuck Norris and MacGyver.”

McEntire began his remarks by saying his life was changed forever when he and his wife, Sally—who was present for McEntire's talk—decided that Newnan was the place they wanted to raise their children, Elizabeth and Clay.

McEntire was working for Georgia Power when the family moved to Newnan in 1986 and knew that his career track would require several future relocations. When he was offered the top job at Newnan Utilities, he and Sally didn’t think twice.

“We thought Newnan was just like Mayberry,” he said. “We still do. Our children graduated from high school with the same friends they started kindergarten with. That’s wonderful.”

McEntire said his children—both present at his talk—started careers out of town after graduating from college and were happy and successful. But when they were ready to settle down and start families, both returned to Newnan.

“We’re glad Newnan had the opportunities for them to come back,” he said.

McEntire said that career opportunities for young professionals are not as abundant as they could be, but thanks to the impact of employers like Piedmont Healthcare and Cancer Treatment Centers of America, career possibilities are expanding. He said those opportunities are growing daily, thanks in large part to The Chamber’s aggressiveness in promoting Coweta as a beacon for growth and prosperity in the region.

The crowd at the NuLink Early Bird Forum is welcomed by Lana Mobley, NuLink's Vice President of Commercial Sales.

Chamber Chairman Danny Beck presents the award for first place in the Golf Classic Expo-on-the-Greens contest to Che Ziebarth of Batson-Cook Construction.

Batson-Cook, Southern Credit Union take top spots in Golf Classic's Expo contest

One of the many exciting features of our Golf Expo is the popular Expo-on-the-Greens in which local businesses get to showcase their goods and services to more than 400 attendees. Awards are given to the top two exhibitors, and this year the prize for First Place went to Batson-Cook Construction!

Their Spring Break theme was a real hit with those attending the Golf Classic, and their hard work on their booth paid off as they took top honors this year.

Second Place in the Expo contest went to the Southern Credit Union for their groovy Love Shack! Here, Paula Hasberger and Monica Millians greet Golf Classic attendees at their colorful exhibit.

Thanks to all the exhibitors who participated in the Expo-on-the-Greens, and congrats to this year's winners!

A huge thank-you to the sponsors of our 2015 Golf Classics!

In just a few hours, we’ll be dancing through the decades at the 2015 Golf Classic! We’d like to thank all the sponsors who’ve made this event possible. This year’s sponsors include:

Platinum Presenting Sponsors: Piedmont Healthcare and ClubCorp

Gold Title Sponsor: Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Silver Sponsors: Batson-Cook Construction, NuLink, OrthoAtlanta, The Southern Credit Union and Toyota of Newnan

Food Sponsors: Cargill, Shane’s Rib Shack, 800 Mile Ribs & BBQ

Sign Sponsor: Sign & Graphic Solutions

Beverage Sponsor: Buffalo Rock Beverages & Food Services

52-Week Raffle Sponsors: Infiniti of South Atlanta, Volkswagen of South Atlanta

$100 Hole Sponsors: Atlanta’s Professional Door, Bank of North Georgia, Batson-Cook Construction, BB&T, Caldwell Tanks, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Cargill, Chuck Johnson CPA PC, ClubCorp, Communities In Schools, Comprehensive Program Services, Coweta County Water & Sewerage Authority, Coweta-Fayette EMC, Delta Community Credit Union, Delta HomeCare, Dr. Jorge Amador Family Medicine, Dr. Ralph Davis, Fairway Independent Mortgage, Georgia Academy of Dance & The Performing Arts, Georgia Power, Grenzebach Corp., Kaiser Permanente, Lexus South Atlanta, LifePlan Financial Advisors, New South Construction, Newnan Utilities, Nissan of Newnan, NuLink, Pattillo Industrial Real Estate, Piedmont Healthcare, Pope & Land Enterprises, Inc., Progressive Heating & Air, Regions Bank, Sign & Graphic Solutions, SouthTowne Motors of Newnan, Somerby of Peachtree City, Southeastern Site Development, Texas Roadhouse, The Southern Federal Credit Union, Toyota of Newnan, United Bank, West Georgia Roofing, West Georgia Technical College, Yamaha Motor Manuf. Corp. of America, Yokogawa

