GOOD NEWS: Chamber to recognize leaders at Nov. 14 reception

Staff reports  | The Charleston Metro Chamber  will meet Nov. 14 at Riverfront Park for its second annual Honors Reception to celebrate the achievements of local organizations and leaders with an exemplary commitment to the region’s economic development and quality of life.  Winners in six categories have just been announced: 

The Trailblazer Award:  DocuSystems, given to an organization that has created a cutting-edge product or service.

The Beacon Award:  The Gibbes Museum of Art, which nabbed the honor given to a project or structure that elevates aesthetics and improves quality of life for the region.

The Rockstar Award:  Volvo Cars USA, which recognized an organization that has experienced a significant achievement resulting in a positive impact on the region. 

The Pillar Award:   Ingevity, honored for its long-standing excellence.

The Milestone Award:   Stasmayer, Inc., which received the award given to a small business that illustrates excellence in entrepreneurship, employee relations, diversity and community contribution.

The One To Watch Award:  Michael Samuel, commercial portfolio manager, BB&T.  This award is presented to an individual with outstanding professional success who is rising through the ranks in the Charleston business arena and demonstrates impeccable leadership qualities. 

The highly-acclaimed Joseph P. Riley Leadership Award will be announced at a later date. This award celebrates an outstanding community volunteer who is doing extraordinary work to strengthen the community and has demonstrated a lifetime of leadership. 

Other recent news stories of note:

Energy-saving program.  Eligible Dominion Energy customers can take part in the company’s Neighborhood Energy Efficiency Program and receive free energy-saving products through next month.  The program offers: LED light bulbs, kitchen faucet aerators, electric water heater wraps and insulation for water pipes, advanced power strip, adjustment of electric water heater temperature and HVAC air filter replacement.  By taking advantage of the energy-efficiency tips, rebates and incentives associated with EnergyWise programs, Dominion Energy customers have reduced electricity usage by more than 797,000 megawatt hours during the last eight years – enough energy to power 67,463 homes for a year, according to a press release.  For more information about Dominion Energy EnergyWise and energy-efficiency efforts, visit dominionenergysc.com/EnergyWise or call toll-free at 1-877-510-7234.

New designation.  Trident Technical College has been designated a national Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) through academic year 2024. The college is the first two-year college in South Carolina to receive the designation. The CAE-CD program is sponsored by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security to reduce vulnerability in the nation’s information infrastructure by promoting cyber defense research and education, and producing professionals with cyber defense expertise. Trident Tech offers an associate degree and a certificate in cybersecurity through its Network Systems Management department. Both programs are being offered tuition-free this fall as part of a free tuition pilot project. Fall 2 classes begin Oct. 23. More: visit www.tridenttech.edu.

Another big month.  The S.C. Ports Authority reported its best monthly container volumes on record in August.  The port handled 233,110 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) at the Wando Welch and North Charleston container terminals in August, up 13 percent from the year prior, according to a press release. The port has handled 443,652 TEUS thus far in fiscal year 2020, up 9 percent from the same period last year.  “Our record volumes are driven by a strong U.S. economy, as well as our advantageous Southeast location and consistently productive terminals,” S.C. Ports Authority president and CEO Jim Newsome said.

Reducing medical debt.  With more than one in three South Carolinians having medical debt, a national group is working to try to eliminate some of the burden for the poorest of South Carolinians. In a Friday news report, correspondent Lindsay Street shared how two Greenville citizens, state Public Service Commissioner Tom Ervin and his wife Kathryn Williams recently donated $15,000 to RIP Medical Debt. The money purchased more than $1.5 million in medical debt in the Upstate for more than 1,000 people.  Now the organization is looking for people in the Lowcountry and Midlands to carry on similar projects in the state.  Read more about this benevolence. 

Sad news: State mourns the loss of Emily Clyburn. Emily Clyburn died in Columbia Thursday morning. She was the wife of House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, the South Carolina Democrat for whom  she was often seen as his driving force. The couple met after they were arrested for participating in a civil rights demonstration as students at S.C. State College in 1960. Married for 58 years, they recently donated $1.7 million in endowed funds earlier this year to their alma mater S.C. State University.

7.7 tons.  An update on Bahamian relief efforts by S.C. Rep. Bill Herbkersman, R-Bluffton:  As of late last week, he had flown in about 15,400 pounds of relief supplies to Treasure Cay in the Abacos since Hurricane Dorian smashed into the island.  He also reports that there was a bad case of pinkeye throughout the residents and that a box of antibiotic eye drops sent by MUSC was a gift from heaven.  

“The big ships and big planes are in there now.  I’m off for a couple of weeks. At every turn, someone was assisting.  We have incredible people in this country, for sure.” Thanks also to Herbkersman for a shoutout in a recent column in Bluffton Today: “I also want to thank my pal Andy Brack, who publishes and edits the Statehouse Report. He has another publication, Charleston Currents, that did a small article on my relief effort. Apparently, it found its way onto social media, where it proliferated like kudzu. Many of my constituent contacts were attributable to Andy’s article. It also produced a bump in contributions to Mercy Flight, Red Cross and the Salvation Army. I am grateful.” 

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