Committees

The Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber of Commerce hosts many committees that enable Chamber members to become actively involved in their community.

Education Committee

Chaired by Libbie Hough of Communication Matters, the Chamber’s Education Committee meets quarterly on the 4th Friday at the Orange County Campus of Durham Technical Community College.

The Education Committee works to engage our business community in supporting our public schools in their drive for excellence. The Committee has developed many avenues for involvement, including a Speaker’s Bureau, the Chamber’s Annual Golf Classic, volunteer recruitment for short-term projects on school campuses, and special issue workgroups, such as Focus on Entrepreneurship.

Economic Development Committee

Chaired by Mark O’Neal of Pickett-Sprouse Real Estate, the Chamber’s Economic Development Committee meets the 4th Tuesday of each month at 8:30 am at the Orange County Campus of DTCC.

The Economic Development Committee examines current affairs that will affect the business community, such as the proposed Hillsborough train station, town and county planning and economic development. 2012 promises to be an exciting year for the Chamber with regard to Economic Development, with the passage of Phase 1 of the Unified Development Ordinances for Orange County and the development of an Economic Development Policy for the Town of Hillsborough. We encourage you to help guide the Chamber and the “powers that be” toward a successful economic strategy.

Ambassador Committee

Chaired by Randy Bernstein of Etch ‘n’ Stitch, the Ambassador Committee meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at noon at the Chamber office (102 N. Churton Street).

The Ambassador Committee is the Chamber’s volunteer membership marketing team. The Ambassadors follow up on leads generated by staff, as well as their own prospective member lists, assist in developing marketing materials and maintain regular contact with new members during their first year. The Ambassadors also conduct a bi-monthly New Member Orientation and lead the Chamber’s annual member

Marketing Committee

The Marketing Committee, chaired by Michael Gay of BlueCross BlueShield of NC, meets the fourth Monday of each month at 3:30 pm at the Chamber office.

The Marketing Committee seeks to increase visibility for the Chamber and to “brand” the Chamber in accordance with what other Alliance members are doing. In 2011, the Committee’s focus will be on developing methods to optimize the Chamber’s resources to the advantage of its members and continuing to update this website to be more visually pleasing, user-friendly, and member-friendly.

Hog Day Committee

Chaired by Rochelle Sutton of BB&T, the Hog Day meets periodically between December and May to plan the Chamber’s largest fundraiser and Orange County’s largest festival.

Hog Day is always in the summer, but planning for the event, way before that. Each year, the committee aims to make Hog Day a more profitable event, while maintaining a low carbon footprint, providing a good entertainment value to the community and encouraging visitors to Hillsborough, both on Hog Day and throughout the year. Now entering its 30th year, we welcome your input as to how to make it better and your involvement in the planning. More information about Hog Day can be found at www.hogdays.com.

Golf Classic Committee

Chaired by Danny Lloyd of Cardinal State Bank, the Golf Classic Committee meets periodically between July and the October Golf Classic to plan and solicit players, sponsors, etc. The Golf Classic raises funds for scholarships offered to Orange County senior students. Scholarships are awarded at the schools’ annual awards ceremonies. Applications are accepted beginning April 1.

The 18th Annual Hillsborough/Orange County Chamber Golf Classic will be played in October or early November, 2012, at Occoneechee Golf Course. Registration and sponsorship forms will be available as soon as the date is set.

Candlelight Tour

Chaired by Rachel Phelps Hawkins of Piedmont EMC and Sue Holaday of Sports Endeavors, the Chamber’s Candlelight Tour Committee plans the annual Historic Hillsborough Candlelight Home Tour. Planning begins in July for the December event and meets on a regular basis from August to December.

The Candlelight Tour is the Chamber’s second largest fundraiser and is a collaborative effort between the Town, County, Alliance for Hilstoric Hillsborough, Tourism Board and Visitor’s Bureau to show off Hillsborough’s historic charm.

The 26th Annual Hillsborough Candlelight Tour will take place on Sunday December 2, 2012 from noon to 6:00 pm.