Beverage Cart Sponsors: Baby Dimensions, Leaf and Bean, NuLink

Breakfast Expo Sponsor: Renasant Bank

Closest-to-the-Pin Sponsor: Paramount Hospitality Management

Driving Range Sponsor: Gym Guyz

Expo Grill Sponsors: Austin Outdoor, Infiniti of South Atlanta, Nissan of Newnan, SummerGrove Golf Club

Hole-in-One Car Sponsors: Infiniti of South Atlanta, Newnan Nissan, SouthTowne Motors, Toyota of Newnan, Volkswagen of South Atlanta

Ice Box Sponsor: Paramount Hospitality Management

Leader Board Sponsor: Piedmont Healthcare

Players Package Sponsors: Casey Corporate Transportation - Hand Sanitizer; Coweta County Water & Sewerage Authority - Phone Wallets; Infiniti Of South Atlanta - Divot Tool; Key Promotions - Mints; Newnan GNC - Koozies; Penco Restoration - Golf Towel; Piedmont Healthcare - Sunscreen Packets; PNC Bank - VIP Golf Balls; Progressive Heating & Air - Conditioning Ball Marker/Screen Cleaner; Thomas Eye Group - Bags; Uniglobe McIntosh Travel - Tees; United Community Bank - VIP Golf Balls; Wells Fargo - VIP Golf Balls

Putting Green Sponsor: Ameriprise Financial/Butler Capital Management

Registration Expo Sponsor: Casey Corporate Transportation

Seminole Halfway House Expo Sponsors: Georgia Pain and Spine Care, Lexus of South Atlanta

Straightest Drive Sponsor: McKoon Funeral Home

Tent Sponsor: Piedmont Healthcare

VIP Area Sponsor: Foxhall Resort & Sporting Club

Volunteer T-Shirts Sponsor: Shine 'n Drive Car Wash

Walternative Golf Ball Drop Sponsor: Toyota of Newnan

Sponsors make our 30th Anniversary Golf Classic a great event!

Our 30th Anniversary Golf Classic at White Oak Golf Club tomorrow is going to be the biggest and best yet, and the Golf Classic wouldn’t be the success it is without the support of all our terrific sponsors, including Presenting Sponsors Piedmont Healthcare and ClubCorp.

Michael Robertson, CEO of Piedmont Newnan Hospital, said Piedmont Healthcare is pleased to sponsor the Golf Classic for a number of reasons. “It’s a good opportunity to network,” he said, and “it’s also a great time for business leaders, the community, doctors and others to come play golf and just enjoy a good time.” Unlike other organizations that exhibit at the Golf Classic, Robertson said, Piedmont already has high name recognition, so its presence is less about giving away logo merchandise and more about giving attendees a chance to get to know Piedmont employees—including himself—on a personal level.

“In my opinion, this Chamber tournament is a premier event in our community,” Robertson said, adding that it’s “a privilege” to be a sponsor and it’s yet another way Piedmont can give back to the community.

Regional Vice President Dan Hewitson of Presenting Sponsor ClubCorp said, “ClubCorp is proud to be a part of the Chamber’s Golf Classic and that White Oak is hosting the event, which has now become a tradition for so many leaders in the community.”

In addition to these Platinum-level Presenting Sponsors, other sponsors of the Golf Classic include:

Gold Sponsor: Cancer Treatment Centers of America.

Silver Sponsors: Batson-Cook Construction, NuLink, OrthoAtlanta, The Southern Credit Union and Toyota of Newnan. We've got lots more great sponsors to spotlight in the days ahead, and we hope you'll join us in letting all our sponsors know how much we appreciate their contributions to making the Golf Classic the outstanding golf tournament it is!