The “new” Ambassador program consists of 25 dedicated professionals who are the eyes, ears, and legs of the Chamber. Ambassadors are assigned to a small group of Chamber Members. The Ambassadors’ job is to establish a working relationship with each of these members, providing them more personal attention.

	Barry Roberts, Chairman of the Board Barry is the Plant Manager of Global Partitions. He serves as the Chairman of the Chamber Board of Directors. As Chairman, Barry also serves on the Stephens County Development Authority board in an ex-officio capacity as Secretary. Barry also serves on the United Way Advisory Board for Stephens County. Barry is a graduate of North Georgia College and University with a BBA in Management. He also holds an MBA in Leadership Development from Brenau University. He and his wife Lynn have three sons, Corey, Connor and Cole.
	Lee Ellen Fields, Vice Chairman Lee Ellen is a Certified Public Accountant at Johnson & Fields in downtown Toccoa. She serves as Vice Chair of the Chamber Board of Directors. She is a graduate from Valdosta State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration. She also has a Bachelor degree from the J. M. Tull School of Accounting, University of Georgia. Lee Ellen worked for 15 years in corporate finance and accounting in the manufacturing industry. Currently she provides tax and advisory services to individuals, small businesses and non-profit organizations. Her areas of expertise include individual and partnership taxation and accounting software implementation, specifically Quickbooks. Lee Ellen is a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and has served in various leadership capacities for the Northeast Georgia Chapter of Georgia Society of CPAs. Lee Ellen also serves as treasurer for the Toccoa Symphony Orchestra Board.
	Brian Akin, Treasurer Brian is the President and CEO of the North Georgia Credit Union in Toccoa. Brian serves as Treasurer on the Chamber Board of Directors. Brain graduated from North Georgia College & State University with a BBA in accounting. He is a member of the Georgia Credit Union League Board of Directors. Brian has served on the GCUL Finance Task Force and currently serves as Chairman of the Georgia Credit Union League Outreach Advocacy Committee. He is a two-time recipient of the Moses C. Davis Professional of the Year Award in 2001 and 2009. Brian and his wife Kelly have two daughters, Tessa and Abby.
	Lee Hicks, Past Chair Lee is a lawyer at the Law Firm of Moore & Hicks in Hartwell, Georgia. He serves as Past Chair of the Chamber Board of Directors and Chair of the Government Affairs Committee. Lee is a graduate of Clemson University and the University of Georgia in Law School. Lee and his wife Amanda are expecting their first child. They are members of Ebenezer Baptist church in Toccoa.
	Karen Milford Caudell Karen is the Director of Community Involvement at UHS-Pruitt Corporation, United Hospice Foundation. She serves on the Chamber Board and is the Education Committee Co-Chair. She has two sons and daughters-in-law, Kyle & Annette and Craig & Tiffany. Karen is the proud grandmother of Kaylyn, Kaden, and Kendyl. Her pets include Drake, her black lab, and Gus, her Chihuahua. She is a member of Allens Methodist Church, Sigma Phi, and Order of the Eastern Star. Karen hobbies include crafting, camping, and baking. Her favorite books are the Bible and poetry. Her favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption and she enjoys watching American’s Funniest Home Videos and westerns.
	Bill Cochran Bill Cochran is the Director of Implementation Services at Standard Register Customer Service Center in Toccoa. The company focuses on critical communications management in three segments including healthcare, commercial and industrial business markets. Bill serves on the Chamber Board and is the Golf Tournament Committee Chair. He attended Young Harris College and Piedmont College. He and his wife Amelia have two children, Ryan and Alison. They also have two grandchildren, Samuel and Olivia. Bill attends church at Tom’s Creek Baptist Church. Hunting is one of his favorite hobbies. Bill enjoys reading books written by Tom Clancy and watching “Red River Valley” starring John Wayne.
