Group of people holding award

Chattahoochee Tech Honored as Gilmer Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year

The Gilmer Chamber of Commerce honored Chattahoochee Technical College as the 2019 Chamber Business of the Year at the Chamber’s annual meeting and awards luncheon held Thursday, Jan. 16, in Ellijay.

“Recognizing the great work of Chattahoochee Technical College was long overdue,” said Gilmer Chamber President and CEO Paige Green. “The continued commitment the college has to our community and to all the other communities it serves is unmatched.”

The Gilmer Chamber Board of Directors selected Chattahoochee Tech as the 2019 Business of the Year due in large part to the college’s support of the Chamber through its sponsorship, engagement and partnership for future workforce development efforts, according to Green, who also serves on the college’s Board of Directors. “We are so pleased to add Chattahoochee Tech to the long list of well-deserving recipients,” said Green.

Accepting this award on behalf of the college was Chattahoochee Tech President Dr. Ron Newcomb. “We are so honored to receive this award from the Gilmer Chamber of Commerce,” said Newcomb. “Chattahoochee Tech is truly committed to investing in Gilmer County citizens and serving as a partner in developing Gilmer County’s workforce.”

Included among those representing Chattahoochee Tech at this event were college vice presidents Heather Pence, David Simmons and Jason Tanner, along with Associate Director of Adult Education Amy Denney, Accounting Specialist Mechelle Ballew, Facilities Administrative Specialist Marsha Honea and WIOA Coordinator Lynn Long. Serving as this event’s keynote speaker was Al Lopez, a retired corporate executive and military veteran who founded Alma Coffee. This farm-to-cup coffee company operates a public café on the Chattahoochee Tech Woodstock Campus in an area known as The Circuit, which functions as both a student center and a valuable working space for local entrepreneurs. It represents an innovative partnership between Chattahoochee Tech, the Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED) and the Woodstock Office of Economic Development.

Shown here, l-r, on the front row are Marsha Honea, Amy Denney, Dr. Ron Newcomb and Lynn Long. Shown, l-r, on the second row are Heather Pence, Mechelle Ballew, David Simmons and Jason Tanner.
Shown here, l-r, on the front row are Marsha Honea, Amy Denney, Dr. Ron Newcomb and Lynn Long. Shown, l-r, on the second row are Heather Pence, Mechelle Ballew, David Simmons and Jason Tanner. (Photography by John Crawford).