It was a busy evening Thursday night as local business owners and public servants filed in at Brent Baptist Church for the annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet. A veritable “who’s who” of Bibb, attendees included Centreville Mayor Terry Morton, Woodstock Mayor Jeff Dodson, County Commissioners Keefe Burt and Charles Caddell, Centreville City Council Members, and many more.
Emcee for the night was former Chamber President (past past, as he said) Mike Oakley, who spoke of the fellowship and prosperity the active Chamber of Commerce has brought to the county over the years. He introduced Chamber Director Valerie Cook, who spoke of the various achievements around the county over this past year, including an increase in tourism from the revitalized Riverwalk Park and canoe launch.
Also speaking were current Chamber President Joseph Marchant, who issued a challenge to business owners for the coming year: Clean it up; a new initiative to encourage companies to help the government entities with reducing the amount of litter around the county.
Pastor Chuck Allen of New Hebron Missionary Baptist gave the blessing prior to dinner from Bertolone’s Italian Restaurant from Calera. The Bibb Belles helped serve dinner and clean up and clear tables as usual.
After dinner, a presentation on local and severe weather by Fox 6 News meteorologist Wes Wyatt entertained and intrigued the crowd before the keynote speaker, former U.S. Senator and Attorney General Jeff Sessions took the podium. Sessions is currently running in the 2020 election to retake the Senate seat he held from 1997 to 2017, when he gave it up to accept appointment as United States Attorney General by President Trump.
Below the brief video summary of the evening (below) is a list of newly sworn-in Chamber Board Members.
- Chairman – Joseph Marchant – Bibb Medical Center
- Jerry LeVert – ADS Security
- Jim Oakley – Retired (former owner of Centreville Press)
- Tammy Tucker – First Financial Bank
- Billy Thompson – Topline Equipment
- Jerry Pow – Retired (former Probate Judge of Bibb County)
- Melissa Thompson – Bibb County Sav-A-Life
- Teresa Averette – Trustmark Bank
- Larry Dale Clark – Local Businessman
- Sandy Young – First US Bank
- Aaron Hood – Cahaba Falls Country Club
- Eric Igyarto – Iggy’s Icecream Truck
- Michelle Dickey – Woodstock Public Library
- Nicki May – Bibb Medical Center
- David Culp – Cahaba Medical Care
