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Ten at the Top
Upstate News

February 7, 2011 - Vol 2, Issue 2
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Feb. 18 - Vision & Values Committee Meeting
1:00-3:00 p.m. - University Center

Mar. 8 - TATT Executive Committee Meeting
12:00-2:00 p.m. - Village at Pelham


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CONTACT US
Dean Hybl
Executive Director
Ten at the Top
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 864.283.2315

Jacquelyn Fehler
Program Manager
Ten at the Top
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 864.283.2313
DOT SECRETARY LAHOOD TOURS PROTERRA FACILITY
LaHood-ProterraAfter identifying the Proterra electric transit bus being produced in South Carolina's Upstate as a national transportation best practice, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made a special trip to Greenville to tour the temporary Proterra plant in Greenville.

Secretary LaHood emphasized that his appearance was an endorsement for the work being done in the Upstate by this innovative American company.


TATT AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA HISPANIC CHAMBER HOST COMMUNITY FORUM
TATT Hispanic ForumRoughly 45 Upstate residents participated in a Community Forum co-sponsored by Ten at the Top and the South Carolina Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on January 19th. The event was the 13th forum held by Ten at the Top across the Upstate since October to help refine the Shared Upstate Growth Vision, which will be unveiled on April 27th.

Participants discussed issues that are important to them as the Upstate looks to add more than a quarter million new residents over the next two decades. Check out the meeting notes from this meeting as well as the other 12 sessions on the Ten at the Top web site.


UPSTATE FOREVER RECOGNIZES AWARD WINNERS
Upstate Forever AwardsMore than 350 people gathered on February 3rd at the Embassy Suites in Greenville for the 2011 Upstate Forever Awards Luncheon.

In addition to presenting the awards listed below, the audience also was treated to a special performance by noted musician and environmental advocate Chuck Leavell.

The award recipients were:
Land Conservation Champion: Naturland trust
Clean Water Champion: Dave Hargett
Sustainable Communities Champion: Frank Powell
Clear Skies Champion: Pickens County
Public Servant of the Year: Rick Danner
Volunteer of the Year: Rick Huffman
Extraordinary Achievement: Tommy Wyche 


SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR APRIL 27TH
VISION UNVEILING & WORKSHOP 
TATT LogoIf your business or organization is looking for cost-effective opportunities to promote your business across the 10-county Upstate region while also promoting the value of collaboration and planning for the future, then Ten at the Top has an opportunity for you.

In preparation for the Regional Growth Vision Unveiling and Workshop, Ten at the Top is offering five different types of sponsorship opportunities:
  • Presenting Sponsor
  • Vision Element Workshop Sponsor (one per area; Only Entrepreneurial Vigor, Natural Beauty & Resources and Community Vibrancy still available)
  • Upstate Vision Video Sponsors
  • Visionary Sponsors
  • Event Sponsors

The details for each of the TATT Event Sponsorships are available on the TATT web site.

TATT AND 14 BOARD MEMBERS RECOGNIZED BY GREENVILLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE  
Greenville Business MagazineFourteen members of the Ten at the Top Board of Directors, along with TATT Executive Director Dean Hybl, were among those recognized by Greenville Business Magazine as being among the 50 Most Influential Greenville Business Leaders for 2010.

Board members honored for their work in the Greenville business community include Chairman Irv Welling, Vice Chairs Ingo Angermeier, Steve Navarro and Neal Workman, Executive Committee Members Minor Shaw and Rick Danner and Board Members Chandra Dillard, Ben Haskew, Phil Hughes, Hal Johnson, Evelyn Lugo, Hank McCullough, Russell Stall and Brad Wyche.

SOUTH CAROLINA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OPENS NEW OFFICE
 
Evelyn Lugo
SC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Evelyn Lugo.
After being operated out of the home of founder and President Evelyn Lugo for several years, the South Carolina Hispanic Chamber of Commerce now has its first official office at 107 East Park Avenue in Greenville.

The growth of the Chamber from roughly 30 members in 2009 to more than 120 members today is reflective of the increased role the Hispanic Community is playing in the business landscape across the Upstate and all of South Carolina.

U.S. Census projections estimate that there are roughly 5,200 businesses in South Carolina that are owned by Hispanic residents and that there are now more than 200,000 Hispanics residing in South Carolina.

Evelyn Lugo was recently named among the  50 Most Influential Business Leaders in Greenville by Greenville Business Magazine and is a member of the Ten at the Top Board of Directors.

For more details check out the SCHCC web site or their SCHCC Facebook page.



FIRST WATER MATTERS SOUTH CAROLINA MEETING HELD 
 
Calhoun FallsMore than 50 water-focused citizens and organizations came together on February 3rd to discuss issues relating to clean and abundant water in SC.  The event was held at Congaree National Park (SC's only national park and the US's largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest) and was the first meeting of its kind for Water Matters South Carolina.  

Water Matters SC is "an effort to protect the integrity of waterways and raise greater awareness of waters issues by increasing communication and coordination among citizens and organizations." As such, Water Matters aspires to create a network for sharing information and for working together on ways to tackle water issues.  Presentation topics at this meeting included the benefits of dam removal/river restoration and 'how to get it done', tactics for achieving water quality improvements from end of pipe discharges (based on the recent experience of CatawbaRiverkeeper and the Tega Cay Water Service), and possible environmental implications of deepening Savannah harbor to allow for larger shipping vessels as discussed by SavannahRiverkeeper Tonya Bonitabus.

Read a more in depth review of subjects covered during the meeting.

Water Matters SC plans to hold public meetings of this nature every six months.  They will also disseminate information based on the specific interests of citizens and organizations in the Upstate, Midlands, and Lowcountry of SC throughout the year.  For more information or to alert Water Matters on Upstate water issues go to http://www.watermatters-sc.com/regional-issues/upstate-issues/



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If your city, county or organization has news you want to share or an event you want to promote with people across the 10-county Upstate Region, send it to us and we will include it in the next Ten at the Top e-newsletter.

The TATT newsletter is distributed the first Monday of each month to more than 6,300 residents across the Upstate.

Send information about an upcoming event, special recognition or anything else you think is of regional interest to Dean Hybl.


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