Special to The Trussville Tribune
TRUSSVILLE – Trussville mayor-elect Buddy Choat was the featured speaker for the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce (TACC) monthly luncheon on October 20 at the Trussville Civic Center.
Choat talked about the three P’s: 1) Preserve. Let’s not take for granted what we have here in Trussville; we have to take care of it. 2) Protect. ‘Husky pride’ is not just a saying; it’s what we are. 3) Plan. We have to plan to grow in the right way and not too fast. We have plenty of good things going on. Downtown redevelopment was a big focus during the election and will continue to be a major focus. Construction on our new library is about to begin.
Two of the things Choat campaigned on were keeping our city financial stable and keeping the citizens of Trussville safe. He added that the quality of life, affordability of homes, and great schools are why people move here. He also credited Mayor Melton for all he has done to make Trussville a great place.
The chamber presented several awards at this month’s luncheon. First, its October Customer Service Award recipient was recognized. The nominator had this to say: “I ran in to Publix in the Shoppes at Deerfoot one evening. I just needed a few things, and once I found everything on my short list, I looked for the shortest check-out line. Every line had 2-3 people with large orders until Melanie opened up a new register.
There were still two people in front of me but it didn’t take long. Melanie Pope greeted each person with a ‘Hello. How are you?’ and ‘I’m sorry about your wait.’ She carried on brief but seemingly genuine conversations with each of us. She clearly wanted to make each shopping experience a positive one. It’s refreshing when a cashier has a pleasant outlook and doesn’t act like you’re a bother to them.”
TACC’s ambassador of the quarter was also recognized. Ambassadors work hard for the chamber. They earn a point every time they help with an event or recruit a new chamber member. Usually the top ambassador has 10 or 12 points for the quarter but October’s recipient had 22. It was a very busy month at the chamber, especially for ambassador of the quarter, Deanne Billingsley from Bryant Bank.
A highlight of this month’s luncheon was the announcement of the chamber’s inaugural small business award recipients. Nominations were judged on community involvement, chamber participation, business success and overall deservedness. The recipient of the Emerging Small Business Award (in business for less than five years) was Brik Realty. Bryant Bank received the award for the small business category with 1-10 employees. Massey Stotser & Nichols PC was presented the award in the 11-50 employee category. The winning nominations have been forwarded to the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama for consideration for the statewide awards.