	Pastor Andy Childs Andy is the Senior Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Toccoa. He serves on the Chamber Board and the Leadership Toccoa-Stephens County Board of Directors. Andy graduated from Grand Canyon University in Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Andy has had the joy of serving churches of various sizes throughout the years. These opportunities have led Andy’s heart to lead the local church to be a place of hope where people connect with God and one another. Under his leadership, Ebenezer has grown leads the Tugaloo Association in having the highest number of baptisms on record. The Georgia Convention recognizes Ebenezer’s Sunday School as one of the fastest growing in the state. Andy met Melissa Lieboner and they married in June of 1991. Andy and Melissa have two children Micah and Emilee.
	Forrest Connelly Forrest is the University of Georgia County Extension Coordinator for Stephens County Agriculture & Natural Resources. Agents help solve problems in everyday life through programs like testing and diagnostic services, student achievement programs, teacher resources, training and certification programs, and field days. He serves on the Chamber Board and is the Agribusiness Committee Chair. He has two children, Forrest and Webb. Forrest attends St. Paul Church. He is a member of the Lions Club and the Elks Club. He enjoys golfing, hunting and riding motorcycles. Forrest’s favorite book is The Education of Little Tree.
	Bobby Davis Bobby Davis is a corporate pilot, a real estate investor and a volunteer with the Stephens County Airport Authority. He is a retired coatings chemist and business owner. Bobby serves on the Chamber Board and represents the Tourism Promotions Sector. Bobby graduated from Stephens County High School and Brenau College. He is a member of Meadowbrook Baptist Church, the Partners in Growth investment club and the YMCA. Bobby and his wife Liz enjoy traveling in his plane and motor home. He loves history, reading anything by Lewis Grizzard, watching Flying Wild Alaska and trail riding ATVs.
	Jay Doss Jay Doss is an associate of Sketlon-Morris Associates insurance. Jay serves on the Chamber Board and represents the Service and Professional Sector. Jay is a member of the First Baptist Church of Toccoa and the Rotary Club of Toccoa, where he served a term as President. He has three pets, Hitch a dog and Halo and Oscar who are cats. Jay is interested in trout fishing, camping, golfing, and skiing. He enjoys readying anything by John Sanford or Dean Koontz; his favorite movie is Caddyshack.
	Patti Troup Joiner Patti and her husband Harry are the third generation owners of Troup’s Studio & Hallmark in Toccoa. Patti serves on the Chamber Board and represents the Retail Sector. She is a graduate of Stephens County High School and the University of Georgia where she received her degree in Accounting. Her son Rob and his wife live in Cumming and her first grandchild was born in November. Her daughter Hillary is married to Levi Rice and they live in Toccoa. Patti’s youngest daughter is Marlee. Patti has a Sheltie named Roxie. She is a member of the First United Methodist Church. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching comedies, or “feel good” movies. She also loves to go shopping with her daughters. Her favorite movie is Holiday Inn and she likes watching Grays Anatomy and The Practice.
	Hayley D. Knight Hayley works at Stephens County Hospital as the Personal Care Homes Manager for the Wilkinson and Clary Centers. She serves At-Large on the Chamber Board. She is married to Hank Knight and they have two children Ann Marie and Mary Alice. She has a miniature dachshund named Daisy as well as the Clary and Wilkinson pets. She loves to spend time on the lake with her family and friends and watch her niece Kaitlin play volleyball at Piedmont College. She enjoys reading anything by Nicholas Sparks.
	Michelle Lamping Michelle is the County Executive responsible for leading First Citizens’ retail consumer, small business and commercial banking efforts in Stephens County branches. She leads branch teams in selling banking products that meet customer needs and provides unparalleled customer service. She is responsible for developing action plans that address local market opportunities, and representing First Citizens in the local community.
	Brian Lingle Brian is the Vice President and Controller at 1st Franklin Financial Corporation. He serves on the Chamber Board and represents the Service and Professional Sector. He and his wife Jodi have three children, Mya, Ella, and Camden. They also share their lives with the family cat. Brian attends the Ebenezer Baptist Church. He also participates in Leadership Toccoa and serves on Camp Toccoa’s Finance Committee. Brian likes to spend his outdoor time downhill skiing, surfing, and mountain biking. His favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird and his favorite movie is A Few Good Men.
