IN THE NEWS

Susan Galloway, Our 2025 2nd Quarter KLCB Community Champion Congratulations to our 2nd Quarter Community Champion Award winner - Susan Galloway! Susan leads Clinton Canopy, a volunteer group that does an amazing job keeping Clinton's parks looking their best. From planting flowers to caring for trees, Susan's passion and leadership help create beautiful, welcoming spaces for all to enjoy.

Meet Our Ambassadors Tanya Towne Tell us a little about yourself. I love being outside and immersing myself in nature. I enjoy sharing that love with my friends and family. We go camping, kayaking, and hiking mostly. I am most happiest when I am outside, whether it is yard work or just sipping a cold drink in the shade. I have a wonderful 25-year-old son who has inherited my love of animals and is such a big help when I go out of town. Where do you work, and what's your rol

Meet our Ambassadors: Marilyn Quia Cromer Tell us a little about yourself. Greetings! My name is Quia Cromer. I am from the big city of Joanna, SC but currently live in Clinton. I am the proud Mom of a son, Xavier, 15, daughter, Marquia, 9 and turtle son, Ernie (no idea of age). I am a die-hard fan and proud Alum of The University of South Carolina, Gooo Cocks! I love spending time with my kids/turtle, family/friends, traveling, & cooking/baking. I enjoy meeting, learning a

Meet our Ambassadors: Melinda Gray Tell us a little about yourself. I am a person who enjoys helping others in both my personal and professional life. I enjoy giving and volunteering within my community. I am on the board for the Bell Center for the Blind, help with Bunco for Babies with LCDSNB, and other initiatives in Laurens County. I find this extremely fulfilling. On the home front I have been married for 43 years, have one son, and a wonderful daughter in love. I love

Meet our Ambassadors: Lee Anne Kitchen Tell us about yourself. I am a dedicated and driven professional who approaches challenges with enthusiasm and a commitment to excellence. My passion for my work fuels my determination to succeed, and I am known for my honesty, transparency, and consistent efforts to ensure fairness in every interaction. Outside of my professional life, I am a proud wife, mother of four amazing adult children, and "bonus" mom to several others. I'm als

Meet our Ambassadors: Lacresha Dowdy Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Lacresha Dowdy, and I would consider myself to be a free spirit. I believe that if you can think about it, you should at least try and do it. If whatever you try doesn't work out the way you wanted it to, at least you tried something new. Life is a journey, and you never really know what is coming next. Where do you work, and what's your role? What do you enjoy most about what you do? I work fo

Meet our Ambassadors: Jen Williams Tell us a little about yourself. My name is Jen Williams, and my family and I have lived in Clinton, SC, for 7 years.  My husband is the softball coach at Presbyterian College, and we have an 11-year-old, Adley, who is entering 6th grade. We also have 8-year-old twin boys, Brantley and Berkley, who are going into 4th grade.  When I'm not working, I love being outside, watching the kids play sports, reading, and hanging out with friends.  W

Meet our Ambassadors: Ellie Mae Martin Tell us a little about yourself. Hi y'all! I'm Ellie Mae Martin, the Chamber's Director of Pawsativity and proud four-legged face of the team. I've been part of the Chamber world since I was a pup, learning the ropes alongside my mom, Graysen, who handles communications and marketing. Whether I'm greeting guests, attending events, or riding along for member visits, I take my role seriously-and always with a wagging tail. Where do you w

Meet our Ambassadors: Chris Callahan Tell us a little about yourself. I am happily married to my wonderful wife, Lora Callahan. Together, we are proud parents of three amazing children: Mathew, Sunday, and Eli. They keep us busy, but their presence brings immense joy to our lives. As a family, we cherish the opportunity to explore new adventures, meet new people, and serve our local church. We also prioritize spending quality time together, creating lasting memories that st

Meet our Ambassadors: Becca Dobbins Tell us a little about yourself.  My name is Becca Dobbins, and I'm a native of Greenwood, South Carolina, where I was born and raised. I've been happily married to my incredible husband, Matthew, for almost four years. We share a deep love for rescuing animals and currently have quite the furry (and scaly!) family - six dogs, 2 cats, and a bearded dragon. When we're not busy caring for our pets, we enjoy traveling, watching scary movies,

