As we begin our new fiscal year as a Chamber, our theme is One Band, One Sound. The phrase comes from the 2002 film, Drumline. You don’t have to have been part of a band or drum corp to identify with the film, because the takeaway is a powerful message about leadership and followership.

In the movie, the phrase “One Band, One Sound,” is spoken by the Band Director to the drum corp. The message is that every band is unique and has their own sound. No two bands should or will sound alike. As the Director shouts "One Band, One Sound!” before they enter the field, he is leading them by encouraging and reminding the band to be themselves, to be different, to stand out from the crowd.

One Band, One Sound is such a poignant and inspiring phrase and one from which we can learn a lot. Being a successful business leader, a great teacher, or a difference maker in your organization or community is often much like being the Director of a band. To be a great leader of any kind, you must be a strong individual with a clear vision and understanding not only of your role, but also of your responsibility to lead.

First-class leaders hire first-class staff. The most effective Presidents in history had the strongest Cabinets. The key to leading is to surround yourself with a strong, qualified, and teachable team.

Share the vision and lead with the message of One Band, One Sound.

As the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce rolls into our new fiscal year, we are blessed to do so with a very strong team.

Our new 2015-2016 Board of Directors Executive Team is led by:

Clay Fisher, TruVista, Chairman
Stacy Miller, South State Bank, Vice-Chairman
Bill Wheeler, Georgia Baptist Conference Center, Treasurer
Greg Roach, North Georgia Technical College, Past-Chair.

The Board of Directors includes:

Burt Holmes with Lanier Clothes – Manufacturing Sector
Dr. Angela Reese, Our Kids Pediatrics – Service and Professional Sector
Mark Smith, Eastanollee Livestock – Agriculture Sector
Amanda Price, Camp Mikell Conference Center – Promotions/Tourism Sector
Bryan Westmoreland, X-Factor Grill – Retail Sector
Gary Donahue – Senior Sector

And our At-Large Board members include:

Tommy Moon, First Citizens Bank
Greg Pitts, Department of Labor
Tammy Riddle, Northeast Georgia Bank
Drew Watson, Bowen & Watson.

Though it is the individual members of each band that make up the sound, it takes the whole band, coming together, with the same focus, to successfully accomplish the goal and to deliver a unified message as One Band, One Sound. This is our goal at the Chamber as we play the role of business advocate and community partner to promote, develop, and support commerce and tourism in Toccoa-Stephens County.

Together as a community…One Band, One Sound!