	Shannon McFarlin Shannon is employed by 1st Franklin Financial. He serves on the Chamber Board and serves on the Tourism Promotion Committee. He is the president elect of the Rotary Club of Toccoa and a board of director of the United Way of NEGA. Shannon is a member of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. He and his wife April have two children, their daughter Taylor and son Micah. The family enjoys their dog Max, a Havishu. He enjoys spending time with his family at Sunshine Farms, their family farm where catches catfish with his children. He also enjoys camping, and working in the yard. His favorite book is Fire Proof and his favorite movie is Christmas Vacation.
	Joseph M. Moore Joe is the Plant Engineer at American Woodmark Corporation in Eastanollee. He serves on the Chamber Board representing the Manufacturing Sector. He and his wife Illa have two children, Alexandra who works for a design firm in Alpharetta and Benjamin who studies International Affairs as a senior at Georgia Tech. Joe has two pets, a huge cat named Titan and a tiny cat named Shadow. He is involved with the Boy Scouts Troup 227. In his free time, Joe reads, gardens, travels, hikes, visits museums, and coaches youth soccer. His favorite book is the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and his favorite movie is the Back to the Future Trilogy.
	Eddie Powers Eddie is the Branch Manager at the DOCO Regional Federal Credit Union. Eddie serves on the Chamber Board and is on the Existing Business and Industry Committee. He also serves as an Ambassador for the Chamber. He and his wife Terri have four boys and one girl. They also have a wonderful grandson named Brooks. In addition to the family are two dogs and two cats, who think they are dogs. He attends church at New Hope Baptist. To relax, Eddie likes to do yard work. He enjoys reading John Grisham books and likes watching The Big Bang Theory.
	Angela Ramage (Angie) Angie is the director of Marketing and Communications for Toccoa Falls College. She serves on the Chamber Board and represents the Tourism Promotion Sector. After graduating from Toccoa Falls College, she became the first director for public relations at the college. She moved to Atlanta where she first worked as an editor for Walk Thru The Bible Ministries. In 1992, she joined the staff of In Touch as an editor and manager in the marketing group. Angie briefly left In Touch to work with Dr. Michael Youssef (Leading The Way) as director of publishing. She returned to In Touch as a senior editor, writer, and marketing specialist for Dr. Charles Stanley. Angie is a published author and continues to write and edit books for various Christian leaders. Angie is the proud owner of Cocoa Joy, a chocolate Cocker Spaniel. She is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Toccoa. Her hobbies include photography and hiking. Angie enjoys reading, especially Jan Karon’s early novels and watching British movies.
	Tammy Riddle Tammy is a Loan Officer at Stephens Federal Bank. She also is the owner and operator of Heavenly Desserts by Tammy. She serves on the Chamber Board as the Chair of the Ambassador Team Program. Tammy volunteers with the United Way and many other community and civic events. She is a native of Toccoa and is married to Ed Riddle. They have a small farm and raise Black Angus cattle. Tammy is an active member at Tom’s Creek Baptist Church where she sings in the choir, teaches Sunday School and is the Church Clerk. Her favorite thing to do is take a nap when she can find the time to do it.
	Laura Ritcey Laura is the HR & Audit Director of Quality Foods. She serves on the Chamber Board and represents the Retail Sector. Her husband David is the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Toccoa. Their son Justin is married to Jenny and is employed by the Georgia Baptist Conference Center. Their son Michael is a freshman at the University of Georgia. Laura has several pets. Her dogs Bubbles and Dusty are joined by horses, goats, and a donkey! Laura loves to read and go to the beach. Her favorite book is the Bible and her favorite movie is The Princess Bride./td>
	Matt Skilling Matt is an Associate with Sanders & Ranck, P.C. in Toccoa. He serves on the Chamber Board and is the Chair of the Economic Development Committee. He joined the law firm after practicing for five years in South Georgia. Before practicing as an attorney, Matt earned a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science and worked with a consulting firm in Middle Georgia. Matt and his wife, Rachel, live in Clarkesville and are members at St. Matthias’s Episcopal Church in Toccoa. Matt is active with the Chamber of Commerce, the Stephens County Development Authority, and is a member of the Chattahoochee Inn of Court. In his spare time, Matt enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, and UGA football.