CACCE Service Award for 2025 Shout-out to our Communications & Marketing Coordinator, Graysen Martin, for receiving the CACCE Service Award for 2025! If you're familiar with the Chamber, then you're familiar with Graysen. Graysen's dedication, leadership, and commitment to our community have made a lasting impact. Thank you for five incredible years of service, and here's to many more! The Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (CACCE) Service Awards recogn

Laurens County Chamber of Commerce Announces New President & CEO Laurens County, SC - February 14, 2025 - The Laurens County Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the appointment of Dabs Maness Davis as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Davis will succeed Amanda Benfield in leading the Chamber's efforts to enhance the business environment and community development in Laurens County. Following an extensive search that attracted 43 applicants, Davis was select

Tell us about yourself. My name is Becca Dobbins, and I recently celebrated my 30th birthday. I reside in Greenwood, SC with my husband, Matthew, and our lively household of 13 animals - including 6 dogs, 3 cats, 3 chickens, and a bearded dragon. In my free time, I find joy in exploring new destinations, indulging in true crime podcasts, and catching up on some much-needed rest through napping. Where do you work and what is your title? As the Community Engagement Coordinator

Ambassador Spotlight ... Meet Tanya Towne Tell us about yourself. I am a mother to a wonderful 24 year-old young man who is my pride and joy. I love the outdoors and spend most of my time outside. My favorite thing to do in the summer is go kayaking. I get to cool off in some amazing rivers while enjoying the peacefulness of nature. When it is not a hundred degrees outside, I love to camp out. I am a primitive camper which makes it possible for me to camp in some remote pla

Ambassador Spotlight - Melinda Gray Tell us about yourself. I am a wife, mother of a grown son and daughter-in love. I have the best circle of friends and family that are my support system and mean the world to me. I have 3 dogs and a cat, Cindy, who is the queen of our home. I enjoy my church, Lighthouse Baptist Church, and my church family. Small things make me happy and I appreciate every day. Where do you work and what is your title? What do you like about your job? Pal

Laurens County Blessing Boxes Initiative by Leadership Laurens County Class XXIV 3 Destinations, 3 Celebrations! …. On July 30, 2024, Leadership Laurens County (LLC) Class XXIV celebrated the official opening of their Blessing Boxes with official Chamber ribbon cuttings. These boxes are at three key locations: Christ Central Mission Station-Joanna , 710 Magnolia St., Joanna, SC 29351 United Ministries of Clinton, 500 Academy St., Clinton, SC 29325 Straight Street Youth C

Bridging the Gap Advocacy: Cultivating Potential & Community Do you know about a local nonprofit that's helping transform the lives of children and families in Laurens County? Bridging the Gap Advocacy is on a mission to help children and their parents discover their natural talents and gifts. By promoting faith, education, health and wellness, job training, and employment initiatives, this organization aims to bridge the gap between aspirations and potential. Recently, Bri

Lessie Brown, Our 2024 2nd Quarter KLCB Community Champion The Keep Laurens County Beautiful (KLCB) Community Champion Award recognizes a business, organization, or individual volunteer who has initiated and actively engaged in activities significantly contributing to the success of the KLCB program. We proudly present the 2nd quarter award to Lessie Brown from Cross Hill. Lessie consistently engages in litter pick-up without seeking recognition, participates in recycling,

Amanda Benfield, Laurens County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO: Graduated From the Institute for Organization Management (IOM) Amanda Benfield, President and CEO of the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce, successfully completed the Institute for Organization Management (IOM) program through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on June 27, 2024. The Institute program has been educating tens of thousands of association, chamber, and other nonprofit leaders on how to build stronger

Ambassador Spotlight ... Meet Lee Anne Kitchen Tell us about yourself. I am a dedicated and driven professional who embraces challenges with enthusiasm.  My passion for my work fuels my determination to achieve success.  I am known for my openness and honesty, always striving to maintain fairness in all my interactions. As a wife and mother of four adult children, several "bonus children, and a grandmother to three delightful granddaughters, I cherish my family deeply. In 2