	William H. Standard (Bill) Bill is the site Manager of the H&R Block in Toccoa. He serves on the Chamber Board and represents the Senior Sector and volunteers for the Currahee hallenge. Bill and his wife Gloria have three children. Bill graduated from the University of Georgia with a BS in Chemistry. He serves his community as past president of Rotary Club of Toccoa and through membership of the Curahee Arts Council. Bill is also past chairman of Planning and Zoning for the City of Toccoa and is a member of the Georgia Mountains Private Industry Council. In his spare time, he likes to read anything by John Gresham.
	M. C. Stowe M. C. retired from the U. S. Postal Service after 38 years of service. He serves on the Chamber Government Affairs Committee and represents the Senior Sector. He and his wife Amelia (a retired member of the Stephens County Board of Education) have two children, Lewis (who is employed by Athens Frame Works and lives in Watkinsville, GA) and Roy (who is employed by Jackson EMC and lives in Jefferson, GA). M. C. has two pets, a dog named Baxter and a cat names Alice. M. C. is a member of Grace Baptist Church. He is also a member of Toccoa Lions Club (where he served as District Governor), Rural Letter Carriers (where he is a past president of 9th District Rural Letter Carriers0, National Active and Retired Federal Retirees (where he is a past president), and Georgia Federal/Military Retiree Coalition (where he is a past president). M. C.’s hobby is politics and he enjoys watching television news. His favorite book is Cold Mountain.
	Stephens E. Tilley (Steve) Steve graduated from Toccoa High School, Young Harris College, and the University of Georgia where he earned his B.B.A. in Management, his M. Ed. in Marketing Education and his Ed. D. in Adult Education. He serves on the Chamber Board, on the Currahee Military Weekend Planning Committee and represents the Senior Sector. Steve is married to La Verne. After an honorable discharge from the U. S. Army in 1972, Steve worked in Toccoa as Operations Manager for Rulanco, Inc. and then as their Plant Manager. He began his career as an educator with the Georgia State Department of Education as the Department Head for Distributive Education and later served in several other positions, including Director of Continuing Education and Public Service, Affirmative Action Officer, 504 Coordinator, Applicant Clearinghouse Coordinator, Director of Extended Learning, and Executive Director of Continuing Education and Public Service. In 2003, Steve joined Gainesville College as Associate Professor of Management and later retired as Vice-President of Gainesville College in December of 2004. His most recent community involvement includes serving as President the Rotary Club, member of the Board of Directors of the Stephens County Historical Society and Museum and member of the North Georgia Technical College Board of Trustees.
	Bill Wheeler In 1996, answering a call to full-time Christian ministry, Bill came to Toccoa as the Director of the Georgia Baptist Conference Center, formerly known as the Georgia Baptist Assembly. He serves on the Chamber Board, the Litter and Bligh Committee and represents the Tourism Promotion Sector. While in Toccoa, Bill been active in Toccoa-Stephens County community by serving the Boys and Girls Club of NE Georgia Board Member, Rotarian, Chamber of Commerce Board Member, Leadership Toccoa, Keep Toccoa/Stephens County Beautiful Board Member, Toccoa Symphony Chorus Member, Development Authority Board Member, Department of Family and Children Services Board Member, School Council Representative at Big A Elementary School and the Toccoa and Stephens County Citizens Advisory Panel on Litter and Blight. Bill and his family are active members of Ebenezer Baptist church. He has also been a part of many local and international mission trips. In his spare time, Bill teaches exercise classes as the YMCA, sings with the Sons of Jubal (a statewide men’s chorus) and reads. He and his wife Ellen have three children Will, Mary Lovett and Bo.